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The Safak Pension is situated on the Camardi road. Heading north it is approximately 1 mile before the right hand turn to Demirkazik village and the Ski Centre. It is on a left hand bend opposite a new building which was under construction during our visit. This building also belongs to the family. The pension itself is clean and well appointed. There are excellent views out over the mountains from the veranda, where evening meals and breakfast are served. The pension and trips up the mountain are run by Hasan Safak, who is a friendly guy and speaks good english. |
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Our visit cost £25 each for an overnight stay including evening meal, breakfast and as much tea as we could drink. There are toilets and showers and bedrooms off the main living area inside the building. We didn't spend much time in our bedroom which was small but comfortable. Camping is also possible to the rear of the pension for those whose budget is less extensive. The early morning tractor trip up the mountain was a further £25. This I would highly recommend. The only other way to virtually guarantee seeing Snowcocks is to camp at high altitude, which involves a long walk and a cold night out in the open. To see Snowcocks and the other mountain birds I would recommend hiring Hasan, as he knows the mountains extremely well and will take you directly to the areas for these birds. |
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Inclusive in the tractor trip was a second journey by car to look for Red-fronted Serin which were not found high on Demirkazik. We also stopped in a nomad tent for tea with Hasans shepherd friends which was an interesting experience in itself. All in all I think £25 was a fair price to pay for Hasans experience and an uncomfortable but well worthwhile tractor ride. Hasan informed us that he would be willing to act as our guide from dawn until approximately two in the afternoon when he would be meeting other guests. We turned up at Pension Safak completely on spec and were lucky as no-one else was staying that night. However, Hasan informed us that he occasionally has large parties booked in so it would probably be a good idea to book in advance. Hasan can be emailed at the following address: hsafak@e-kolay.net |
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Hasans brother can be contacted by email at ozsafak@hotmail.com or click here to view their website.
Hasan and his brother Ali are excellent mountain guides and take parties trekking and hiking as well as birdwatching.
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