Passport & visa information
Your passport should be valid until minimum 6 months after departure date. Rules per country can be slightly different, but this covers all.
Visa Turkey: on the website of the ministry of foreign affairs in Turkey there is a list with countries which need visa including a link to apply for an e-Visa. https://www.mfa.gov.tr/countries-whose-citizens-are-allowed-to-enter-turkey-with-their-national-id_s.en.mfa
Insurance
When booking a vacation, you assume that your time away will be carefree and generally that is the case. However, to cover damage to your luggage or health care expenses, you need to have a travel insurance. Please make sure that your insurance is valid for this part of the world and check coverage. There may be circumstances that cause cancellation of your vacation or a later departure or earlier return. You can take out additional insurance to cover the cost of cancellation in case of a personal emergency (e.g., cancellation costs of air ticket/accommodations, etc.). We leave this choice to you, but can only recommend to take out this insurance. Traveler agrees by registration that the organizer cannot be held responsible for any damages or personal injuries during the tour.
Money matters
Banks at airports are open when flights arrive. It is best to change only a small amount of money, because the exchange rate is better in the city. The Turkish currency is Lira (TL). There are ATM machines in big cities, but foreign bank cards are not always accepted. Therefore it is advised to bring cash as well. It is recommended not to change your currency too early in your country of residence. The exchange rate of the Lira is subject to strong fluctuations and inflation is high in Turkey. Only bigger businesses, hotels and car rental agencies will accept VISA and MASTERCARD credit cards. To withdraw cash with your credit card is expensive and therefore it is not recommended to withdraw small amounts.
Customs
Commercial goods exceeding a value of $ 500 must be declared. Personal items do not have to be declared. There is a 20-pack import and export limit on cigarettes, a 2-litre limit on alcohol and a 1-kg limit on coffee. There are no restrictions on the import of food. Check with your local customs on what you are allowed to take back into your country.
Prohibited items
It is forbidden to import or export pornography, loose pearls and antiques.
Safety
Do not bring valuable items (such as jewelry) and bring a money belt if you plan to carry cash. Not all hotels have a safety deposit box. To store things in a suitcase which can be locked has proved to function well in the past years. Violent street crime is almost unheard of in the regions where we travel. Nevertheless we recommend that you watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas or markets. Being on the street at night is not a problem, and that goes for both women and men. Locals are out late and many families love to stroll in the streets or go for dinner in a restaurant. In this part of the world people are very helpful, hospitable and very child friendly. Communication in a foreign language might be difficult. In all countries we will travel within safe areas.
Time zone
There is a difference in time of 2-3 hours with The Netherlands, depending on our summer or winter schedule.
Telephone & internet
Country code Turkey is +9o. Your own (non- European) mobile phone might not always work. Purchasing a local sim card can be an option. It is cheap (also to call abroad) and it can be charged with a prepaid card. Many restaurants and cafeteria have free Wi-Fi. Generally the network coverage is good. Language
Language
Turkish people speak Turkish, some in the southern regions also speak Arab or Kurdish.
Health care
Vaccination of DTP, polio, hepatitis A and typhoid is not required, but some can be recommended. Check with your local health organizations on the internet. Medical care is of good quality.
Food & drink
Although water is of good quality, some people have a sensitive stomach. In that case we advise you to drink only bottled water. Food is of excellent quality and salads are safe to eat.
Expenses for food/drinks
Most dinners are included in the tour package but generally lunches are not. According to our criteria, lunch is relatively cheap. Usually there are several small restaurants and supermarkets close to our hotels. Drinks are not included in the package. Prices vary between € 1.50-€ 2,00 for a glass of beer to € 0.60 for a local brew of (Turkish) coffee. A bottle of wine is around € 10.00. Sometimes dinner is not included our program for practical reasons. It is not pleasant to be held to a schedule for a group dinner on a free day. As compensation, a lunch will be offered at another occasion. Tipping is no obligation in all countries, but is always appreciated if you are content with the service.
Electricity
Standard voltage is 220 volts. USA appliances designed for 110 volts require a voltage converter. Electric outlets use European/Dutch style plugs with two round pins. North American participants should bring a converter.
Weather
Turkey has a continental climate with warm to hot summers. In September we can expect this type of weather, while it will cool down at night.
Clothing
For all countries applies that in the countryside people dress more simply and conservatively. Shorts are only worn by young people. The somewhat longer Capri pants or 7/8 models are common; tank tops are worn in the cities. It is very important to bring comfortable walking/hiking shoes and dance shoes that are comfortable on all types of floors (possibly even outdoors).
Clothing to visit religious sites
When visiting a mosque you need to take off your shoes and women need to cover their head with a scarf, preferably long pants are worn by men.
Practical items
It is highly recommended to bring a strong sun block, because you can easily get sunburned. Also bring a hat for sun protection and make sure to carry water with you.
Bring all the prescription drugs you believe you will need. Bring enough for the entire stay and leave them in their original marked containers. Bring some basic medication such as ibuprofen, Tylenol or aspirin and anti-diarrhea medication such as Imodium. Bring enough lens cleaning solution for your entire visit and maybe a spare set of eyeglasses. If you are prone to car sickness, please bring medication for it. It will not always be possible to claim seats in the front of the bus. In cities pharmacies and bigger supermarkets carry these items.
Transportation
During our tour, we will travel in an air-conditioned bus. We try to avoid long hours on the bus, but distances can take longer to travel than expected. In general main roads are in good condition. Driving standards can best be described as creative, unpredictable and sometimes reckless.
Religion
Turkey has been home to Judaism, Christianity and Islam for centuries. Nowadays 99% of Turkey’s population are Muslim. Most Turks are Sunni Muslims, but there are Shiite (Shi’a) and Alaouite (Alevi) minorities as well.
Excursions
Our hikes are aimed at people with a good physical condition that can walk without restrictions. You will require comfortable walking/hiking shoes, because some sightseeing spots can be reached after a short walk on foot.
FAQ The Netherlands
Passport & visa information
You need a valid travel document to enter the Netherlands. This can be a passport (depending on your nationality with a visa) or an ID card (if you are traveling within Europe). Do you have the nationality of a country outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland? Then your passport may not be older than 10 years. And your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after departure from the Schengen area. It is recommended to bring a photocopy of your passport (the page with personal data).
For many countries in the world a visa for the Netherlands is not required. Please check this in your country of residence.
Insurance
When booking a vacation, you assume that your time away will be carefree and generally that is the case. However, to cover damage to your luggage or health care expenses, you need to have a travel insurance. Please make sure that your insurance is valid for this part of the world and check coverage. There may be circumstances that cause cancellation of your vacation or a later departure or earlier return. You can take out additional insurance to cover the cost of cancellation in case of a personal emergency (e.g., cancellation costs of air ticket/ accommodations, etc.). We leave this choice to you, but can only recommend to take out this insurance. Traveler agreed by registration that the organizer cannot be held responsible for any damages or personal injuries during the tour.
Money matters
The currency in The Netherlands is Euro (€). There are ATM machines in all cities which accept (debit) bank cards with Cirrus, Maestro or Visa logo. Foreign currencies can be exchanged. Hotels, most shops in Amsterdam or major businesses will accept credit card payments. To withdraw cash with your credit card is expensive and therefore it is not recommended to cash small amounts
Customs
Here you can find which items are allowed to bring into The Netherlands.
Safety
Do not bring valuable items (such as jewelry) and bring a money belt if you plan to carry cash. Most hotels don't have a safety deposit box. To store things in a suitcase which can be locked has proved to function well in the past years. Violent street crime is almost unheard of in the regions where we travel. Nevertheless we recommend that you watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas or markets. Being on the street at night is not a problem, and that goes for both women and men.
Time zone
The Netherlands is in the Central European Time (CET) zone.
Telephone & internet
Country code of The Netherlands +31. Purchasing a local sim card can be an option. It is inexpensive and you need to bring your passport upon purchase. Most restaurants and cafeteria have free Wi-Fi.
Language
Besides Dutch many people speak English.
Health care
Bring all the prescription drugs you believe you will need. Bring enough for the entire stay and leave them in their original marked containers or blister package. Take some basic medication such as ibuprofen, Tylenol or aspirin and anti-diarrhea medication such as Imodium. These will be available at drugstores as well. Medical care is of good quality.
Food & drinks
Drinking water is of good quality and drinking tap water is common. Food is excellent and salads are safe to eat.
Expenses for food/drinks
Meals are included in the tour package as indicated in the tour program. There are several restaurants and supermarkets close to the hotel in Weesp. Drinks are not included in the package. Prices vary between € 3-4 for a glass of beer to € 4,50 - € 7,00 for a glass of wine. Water is not standard and is usually charged. Menus in restaurants show the price including the service fee. Tipping is no obligation, but is always appreciated if you are pleased with the service (around 10%).
Electricity
Standard voltage is 220 volts. USA appliances designed for 110 volts require a voltage converter. Electric outlets use European/Dutch style plugs with two round pins. North American participants should bring a converter.
Weather
The Netherlands has a sea climate: that means that in some days you can experience 3 seasons in one day. Do bring an umbrella for occasional rain showers and water resistant shoes.
Clothing
In The Netherlands people dress more casual. Make sure to be prepared for cooler weather during a rain shower. It is best to bring layers of clothes to tackle this situation. There are no special requirements in clothing if you visit religious sites.
Practical items
It is recommended to bring sun screen. Bring enough lens cleaning solution for your entire visit and maybe a spare set of eyeglasses. If you are prone to car sickness, please bring medication for it. It will not always be possible to claim seats in the front of the bus. In almost every city pharmacies and bigger supermarkets carry these items.
Transportation
During our tour, we will travel in an air-conditioned bus. We avoid long hours on the bus and in a small country as The Netherlands that is not difficult.
The Netherlands has excellent public transportation and you will be provided with a card to cover this. The easiest choice for tourists might seem to use taxis in your spare time, but they are costly. Taxis do have meters . I tmight be cheaper to use the Uber aap. Uber taxis are present in almost every big city.
Religion
The northern part of The Netherlands is mostly protestant and the south catholic. Only 14% of the population attends religious services.
Hiking
Our hikes are aimed at people with a good physical condition and can walk without restrictions. You will require comfortable walking shoes, because some sightseeing spots can be reached after a short walk on foot.
Refund and Returns Policy
This is a sample page.
Overview
Our refund and returns policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have passed since your purchase, we can’t offer you a full refund or exchange.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase.
Please do not send your purchase back to the manufacturer.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted:
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened.
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error.
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Refunds
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund.
If you are approved, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days.
Late or missing refundsIf you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again.
Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted.
Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted.
If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at {email address}.
Sale itemsOnly regular priced items may be refunded. Sale items cannot be refunded.
Exchanges
We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at {email address} and send your item to: {physical address}.
Gifts
If the item was marked as a gift when purchased and shipped directly to you, you’ll receive a gift credit for the value of your return. Once the returned item is received, a gift certificate will be mailed to you.
If the item wasn’t marked as a gift when purchased, or the gift giver had the order shipped to themselves to give to you later, we will send a refund to the gift giver and they will find out about your return.
Shipping returns
To return your product, you should mail your product to: {physical address}.
You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you may vary.
If you are returning more expensive items, you may consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Need help?
Contact us at {email} for questions related to refunds and returns.
Registration XXL TOUR 2022
ORIENTAL TURKEY – daily program
Announcement February 11-2023
BOTH TOURS CANCELLED! The trip to Oriental Turkey in September exactly covers the region that has been devastated by an earthquake, a disaster that will have a huge, long-term impact. Energies need to be focused on rebuilding. It would also be inappropriate to celebrate or dance with people who have been confronted with deaths and casualties so recently.
ORIENTAL TURKEY - DANCE AND CULTURE TOUR - September 13-26
PRICE: € 2150 - early booking discount (before 1st of March) € 2050
This dance and culture tour is both for folk dancers and non-dancers. There will be dance workshops, but lots of interesting places to visit if you are a non-dancer. Minimum 20 participants.
Single surcharge: € 375
Wednesday September 13 - Arrival day in Kasyseri – transfer to Avanos
Our tour starts with a flight to Kayseri. For participants of the Scenic Holland tour this is a direct flight departing from Rotterdam. It is about an hour drive to our first destination, the city of Avanos in the heart of Capadocia. Settle in and visit one of the many little restaurants to have your lunch and have a relaxed start of our tour. We hope to meet everybody at dinner (included) around 19.00 to get acquainted with each other.
Thursday September 14 - Capadocia – visit to the caves and rock formations
Cappadocia is a beautiful region full of fairy-tale cave houses, quirky peaks and underground cities. The special tuff landscape is formed by eruptions of volcanoes. Today we take a tour to nearby Peri Bacaları with its geological formations. We can see how inhabitants used the landscape to carve houses and even churches and monasteries in the rock formations of nearby Urgüp and around Göreme. Our local guide will provide us with interesting information on our walking tour and we will have lunch (included) together. Dinner around 19.00 (included).
Friday September 15 - Dance class - Hacı Bektas veli complex – Derwish performance
Dance class from 10.00-12.00. Turkish culture is very diverse. After lunch (not provided) we will visit the centre of Bektashism, a religious order of Alevism, one of the very rare order complexes that maintained most of its features.
There are many special ceremonies still performed in the 21th century. For example “Semah”, religious dances and the ritual meetings called “Cem”. Among the Alevites and Bektasis, it is not uncommon for women and men to dance during the Sememhs, while in the Sufis only men perform the Sememhs. These religious dances symbolize the bond with Allah and the Universe. It is often suggested that Derwishjen – Islamic clerics - will be closer to Allah by the rotations of the Sememh that causes a certain hypnosis in them.
Figures in Semah were inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
Dinner (included) around 19.00 hrs.
