Turkey Trails, Turkey
Overview
Horses
Type of horses:
Arab Cross mares.
Nature of horses:
Forward-going, robust, enduring and flexible.
Number of horses:
14
Height of horses:
On average about 15hh.
Weight limit:
14 stone (90kg)
Tack type:
English (saddle Norton Endurance )
Pricing
One Week Trail
Guesthouse accommodation double room occupancy £585 per person
Tented accommodation double tents £475 per person
Hotel accommodation double room £945 per person
Nine Day Programme
Please contact the office for prices
Availability/Booking Form
Ride Description
Located in the unique Cappadocia region of Turkey, which means literally "the country of the beautiful horses", these horse riding trails are carefully designed to allow you to explore the local countryside and its hidden treasures : Byzantine churches, underground cities, fairy chimneys, monasteries, troglodytic villages, green valleys. You can choose from three types of accommodation : guesthouse formula, luxury hotel formula, or camping. All options follow the same amazing route.
On average, you will spend 5 to 6 hours on the back of a horse each day, with regular breaks throughout the day and a stop of at least an hour for lunch.
The horses used are forward-going cross-Arab mares who are small, but robust, and the ideal size for trailing in this area. Responsive, well-balanced and respectful of the rider, they are also extremely sure-footed. Horses are distributed according to riding levels and riders' preferences, but the size and weight of the rider are also important criteria.
See Programmes.
Food & Accommodation
Three types of accommodation are available, all including 7 nights full board. The guesthouse offers comfortable accommodation in picturesque guesthouses located in ancient stone houses or in nicely renovated cave houses. Most guest houses are run by families and provide double rooms with en-suite toilets and shower. Most offer internet access and a laundry service.
Lunch is a picnic, while dinner (Turkish) and breakfast (Turkish and Continental) are taken at the guesthouse. Riders are driven to a different guesthouse in the early evening after tea at the camp where the horses stay. Riders are driven to a different guesthouse on most nights.
The camping (bivouac) formula offers a level of accommodation that is simple, with a friendly atmosphere. Riders sleep under double tents including single camp mattresses. Lunch is a picnic, dinners usually comprise a main traditional dish cooked on the wood fire. Breakfasts are continental. At the camp, meals are taken the Turkish way, on the floor, sitting on a carpet around a large round tray, under the communal tent or outside by the camp fire.
The luxury hotel formula offers very comfortable accommodation in some of Cappadocia's most beautiful mansions as well as a higher level of service during the trail itself. Dinner (Turkish) and breakfast (Turkish and continental) are taken at the hotel.
Using fresh, local products, meals vary according to the type of accommodation taken. Breakfasts can either be Turkish or Continental. Dinner usually comprises a starter, one or two main courses and a dessert. Vegetarian menus are available on request. Water, tea and coffee are included. Wine and other drinks are available but payable locally.
Further Details
Languages: English and French
Health requirements: Fit and healthy, able to withstand long hours in the saddle.
Age limit: 12 years and above.
Tuition: No
Included: English speaking guides, full board accommodation except drinks, regular transfers from/to Kayseri airport. (This service is available only for the following Turkish airlines flights : arrival evening at 19:40, return morning at 10:55.
Not included:
Travel Information
Transfers to/from Kayseri Airport are available but only for the following Turkish Airline flights : arrival evening at 19:40, return morning at 10:55.
