Beyond Mount Erciyes the
countryside around the Kayseri-Nigde road becomes flat, dull steppe
which you might well assume was as barren of bird or plant life as the
fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. Consequently, the oasis of the
Sultansazlýgý bird sanctuary is easy to miss in the small back lanes
which wind around the tiny lakes in the region, but it's worth the
effort of hunting out.
In our program we start early morning with a picturesque drive through
the Cappadocian villages and over the mountains to catch a glimpse of
the 250 plus species of birds that visit the Sultan Marshes Bird
Paradise, one of the largest wetland ecosystems in Turkey. This wetland
area consists of two reed-covered freshwater lakes, Egrigol and Col
Golu, and a saltwater lake, Yay Golu, between them as well as the
surrounding marshlands. Waders sand small birds including Bearded and
Penduline Tits, Pigmy Cormorant, Spoonbills, Night and Squacco Herons
are common. Wryneck, Roller, Hoopoe, Glossy Ibis and Rose-coloured
Starling are all possible. This tour includes a boat trip through the
marshes before we proceed to nearby Yay Golu were we will find a
population of pink flamingos which are as impressive as those on Lake
Nakuru in Kenya or Lake Manyara in Tanzania.After an eventful morning we
drive to the Natural Open Air Museum of Soganli Valley, also known as
the ‘Valley of Dolls’, where we will see unusual churches, carved out of
conic formations and the original pigeon houses carved high in the steep
canyon walls. After lunch we will visit the extraordinary Keslik
Monastery, the beautiful frescoes of which are hidden behind a thin
layer of smoke. Continuing on to the Old Greek town of Mustafapasa
(Sinasos) renowned for its excellent Ottoman and Greek architecture.
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