Saturday September 16 - Dance class – underground cities of Özkanak
Dance class from 10.00-12.00 with a local teacher. You have free time to have lunch (not provided) before we depart at 14.00 hrs to to explore the underground world, which is just as amazing as landscape. Not far from Avanos we visit Özkanak. Although the exact date is not known, the underground city of Özkonak is thought to have been built in the 400s BC. In terms of location, tuff is very suitable for carving and shaping and formed an excellent opportunity to settle in the old times. After our exploration we will have dinner (included) around 19.00 hrs
Sunday September 17- Travel to Gaziantep – walk in Ihlara valley
Check out and departure at 9.30 hrs to Gaziantep. After about an hour drive we will have a stop for a brief hiking tour of about 5 km. along a river in the lush and beautiful valley of Ihlara. We can enjoy a coffee and a small lunch (not provided) before we continue to Gaziantep. This is a long drive and we expect to arrive late afternoon in hotel Şirahan. After check in we will have dinner at the hotel (included).
Monday September 18 - Dance class & free afternoon
Dance class from 10.00-12.00 with a local teacher. You have free time to have lunch (not proovided) and at 14.00 we will explore the city together on foot and there will be free time until dinner at 19.00 hrs (included).
Tuesday September 19- Dance class – performance – free time
Dance class from 10.00-12.00 followed by a performance of the local folk dance group. Time to browse around in Gaziantep (no lunch provided). We can give you some suggestions, because there is enough to explore on your own or just enjoy the excellent food. No dinner provided.
Wednesday September 20 - Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum & Hamam Museum – Gastronomic program
Departure at 10.00. This is your chance to see the Mona Lisa of Turkey in Zeugma Mosaic Museum. The craftmanship reflected in sometimes huge mosaics is stunning and not to miss. You will have the opportunity to have lunch (not provided) before we visit the Haman museum which gives us ‘insight information’ on the important role of certain Hamam rituals in daily life.
Gaziantep is well known as gastronomic city and famous for its cuisine. The rest of the afternoon program will shed light on this aspect of the city and we can enjoy the culinary result at dinner (included).
Thursday September 21 - Travel to Sanliurfa/Urfa – city walk – free afternoon
Check out at 11.00 hrs. It will be about 2 hrs drive before we reach our final destination of the tour, Sanliurfa, also called Urfa, is an old city in southeastern Anatolia. Urfa offers a great journey full of history, religion and architecture because of its connections with Christianity and Islamic tradition and has a very open ambiance. The name of this city can be found in many biblical stories. It is also the place where Prophet Abraham was born, raised and died.
We will have lunch (included) together and enjoy a city walk to the ‘sacred carps’ at lake Gölbaşı. Evil ruler, Nimrod killed anyone who stood in his path. Abraham challenged his method of rule so Nimrod ordered him burned at the stake. The fire was lit but God turned the flames to water and the wood to fish, hence the pool is now a sacred religious site for Muslims.
You will have the opportunity to explore the city some more on your own, but don’t forget to take a rest and enjoy a drink because Urfa is known for extremely warm weather!
No dinner provided.
Friday September 22 - Dance class – village visit
Dance class 10.00-12.00 with local teacher. Urfa has its own specific dances as any region in Turkey. The feeling is more Arabic due to its geographical location.
You have free time for lunch (not provided) and we will depart at 14.00 hrs to visit a village and meet with the local dance group. Maybe our dance classes can help to participate in the local dances. Home-cooked dinner at the village.
Saturday September 23 - Old city of Harran – ruins of Göbekli Tepe
Full day tour to Harran and Göbekli Tepe. Harran is famous for his cocoon-shaped houses that were originally made to keep the inside of these houses cold. These houses have been standing for more than 3000 years. This place is very important for Muslims, because Harran has built the oldest mosque in Anatolia and it is an important window of Islamic architecture. The Great Mosque of Harran was built between 744-750 and continues to exist to this day! Time for lunch (not provided).
Göbekli Tepe is a massive stone temple ruine that was built by prehistoric people, who had not yet developed metal tools or pottery. It is known that Göbekli Tepe is 7000 years older than Stonehenge, and 7500 years older than the Egyptian pyramids. This archaeological site has characteristic T-shaped columns with images of wild animals, depicting wildlife about 11,500 years ago.
Dinner in Urfa (included)
Sunday September 24 - Mardin – Diyarbakır
We will leave Urfa and to get even a broader idea of the southern Anatolian culture we have arranged a visit to Mardin, a city located near the Syrian border and the center of Mardin province. The old city is built mostly on the southern slope of a long hill. It is known for its specific architecture, although historically, Mardin produced sesame. The town is also famous for the high quality of its filigree jewelry. Free time to have lunch (not provided).
After lunch our journey continues to Diyarbakır, where we will arrive late afternoon. The town lies in the heart of Kurdish culture and is one of Turkey’s most beautiful cities with a very rich history. It is also modern, dynamic, and full of life, but still free of mass tourism. Its main draws are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the impressive city walls, lavish green fields, and an old bridge. Several old houses, churches, and mosques complete the feast. Dinner will be included. In the evening we will plan a nice program.
Monday September 25 - Dance class – free afternoon - farewell dinner
Dance class10.00-12.00 with a local teacher. As you might expect Diyarbakır has a large selection of nice cafeterias and restaurants to have lunch (not provided). It is almost the last day of our tour and you can spend your free afternoon as you like. Relax on a nice terrace to process all travel impressions or you might want to do some last shopping or choose your own cultural experience. We will have a farewell dinner together (included).
Tuesday September 26 - Departure from Diyarbakır airport
Our tour has come to an end. We will arrange transfers to the airport and wish you a good trip to your home country.
Included
- accommodation with breakfast
- English speaking guide
- A/C bus
- meals as mentioned in the program
- entrance fees of sightseeing places
Excluded
- surcharge single room ORIENTAL TURKEY € 375
- international flight & connecting flight in case of 2 consecutive tours (we can assist in bookings)
- meals as mentioned in the program, drinks, any personal expenses such as telephone call, laundry, souvenirs, etc.
- tips to guide and drivers (indication: € 1 p. person per day for guide, equivalent for driver)
- possibly a visa (please see information under FAQ)
Note
The international flight can be booked after the organizer informs you that the minimum amount of 20 participants has been reached.
SCENIC HOLLAND – daily program
Announcement February 11-2023
BOTH TOURS CANCELLED! Because a number of participants booked both the tour to Turkey and the preceding tour to The Netherlands, the cancellation of the Oriental Turkey Tour also touches the Dutch Tour. We don’t have enough registrations left to make the Scenic Holland Tour happen.
SCENIC HOLLAND - CULTURE TOUR - September 2 - 13
PRICE: € 2450 - early booking discount (before 1st of March): € 2350
This culture tour is both for folk dancers and non-dancers. There will be limited dancing. Minimum 20 participants. Flights not included.
Single surcharge: € 390
Saturday September 2 - arrival in the Netherlands
Welcome to The Netherlands. We will meet you at Hotel Hart van Weesp in the scenic village of Weesp, easy to reach located only 9 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station.
This evening we take a walk in Weesp to get acquainted with the small town, located on the river Vecht. It celebrated its 650th anniversary as a city in 2005. From the late Middle Ages, the river was a natural defense against invaders. Towards the direction of Amsterdam mansions of wealthy merchants along the Vecht are silent witnesses of the wealth of Golden Age initiated by worldwide trade in the 17th century .
Sunday September 3 - Amsterdam city walk - Marken & Volendam village
We go by train to Amsterdam to have a city walk in the world-famous 17th century capital of Holland. Half a day certainly isn't enough to explore the city, but it will be an invitation to go back and follow your own 'to see list'. You have every chance to continue your exploration the day after tomorrow. In the afternoon we go by bus to the touristic village of Volendam which is best known for its ‘national costume’ and have lunch there (included). Crossing the inner sea – IJsselmeer- a short trip by boat, we arrive in the small and scenic village of Marken, where the older inhabitants still wear their local ‘costume'. Houses are built on elevated areas or on poles to be save from the water on this former island, nowadays peninsula. Later in the afternoon we go back to Amsterdam and make a canal tour. Indeed a day to get acquainted with our water-rich country of which 1/3 part is situated below sea level. Dinner (included) is in Amsterdam in a restaurant with authentic Dutch style living rooms.
Monday September 4 - medieval castle Muiderslot
Today we visit the Muiderslot, a medieval castle located in Muiden not far from Amsterdam, and have a guided tour. It was built in 1285 and played an important role in the history of The Netherlands. Lunch in the small harbor town of Muiden is included. The bus will bring us back to Amsterdam to have a guided tour of the royal palace on Dam Square in the city centre. It was built between 1648 and 1665 as a town hall and later used by the Royal House as a reception palace. The building is regarded as The Netherlands' most important historical and cultural monument of the Golden Age. If our king has official receptions entry is not possible. In that case we plan a visit to Museum van Loon, a beautiful house along one of the canals designed in 1672. The interior of the house still exudes the atmosphere of the wealth that the city experienced at that time. There will be no dinner provided.
Tuesday September 5 - free day
You have a complete day off to visit Amsterdam or maybe you prefer to rent a small boat in Weesp. Enjoy the historic buildings, beautiful museums and pleasant ambiance. Go for a stroll along the canals or through the Vondelpark, and explore the scenic inner city. Amsterdam is a unique place! In case you have no final plans yet, we can give you lots of suggestions.
You might want to visit the Rijksmuseum to see Rembrandt`s paintings or visit the Van Gogh museum. These visits are not included but we can help you book the tickets in advance. No dinner provided.
Wednesday September 6 - visit to Zaanse Schans
Today we travel to the north to visit the Zaanse Schans. The craftsmanship from the 18th and 19th centuries is brought to life. Despite the fact that visitors from all over the world visit this place every day, it is good to know that people still live here. Keep this in mind during your visit. Stroll in the bakery museum and enjoy the smell of fresh cookies, take a look at the warehouse where clogs are made. Make sure not to miss the cheese factory, pewter forge and the various types of windmills. The Zaanse Schans is a unique part of the Netherlands, full of wooden houses, mills, barns and workshops. Lunch at the Zaanse Schans (included). After lunch the bus will drop you off in Amsterdam because there is still a lot to see. No dinner provided.
Thursday September 7 - free morning - leave for the countryside
We willcheck out and leave the hotel at 10.00 to travel to the northeast of The Netherlands. On our way we will visit the scenic small harbour town of Blokzijl, have lunch there (included) and late afternoon we expect to arrive at our next destination. Our accommodation is rather special and can best be described as a huge group villa in traditional style with a big private terrace surrounded by woods. The villa can accomodate 20 people and has a living room, a TV, gas fireplace and a fully equipped open kitchen. All double rooms have a private bathroom. Welcome to the countryside.
Friday September 8 - traditional village Staphorst - visit Tineke & Maurits' farm house
Staphorst is one of the 5 villages where costumes are still worn. It is a conservative and religious village which is the reason it holds on to its traditions. Our tour continues to the small village of Frederiksoord. Go back 200 years in time and experience the story of Johannes van den Bosch and the first settlers (paupers and pioneers) who found a new future in the Vrije Koloniën van Weldadigheid (Free Colonies of Benevolence). Even for the Dutch this special project is relatively unknown. You have time to have lunch (not included) and we will have a guided tour in the museum and its surroundings. We plan to finish the day at Tineke and Maurits’ house, a former farm house, dating from 1810, and relax during buffet-style dinner.
Saturday September 9- national park De Hoge Veluwe and Kröller Muller Museum
Leaving for a full day tour to the Kröller Muller Museum and National Park De Hoge Veluwe.
This visit will offer you a unique combination of visiting the museum which has the second-largest Van Gogh collection in the world as well as masterpieces by other painters such as Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondriaan. But there is no need to stay indoors all the time because it also has one of the largest sculpture gardens in Europe where you can enjoy both sculptures and nature. Here is a link to a short promotion film: https://youtu.be/ij_f70XS_CY
The park also covers 5,500 hectares of woodland, heath, grasslands and shifting sands, and is the natural habitat for deer, mouflon and wild boar. On foot or on one of the free White Bicycles, you have time to roam around in nature. At the visitors’ center you can learn more about the nature, landscape, animals, culture and history of The Hoge Veluwe. Nature movies are shown in the auditorium, and in the Museonder you get a surprising look at everything that lives and has lived under the earth surface!
Enjoy this full day excursion of culture and nature.
Note: the restaurant in the park offers lunches, drinks etc. We have dinner in Apeldoorn (included) and visit a local folk dance group.
Sunday September 10 - dance workshops
Ready for a dance activity? Today is the day to have some action during dance workshops with Tineke & Maurits and maybe another guest teacher. In case you are not a dance fanatic: our accommodation is situated in a beautiful area, excellent for hiking or biking.
Monday September 11 - visit to 'Dutch Venice ' Giethoorn village and the fortress of Bourtange
Are you ready to visit the Dutch Venice of the North? As Giethoorn has no roads, canals are the connection between the houses in the village. You have time to have lunch in Giethoorn (not included) and after lunch we depart to Bourtange in the northern province of Groningen. Near the German border fortress Bourtange is located . A unique historical defense that has no equal. Bourtange is a step back in time, to be more specific: it welcomes you in the year 1742!
After driving back we will have dinner (included) in the restaurant near our accommodation. Enjoy your free night 'home'.
Tuesday September 12- back to Weesp
We leave for Weesp and will stay at the same hotel as where our tour started. Our travel leads us over the Afsluitdijk, a 32 kilometres (20 miles) long dike which has been protecting us against the force of the water for almost 100 years. Locks allow ships passage. It is currently being strengthened and renewed, among other things by installing a fish migration river that will reconnect the Wadden Sea and the IJsselmeer (inland sea). Back in Weesp there will be free time for your last shopping/sightseeing and we will meet for a nice farewell dinner (included).
