TURKEY - a report from a birdwatching trip to Central ... - Netfugl.dk

Sivri Kaya: This remote village has no accomodation, but a good
hotel – Hotel Genesiz – is about 15 km. north of the village,
offering confortable rooms or alpine huts. The hotel ground itself
is among the best areas for Green Warbler. Nearby Ikizdere have a
few modest hotels, but the area south of Sivri Kaya have no
accomodation. If you have seen the grouse in the afternoon, an
alternative is to drive to the Black Sea coast town of Rize, which
have several hotels.
Ardahan: The town have one better hotel – Byk Ardadan. Smaller
“tourist hotels” were downworn and dirty, but offered accomodation
for 30 Lira in triple room with shared facilities.
Dogubayazit: Nicknamed “dogshit”, this city have several hotels.
However, Sim Er Hotel few km´s from the Iranian border, is a very
good choice, as the view over Mount Ararat is fantastic, and the
garden lies as an oasis, giving shelter to many migrating
passerines. It is more extensive than the downtown alternatives,
but the view and the passerine garden is worth the extra cost.
Nemrut Dagi near Kahta/Adiyaman: Overlooking a beautiful lush
valley at Karadut, several hotels lies immediately before the main
gate to the well visited Nemrut Dagi with their famous stoneheads.
We stayed at Hotel Euphrates, which in 2007 offered twin
rooms including buffet dinner and breakfast for a modest 40 lira
per person (children discount possible). Absolutely recommanded as
the best “value for money” on the entire trip! The hotel has no e-
mail, but could be contacted by phone: 0 212 232 01 49, or fax
0.212 233 56 57. Several other accomodations is found in the area.
Birezik: The well-run Hotel Mirkelam charged 22 dollars for a
single room, 33 dollars for a double room in 2007. A conformable
base in Birezik (including air conditioned rooms, much needed
here!), but bring ear-plugs if you are placed in room facing the
busy gas station.
Roads
Turkey has a modern road-net with a number of highways. The
traffic is not too heavy (affected by the high petrol costs), and
only in more remote areas, countryside roads are tricky with a lot
of pot-holes, in many areas being partly damaged by flooding. In
Pontic mountains, road conditions in May may be difficult, caused
by snow and snow-metling. In 2007 parts of the road Ispir-Ikizdere
was narrowed by snow. The road Ispir-Tatvan was partly undrivably
in May 2007.
A90 – the main road between Adana and the Iranien border, have
been much enlarged by 2007 up to Sanliurfa. This part was
nichnamed the “nightmare highway” in 2005-2006, but luckily a
brand new highway was opened in 2007. We are not aware of the
conditions further east.
A bewildering fact in Turkey is giving the same name to many
localities! Nemrut Dagi is a good example. The famous
archeological site and now renowned birding area is near Adiyaman,
not Nemrut Dagi near Tatvan. “Kurtulas” is found both in the Gksu
Delta and near Cizre, there are “Tuzla Gl´s“ both north of Nigde
and south of Adana a.s.o. On the countryside, many villages are
unnamed, or names differs from the road maps. A compass is helpful
e.g. when driving the area north of Bulanik, where even the larger
villages are unnamed.