Day 18 Monday 22 September

Transcription

Day 18 Monday 22 September
Day 13 Wednesday 17 September
VALLEY OF THE BUTTERFLIES
Just a short distance from Rhodes Town is
the Valley of the Butterflies. Take a peaceful
walk through the shady, green valley with its
charming little river and beautiful waterfalls.
Although the main season for the Jersey
Tiger butterflies is over you may still be able
to glimpse a few amongst the greenery or
camouflaged against the trees as you make
your way up to the monastery at the top of
the hill. Complete your trip with a visit to the
Museum of Natural History housed in a
beautifully restored Italian styled house.
Return to Rhodes Town and some free time.
Overnight Rhodes Town
Breakfast
Day 14 Thursday 18 September
RHODES TOWN
You have a completely free day to relax or
continue exploring at your own pace.
Overnight Rhodes Town
Breakfast
Day 15 Friday 19 September
RHODES – MARMARIS
Following breakfast you take a short early
morning ferry crossing from Rhodes to the
Turkish town of Marmaris. From here you
head for Fethiye, stopping along the way at
Kaunos and the Dalyan River. Kaunos is a
large ruined Carian city said to have been
built by the grandson of Apollo. Once
situated right on the seafront but now, due to
silting, is several kilometres from the coast.
As the sea retreated the usefulness of the city
as a port fell into decline and was finally
abandoned altogether. Much of the ancient
city has now been excavated and revealed
city walls, the Acropolis, amphitheatre,
Roman baths, a basilica, two Hellenistic and
four Roman temples. On the outskirts of
Kaunos lie the Lycian
Tombs. Built between
2nd & 4th C into the
cliff face high above
the Dalyan River they
provide fine displays
of Lycian
architecture. Used as burial chambers for
kings and queens with a main chamber
behind the impressive facades they housed
gold and expensive items. Unfortunately you
cannot enter the tombs but they make a
wonderful visual impact. Take your bathers
and if time allows you may get the
opportunity indulge in the well-known mud
baths, excellent for the skin. You continue on
to Fethiye for an overnight stay.
Overnight Fethiye
Breakfast ● Dinner
E&OE
Day 16 Saturday 20 September
XANTHOS – LETOON – PATARA – KAS
Heading south you reach Letoon, the sacred
cult centre of Lycia dedicated to Leto, Apollo
and Artemis. Less than 10 kilometres away
lies Xanthos, which along with Letoon, is
often seen as a double-site
as they were so closely
linked. Xanthos-Letoon are
often considered as one of
the most remarkable
archaeological sites in the
whole of Turkey. Now
registered as a UNESCO
Heritage Site it has been
under excavation since the
1950’s. Discover tombs, temples, porticos,
amphitheatre a basilica, and nympheaum.
From here you continue on to Patara on the
Lycia/ Mediterranean coast. Patara, once a
flourishing coastal maritime city, was the
birthplace of St Nicholas. Discover a wealth
of wonderful ruins including; an amphitheatre,
stadiums and temples situated along one of the
best beaches in the world. Tonight you stay in
Kas with the mountains forming a wonderful
backdrop to a stunning coastal location.
Overnight Kas
Breakfast ● Dinner
Day 17 Sunday 21 September
KAS – ANTALYA
Following
breakfast you
take a boat trip
out to Kekova
Island and the
renowned
‘sunken city’
of Simena.
Part of the city
remains today and is dominated by a well
preserved medieval castle. In the natural
harbour can be seen half submerged ruins of
the other part of Simena which slipped into
the sea after a terrible earthquake in the 2nd
century AD. You may get the opportunity to
swim here and see the ruins under water.
Moving on you arrive at Myra, the one-time
capital of Lycia. First mentioned in
literature in the 1st century BC, but believed
to date back much further, Myra is well
known for its rock-tombs. When first
discovered in 1840 the tombs were found to
have traces of bright red, yellow and blue
paint still in place. This led archaeologists to
believe the entire cliff face must once have
been a riot of bright of colours and a
wonderful sight to behold. You continue on
to Antalya, your home for the next two
nights.
Overnight Antalya
Breakfast ● Dinner
Day 18 Monday 22 September
ANTALYA
Today you visit the
remains of the
ancient cities of
Perge and
Aspendos. Both of
these cities contain
a plethora of archaeological ruins, many dating
back to 2000 BC. Explore the extensive remains
of these once
important
cultural and
commercial
cities and discover theatres, marble reliefs,
towers, gymnasiums, shops and a colonnaded
road once paved with mosaics. This afternoon
you visit the Antalya Museum and the Old City.
Overnight Antalya
Breakfast
Day 19 Tuesday 23 September
ANTALYA – ISTANBUL
This morning you have
an early flight to
Istanbul. Located on the
Bosphorus, the narrow
strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara
Sea, Istanbul stands on the crossroads of both
Asia and Europe.
Overnight Istanbul
Breakfast
Day 20 Wednesday 24 September
ISTANBUL
Today you have a
completely free day
to explore Istanbul.
Your Tour Leader
will be on hand to
help you with
suggestions as to how to make the best of this
day. Tonight you meet for a farewell dinner.
Overnight Istanbul
Breakfast ● End of Tour Dinner
Day 21 Thursday 25 September
ISTANBUL – DUBAI
You departing for the airport just after midday.
Your flight leaves Istanbul late afternoon,
arriving into Dubai just before 10pm.
Following a short lay-over you connect with
your flight to Adelaide.
Overnight in flight
Breakfast ● Meals in flight
Day 22 Friday 26 September
DUBAI – ADELAIDE
You arrive in Adelaide mid-evening.
Meals in flight
EDUCATIONAL and CULTURAL TOURS
223 Angas Street, Adelaide SA 5000
T (08) 8223 1272 ● F (08) 8232 3690 ● E tours@wea-sa.com.au
Please remember that on WEA Tours you may be travelling to remote and less
visited places so please have an open mind and embrace the differences.
TTA 183
PHOTOGRAPHS: Flickr Commons/Wikimedia Commons: About-Larnaca; Dickelbers; Nathan10; hAl1927; Ali@ce; MiqsPix; Jebulon;
Michel Osmenda; Steve Swyane; Clarence ; Simon Bunting; Rev Stan; burntime; David Spender; Pot Noodle; Anders B: desrunyan
...enriching lives through cultural exchange
Larnaca ● Nicosia ● Paphos ● Athens ● Rhodes Town ● Lindos
Kamiros ● Fetyiye ● Xanthos/Letoon ● Patara ● Antalya ● Istanbul
C
yprus, Greece and Turkey provide a magical
combination of ancient and modern history, cultures
and traditions. This is a truly unique tour which allows
you to discover Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements, legacies
of Roman, Byzantine, Genoese, Venetian, Mycenae, Venetian
and Ottoman occupation and invasions as well as the modern day
histories of these three distinct but inextricably linked
destinations. Lapped by the turquoise Aegean Sea, Cyprus,
Greece and Turkey will not fail to delight the senses. Mountains,
valleys, rivers and beautiful coastlines come together to provide
you with a patchwork of wonderful scenery and experiences.
Walk in the footsteps of ancient warriors; imagine what it was
like in the great amphitheatres – the tragedies and triumphs of
nations and individuals. The timeless beauty of the
Mediterranean never ceases to charm and inspire all who visit its
shores. Join archaeologist Dr Robert Stone on this fabulous tour
of discovery.
Day 6 Wednesday 10 September
TOUR LEADER Robert Stone
Robert is an qualified and experienced archaeologist, having spent many years in the Middle East primarily in Jordan. Robert has led
many tours for WEA Travel including; Egypt, Jordan & Syria, Israel, Asia, Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan.
INCLUDED: Flights Adelaide to Adelaide ● Fully escorted Adelaide to Adelaide ● Local flights and ferries ● Local guides ●
Hotel accommodation ● Meals as per itinerary ● Entrance fees ● Pre & Post tour meetings ● Comprehensive tour pack ●● Visa
22 days $7953
Based on twin share + airline taxes ($370 as of November 2013)
Single supplement $1343 ● Balance due 26 June 2014
Day 1 Friday 5 September
ADELAIDE - DUBAI
You depart Adelaide late evening for your
Emirates Airline flight to Larnaca, Cyprus via
Dubai.
Overnight in flight
Meals in flight
Day 2 Saturday 6 September
DUBAI – LARNACA
After a short layover you
continue on your way to
Cyprus, arriving into
Larnaca around midday.
After clearing customs you take a brief
orientation tour of the oldest city on Cyprus
before checking into your hotel. Tonight you
meet for a traditional Cypriot dinner at a local
restaurant.
Overnight Larnaca
Meals in flight ● Welcome Dinner
Day 3 Sunday 7 September
LARNACA
Today you have a full day’s sightseeing. This
area has been inhabited for over six thousand
years and evidence of this can be found in the
many archaeological sites dotted in and around
the city. Your visits today includes
ancient Kition, which dates back to the 13th C
BC. Here you discover the remains of tombs
made from gold, ivory and bronze. Don’t
miss the Phoenician Temple of Astarte and the
remains of the once fine city walls. Next you
make your way to the Salt
Lakes, which were used
in the Middle Ages as a
salt mine. Overlooking
the lake is the Hala Sultan
Tekke Mosque, tomb of
Umm Haram the Prophet Mohammed’s ‘wet
nurse’, it is a Muslim pilgrimage site and one
of the holiest Islamic places in the world.
Make your way back to Larnaca and some free
time.
Overnight Larnaca
Breakfast
Day 4 Monday 8 September
NICOSIA
Nicosia, in the Greek South, or Lefkosa as it is
known as in Turkish North Cyprus, is the
island’s capital city. Providing a border around
the city the Venetian Walls form an odd
‘snowflake’ shape and encompass three
gateways into the old town. Nicosia has the
‘accolade’ of being the last divided capital city
in the world. See the Roccas Bastion, the only
place where the Greeks and the Turkish could
most important pre-historic sites in the
eastern Mediterranean. Five dwellings have
been reconstructed using the same materials
and implements to show what life was like in
Neolithic times. From here you make your
way to Kolossi Castle. Built in the 15th C on
the site of a 13th C fortress, the castle towers
over 21 metres in
height. Your next
visit it to one of the
most spectacular
archaeological sites
on the island. Kurion
reveals an impressive
Greco-Roman Theatre, which has been
restored and used for musical performances.
The site also contains the House of Eustolios
with its complex of baths and superb 5th C
mosaics, a Nympheaeum and a 2nd C
stadium. Before arriving into Paphos you
stop off at the famed Rock of Aphrodite. Set
in a beautiful sweeping bay you can see the
reason for its name.
Overnight Paphos
Breakfast ● Dinner
see each other at close
quarters over the
‘Green Line’. Enjoy a
guided tour of this
contrasting city while
learning about its
colourful history. Take time to wander around
Ledra Street, the main shopping area which
connects the north and south parts of the city.
In the afternoon you drive into the northern part
of Cyprus. You will see the difference between
the way of life in this divided country, perhaps
even passing through deserted towns and
villages left just as they were on the day their
inhabitants abandoned them. Maybe you will
see a glimpse of an old ‘check-point’ used by
the United Nations Peacekeeping Force, very
eerie.
Overnight Larnaca
Breakfast
Day 5 Tuesday 9 September
LARNACA – PAPHOS
After breakfast you board your coach and
make travel along the picturesque south coast
to Paphos, the largest city on the western side
of the island. Along the way you stop off at
the UNESCO site of Choirokoitia. It is an
exceptionally well-preserved Neolithic site
dating from 7th millennium BC and one of the
PAPHOS
A day of discovery awaits you in Paphos.
Your first visit is to the Tombs of Kings in
Kato Paphos. These monumental structures
were actually tombs of high officials rather
than kings, but due to their magnificence they
were named ‘Tomb of Kings’. Your next stop
is to the harbour and the impressive castle.
Standing on an isthmus of land it guards the
entrance to the town of
Paphos. Originally
built by the
Byzantium’s it was
later restructured by
the Lusignans, the
Venetians and the
Ottomans. Take your camera as the view from
the top will delight you. Inhabited since the
Neolithic period, Paphos was the centre of the
cult of Aphrodite and pre-Hellenic fertility.
Just behind the pretty harbour lies the Paphos
Archaeological Park a magnificent UNESCO
recognised site overflowing with the remains
of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and
tombs. The mosaics of Nea Paphos are
amongst the most beautiful in the world. Take
your time to discover this vast site; there is so
much to see. Paphos is
an archaeologist’s
delight with something
to discover on every
corner.
Overnight Paphos
Breakfast
Day 7 Thursday 11 September
PAPHOS
You have a completely free day to relax or
continue exploring at your own pace.
Perhaps re-visit some of the archaeological
sites or the Byzantine Museum, Paphos
Ethnographic Museum or the Paphos District
Museum. Of course just sitting in one of the
many restaurants and café’s adorning the
harbour side is also a very pleasant way to
pass away a few hours.
Overnight Paphos
Breakfast
Day 8 Friday 12 September
Day 11 Monday 15 September
TROODOS MOUNTAINS – KYKKOS
Today you visit the beautiful Troodos
Mountains. Rising almost 2000m above sea
level. Stretching across the south western
part of Cyprus, the Troodos Mountains offer
some of the most beautiful scenery on the
island. Exquisite churches and monasteries,
many of them UNESCO World Heritage
listed, are scattered around the mountain’s.