Wednesday September 13 - departure
Departure. Have a good flight home ... or join our Oriental Turkey tour (leaving from Rotterdam airport with a direct flight to Kayseri in Capadocia.)
Included
- accommodation with breakfast
- English speaking guide
- A/C bus
- meals as mentioned in the program
- entrance fees of sightseeing places
Excluded
- surcharge single room SCENIC HOLLAND € 390
- international flight & connecting flight in case of 2 consecutive tours (we can assist in bookings)
- meals as mentioned in the program, drinks, any personal expenses such as telephone call, laundry, souvenirs, etc.
- tips to guide and drivers (indication: € 1 p. person per day for guide, equivalent for driver)
- possibly a visa (please see information under FAQ)
Note
The international flight can be booked after the organizer informs you that the minimum amount of 20 participants has been reached.
Géorgie (mai 2020) – voyage francophone – information générale
Géorgie (May 2020) – voyage francophone – programme détaillé
VOYAGE CULTURELLE EN GÉORGIE - du 18 au 28 mai - départ garanti
Prix : € 1125 (vol non inclus)
Extension avec un voyage de 7 jours en Arménie est possible
Lundi 18 mai - arrivée à Tbilissi
Arrivée à Tbilissi, Géorgie. Votre chambre sera disponible après 14h00. Vous avez également la possibilité d’arriver tôt le matin du 18. Dans ce cas, votre chambre sera à votre disposition pour faire une petite sieste à votre arrivée. Il y aura un supplément de nuit supplémentaire.
Il n'y a pas de programme officiel ce jour d'arrivée, mais nous dînerons ensemble (inclus).
Mardi 19 mai - Tbilissi
Briefing à notre hôtel. Nous séjournerons à l'hôtel Irmeni, situé au centre-ville et à seulement 15 minutes à pied du centre-ville ancien. Aujourd'hui, nous ferons connaissance deTbilissi à pied avec une guide. Il y a beaucoup de restaurants pour déjeuner. (non compris). Temps libre jusqu'au dîner (inclus) pour explorer la cité vous-même.
Mercredi 20 mai - cathédrale de Mtshketa, église de Jvari, château d'Ananuri, Tbilissi
Ce matin, nous rendrons visite à l'église de Jvari, qui surplombe la ville de Mtshketa et la cathédrale Svetitskhoveli, située dans la ville historique de Mtskheta. Chef-d'œuvre du haut Moyen Âge, Svetitskhoveli est un site classé au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO. Connu comme le lieu de sépulture du manteau du Christ, Svetitskhoveli est depuis longtemps l'une des principales églises orthodoxes géorgiennes et l'un des lieux de culte les plus honorés de la région. Vous aurez une visite guidée de la cathédrale et du temps libre pour parcourir Mtshketa et goûter au Khinkali - une boulette géorgienne - dans l'un des nombreux restaurants autour de la cathédrale.
Après le déjeuner (non compris), nous nous dirigeons vers la partie nord de la Géorgie. Au cours de notre tour, nous aurons une visite guidée au château Ananuri, siège d’une dynastie féodale qui régnait sur la région depuis le XIIIe siècle. Nous retournerons à Tbilissi pour visiter le Musée National, qui possède une vaste collection de fabuleux bijoux et costumes antiques. Si vous avez plus d’énergie, vous pouvez prolonger votre visite au département archéologique. Le bus nous déposera au restaurant Tsikvili à Tbilissi (inclus). Il y a souvent des spectacles de musique et de danses ici.
Jeudi 21 mai - Sighnagi, Tbilissi
Matinée libre et déjeuner par vous-même. En début d'après-midi, nous nous dirigerons vers la partie est de la Géorgie pour visiter Sighnagi, une petite ville située au cœur du district viticole, à 110 km de Tbilissi. Vous aurez du temps libre pour vous promener dans cette belle ville située sur une colline et entourée d'un grand mur de défense. Non loin de Sighnagi, nous ferons une halte dans un vignoble et rencontrerons l’ensemble Zedashe, une chorale qui a joué dans plusieurs pays étrangers et qui va également danser. Le dîner (inclus) est complété par des vins locaux. Après le dîner, nous retournerons à Tbilissi.
Vendredi 22 mai - Tbilissi
Journée libre à Tbilissi. Une visite à la forteresse de Narikala, accessible à pied ou en téléphérique, offre une vue splendide sur la ville et la rivière Mtkvari. Elle date du 4ème siècle et a été étendue au 7ème siècle. Si vous aimez faire du shopping, vous pouvez vous promener dans le vieux centre-ville ou au marché de Dry Bridge, situé le long de la rivière, qui propose un mélange d’objets de l’époque soviétique et d’articles vintage. Pas de déjeuner ni de dîner fournis.
Samedi 23 mai - Ensemble K'asletitla à Udabno, monastère David Gareja, Tbilissi
Aujourd’hui nous voyagerons en partie sur des routes non asphaltées au milieu d’un paysage impressionnant jusqu’au village d’Udabno, situé à un peu plus de 50 kilomètres de Tbilissi. Il y a un joli petit restaurant à Udabno où nous déjeunerons (incl.) Udabno n'est pas loin du monastère David Gareja, classé au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO et datant du 6ème siècle. Ce monastère est en partie construit à l'intérieur de la montagne et c'est le plus ancien monastère de Géorgie. Les archéologues ont trouvé des objets de l'âge du bronze et de l'âge de pierre.
Après avoir visité le monastère avec un guide, il y a une belle randonnée dans les grottes, anciennes demeures de moines de l'autre côté de la montagne. La randonnée n'est pas facile et en partie raide et inégale. Une partie du groupe voudra peut-être faire cette randonnée difficile et sera récompensée en atteignant une ville complète de grottes ornées de fresques surplombant les plaines d'Azerbaïdjan. L’alternative sera de visiter le monastère et de marcher environ 3 km sur la route principale, où le bus viendra vous chercher et vous ramènera à Udabno. La Géorgie est célèbre pour ses chansons polyphoniques et nous rencontrerons K’asletitla, la chorale locale. Il est particulièrement intéressant de les rencontrer car la population d’Udabno est originaire de la région très reculée et sauvage de Svaneti, près de la frontière entre Cherkessia et Kabardino. Même de nos jours, cette région est très isolée et difficile à atteindre. En raison de cet isolement et de ses hivers rigoureux, les gens ont conservé leur propre culture. Nous dînerons (incl.) à Udabno avant de retourner à notre hôtel à Tbilissi.
Dimanche 24 mai - Uplistsikhe, Borjomi
Nous aurons un départ plus tard ce qui vous laisse le temps d’acheter des articles pour préparer un pique-nique avant le départ.
La visite d’aujourd’hui mènera à l’ouest de la Géorgie, où nous visiterons le musée et le complexe d’Uplistsikhe, une ancienne ville creusée dans le roc datant du début de l’âge de fer à la fin du Moyen Âge. Les archéologues identifient Uplistsikhe comme l'un des plus anciens établissements urbains de Géorgie. Uplistsikhe abritait autrefois 20 000 habitants. Vous aurez besoin de bonnes chaussures de randonnée non glissantes car le complexe est construit avec des structures taillées dans le roc de différentes altitudes. Il y a une petite cafétéria pour se détendre et prendre une glace ou une boisson.
Notre nuit sera à l'hôtel Paradise à Borjomi où nous arriverons en fin d'après-midi. Il y a de nombreux restaurants où vous pourrez prendre le dîner (non compris). Depuis des décennies, Borjomi est une ville touristique située dans une belle région entourée d'un parc national et réputée pour son eau de source. Les habitants proposeront des objets d'artisanat à la vente.
Lundi 25 mai - Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, monastère de Saphara, Forteresse Rabat, Vardzia
Matinée libre, départ à 12h00, déjeuner libre (non incl.).Notre prochaine destination sera Akhaltsikhe dans la partie l’ouest de la Géorgie, près de la frontière turque. En route nous visiterons la forteresse de Rabat à Akhaltsikhe.
De petits bus nous conduiront au monastère de Saphara, où résident toujours des moines, situés à environ 15 kilomètres d'Akhaltsikhe. Il ne s’agit pas d’un site touristique, nous devons donc respecter leur vie privée et admirer ses belles fresques en silence.
Nous essayerons de voir une répétition d'un groupe de danse local.
Le dîner (inclus) sera à Akhaltsikhe et nous continuons vers Vardzia où nous resterons 2 nuits.
Mardi 26 mai - complexe de Vardzia
Matinée libre dans cet hôtel tranquille situé au milieu d'une nature impressionnante. Vers midi nous partirons pour prendre le déjeuner dans un lieu pittoresque près de la rivière, un lieu idéal pour se détendre et déguster du poisson frais de la rivière. Après le déjeuner (incl.), nous visiterons le complexe voisin de Vardzia, une ancienne ville troglodyte creusée dans une pente rocheuse.
Il couvrait autrefois treize niveaux et abritait plus de 6000 grottes où vivaient des moines. Il était accessible par des tunnels près de la rivière Kuria. En 1283, un tremblement de terre a détruit les 2/3 du complexe, explosé les grottes et provoqué un effondrement du système d'irrigation et des cultures en terrasses. De nos jours, l'église et le clocher peuvent être visités ainsi que des restes d'amphores - des jarres en céramique pour le stockage du vin - sont visibles dans des cavernes désertes. De nos jours, cinq moines vivent encore dans les grottes.
Nous retournerons et dînerons à notre hôtel (incl.)
Mercredi 27 mai - retour à Tbilissi
Aujourd'hui, nous retournerons à Tbilissi et nous nous enregistrerons dans notre ancien hôtel Irmeni. Vous avez l'après-midi libre pour faire vos dernières « sightseeing » et shopping. Pas de déjeuner fournis.
À 18h30, nous nous retrouverons dans notre hôtel pour nous rendre au restaurant pour notre dîner d'adieu (incl).
Jeudi 28 mai - départ ou prolongement avec le tour d'Arménie
Vous aurez un transfert à l'aéroport ou partirez en bus pour prolonger votre visite en Arménie.
Inclus
- l'hébergement avec petit-déjeuner dans les hôtels mentionnés
- guide francophone
- bus climatisé avec chauffeur tout au long du voyage
- les repas mentionnés dans le programme (eau, café ou thé inclus au dîner)
- les frais d’entrée des sites touristiques mentionnés dans le programme
- transferts aéroport
- le prix est basé sur l'hébergement en chambre double
Exclusif
- les repas non mentionnés dans le programme
- toutes dépenses personnelles telles que communications téléphoniques, blanchisserie, souvenirs, etc.
- pourboire pour guide et chauffeur
- vol
- supplément chambre simple € 225
Le voyage a lieu avec un minimum de 20 personnes.
Arménie (mai 2020) – voyage francophone – programme détaillé
Voyage culturelle en Arménie - 28 Mai - 3 Juin - Extension du voyage en Géorgie - Départ garanti
Attention:
Le voyage en Arménie ne peut être réservé séparément, mais uniquement dans le cadre d’une prolongation.
PRIX: € 750.
Jeudi 28 mai - de Tbilissi à Hermon, Arménie
Aujourd’hui, nous voyageons de Tbilissi à l’Arménie et passerons la frontière à Bagratashen. À la frontière, nous devons prendre tous nos bagages du bus et traverser la frontière à pied. Nous allons changer pour un bus arménien.
Vers midi nous arriverons près du lac Sevan en Arménie pour prendre le déjeuner (inclus). Sevan est un grand lac situé à environ 2 000 mètres d'altitude et entouré de montagnes. Près du restaurant, vous pouvez monter 200 marches pour atteindre le sommet de la péninsule d’Aghtamar qui offre une vue magnifique sur les montagnes entourant le lac. Au sommet de la péninsule, il se trouve deux petites églises et des croix en pierre décorées. Notre guide vous donnera des informations.
Notre visite se poursuit sur les rives du lac et nous traverserons une chaîne de montagnes en direction du sud. Après avoir atteint le col, nous nous arrêterons pour visiter Selim Caravansérail. Cet ancien lieu d'hébergement est le témoin silencieux du commerce animé qui a eu lieu en Arménie à l'époque de la Route de la soie.
En poursuivant notre route, nous arriverons à notre destination finale pour aujourd'hui, Hotel Resort Lucy Tour, où nous passerons deux nuits dans des chalets à la montagne dans le village de Hermon. Il possède un restaurant et un bar en plein air, des terrains de jeux, une piscine intérieure, des tables de ping-pong et des billards. Un endroit parfait pour se détendre après une longue journée de voyage. Le dîner sera inclus.
Vendredi 29 mai – Hermon- randonnée vers une forteresse et danse
Matinée libre. Si vous aimez la randonnée: une belle forteresse peut être atteinte après environ une heure et demie de marche. Une autre option consiste à faire une randonnée privée plus courte dans les montagnes environnantes ou simplement vous détendre et vous baigner dans la piscine couverte. Nous organiserons un guide pour organiser une randonnée vers la forteresse et prenons le déjeuner ensemble (inclus).
Après le déjeuner, nous inviterons un professeur local pour nous apprendre quelques danses et après le dîner (inclus), nous rencontrerons un groupe de jeunes danseurs locaux pour une soirée dansante.
Samedi 30 mai- Hermon, visite Karahunj et Tatev, Goris
Départ et nous commanderons des panier-repas pour notre tour d’aujourd’hui, qui nous mène vers la partie est de l’Arménie.
Notre destination sera Karahountj, également appelée Zorats Karer, un arrangement circulaire de 204 pierres trouées, similaire à l’Anglais Stonehenge, mais plus ancien. Il est entouré d'un paysage impressionnant et en cette période de l'année, de nombreuses fleurs s'épanouissent. Au programme d’aujourd’hui, nous nous rendrons également à Tatev, l’un des plus grands ensembles religieux d’Arménie et, dans l’antiquité, un complexe universitaire. Pour atteindre le monastère, nous utiliserons un téléphérique et nous traverserons dans une cabine. Le trajet dure plus de 5 kilomètres, ce qui en fait le plus long du monde et offre une vue fantastique sur le paysage environnant. Nous dînerons (inclus) à l'hôtel Mtnadzor à notre destination finale, la petite ville de Goris.
Dimanche mai 31 - Goris, Khundzoresk, Erevan
Check-out. Un peu au-delà de la ville de Goris se trouvent les grottes de l'ancienne Khundzoresk. Une longue promenade à travers ce paysage d'aspect bizarre de rochers avec des grottes donne vraiment une bonne impression de l'immensité. À la fin du 19ème siècle, jusqu'à 4000 personnes vivaient ici.
Après avoir profité de la beauté de la nature, nous nous dirigerons vers la capitale arménienne, Erevan. En chemin, nous atteindrons 2344 mètres d'altitude au col de Volotan, où certains marchands vendent leurs produits. Nous voyagerons sur les traces de l'ancienne route de la soie. Après environ deux heures et demie, nous nous arrêterons pour le déjeuner (inclus) au restaurant Parvani, le long de la rivière Arpa. Il nous faudra encore parcourir une certaine distance avant d’atteindre l’hôtel IBIS situé au centre d’Erevan. Pas de dîner fourni.
Lundi juin 1 - Erevan
Pour vous familiariser avec cette ville animée, nous ferons un tour de ville à pied. Il y aura du temps libre pour profiter des visites touristiques et des bons restaurants qu'Erevan peut offrir. Cela vous offre la possibilité de visiter le Vernissage, marché quotidien d'Erevan. Les artisans vendent leurs produits et c'est un bon endroit pour acheter des souvenirs. Dans le bazar, vous pouvez trouver des légumes, des fruits séchés et du fromage. L'Arménie est réputée pour ses fruits secs fourrés aux noix et sa dégustation n'est jamais un problème!
En plus du musée national ou du musée des manuscrits, il y a beaucoup de choses à voir ou simplement se reposer sur une terrasse. Nous nous réunissons pour le dîner (inclus).
Mardi juin 2 - Saghmosavank et alphabet en pierre
Dans la matinée, nous visiterons Saghmosavank, un complexe monastique arménien du XIIIe siècle situé au sommet d'une gorge creusée par la rivière Kasagh. À l'arrière-plan, vous pouvez voir le mont Aragats, la plus haute montagne d'Arménie avec une hauteur de 4090 mètres.
L'Arménie possède son propre alphabet taillé dans la pierre non loin de Saghmosavank.
De retour à Erevan, vous aurez un après-midi libre, sans déjeuner.
Notre visite en Arménie est terminée et nous allons profiter d'un dîner d'adieu ensemble (inclus).
Mercredi juin 3 - départ
Départ incl. transfert à l'aéroport.
Inclus
- l'hébergement avec petit-déjeuner dans les hôtels mentionnés
- guide francophone
- bus climatisé avec chauffeur tout au long du voyage
- les repas mentionnés dans le programme (eau, café ou thé inclus au dîner)
- les frais d’entrée des sites touristiques mentionnés dans le programme
- transferts aéroport
- le prix est basé sur l'hébergement en chambre double
Exclusif
- les repas non mentionnés dans le programme
- toutes dépenses personnelles telles que communications téléphoniques, blanchisserie, souvenirs, etc.
- pourboire pour guide et chauffeur
- vol
- supplément chambre simple € 200
S'il est possible de voir un spectacle de danse à Erevan, il sera prévu.
Arménie (mai 2020) – extension – information générale
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B&B
When not dancing, Tineke and Maurits like to welcome guests at their Bed and Breakfast in the small village of Nijensleek, located in the northeast of The Netherlands. Their B&B is labelled excellent with an average score of 9.5 on a scale of 10 on the website of a national organization of which their B&B is a member.
http://www.bedandbreakfast54.nl
The beautiful restored farmhouse dates from 1810 and the B&B is situated in the actual farmer’s house, which was traditionally the front part of the farm. Because it has its own entrance, it has a lot of privacy and is very suitable as a three bedroom apartment. A perfect spot to relax, enjoy local products and explore the beautiful surroundings.
The province of Drenthe is ideal for biking or hiking because Nijensleek lies amidst three national parks.
From June to the beginning of September the surrounding scenic villages or small towns are bursting with activity, ranging from local markets to larger events.
Nearby historic towns Zwolle and Assen have a lot to offer both in culture as in shopping.
For more information or booking, please visit http://www.bedandbreakfast54.nl
It will be our pleasure to welcome you in our Bed & Breakfast!
Panier
FAQ Iran
Passport and visa
You will need a passport to visit Iran. This must be valid for at least 6 months after your departure date from Iran. The passport must not contain any mark of visiting Israel. A stamp from a trip to the United States is not a problem.
It is recommended to bring a photocopy of your passport (the page with personal data and your visa).
Based on the experience of a former participant in the USA. She recommends NOT to use a visa agency, but follow the procedure as described below. A quote from the same person: “The process was totally worth it, as the trip to Iran was WONDERFUL!”
VISA PROCEDURE general 5-6 weeks |
VISA PROCEDURE – US, Canadian and British citizens 9-10 weeks |
1. You need Pre-Approval from the Ministery of Foreign Affairs in Iran. |
1. You need Pre-Approval from the Ministery of Foreign Affairs in Iran. |
| To start this process I will send: a visa form which needs to be filled out. I also need a passphoto and copy of your picture passport page (folded open to see both pages). | To start this process I will send a visa form which needs to be filled out. I also need a passphoto and copies of all your passport pages (folded open to see both pages). |
| This can be done at earliest 3 months prior to departure. | This needs to be done 3-3 1/2 months prior to departure. |
2. After approval I will forward to you a ‘Letter of Invitation’/ Visa Grant Notice form, incl. an authorization number. |
2. After approval I will forward to you a ‘Letter of Invitation’/Visa Grant Notice form, incl. an authorization number. |
| From application to approval will take about 3 weeks. | From application to approval will take about 5 weeks. |
3. Now you apply for the visa at the Iranian embassy/consulate in your country. Here is what you need to send by registered postal mail: |
3. Now you apply for the visa at the Iranian embassy/consulate in your country. In the USA this is outsourced to the Pakistani embassy in Washington, in Canada this is outsourced to that same embassy and to the Iranian embassy in London. Here is what you need to send by registred mail: |
| – Original passport (valid for at least 6 months)
– 1 Pass photo – Print of the Visa Grant Notice form – Visa fee and return postage need to be paid in advance. Check with your local consulate how to deal with this. |
– Original passport (valid for at least 6 months)
– 1 Pass photo – Print of the Visa Grant Notice form – Visa fee and return postage need to be paid in advance. Check with your local consulate how to deal with this. |
| This procedure will take about 2 weeks. | This procedure will take about 4 weeks. |
4. Visa is valid for length of the tour OR longer (if requested) |
4. Visa is valid for length of the tour OR longer (if requested) |
| US citizens need to apply for visa at the embassy of Pakistan, 1250 23rd St NW, Washington DC, 20037, USA | |
| Tel. (202) 965-4990 | |
| Canadian citizins either follow that same procedure OR apply at the Iranian embassy in London, 16 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PT, United Kingdom. Tel. +44 20 7225 4200. | |
| Passport needs to be valid for 6 months after departure date. | Passport needs to be valid for 6 months after departure date. |
| Any mark in your passport of entry to Israel will not permit you to enter Iran. | Any mark in your passport of entry to Israel will not permit you to enter Iran. |
These nationalities can visit Iran without any visa: Syria (90 day visa), Turkey (90 days), Lebanon (15 days), Azerbaijan (15 days), Georgia (45 days), Bolivia (30 days), Egypt (20 days)
Insurance
When booking a vacation, you assume that your time away will be carefree and generally that is the case. However, to cover damage to your luggage or health care expenses, you might want to have a travel insurance. Our Iranian travel agent will also book a medical insurance which is compulsory in Iran.
There may be circumstances that cause cancellation of your vacation or a later departure or earlier return. You can take out additional insurance to cover the cost of cancellation in case of a personal emergency (e.g., cancellation costs of air ticket/ accommodations, etc.). We leave this choice to you. Several companies offer these kinds of insurance. Traveler agreed by registration that the organizer cannot be held responsible for any damages or personal injuries during the tour.
Luggage
We advise you to carry luggage in a trolley case or in a big overnight bag, because this is more practical for this type of tour. The weight of your luggage is generally limited to 15 kg up to 20 kg per person. Remember when composing your luggage, for example: travel guide, camera, toiletries, clothes for warm weather (in the spring and in mountainous environment also clothing for colder nights), easy fitting (walking) shoes (with profile), alarm clock, medication, plasters, bandages, scissors and pocket knife for picnics during our travels.
Also take some pharmaceutical items such as iodine, bandages, anti-fever, diarrhea, constipation, insect bites, sunburn and possibly a cure for motion sickness. Consider also ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts to prevent dehydration). You might prefer to take disinfection gel or disinfecting wipes.
Money matters
The Iranian currency is called rial. In general, however, people use toman to count. To convert rial into toman, take away 1 zero of the price, so 10,000 Rials equals 1000 toman. The rate fluctuates, so look for a current rate at http://www.oanda.com/
To avoid confusion: always check if you deal with rial or toman.
THERE ARE NO ATM MACHINES THAT TAKE FOREIGN BANK CARDS, NOR USE A CREDITCARD.
We advise travelers to bring enough undamaged euro/dollar banknotes.
Advised pocket money
€ 75/$90 per person will certainly cover expenses. With this allowance, you can pay for meals, drinks and food. Souvenirs are not included in the advisory fee. We advise you to bring some extra cash for souvenirs and any emergencies.
Change money
Most practical is to change money – Euros or Dollars – at the airport where there is a very reasonable exchange rate.
Ferdowsi Square in Teheran is the central place for moneychangers and exchange offices. Sometimes you can also exchange or pay with foreign money at tourist shops, for example in Isfahan or at exchange offices.
Customs
It is illegal to import alcohol, drugs, or ‘indecent images’ (films/pictures) into Iran, as well as all products contradictory to the religious and national ethics of Iran is prohibited. Import of tapes and publications is allowed if inspected and confirmed by the Ministry of Guidance representatives based at entrance gates.
Transfer of objects, which have historical and cultural value is prohibited. The export of carpets and antiques is only possible with the proper documents. It is convenient to buy such products in stores with an export license. Passengers who depart Iran by air can take only one hand knotted carpet not more than 6 Square meters.
Safety
Iran is without doubt a safe travel destination. Street crime is rare, although there are an increasing number of thefts reported in big cities like Tehran and Isfahan. It is advisable to give your passport in custody at the reception of the hotel and keep a copy in your pocket. Most of the times our guide will take care of that.
Time zone
There is a difference in time of 2 ½ -3 ½ hours with The Netherlands, depending on our summer or winter schedule.
Telephone and internet
The country code of Iran is +98. The area code of Tehran is 21.
Iran has its own mobile network. Mobile phones with subscriptions of foreign providers often work well, sometimes not. See also: www.countrycode.org.
It is possible to buy a SIM card at a very cheap price at Tehran airport – even in the middle of night. It has wide coverage with mobile data (often also GPRS). For 50,000 Rial (about 1 Euro) you can buy a prepaid card at local food stores to upgrade your credit.
Most hotels have Wi-Fi. Almost always there is Wi-Fi in the lobby, sometimes in the room. The Iranian government is blocking access to social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube but many Iranians manage to reach the sites through VPN connection.
Language
The official language of Iran is Persian (Farsi), an Indo-European language. Farsi is written in Arabic script, from right to left. The alphabet has thirty-two letters. In addition to Farsi in Iran there are many other languages spoken such as Kurdish, Azeri (Turkish) and Turkmen. In the big cities people also speak English, especially the younger generation. Iranian people are very open and welcoming to foreigners and love to chat.
Health care
Vaccination of DTP, hepatitis A and typhoid is recommended. Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) vaccination (BMR vaccination in Dutch) is recommended for travelers to this country who are not protected against measles yet. In this country there is a risk of getting malaria. Protection against mosquito bites is necessary during day- and nighttime. Vaccination against hepatitis B and Typhoid fever depends on your personal situation. Check with your local health organizations on the internet. Frequently you don’t notice that you lose a lot of moisture in the dry heat. Please make sure to drink a lot and sprinkle some extra salt on your food. Water from the tap cannot be drunken.
Medical care is of good quality. Please bring enough medication if you are using prescription drugs.
Food and drinks
Meals are included in the tour package as indicated in the tour program. Restaurants are everywhere and meals in Iran are generally cheap. There is however no extensive ‘dining out’ culture in the country. Restaurants are often difficult to find.
In Tehran besides Iranian restaurants you can also find other cuisines such as Lebanese, Thai, Indian, Chinese and Japanese. There are also many fast food restaurants in most cities and pizzerias.
Iranian dishes are very mildly seasoned. Rice (chelo or polo) and bread (nan) are an integral part every meal. Besides rice often an assortment of kebabs (barbecued meat) is on the menu. In addition is also common to have various stews (khoreshts) with rice.
Also aash, a full thick soup is eaten a lot. Fresh fish is mainly to get into the Caspian and Persian coastal regions.
Iranians drink tea all day. To drink coffee is less common and only Nescafe is available. In big cities you can find trendy coffee shops. Popular with the meal is dough, a yogurt drink carbonated, salt and spices. Mineral water is available almost everywhere. Do not drink water from the tap.
Alcohol is not available throughout the country. Alcohol can only be purchased on the black market and to get engaged in such a matter holds a risk.
Expenses for food/drinks
Most dinners and lunches are included in the tour program. In case you need to buy your own: prices are very low.
Tips
Giving a tip is in Iran common practice. Particularly in restaurants, cafés, with porters and guides is customary to give a tip of 5 to 10 percent.
Shopping
In the bazaars you will find the finest Persian carpets in all sizes, marquetry, copper, miniatures and beautiful fabrics. Bargaining is common at the bazaar and sellers often start far above the amount that they are willing to accept. When it comes to expensive items, like a carpet, it is wise to be informed and take the time with the merchant. Disinterested, rude or unkind behavior is counterproductive. If you cannot come to an agreement on the price, you can always say ‘thank you’ and walk away.
On Friday all official bodies, banks and most shops (bazaars) are closed. Normally shops are open from 9:00 am until late at night. In the heat of the day between 13:00 and 16:00 almost all are closed, except in big cities.
Accommodation
For the selection of our hotels, we pay special attention to the location, cleanliness and atmosphere., but the quality of the hotels can be different. In big cities we can book nice hotels, but in small towns in rural areas, there is often little choice in hotels and we pick the best choice. Despite the fact that Iran is a developing country, accommodation standards can be different from your home country.
In hotels usually two small bottles of water will be at your disposal free of charge. In a hot country like Iran is of course important to drink a lot. Always carry a business card of the hotel with you when you go out so you can find back the hotel.
Electricity
Standard voltage is 220 volts. USA appliances designed for 110 volts require a voltage converter. Electric outlets use European/Dutch style plugs with two round pins. North American participants should bring a converter.
Climate and geography
Iran is a vast country with big climatic differences. In some parts of the country it is very cold in winter. In summer, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius can be quite normal. It rains especially in the higher mountain areas and the areas around the Caspian Sea. The humidity is quite low throughout the country, except in the Persian Gulf region, where the summers are very humid and oppressively hot. In May the temperature normally can vary between 17-28 degrees Celsius.
Clothing
Islamic dress is compulsory in Iran, even for tourists.
Dresscode for women
• A long-sleeve (3/4 sleeve acceptable in Teheran) tunic or blouse that covers your buttocks! Mind that it should never be tight or transparent.
• Pants need to be long, skinny jeans are OK, no bare ankles visible. Capris that come below your knees must be avoided.
• A headscarf to be worn loose on the head. Cotton is very comfortable.
Colored clothing is not a problem.
Maxi dresses or skirts in general are not common among Iranian women, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear them. Keep in mind: no bare legs, so cover your ankles!
This dress code is already required when approaching Iran during international flights so keep garments at hand.
Dresscode for men
Men should not wear shorts. (T-)Shirts or blouses with short sleeves are allowed, but not always appreciated in the major Islamic shrines.
Special dress code for visit to Imam Khomeiny Mausoleum and Qom
Visiting holy places as Qom, the dress code is rigidly enforced.
Only for visiting the most important religious shrines such as the Khomeiny Mausoleum and the religious complex of Qom, it is obligatory to wear a chador for women. A chador is a black and long piece of cloth which covers around the head and body (= chador literally means tent). A chador will be provided for tourists on loan at the entrance.
It is recommended to wear socks on these visits.
Indoors these rules do not apply. In general: when you visit people in their homes, take notice how they behave and dress. And ask if you can take off the headscarf. In case the bus has dark tinted windows, you can also take off the headscarf.
Sandals and open toes are perfectly fine for both women and men. Whether you’ve got painted nails on your fingers or your toes, you’d be just fine.
We also encourage you to take practical clothes that combine easily (layer upon layer) or easy to wash by hand and dry quickly.
Behavior and customs
• take off your shoes in people’s homes and in mosques,
• do not walk in front of people praying
• do not stand in front of a person with your back to that person
If you make a mistake, excuse yourself and not many people will blame you for it.
Iranian etiquette is very far from our culture. It is the opposite of directness. You do not say what you think, please do not assume what you are offered. Because it is a way to be both courteous and hospitable, it is sometimes difficult to assess how you should respond as foreigner.
Many Iranians will offer food or a drink or invite you to come to their home.
As a rule you always need to refuse at first if you are offered something, until you can accept after the 3rd time!
Photography
Photographing in Iran is commonly welcomed with openness and doesn’t raise any problem unless explicitly prohibited, such as in airports or close to government and military buildings. Also pictures are not allowed, of course, in the area of nuclear activities (f.e. at Natanz).
In general: : If you would like to take a picture of people, try to start a conversation ‘to break the ice’ and people often don’t mind to be in a picture. Often you are invited to be in their picture.
In the shrines of Qom it is advised to operate in a more restrained and modest way.
Religion
Around 90–95% of Iranians associate themselves with the Shia branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 5–10% with the Sunni and Sufi branches of Islam.
The remaining 0.6% associate themselves with non-Islamic religious minorities, including Bahá’ís, Mandeans, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians. The latter three minority religions are officially recognized and protected, and have reserved seats in the Iran parliament. Zoroastrianism was once the majority religion, though today Zoroastrians number only in the tens of thousands. Iran is home to the second largest Jewish community in the Muslim World and the Middle East. The Bahá’í religion, historically the largest religious minority in Iran is not officially recognized, and has been persecuted during its existence in Iran. Christianity, the largest non-Muslim minority religion that is recognized by the Iranian government, has the largest annual growth rate of all religions in Iran.
The Iranian government does not officially recognize the existence of non-religious Iranians. This leaves the true representation of the religious split in Iran unknown as all non-religious, spiritual, atheist, agnostic and converts away from Islam are likely to be included within the government statistic of the 99% Muslim majority. Sunnism was the predominant form of Islam before the devastating Mongol conquest, but subsequently Shi’ism became eventually utterly dominant in all of Iran.
FAQ Armenia
Passport & visa information
Your passport should be valid until minimum 6 months after departure date. It is recommended to bring a photocopy of your passport (the page with personal data).
A visa is not required for citizens of Schengen countries and USA.
For a list of Schengen countries visit https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/ Travellers with a passport from a non-European or non-Schengen country are required to purchase a visa, which can be obtained upon arrival at the airport. It has a validity of 21 days. (Visa for a longer stay is available at extra charge). Costs are low and must be paid in local currency. Bank at airports are open when flights arrive. It is best to change only a small amount of money, because the exchange rate is better in the city.
Insurance
When booking a vacation, you assume that your time away will be carefree and generally that is the case. However, to cover damage to your luggage or health care expenses, you need to have a travel insurance. YOu will need to pay medical expenses in Armenian and request for reimbursement in your home country. Please make sure that your insurance is valid for this part of the world and check coverage. There may be circumstances that cause cancellation of your vacation or a later departure or earlier return. You can take out additional insurance to cover the cost of cancellation in case of a personal emergency (e.g., cancellation costs of air ticket/ accommodations, etc.). We leave this choice to you. Several companies offer these kinds of insurance. Traveler agreed by registration that the organizer cannot be held responsible for any damages or personal injuries during the tour.
Money matters
The Armenian currency is the Armenian dram (AMD). There are ATM machines in big cities which accept bank cards with Cirrus or Maestro logo. Foreign bank cards are not widely accepted. Several currencies can be exchanged, but Euros and Dollars are widely accepted. Swiss francs and British pounds can be changed at banks and at some money changers. There is no commission fee. Banknotes must be relatively new and have no marks or tears. Dollar bills issued before 1996 will not be accepted. It is not necessary to change a large bill into smaller ones, for example, if you want to change 20 euros and you hand over a 50-Euro bill, you will receive 30 euros change. It is recommended to ask for smaller denominations, preferably 5.000 or 1.000-dram bills. It is hard to pay with bigger bills in small shops, kiosks or taxis.
Only major hotels and car rental agencies will accept VISA and MASTERCARD credit cards. To withdraw cash with your creditcard is expensive and therefore it is not recommended to cash small amounts.
Customs
Commercial goods exceeding a value of $ 500 must be declared. Personal items do not have to be declared. There is a 20-pack import and export limit on cigarettes, a 2-litre limit on alcohol and a 1-kg limit on coffee. There are no restrictions on the import of food. Alcohol is very cheap, but check with your local customs on what you are allowed to take back into your country.
Prohibited items
It is forbidden to import or export pornography, loose pearls and antiques.
Safety
Do not bring valuable items (such as jewelry) and bring a money belt if you plan to carry cash. Most hotels don't have a safety deposit box. To store things in a suitcase which can be locked has proved to function well in the past years. Violent street crime is almost unheard of in the regions where we travel. Nevertheless we recommend that you watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas or markets. Being on the street at night is not a problem, and that goes for both women and men. Locals are out late and many families love to stroll in the streets or go for dinner in a restaurant. In this part of the world people are very helpful, hospitable and very child friendly.
For elderly or handicapped people it can be hard to move around because the pavement can be in poor condition.
Time zone
There is a difference in time of 2-3 hours with The Netherlands, depending on our summer or winter schedule.
Telephone & internet
Country code Armenia +374. Your own mobile phone will not always work, and there is no overall network. Purchasing a local simcard can be an option. It is cheap (also to call abroad) and it can be charged with a prepaid card. Many restaurants and cafeteria have free wifi.
Language
Armenians speak East Armenian, a language with their own alphabet. Many people in this former Soviet republics also speak Russian, although the younger generation is now taught English or German as a second language. Nevertheless communication in a foreign language might be difficult. In big cities street and traffic signs along major roads are depicted in our alphabet.
Health care
Vaccination of DTP, polio, hepatitis A and typhoid is not required, but some can be recommended. Check with your local health organizations on the internet. Medical care is of good quality.
Food & drink
Although water is of good quality, some people have a sensitive stomach. In that case we advise you to drink only bottled water. Food is of excellent quality and salads are safe to eat.
Expenses for food/drinks
Meals are included in the tour package as indicated in the tour program. According to our criteria, a lunch is relatively cheap and will vary between € 5 at a supermarket to € 15 for a more elaborate meal at a restaurant. There are several small restaurants and supermarkets close to the hotel in Yerevan. Drinks are not included in the package except for water and coffee or tea at dinner. Prices vary between € 1.50-€ 2,00 for a glass of beer to € 0.60 for Armenian coffee, € 4 for a cappuccino. A bottle of wine is around € 12.00. Mark that the menu in restaurants doesn't show the price including the service fee. This will be added later to the bill and most of the times the percentage is listed in the menu. It is commonly around 10%. Tipping is no obligation, but is always appreciated if you are content with the service.
Electricity
Standard voltage is 220 volts. USA appliances designed for 110 volts require a voltage converter. Electric outlets use European/Dutch style plugs with two round pins. North American participants should bring a converter.
Weather
Armenia has a continental climate: summers are hot and dry, winters are very cold with heavy snowfalls. Although summer is warm, always be prepared for cooler temperatures in mountainous regions.
Spring arrives by the end of April, and a bit later in mountainous areas. Do bring an umbrella for occasional rain showers, which can be short and heavy. After a hot summer, in autumn, often nicknamed the "velvet season", the temperature typically reverts to that of springtime. After the mid-September break in the hot weather, Indian summer arrives and lasts throughout October. In this season too it is sensible to bring an umbrella for sporadic rain showers. A good website to check the weather is www.freemeteo.com it includes a seven-day forecast.
Clothing
In Yerevan people are extremely fashion conscious, and a well-groomed appearance is appreciated. In the countryside people dress more simply and conservatively. Shorts are only worn by young people. The somewhat longer Capri pants or 7/8 models are common; tank tops are worn in the cities. It is very important to bring comfortable hiking shoes and dance shoes that are comfortable on all types of floors (possibly even outdoors). Make sure to be prepared for cooler weather in the mountains. It is best to bring layers of clothes to tackle this situation.
In Armenia there are no special requirements in clothing if you visit religious sites.
Practical items
It is highly recommended to bring sun screen because of high altitudes - you can easily get sunburned.
Bring all the prescription drugs you believe you will need. Bring enough for the entire stay and leave them in their original marked containers. Bring some basic medication such as ibuprofen, Tylenol or aspirin and anti-diarrhea medication such as Imodium. Bring enough lens cleaning solution for your entire visit and maybe a spare set of eyeglasses. If you are prone to car sickness, please bring medication for it. It will not always be possible to claim seats in the front of the bus. In big cities pharmacies and bigger supermarkets carry these items, but that might not be the case in other parts of the country and there might be a language barrier.
Transportation
During our tour, we will travel in an air-conditioned bus. Although we avoid long hours on the bus, distances can take longer to travel than expected. There aren't many highways and it takes time to wait out cattle crossings and wind your way up mountain roads. In general main roads are in good condition, but some parts can be under construction especially after winter damage. Driving standards can best be described as creative and unpredictable.
The easiest choice for tourists is to use taxis in your spare time. They are very inexpensive. A good option is to rent a taxi for a half- or full-day tour. Taxis do have meters, although private drivers might not have one.
Religion
Armenia is the first Cristian nation in the world and Armenians are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. There are two minorities: Yezidi are ethnically related to Kurds, but practice a pre-Islamic Middle Eastern religion with ancient origins and Russian speaking communities of Molokans. They are Christians who separated from the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th Century.
Hiking
Our hikes are aimed at people with a normal physical condition and can walk without restrictions. You will require comfortable hiking shoes, because some sightseeing spots can be reached after a short walk on foot. For the hike to the caves of Khundzoresk a good physical condition is required as well as sturdy hiking shoes with grip sole. Considering busy traffic in Yerevan, we will often walk to the restaurants. Of course one is free to choose an alternative and to take a taxi.
FAQ Georgia
Passport & visa information
Your passport should be valid until minimum 6 months after departure date.
Visa Georgia: not required for citizens of European Union, Canada, USA, Australia.
