Eastern Turkey small group tour

Planet

Many of the towns and cities on this tour are quite fragile in terms of the historic monuments that exist here - we brief our travellers not to climb on these and resist the temptation to clamber over buildings to get that iconic photo, so that these will still be here for generations to come.

We operate a strict no litter policy on our tours, and work to educate our drivers and other service providers so as to avoid contributing to this problem. We always make sure to take all litter with us, disposing of it responsibly in big cities and towns and mustn’t leave cigarette butts either. If purchasing any snacks, we encourage our travellers to avoid excess packaging. Likewise, if we see any rubbish, we pick it up when possible.

In conjunction with our local team we work with hotels and guesthouses to implement best practices when it comes to environmental matters – in some places this may be behind what we might be used to in other parts of the world. This includes basic things like not replacing towels each day, as well as saving electricity and turning lights off – small things but Turkey and the east in particular, may not be as accustomed to these ways in which we can protect the environment.

People

Using local guides ensures money stays within local economies and means we will be treated to such valuable, in-depth and honest knowledge which we perhaps wouldn’t get from a western guide. It also means we are keeping carbon emissions down.

We use locally owned suppliers too and our partners here are deeply involved with the preservation of the culture and heritage of the country. Where possible we encourage our travellers to spend their money with local businesses; for this reason we do not include meals where it is feasible to eat outside of the hotels, in order that local restaurants are able to benefit from the presence of tourism, rather than the income being channelled just to the hotel.

In the Kackar Mountains, we stay in a local village guesthouse, meaning another small, locally run business makes an income from our visit to their country. We also spend time learning about rural life here, trying the local food made for us by the villagers, and meeting local shepherds who move up to the high valleys to find grazing for their animals. This is a very traditional part of Turkey, where not much has changed for generations, particularly in the more remote settlements.

We visit a number of sites and monuments on this tour that do not necessarily receive much funding from other sources; the entrance fees that we include help to maintain the heritage of this country for future generations – not just western travellers but more importantly to local people to whom they have far more cultural and historical significance. Our partners here are deeply involved with the preservation of the culture and heritage of the country.