Ottoman Odyssey
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The Ottoman Odyssey, one of our three Middle East Overland Trips gives you enough time to soak up the sun on the turquoise Mediterranean coast as well as tasting for yourself the Middle Eastern food and culture and Greek and Roman history of the region. Travel to Turkey, Syria and Lebanon where you'll view Ephesus from the top of a 24000 seat Roman amphitheatre, walk amongst the WW1 battlefields of Gallipoli as well as visit an 800 year old Crusader Castle.
Days 1 - 8 (or day 11 - 18) Our Ottoman overland trip from Istanbul to Damascus begins as we embark on a half day drive through olive groves and rural settlements to Gallipoli and the Straits of the Dardanelles. In World War I, on this blustery and exposed peninsula, ANZAC and British Forces struggled unsuccessfully for nine horrendous months to dislodge Turkish troops from the hills above the beaches. It is a moving experience to visit the war graves and battlegrounds where so much suffering and unnecessary loss of life took place. From here we cross the Straits of the Dardenelles, leave Europe and enter the continent of Asia. We visit Troy on our way to Ephesus and spend the next 2 nights camping on the coast. Built by the Greeks a thousand years before Christ and then rebuilt by the Romans, this immense ancient city boasts an amphitheatre that can seat 24000 and a harbour with no water - still in good condition after all these years. We then travel via either Pamukkale where you can swim in warm, mineral-rich water, or take the more visually scenic route towards Marmaris and camp in the mountains before arriving in Olu Deniz and Olympus further down the Mediterranean coast. Our accomodation is tree houses and campsites and we spend the next couple of days relaxing on the beach. You can also take boat trips or hire small motor bikes. Days 9 - 12 (7 - 10) From here we travel inland and upwards for a day to the visually powerful, windswept landforms of Cappadocia via Saklikent Gorge where there is the opportunity to go river tubing. In Cappadocia over the centuries houses, churches, fortresses and even underground cities have been carved into this eerily eroded volcanic rock. The Goreme Valley provides us with an astonishing setting in which to spend a few days investigating the region. We will take you to one of the underground cities where you can explore alone or with a guide this ancient and mysterious area! Days 13 - 18 (1 - 6) Driving through stunning mountain scenery in the crisp clear days of summer, and ice and snow in winter, we wend our way to Syria. Syrians are among the most hospitable people you will ever meet. The country has a rich and varied history with the Egyptian, Roman, Babylonian and Persian Empires having all passed through here along with Jesus and his disciples! Our first stop in this fascinating country is the market town of Aleppo. Nearby we visit Crac de Chevaliers - an 800-year-old Crusader Castle - perched on top of a mountain. Trekking out to the oasis town of Palmyra we really get into the desert proper. Sleeping out in this vast wilderness, untainted by artificial light is an experience not to be missed. The night sky dazzles with stars, satellites and shooting stars. On the road to Damascus, we head to one of the friendliest and safest of capital cities. We spend three nights in this, the oldest inhabited city in the world. From here there is the option of taking a one day guided tour into Lebanon and Beirut. This tour also starts in Damascus |
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