Insurance
When booking a vacation, you assume that your time away will be carefree and generally that is the case. However, to cover damage to your luggage or health care expenses, you need to have a travel insurance. Please make sure that your insurance is valid for this part of the world and check coverage. There may be circumstances that cause cancellation of your vacation or a later departure or earlier return. You can take out additional insurance to cover the cost of cancellation in case of a personal emergency (e.g., cancellation costs of air ticket/ accommodations, etc.). We leave this choice to you. Several companies offer these kinds of insurance. Traveler agreed by registration that the organizer cannot be held responsible for any damages or personal injuries during the tour.
Money matters
The Georgian currency is Lari (GEL). Several currencies can be exchanged, but euros and dollars are accepted everywhere. There are ATM machines in big cities, but foreign bank cards are not widely accepted and the machine has to show a Cirrus or Maestro logo. In Georgia it can be more complicated to find a suitable ATM. Therefore it is advised to bring cash. Swiss francs and British pounds can be changed at banks and at some money changers. There is no commission fee. The lowest exchange rates are found at airports and hotels. Euro or dollar banknotes must be relatively new and have no marks or tears. Dollar bills issued before 1996 will not be accepted. It is not necessary to change a large bill into smaller ones, for example, if you want to change 20 euros and you hand over a 50-Euro bill, you can receive 30 euros change. Only major hotels and car rental agencies will accept VISA and MASTERCARD credit cards. Sometimes credit cards are accepted at popular tourist destinations, such as Mtskheta. To withdraw cash with a creditcard is expensive and therefore it is not recommended to cash small amounts.
Customs
Commercial goods exceeding a value of $ 500 must be declared. Personal items do not have to be declared. There is a 20-pack import and export limit on cigarettes, a 2-litre limit on alcohol and a 1-kg limit on coffee. There are no restrictions on the import of food. Alcohol is very cheap in Armenia and Georgia. Check with your local customs on what you are allowed to take back into your country.
Prohibited items
It is forbidden to import or export pornography, antiques, drugs and narcotics, live plants.
Safety
Do not bring valuable items (such as jewelry) and bring a money belt if you plan to carry cash. Most hotels do not have a safety deposit box. To store things in a suitcase which can be locked has proved to function well in the past years. Violent street crime is almost unheard of in the regions where we travel. Nevertheless we recommend that you watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas or markets. Being on the street at night is not a problem, and that goes for both women and men. Locals are out late and many families love to stroll in the streets or go for dinner in a restaurant. In this part of the world people are very helpful, hospitable and very child friendly. Young people speak English.
For elderly or handicapped people it can be hard to move around because the pavement can be in poor condition or hilly.
Time zone
There is a difference in time of 2-3 hours with The Netherlands, depending on our summer or winter schedule.
Telephone & internet
Country code Georgia + 995. Your own mobile phone will not always work, and there is no overall network. Purchasing a local simcard can be an option. It is cheap (also to call abroad) and it can be charged with a prepaid card. Many restaurants and cafeteria have free Wi-Fi.
Language
Georgians speak Georgian, a language with their own alphabet. Many people in the former Soviet republics also speak Russian, although the younger generation is now taught English as a second language. Everywhere street and traffic signs are depicted in our alphabet.
Health care
Vaccination of DTP, polio, hepatitis A and typhoid is not required, but some can be recommended. Check with your local health organizations on the internet. Medical care is of good quality.
Food & drink
Although water is of good quality, some people have a sensitive stomach. In that case we advise you to drink only bottled water. Food is of excellent quality and salads are safe to eat.
Expenses for food/drinks
Meals are included in the tour package as indicated in the tour program. According to our criteria, lunch is relatively cheap and will vary between € 5 at a supermarket to € 15 for an elaborate meal at a restaurant. Especially in Tbilisi there are several small restaurants and supermarkets close to the hotel. Drinks are not included in the package except for water, coffee or tea at dinner. Prices vary between € 1.50-€ 2,00 for a glass of beer to € 2.00 for a coffee. A bottle of wine is around € 10.00. Mark that the menu in restaurants doesn’t show the price including the service fee. This will be added later and most of the times the percentage is listed in the menu. It is commonly around 10%. Tipping is no obligation, but is always appreciated if you are content with the service.
Electricity
Standard voltage is 220 volts. USA appliances designed for 110 volts require a voltage converter. Electric outlets use European/Dutch style plugs with two round pins. North American participants should bring a converter.
Weather
Georgia has a continental climate: summers are hot and dry, winters are very cold with heavy snowfalls. Although summer is warm, always be prepared for cooler temperatures in mountainous regions.
Spring arrives by the end of April, and a bit later in mountainous areas. Do bring an umbrella for occasional rain showers, which can be short and heavy. After a hot summer, in autumn, often nicknamed the “velvet season”, the temperature typically reverts to that of springtime. After the mid-September break in the hot weather, Indian summer arrives and lasts throughout October. In this season too it is sensible to bring an umbrella for sporadic rain showers. A good website to check the weather is www.freemeteo.com it includes a seven-day forecast.
Clothing
In Tbilisi people are dressed ‘modern’. In restaurants a well-groomed appearance is appreciated. In the countryside people dress more simple and conservative. Shorts are only worn by young people. The somewhat longer Capri pants or 7/8 models are common; tank tops are worn in the cities. It is very important to bring comfortable hiking shoes that are comfortable on all types of floors (possibly even outdoors). Make sure to be prepared for cooler weather in the mountains. It is best to bring layers of clothes to tackle this situation.
Clothing to visit religious sites
Required to bring to Georgia: a scarf and a long skirt for women. They need to cover their head and wear an ankle long skirt visiting monasteries and churches. Long pants also need to be covered. A wrap skirt is a very practical item to use. Men need to wear long pants and take off hats in monasteries and churches. Frequently wrap skirts are offered near the entrance of a religious complex
Practical items
It is highly recommended to bring a sun block because of high altitudes – you can easily get sunburned. Make sure to carry water with you, especially if you will do the more strenuous hike at Vardzia and Uplistsikhe.
Bring all the prescription drugs you believe you will need. Bring enough for the entire stay and leave them in their original marked containers. Bring some basic medication such as ibuprofen, Tylenol or aspirin and anti-diarrhea medication such as Imodium. Bring enough lens cleaning solution for your entire visit and maybe a spare set of eyeglasses. If you are prone to car sickness, please bring medication for it. It will not always be possible to claim seats in the front of the bus. In big cities pharmacies and bigger supermarkets carry these items, but that might not be the case in other parts of the country and there might be a language barrier.
Transportation
During our tour, we will travel in an air-conditioned bus. We have tried to avoid long hours on the bus, but distances can take longer to travel than expected. Main roads are in good condition, but some parts can be unpaved. Driving standards can best be described as unpredictable, fast and reckless.
The easiest choice for tourists is to use taxis. They are very inexpensive. Do make enquiries about the price before starting your ride.
Religion
Georgians are mostly Christian and in majority member of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The country knows a large diversity of ethnic minorities such as Adjarians, Mingrelians, Svanet, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Abkheses, Russians and Ossetians. Around 84% of the population is Georgian.
Excursions
Our hikes are aimed at people with a normal physical condition and can walk without restrictions. You will require comfortable hiking shoes, because some sightseeing spots can be reached after a short walk on foot. For the hike to the caves of Vardzia and Uplistsikhe a good physical condition is required as well as sturdy hiking shoes with grip sole . Considering busy traffic and small distances in Tbilisi, we will often walk to the restaurants. Of course one is free to choose an alternative and to take a taxi.
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Reviews tours
INTRODUCTION
It is always hard to choose a highlight. Was it the visit to Sasnashen? The village of descendants of refugees from the Sasoun region who fled from the genocide in Anatolia and strive to preserve their traditions and dances, passed down by former generations? The sound of the melancholic duduk played inside the Garni temple, dating from the 1st millennium A.D.? Or impressive landscapes surrounding ancient monasteries and hiking to a bridge dating back to the Silkroad era? Or the food, which is always fresh and delicious? Maybe it was the taste of fresh lavash (Armenian bread) baked in the traditional tonir (pit in the ground) enjoying Armenian cognac or the wide variety of restaurants often with live music. Fact is that everybody will have his or her own personal highlight because Armenia has so much to offer. Read what what other travelers have experienced as highlights on their journey.
REVIEWS
I would like to propose a belated TOAST (in Armenian Genats) to …… Armenian food!
It was a real treat to eat fresh tomatoes that actually had the taste of real tomatoes! The chicken and the lamb meat also tasted much more flavorful than what one normally can find where I live. I really enjoyed all of the food we ate in Armenia, and I would like to toast Satik for helping to choose restaurants and menus that introduced us to a large variety of Armenian dishes! We got to taste yogurt soup, barley porridge made with chicken broth, several kinds of lavash, delicious chicken soup and lamb soup, and my favorite: the platter of stuffed tolmas on our second evening.
Satik, you also demonstrated for us some new approaches to: stopping traffic when crossing the street, negotiating at restaurants and hotels, and determining the number of cups of coffee and tea to order!
Tineke, you shared with us your love for Armenian culture and people, and helped us understand aspects that we could never have appreciated without you. Usually I have suggestions for improving things, but for this trip I just cannot think of any way it could have been made better! Our dance lessons and teachers were terrific. Our time was filled with enjoyable and interesting activities, and we experienced a lot of things and people that we would not have done as ordinary tourists. It was a great trip! THANKS!
And – to everybody who went on the trip – THANK YOU for being such a good and eager and thoughtful group of people! GENATS!!!
Rita de Coursey (Nederland)
Ik vond het een heel speciale ervaring. Het land is in veel opzichten anders dan ik had verwacht. De combinatie van christendom, communisme en oosters had ik me anders voorgesteld. De reis had voor mij meerdere hoogtepunten, waarvan ik ons bezoek aan Jereghnadzor en de Garni tempel vooral wil noemen. De duduk speler in de Garnitempel zullen we nooit meer vergeten. Verder heb ik genoten van Paylak en het dansen, alle nieuwe mensen die ik heb leren kennen, het praten in Engels, Duits en Nederlands door elkaar en van alle plannen en ideeën die de reis in mijn hoofd heeft doen ontstaan. Al schrijvende merk ik dat het me niet lukt alle ervaringen kort weer te geven. Misschien dat het voor zich spreekt als ik zeg dat ik nog steeds met de reis in mijn hoofd loop. Ik ben nog niet weer met beide benen op de grond en wil dat ook eigenlijk niet. Ik hoop ooit nog eens mee te gaan.
Betsy Edens (Nederland)
It was a wonderful tour, very well organized (important in this country I think), and also full of positive spirit, flexibility, humour (sometimes irony), good atmophere among the group-members – which makes it unforgettable! A marvellous experience! And all the participants are very well aware I think, that without you all this would not have been possible. It was a really good mixture between dancing, music, culture, meeting people, sightseeing, shopping occasions (also nice…), city impressions and beautiful landscape, information about political, geographical, ethnological background…., everyday-life etc. There was so much in it.
Thank you!
Margarete Aulbach (Germany)
De afgelopen week heb ik geprobeerd het Armenië verhaal een beetje duidelijk te maken, maar misschien moet er gewoon een extra hoofdstuk in de geschiedenisboeken. Voor de rest is het afkicken want eigenlijk zou ik het liefst meteen weer terug gaan! De reis was geweldig.
Ellie Adema (Nederland)
Dit land en haar volk hebben me echt geraakt. Maar niet alleen maar in verdriet, ook in vreugde. Het samen dansen met de mensen, het samen proosten met de mensen, het niet begrijpen van hun taal en toch snappen wat ze willen zeggen: veel momenten van vreugde, van plezier heb ik beleefd. Momenten die de haast en het “moeten” in onze wereld erg hebben gerelativeerd. Je hebt er samen met Satik voor gezorgd dat ik me kon baden in het “zijn” in dit land. De reis was tot in de puntjes goed verzorgd. En het mooie vond ik dat het toch ook niet te strak was, ik heb me geen moment in een keurslijf gedwongen gevoeld.
En dan natuurlijk het dansen met Pajlak. Met grote precisie heeft Pajlak ons meegenomen door de dansen van zijn land, door de gratie, de stroming, de kracht, de geaardheid van de Armeense dans. Op een enkel puntje na heb ik het gevoel alle dansen tot in hun totaliteit in mijn lijf te hebben zitten, in mijn armen, mijn voeten, mijn hoofd, mijn handen.
Het hoogtepunt van de reis waren voor mij de 2 dagen het land door, het hadden er best meer mogen zijn. Zo mooi om de verscheidenheid van de natuur te ervaren en om te zien hoe de mensen leven. Ook heel confronterend om de armoede te ervaren en om te zien hoe mensen ook dan doorgaan met leven en er het beste van maken. Hoe blij en warm ze zijn, hoe graag ze met je willen delen. Naira was een fijne gids, ze wist precies de juiste woorden te vinden om haar land voelbaar te maken. Eén ding is zeker: vanaf nu zal het voor altijd anders zijn om Armeens te dansen in mijn eigen land. Omdat ik even heb mogen proeven van de ziel van het prachtige land waar de dansen vandaan zijn gekomen. Hannelore Duynstee (Nederland)
Es war eine tolle Reise, gut organisiert und durchgeführt. Auch die Begleitung (Satik, Naira) hat viel zum guten gelingen beigetragen. Der Tanzkurs war super, obwohl ich wegen meiner Verletzung am Fuss nicht voll mittanzen konnte. Es sind alles schöne, anspruchsvolle Tänze. Vom Land bin ich sehr überrascht, es hat alle meine Vorstellungen übertroffen. Die Landschaft grün, bergig, hügelig, sauber und gepflegt. Die Bevölkerung freundlich, hilfsbereit und gut gekleidet, obwohl ich denke, dass es eher eine armes Land ist. Die Hauptstadt hat mich ebenfalls fasziniert. Die netten Leute, die grünen Parks mit Cafés, die sauberen Strassen mit ihren Baumalleen, die schönen Gebäude in der City und das gute, abwechslungsreiche Essen. Auch bietet Yerevan viel Kultur. Ursula Stamopoulos (Switzerland)
Die Reise mit dir ist mir in sehr guter Erinnerung.
Es ist anspruchsvoll eine so grosse Gruppe zu führen und du hast das sehr, sehr gut gemeistert. Du warst klar in deinen Vorgaben, hast Flexibilität gezeigt (z.Bsp. nach dem Essen im russ. Restaurant wo du gerne nachher die Bezahlrunde im Hotel gemacht hättest….), du hast viel Humor gezeigt, gut informiert, warst bereit, alle Fragen aufmerksam zu beantworten…super! Du hast eine gute Auswahl mit den Exkursionen im Land getroffen. Die zwei Tage am Sevansee haben mir gefallen. Der Abend mit den Musiker/-innen hat mir auch sehr gut gefallen. Auch die zwei verschiedenen Tanzdarbietungen haben mich beeindruckt. Zudem hast du mit Satik un Naira zwei sehr engagierte, liebenswürdige Reiseleiterinnen ausgelesen.Ihr habt uns wirklich sehr viel geboten in kurzer Zeit. Ich trage gute Erinnerungen an diese Reise mit mir.
Annemarie Geiger (Switzerland)
You both deserve heartfelt congratulations for your organizing abilities and the enormous amount of work you obviously put into the tour. Since I am not a seasoned traveller or an extravert, I really appreciated your sincere concern for everyone’s welfare. I also delighted in–and wondered at–your consistent good humour and pleasant treatment of everyone. I loved the dance classes; Pajlak was charming, patient and a wonderful teacher. I liked his great attention to style and detail.
Two sightseeing highlights for me were Edsmiadzin and Haghartsin. The former especially because of the singing, which was so beautiful it moved me and, I suspect, many others to tears. It was also a good occasion to see how religion is so much a part of daily life in Armenia. There was both a reverent and a relaxed atmosphere in the church which was very appealing. The location of Haghartzin was breathtaking and I enjoyed the walk there and back very much.
The visit to Yegheknadzor was certainly one of the high points for me. The hospitality, the mingling of people from different lands and the energy of youth were truly inspiring. I had a good time, even though the trip each way was 24 hours (I’m still tired!). Thank you so much. All the best to both of you and to Maurits and Najira,
Elise Boyer (Canada)
Dear Tineke,
I am writing to express my and Yeghegnadzor’s thanks to you and to the folklorists who came with you to visit us this week. Everybody here was very pleased to enter into contact with you, to dance with you and to admire the way you danced our dances. We hope you will come and visit us again and again.
Antoine S. Terjanian (our host in Yegheknadzor, Canadian Armenian)The visit to Yegheknadzor was certainly one of the high points for me. The hospitality, the mingling of people from different lands and the energy of youth were truly inspiring.
The trip was wonderful! I am still mulling over all my impressions and experiences. Thank you to you and your team for the job that you did. Eta Markowicz (Canada)
Na terugkomst hier in Nederland heeft het enige tijd geduurd voordat ik weer echt “geland” was. M’n voeten waren er wel, maar m’n hoofd bleef in Armenie hangen. Deze reis staat voor altijd in mijn herinnering gegrift en was in alle opzichten fantastisch: het land/landschap, de mensen, de cultuur, de geschiedenis, het eten, het dansen, de begeleiding door jou en Satik/Naira, teveel om op te noemen en in willekeurige volgorde opgesomd, en bovenal jouw altijd vrolijke aanwezigheid.
Annelies de Kroon (Nederland)
Thank you so much for the Armenia trip. It was extremely well organised and it was just the right balance of things arranged and free time to choose what we wanted to do – never bored but not hassled to get places either. You and Satik kept us in order (didn’t lose us!) without being bossy and were always such good fun. Everyone was so nice to be with – so we must all have been feeling well entertained and looked after.
I have so many good memories – the very first day, dancing spontaneously in the car park at Geghard, we thought this is a high point, where do you go from here? but didn’t get disappointed. Lunch in the village, dance classes, the lone duduk player in the temple, Yerevan restaurants and streets, the singing in the cathedral, driving through the countryside with Naira’s commentary and stories, the market (carpet looks great in my appartment!) I could go on and on. The fat lady singing in the cinema! Please give lots of thanks to Satik and our guide Naira. I hope they are both well.
Good luck with your next projects, hope to dance with you sometime soon, all the best.
Deb Collins (United Kingdom)
Bedankt voor deze fantastische reis. Ik huppel nog steeds. Dat is te danken aan jouw inzet en die van Satik, nogmaals, BEDANKT !!!! Ik heb geen enkele opmerking en zelf had je al de conclusie getrokken om iets meer speling in Praag te nemen. Een lieve groet voor jou en de dames in Armenie!
Conny Rakké (Nederland)
Ich bin schon lange nicht mehr so begeistert gewesen über Reise- und Tanzferien, wie dieses mal in Armenien.
Ich fand, dass sie kompetent und sorgfältig organisiert und geplant war. Alle Deine vorherigen Informationen und Auskünfte über die Reise wurden dokumentiert und allenfalls noch informiert, wenn sich etwas geändert hatte.
Die Reiseunterkünfte fand ich den Kosten entsprechend reell. Einfach und sauber. In Yerevan sind die Zimmer auf die Hauptstraße bis spät in die Nacht mit Autoverkehr und Musik gelärmt. Das fand ich als Schlafmuffel ein Nachteil. Dafür war es von Vorteil mitten in der Stadt zu wohnen in der Stadt zu wohnen, da man von dort aus überall hingehen konnte.
Das kulturelle Programm war sehr interessant und vielfältig. Die Reisen an die verschiedenen Orte beeindruckend und ebenso der Einblick in eine andere Kultur. Die Möglichkeit Armeniern unter die Arme zu greifen mittels non Profit ist eine gute Sache, welche ich schon lange unterstütze. Das kosten der vielen Speisen und dazu die hübsch gedeckten Tische haben die Esszeiten zu einem kleinen Fest werden lassen.
Die herzliche und großzügige Gastfreundschaft sowie die Spontaneität der Armenier, sowie deren Art zu leben und davon zu hören, haben mich sehr berührt. In der Schweiz könnten manche noch viel davon lernen!!!!
Alles was mit Tanz zu tun hatte fand ich interessant und es gefiel mir auch zuzuschauen und mich daran zu freuen, auch wenn ich nicht mittanzte. Die Tanzgruppen welche professionell und auch Amateur massig tanzten waren ebenfalls ein Leckerbissen. Die schönen Kleider und geschminkten hübschen Frauen waren eine Augenweide. Das so viele Männer tanzen habe ich nicht erwartet. Darum war meine Überraschung groß und ich muss sagen, dass ich es so schade finde, dass auch bei uns nicht mehr Männer tanzen!
Die Reisegruppe war in der Anzahl der Personen gerade gut. So war es auch möglich generell zueinander Kontakt zu pflegen. Deine Mitarbeiterinnen Satik und Naira, welche übrigens ein sehr gutes und verständliches Englisch sprachen, kann ich weiterhin wärmstens empfehlen. Satik hat uns so viel über Bräuche erzählt und Naira über die armenische Geschichte. Eigentlich muss ich sagen, dass ich mich in Armenien etwas verliebt habe. Ich möchte gerne wieder zurückkehren und kann mir auch vorstellen, dass ich dort eine gewisse Zeit mal leben könnte.
Tineke, Du hast wunderschön und mit viel Hingabe getanzt und Unterricht gegeben. Das Du uns noch an den Flughafen in den frühen Morgenstunden begleitet hast, zusammen mit Satik, war wirklich lieb.
Mit herzlichen Grüßen und alles Gute für Dich von Anna (der Schweiz)
Unsere Reise mit Tineke nach Armenien war etwas ganz Besonderes. Wir kamen in ein Land, auf das wir neugierig waren wegen seiner wechselvollen Geschichte, seiner alten Traditionen, auch gerade bei Tanz und Musik, wegen seiner erst kürzlich erreichten Befreiung aus dem sowjetischen Machtbereich. Tineke hat es gemeinsam mit ihren armenischen Mitarbeiterinnen geschafft unsere Neugier zu befriedigen. Natürlich stand für uns alle das Tanzen im Vordergrund. Und das Tanzen war es auch, das uns alle in ganz kurzer Zeit miteinander verbunden hat, so dass eine sehr fröhliche aufgeschlossene Gruppe entstand, die alle Aktivitäten genossen hat. Tanzen erlebten wir in vielfältiger Form: im eigenen Unterricht bei zwei kompetenten armenischen Lehrern mit Tinekes hilfreicher Begleitung. Außerdem Tanzen abends bei Live Musik in Restaurants, mit Dorfbewohnern auf dem Land sowohl als Vorführung als auch zum Mitmachen, in einem Tanzhaus mit hervorragender Laienvorführung, schließlich sogar eine tolle Profivorführung einer armenischen Stargruppe. Es ist umwerfend, was Tineke zum Thema “Tanzen” im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes auf die Beine gestellt hat.
Aber nicht nur das! Wir erhielten einen sehr guten Eindruck von der Stadt Yerevan mit ihren vielen Gesichtern: prächtige Bauten vom Anfang des vorigen Jahrhunderts, im allgemeinen recht gut renoviert, viel Bautätigkeit, ein Land im Aufbruch, riesige Wohnblöcke nach sowjetischem Muster, für unseren Maßstab weder attraktiv noch gepflegt. Aber die Menschen üben Lebensqualität. Es gibt einen wunderschönen Grüngürtel mit vielen Cafés und Bänken. Und hier – und auf den Straßen – sind Leute jeden Alters bis spät abends zahlreich unterwegs – auch Menschen, die betteln. Die Ausflüge von Yerevan aus eröffneten uns vor allem die historische Perspektive durch den Besuch alter Kirchen und Klöster aus frühchristlicher Zeit. Grandiose Landschaft, sobald wir uns dem Gebirge näherten, am eindrucksvollsten der Blick auf die zwei Gipfel des Ararat, wenn die Wolken sie freigaben. Man sollte, das dachten wir immer wieder, nach Armenien nicht nur zum Tanzen, sondern auch zum Wandern fahren. Dank an Tineke, die dies alles perfekt geplant hat, und die es mit Kompetenz und mit viel Fröhlichkeit und Verständnis für alle und im Einklang mit ihren armenischen Mitstreiterinnen durchgeführt hat. Unsere Neugier ist mehr als befriedigt worden! Dörthe und Horst, Hamburg
Mit dem zur Neige gehenden Jahr blicken wir mit großer Freude und Dankbarkeit zurück auf unsere Reise, die uns erstmals in das lang ersehnte Armenien gebracht hat. Natürlich hätten wir als einigermassen Reisegewandte das Land auch selber bereisen können, aber wie anders und wie oberflächlich wäre dies ausgefallen. Du hast uns mit deiner Liebe zum Land so Vieles ermöglicht, das wir als bleibenden Schatz mit und in uns tragen können. Wir sind ja seit über 30 Jahren regelmässig in Griechenland zu Gast und trotz der allmählich sich mehrenden Sprachkenntnisse haben wir nie so viel über Musik und Tanz in Erfahrung bringen können wie auf der Armenien – Georgien Reise. Welch einmalige Gelegenheit, die Probe in Tiflis, die Theatervorstellung und den Unterricht in Eriwan besuchen zu dürfen, und das alles immer eingekleidet in ein Reiseprogramm mit viel Zeit für eigene Interessen.
Wir sind reich beschenkt und beglückt heimgekehrt und werden auch noch in diesem Jahr davon zehren. Dir wünschen wir noch manche begeisternde Reise in dein zweites Heimatland des Herzens.
Verena und Hans Märki, Switzerland
About us
Resume (Maurits)
Maurits van Geel - resume
Even before receiving an education as an international folk dance instructor in 1977 Maurits van Geel started to teach in 1972 folk dance in high school. It is clear that his passion for folk dance was already present at a young age and it never extinguished.
Mid-seventies he took over the leadership of an performance group which was renamed Hupsakee. He made a number of choreographies for the group which performed all over the world at festivals and focused on a repertoire of Dutch dances. He remained active as the artistic leader for almost 20 years. In the 1980-ies he received a scholarship of the Dutch Ministry of Culture and specialized in the United States in Appalachian clogging. As a guest teacher he taught workshops clogging in several European countries, a dance form which was relatively unknown in the European folk dance scene at that point. He also made clogging choreographies for a number of performance groups in The Netherlands and received a degree as Dance Academy graduate in 1986 without being required to sign up as a student.
His involvement in the promotion of dance came to full bloom during his 2-year contract as dance consultant for the city of Amsterdam. In this capacity he initiated dance projects in schools in combination with setting up dance projects for cultural minorities besides teaching courses of international folk dance in Amsterdam.
In the professional field he was invited as guest teacher at the Rotterdam Dance Academy, but the major part of his professional life he worked for Het Internationaal Danstheater, a professional dance company based in Amsterdam.
First as choreographer, later as assistant artistic director and eventually as artistic director he was employed from 1988 to 2011. During this interval, he directed 47 different theatre productions in The Netherlands and special productions presented at foreign tours. Part of his job involved extensive dance research all over the world in order to prepare for these programs. This intensive job forced him to take a break from teaching recreational folk dance in 1990, although he was still leading the Dutch performance group for a number of years. Maurits decided to leave as artistic director January 2011 and went back to his old passion, teaching as a guest teacher at amateur groups.