Kykkos Monastery is one of the more notable
ones due to its amazing carved icons covered
in silver and
gold leaf. It is
still a working
monastery and
when not in
prayer you will
see many of
the clergy around, eager to help you
understand and discover the monastery’s
secrets. One of the mountains treasures are
the picturesque, traditional villages nestled
amidst the pine trees or clinging to the side of
a steep escarpment. Explore some of these
villages as you make your way through the
mountains. Perhaps you may even see a
Mouflon, the national animal of Cyprus. It is
thought to be one of the original ancestors to
our modern day sheep.
Overnight Paphos
Breakfast
ATHENS – RHODES
A short flight
brings you to
the lovely
Dodecanese
island of
Rhodes, one of
the largest and
most fertile of
the Greek Islands. Rhodes offers a wonderful
combination of glistening beaches and excellent
archaeological remains, all easily reached from
the medieval town of Rhodes. Upon your
arrival you begin your exploration of Rhodes
Old Town (Rhodos). With over 200 streets and
lanes, many of them with no names, getting lost
here is almost a certainty. Entering through the
Eleftheria (Liberty) Gate you discover the
delightful medieval town surrounded by its
virtually intact fortified walls, gates and towers.
In Platia Simi is the Temple of Venus,
identified by the many votive offerings found
here during excavations. Wander down Ippoton
Street, often called the Street of the Knights; it
is one of the best preserved medieval streets in
the world. Long cobble paved streets lead you
in a straight line down to the Acropolis of
Rhodes and to the port beyond. Many of the
houses were owned by the Knights Templar and
used as eateries and residencies for visiting
dignitaries. Tonight you meet for dinner.
Overnight Rhodes Town
Breakfast ● Dinner
Day 9 Saturday 13 September
CYPRUS - ATHENS
Leaving Cyprus behind you take a flight to
the Greek mainland and the capital city of
Athens. Upon arrival you have an orientation
tour of the main sites in Athens before
checking into your hotel. Tonight you meet
for dinner.
Overnight Athens
Breakfast ● Dinner
Day 10 Sunday 14 September
ATHENS
Athens, surrounded by mountains to the north
and east and the Saronic Gulf to the south and
west, is one of the world’s oldest cities. With
a history dating back over 3,400 years. It is
said to be the birthplace of democracy and
‘modern’ civilisation. Today you explore
some of Athens’ finest historical monuments
and places of
interest. The
UNESCO World
Heritage Site of the
Acropolis, the
ancient fortified
‘high town’ of
Athens dedicated to the goddess Athena. Here
you marvel at the Classical Greek structures
of the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike
and the Erectheion. Your next stop is the
Temples of Hephaestus and Kerameikos
before arriving at the famous Plaka district,
one of the oldest areas of Athens. The Plaka
is now mainly pedestrianized and here you
will find many restaurants, café’s, gift shops,
jewellers, art and craft and antique shops.
Gold is a very good buy here and you will
find street musicians and flower sellers along
the streets.
Overnight Athens
Breakfast
Day 12 Tuesday 16 September
LINDOS – KAMIROS
Today you travel to the beautiful coastal town
of Lindos, a Mediaeval village situated on a
promontory and crowned by its Acropolis.
Almost completely vehicle free, the network of
cobbled streets and alleys will delight you.
Lindos is famed for its elaborately carved
doorways, facades and widows and of course
the well known ‘captain’s houses’, small
whitewashed houses once owned by prosperous
ships captains. A mixture or architectural styles
can be seen here, Gothic, Byzantine and
Arabic. The Acropolis is a wonderful fusion of
3rd C BC Greek citadel and a Crusader
stronghold and offers astounding views over
the bay. If you prefer not to take the steep walk
to the top perhaps you might consider hiring a
donkey? From Lindos you travel to Kamiros on
the northwest shores of Rhodes. Kamiros was
one of three large Doric cities in the 5th BC. It
is often referred to as the ‘Greek Pompei’ as no
one knows why it was buried and abandoned.
Reminders of its wealth and importance can be
seen in the remains; admire the Agora (city
market), the Doric Temple and ancient arches,
some of which date back to the 8th C BC. If you
are lucky you may be able to observe the sun
setting over the ocean before making your way
back to Rhodes Town.
Overnight Rhodes Town
Breakfast