Airport: Kayseri airport
Programmes
One Week Trail
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This 6 day trail takes you through the hidden treasures of the Cappadocian valleys. The time spent in the saddle is around 5 hours every day. You can choose from 3 types of accommodation : camping, guest house or hotel. English speaking guides will enable you to appreciate the wonderful sights that greet you even more. Day 1 - Arrive in Cappadoce. Visit the ranch, meet the team, acquaint yourselves with the horses and the equipment. Day 2 - Depart for Swords Valley and on to Zemi Valley. Day 3 - Ride through Red Valley, Rose Valley, Cavusin old village, Pasabag, Zelve Valley. Day 4 - Ride through Pigeon Valley, Uchisar village, White Valley, Love Valley. Day 5 - Ride through Green Valley and on to Goreme open air museum. Day 6 - Ride back through Red Valley, Pancarlik Valley, Mustafapasa village. Day 7 - Ride to Caravanserail of Sarihan and on to Devrent Valley. Day 8 - Farewells and departure. |
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| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 12 |
| Ability description: | Novice to experienced. |
| Type of ride: | Trail |
| Total riding time: | As per itinerary - i.e. 5 hours per day. |
| Departure dates: | 2-9 August 2008 (Guesthouse); 16-23 August (Camping); 30th August - 6th September (Hotel); 20-27 September (Camping); 4-11 October (Guesthouse); 18-25 October (Guesthouse); 1-8 November (Hotel). |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Nine Day Programme
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Leaving from the ranch, the itinerary takes the guests on a 140 km tour in seven riding days. The guesthouse, hotel and bivouac trails use the same route. The pace is mostly walk because of the terrain but there are opportunities to trot and canter every day. During really hot weather you may stop for a few hours at lunchtime until it cools down From the most beautiful valleys of the north, to the agrarians' Cappadocia of the south, a succession of fantastic rock formations, canyons, high plateaux, steppe-like landscape, traditional and cave villages, underground city, hamam of natural hot water, along with vineyards and orchards, compose a varied route. Day 1 : Pick up at Kayseri airport and transfer to Göreme where the guests will spend the night in a pension. Day 2 : The driver takes the guests to the ranch in the morning to meet and choose the horse, and get acquainted with the riding equipment. Lunch is at the ranch. After lunch you will enjoy a ride through the canyons of the Red Valley and the Valley of the Roses. With their cidatels of red, pink and ocre rock, these are Cappadocia's most spectacular valleys. Later you can gallop on the large sandy tracks leading to the Love valley, famous for its fairy chimneys. Dinner and night is in the pension at Göreme. Day 3 : After breakfast, it is time to embark on the long trek. The trail begins through the Red valley and its canyon. You enjoy a long canter until the ancient cave village of Cavusin. A scenic path carved in the red rock of Mount Boztepe leads guests to the famous rock formations of Pasabag. After another long canter across the plain of Avanos, the guests reach the museum of Zelve (museum of troglodytic villages on the red rock) for a pic-nic. In the afternoon, horses leave the winding paths to take advantage of larger tracks for a long gallop. You cross open landscape in order to reach the camp in the fantastic canyon of Gucyamli. Day 4 : You ride along the canyon to reach the village of Avanos. Then you ascend the Plateau of Ezkonah for a magnificent view of Cappadocia. You will have a break in order to visit an underground city. You will have a picnic in front of the Erciyes volcano In the afternoon, you have a long way to ride to reach the Baramacili, hamam of natural hot water, where you will sleep. Before or after the diner, guests have a relaxing time in the swimming pool of natural hot water. Day 5 : The ride begins with a visit to Sarihidir,a traditional village of Cappadocia, where you will have a tea break with the locals. Then, you ride through the green valley of the Kizilirmak river (the longest river of Turkey), gardens and small woods. With a long gallop you rejoin the caravanserail of Sarihan where you will have a picnic. In the afternoon you ride through the forest of fairy chimneys in Devrent Valley. Tonight you camp in the valley. Day 6 : You ride to the Valley passing through orchards and vineyards to reach the picnic next to Urgup village. From there, a muleteer track carved in the rock leads you to the ancient village of Greek architecture, Mustafapasa. you reach the camp at the ancient church of Saint Nicolas where you will spend the night. Day 7 : You leave the camp for the shortest day of riding. You walk though the tortuous way of the Pigeon valley. The guests will be surprised by the sure-footed agility of their horses. Picnic in the valley. You will reach the campsite close to Ortahisar village, famous for its fortress. Day 8 : You ride through Babayan village (Roman architecture), and after many trot and canters you reach the village of Uchisar and its old casttle. From this place, we have a 360° view over Cappadocia. You walk through the paved streets of the village to join the White valley. You cross the valley by a narrow path carved in the rock and enjoy your last gallop. You arrive at the ranch by mid-afternoon. After a tea on the terrace of the ranch, the guests are driven back to the pension in Göreme. The guests have an option to be driven to the hamam of Göreme, or spend the last hours of the day visiting the Open Air Museum of Göreme, or shopping. Dinner and overnight at the pension. Day 9 : Transfer the morning to Kayseri airport and return flight home.
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| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 10 |
| Ability description: | Intermediate and above |
| Type of ride: | Trail 15-25 km a day |
| Total riding time: | 5-6 hours except on first day |
| Departure dates: | Please contact the office for 2008 dates |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |