Orchids in East Turkey
Tigris, Lake Van, Black Sea Coast

The vast steppes and lonely mountain pastures of south-east Turkey are particularly interesting. The marshes and meadows are filled with rhododendrons and numerous flowering shrubs. The wooded areas on the Black Sea coast with Oriental Beech, Oriental Spruce and Nordmann Fir. As well as orchids our attention will be focused on other species such as various lillies, irises, poppies, gladioli, tulips and enzian. The areas round Lice-Kulp, Siirt, Lake Van and the woodlands on the Black Sea coast are all rich with orchids. During our trip we will also visit historical places of interest such as the Ishak Pasa Palace, Hosap Castle and the Armenian monastery island Ahtamar all of which have an abundance of interesting plant species.

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Dates

1. Sat., 09. May. 2009 - Sun., 24. May. 2009

Price includes

• Flights from London, Manchester and Dublin (Destinations of Turkish Airlines)
• Airport Taxes and fuel surcharge
• All transport during trip
• Accommodation in en-suite double/single room
• Breakfast and evening buffet, packed lunch
• Tea & drinking water in the holiday resort
• Travel guide
• Entry fees
• Breach of warranty certificate

Number of participants

8 – 18 persons

Alterations

The programme is subject to change.

Day 1

Arrival

Flight to Diyarbakir. Transfer to hotel. 2 overnights

Day 2

Lice-Kulp

Today we will check out the various orchid locations in the area round Lice-Kulp. We will be looking for Ophrys khuzestanica, O. crduchorum, O. straußii, O. arameorum, O. schulzei, O. cilicica, Himantheglossum affine and Cephalanthere kurdica. In the evening we will have a look at the Diyarbakir old city wall.

Day 3

Lice-Kulp to Siirt

Before lunch we will re-visit the interesting biotopes which we covered yesterday. After lunch we will drive on to Siirt and visit the Uli Camii (Great Mosque). 1 overnight in Siirt

Day 4

Siirt

Today our journey to Sirnak takes us through wonderful mountain scenery. En route we will visit a cemetary where various orchid species have occurred. On hilly marshland near Eruh we will look for Dactylo-rhiza osmanica and in the surrounding area for Ophrys hybrids. After lunch we drive on further through Siirt, Bitlis, Tatvan and Van to the Club Natura holiday resort at Lake Van. 3 overnights

Day 5-7

Lake Van and surrounding areas

The following excursion areas are planned from our holiday resort:

• Meadows with millions of Dactylorhizy umbrosa and Orchis pseudolaxiflora at Lake Van. Bird paradise Bendimahi-Delta with Ruddy Shelduck and White-headed Duck.
• Ahtamar Island with the tenth century Armenian monastery, the Celjuk cemetary, the domed tombs at Gevas and the tufa cliffs near Van with Urartian cuneiform tablets.
• Cavustepe Urartian fortress, Hosap Castle, Cuh-Pass (goat or cattle trail) towards Baskale. We will look for orchids in the walnut woodlands at Seru/Catak.
• Tendurek lava fields - interesting flora with orchids, Persian poppies and wild tulips. Bendimahi River waterfall.

Day 8

Dogubayazit, Ararat, Erzurum

Today we will pass through Tendürek on our way to Dogubayazit at the foot of Mount Ararat. A visit to the famous Ishak Pasa Palace is also on our itinerary. On the 3176 metre high Palandöken the beautiful mountain flora shimmers in the sunlight. A visit to the twin minaret Medrese in Erzurum rounds up the day. 1 overnight

Day 9

Kackar Mountain

We will travel through the Karasu marshes, headstream of the Euphrates River, over a pass to Ispir (be on the alert for Lammergeier). To the south beautiful tall plants i.e. yellow Turk’s Cap Lily and the endemic poppy (Papaver lateritium) colour the pass areas of the Kackar Mountain range. Here we have the possibility to find Caucasian Grouse, Caspian Snowcock as well as Caucasian chamois. We will carry on further north to the rain prone dominantly oriental fir forest areas. 1 overnight near Ikizdere

Day 10

Zygana Pass

Due to the possibility that it might rain our excursions to the Black Sea coast will need to be flexible. Depending on weather conditions we may venture into the higher areas or journey on to the Black Sea. Driving to the Zygana Pass we will look for Steveniella satyroides and other very rare orchid species. Accommodation at Macka near the Sumela Monastery 4 overnights

Day 11-13

Macka and Zygana Pass areas

We plan to look for orchids along the Zygana Pass and visit the Byzantine Sumela Monastery. On the Black Sea coast we will drive via Trabzon in an easterly direction looking for orchids in the side valleys en route. Furthermore we will look for Lilium ponticum Iris paradoxa, I. iberica subsp. elegantissima, I. caucasica subsp. turcica, Gladiolus atroviolaceus, Gentiana olivieri.

Day 14-15

Black Sea Coast - Ordu

Journey to Ordu via Giresun. At the Black Sea coast Oriental as well as middle European orchid species grow in the beech woodlands i.e.– Cephalanthera longifolia. However, we are interested in species such as Steveniella satyroides, Orchis caucasica, O. karadenizensis, Dactylorhiza euxinia, Dactylorhiza flavescens, Dephalanthera epipactoides. In the areas around Ulubey we will look for rare species such as Orchis stevenii, Ophrys caucasica and Serapias feldwegiana. 1 overnight at Ordu

Day 16

Departure

Transfer to Samsun airport for flight home.