He acted as an assessor for the Canadian Arts Council in Montréal, Canada, performed a number of times as judge at the Büyükcekmece Culture and Art Festival in Turkey and at Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod Festival in Wales. In the Netherlands he was active as a jury member at dance festivals for minorities set up by the Arts Foundation of Rotterdam and as a board or committee member of various Dutch organizations in the field of dance.
Through his travels and research he developed a particular interest in the Roma culture and the ethnic diversity of the Caucasus, which lead to the production of a CD with folk dances from the Caucasus and a CD with Roma dances. His travels have included India, Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, China, England, France, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ossetia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Cherkassy, among others.
After taking up teaching again he has also choreographed many dances, one of which is Syrtós Kitrínou (Greek), currently passed on and popular in many countries.
In the past years, Maurits and Tineke have often been teaching together, each with their own specialty. Maurits was guest teacher in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and in a large number of European countries.
In November 2017 Maurits was appointed Ridder in de Orde van Oranje Nassau, a high royal award for his vast contribution in the field of dance.
Originally educated at the Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam - when not dancing - Maurits enjoys to make wood objects. If you are curious to see his art work, please visit:
Calendar
Tours
Announcement February 11-2023
BOTH TOURS CANCELLED! The trip to Oriental Turkey in September exactly covers the region that has been devastated by an earthquake, a disaster that will have a huge, long-term impact. Energies need to be focused on rebuilding. It would also be inappropriate to celebrate or dance with people who have been confronted with deaths and casualties so recently.
Because a number of participants booked both the tour to Turkey and the preceding tour to The Netherlands, this also touches the Scenic HollandTour. We don’t have enough registrations left to make the Dutch Tour happen.
TOUR to THE NETHERLANDS and/or TURKEY September 2023
This time we focus the spotlight on our own country, the Netherlands. It is with great pleasure that we show you the beautiful places that our country has to offer.
In 2018 we have organized the very successful 'XXL TOUR' to Georgia, Armenia and Turkey in cooperation with Ahmet Demirbağ. He is THE researcher of dance, well-known all over Turkey and founder of the folk dance teacher training at Istanbul Technical University.
Together with Ahmet we explored southeast Turkey and were impressed by its multicultural and oriental atmosphere. The next step didn't take long. We decided to organize another tour to Turkey to share these experiences - the 57th Van Geel Dance and Culture tour. It will be an enjoyment to work with Ahmet again.
Option 1 – SCENIC HOLLAND CULTURE TOUR - September 2 - 13
PRICE: € 2450 - early booking discount (before 1st of March): € 2350
Flights are not included.
This culture tour is both for folk dancers and non-dancers. There will be limited dancing. Minimum of 20 participants.
Option 2 – ORIENTAL TURKEY CULTURE AND DANCE TOUR - September 13 -26
PRICE: € 2150 - early booking discount (before 1st of March) € 2050
Flights are not included.
This dance and culture tour is both for folk dancers and non-dancers. There will be dance workshops, but lots of places to visit if you are a non-dancer. Minimum of 20 participants.
Option 3 - HOLLAND AND TURKEY TOUR - September 2 - 26
PRICE: € 4200 - early booking discount (before 1st of March) € 4400
Single surcharge HOLLAND TOUR: € 390 - Single surcharge TURKEY TOUR: € 375
SCENIC HOLLAND
If you think of The Netherlands, flowers, windmills and wooden shoes come to mind - but our country has so much more to offer! It has a rich history, which is reflected in the famous Amsterdam canal houses. But Amsterdam and its surroundings have a lot more to offer, like old crafts at the Zaanse Schans and medieval Muiden castle. It is easy to travel to Amsterdam by train and explore the city center on foot or by tram. For the first part of our tour we will stay in Weesp, a picturesque town 9 minutes by train from the capital. It is located on a river and was created more than 650 years ago. A quiet location in a nice hotel with vibrant Amsterdam just a stone's throw away.
Leaving Amsterdam, we will take you on a tour through the Netherlands and want to surprise you with the hidden gems, diversity of landscape and picturesque villages. We will visit the religious village of Staphorst with its authentic charm where a local inhabitant will tell us all about the traditional costume. On our full day tour to the national park Hoge Veluwe art goes hand in hand with nature. Visit the largest sculpture garden in Europe, the Kröller Muller Museum with masterpieces of world famous painters and enjoy a cycling tour of the Veluwe. One day of dance classes will be included in the program. Before driving back to the west of the country, we will enjoy a nice dinner at Tineke and Maurits' home, a farm house dating from 1810.
And best of all, all this and much more is within a two hour travel distance. Welcome to Scenic Holland!
ORIENTAL TURKEY
This is a great tour to see some amazing places in Turkey. We will begin our travels in Capadocia. An intriguing landscape with unusual peaks and cave houses instantly catches the eye. We will take our time to explore these geological formations and see how the inhabitants have made use of these robust rocks to build their settlements.
Visiting a special ceremony we can see the Derwish dances, religious dances to get closer to Allah and the Universe.
Gaziantep is located in the southeast of the Anatolian region with its extensive olive groves and vineyards and one of the oldest cities of Hittite origin. In the mosaic museum Gaziantep's wealth and the craftmanship of its former inhabitants can be seen in a huge collection of mosaics of ancient villas. Enjoy the street and fleas markets and being the center of pistachio nut cultivation you will certainly get a chance to taste Baklava (sweet pastry) and enjoy Turkish cuisine at its best in this gastronomic city.
Our tour brings us to Şanlıurfa, also known as Urfa, a pilgrimage town and spiritual center. This is where the prophets Job and Abraham left their marks, and the complex of mosques and the holy Gölbaşı area is filled with a fascinating feel of the Middle East. This city has a very open atmosphere with connections to Christian and Islamic traditions. But there will be much more to see on our travels.
This is a dance and culture tour: local teachers will offer dance classes in different cities or villages. It is obvious that the melting pot of cultures in this region is reflected in the dances. From Halay to Debka or even Arabic types of dances are part of the local repertoire and culture.
If you love history, culture, dance, village life, bazaars, excellent food and like to experience the diversity of the southern Anatolian culture: join us to Oriental Turkey.
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Private: Armenian costumes
Erika van Geenhuizen-Avedisian, daughter of a Dutch father and Armenian mother, made Armenian costumes for some members of our tour group in 2006. She trained as a fashion designer in both the Netherlands and Armenia, where she currently lives.
Because of the quality of her work and requests from tour participants, I have decided to provide those interested with the opportunity to order costumes. Thus Erika can make up the orders ahead of time and then do the necessary alterations when the tour is in Armenia.
The garments are broadly based on authentic Armenian costumes but bear the designer’s artistic stamp.
Please contact: najira@arminco.com for details.
SIUNIK & ARTSAKH (KARABAGH) REGION
Taraz of Siunik
SIUNIK & ARTSAKH 1
SIUNIK & ARTSAKH 2
The Region of Siunik has always been distinctive in its political, economic and cultural life. This held true for the taraz (Armenian national costume) of Siunik, as it had its own style in vivid black, apricot and green colours.
Typical of the costumes of this region were the overdress, which was divided into three parts: it had openings in the front and at the sides. The arms of the overdress had openings as well, so that the underdress could be seen. The edges of each opening were embroidered with gold thread.
Yerevan - detail of front Yerevan costume - detailed view
YEREVAN AND REGIONS
Taraz of Tbilisi
The national costume of Yerevan is actually strongly influenced by the fashion of Tblisi. Therefore it is called the taraz (Armenian national costume) of Tblisi. This interesting fact can be explained by the great migration that travelled from Yerevan and surrounding regions to the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, at the end of the 19th century. As Tbilisi was a modern city at that time, the dresses worn by the migrants from Yerevan underwent some changes and became more open and daring.
Typical elements were the two pieces applied to the belt that fell down the dress
Yerevan costume
REGION OF VASPOURAKAN AND VAN
Taraz of Vaspourakan
The Region of Vaspourakan and Van is distinctive for its fondness of embroidery and knitting. Socks, hats and aprons were knitted using seven colours of woollen threads. As for the costumes, the edges of each opening were embroidered with delicate ornamentations.
The favourite colours of this region were red, blue and white. This dress has always been special for its colours, diversity and expressive style.
close up arpon Vaspourakan & Van Vaspourakan & Van costume
Sebastia region Sebastia region Sebastia region - costume detail Sebastia region
SEBASTIA REGION
Taraz of Sebastia
The taraz (Armenian national costume) of Sebastia is special for its colourful striped overdress, which was made in three pieces, parted in the front and slit at the sides. The edges were embroidered with gold thread with specific shapes.
Contact
Tineke & Maurits van Geel
Hoofdweg 54
8383 EH NIJENSLEEK
THE NETHERLANDS
Telephone +31-521-380382
General e-mail: vangeel@xs4all.nl
Maurits: mjvgeel@xs4all.nl
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Van Geel records
INTRODUCTION
In 1991 Tineke and Maurits van Geel established Van Geel Records, specialized in the production of Armenian folk music. The first album Hayastan – Armenian dances appeared, performed by the Muradian Ensemble from Armenia. Inspired by this cooperation a second album titled Muradian Ensemble volume 1 was released with both traditional folk melodies as well as arranged folk music – the onset of many new productions.
THE STORY BEHIND VAN GEEL RECORDS
As a researcher and teacher of Armenian folk dances Tineke’s passion for Armenian folk music has been an important factor for her love of Armenian dance. Therefore she felt motivated to reinforce her dance classes with recordings of good quality. Supported by Maurits this endeavor resulted in setting up their own CD production company, Van Geel Records.
It is quite unique that these productions could be recorded in the Netherlands with musicians from Armenia, not least because most of the music had never been recorded and released in Armenia. Nowadays productions of Van Geel Records have found great fame and popularity in Armenia.
Striking fact is that the dance Kochari has been declared by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Armenia and in the promotional film released by the government a Kochari version of Van Geel Records can be heard among others https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kochari-traditional-group-dance-01295
A complete list of titles can be found in the shop.
DVD RELEASES
The past years DVDs with the dances of the CDs have been recorded. Tineke demonstrates the dances and the DVD is meant as memory support for participants of dance workshops. For available titles please visit the shop.
Honours Armenian government
On the 23th of March 2006 Tineke van Geel, teacher of Armenian folk dance, received special honours from the Ministry of Culture and Youth in Yerevan, Armenia.
She was given this award by Mr. G. Manassian, deputy Minister, for her extraordinary devotion and energy in promoting Armenian dance, music and culture over the past twenty five years. Tineke teaches dance workshops in many countries and continents in the world, a fact that didn’t remain unnoticed in Armenia.
Several Armenian television stations showed interest for the uncommon fact that a non-Armenian occupies herself for such a long period of time and with great enthusiasm with Armenia and Armenian folk dance.
The internet newspaper Armenianow, which appears in both Armenia and in the Armenian Diaspora, also devoted an article to this occasion.
On Armenian television Tineke mentioned the contribution that several Armenian musicians have made to the realisation of a number of CDs that are produced on Van Geel Records label. Striking fact is that these CDs are now offered as illegal copies in Armenia and enjoy immense popularity among both buyers and sellers. She has experienced that revealing her identity and being Mrs. Van Geel Records herself does not lead to a remorseful response of the vendors. On the contrary - they are bewildered to meet her in person and assure her that 'her CDs are the best in their collection of folk music’.
Private: Choreographer
Resume (Tineke)
TINEKE VAN GEEL - RESUME
In 1973 Tineke van Geel taught her first folk dance classes, a bold attempt at high school because 'she danced really well'. It was the debut that led to getting her official diploma in 1977. Years later she developed a particular interest in Armenian dances and decided to travel to Armenia to do research. To date she remains actively involved in dance research in Armenia which has made her a world renown specialist of Armenian dance.
Since 1985 she has regularly visited Armenia to study folklore at the Pedagogic Institute and Choreographic School in Yerevan. Part of each research trip was devoted to working with several amateur groups in Armenia and doing research on costumes. Two research trips were funded by scholarships of the Dutch government. A number of times Tineke visited the United States to observe the dances performed by the Armenian communities there.
In 1987 she took a special exam which enabled her to acquire a degree as graduate of the Dance Academy without formally completing the education.
Tineke is a very good pedagogue and manages to break down dance patterns step by step to enable every student to master the dances and to experience the joy of both learning and executing this exciting material. Her vast knowledge of Armenian dance and culture combined with her relaxed and clear teaching have contributed to her worldwide success and popularity as a guest teacher. Besides giving workshops in 12 European countries she taught in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
Her classes include workshops for students of various levels, from beginners to professionals, and she has taught classes in International folk dance, Dutch and Armenian dances. In addition to teaching Tineke has taught and choreographed for the professional group in Amsterdam Het Internationaal Danstheater and appeared as guest teacher at the dance academy in Kuopio (Finland).
Her activities did not remain unnoticed in Armenia. In 2006 she received an award from the Armenian government for her extraordinary devotion and energy in promoting Armenian dance, music and culture.
A lot of dances she researched in Armenia have never been recorded. Therefore bands from Armenia were invited to The Netherlands which led to the production of CDs with Armenian music on Van Geel Records label. Recently these programs are also made available on DVD.
In January 1986 she published a book in Dutch on Armenian history, culture, dance and costumes (out of print).
Tineke has also organized and conducted very successful dance and culture tours to Armenia which have been attended by hundreds of participants from all over the world.
ABOUT ARMENIAN DANCES
Armenian dances are characterized by a circle or line formation and can range from lyrical and graceful to powerful and masculine. Besides mixed dances, there are men's and women’s dances. The dances often have arm movements and therefore some dance experience and knowledge of basic steps is recommended.
Armenian music is appealing to western ears and has a large variety in sound. Traditional instruments as kamancha, kanoun, ud, duduk, zurna and dehol are typical for Armenian music.
