BUTTERFLY VALLEY
Until about twenty years ago, Butterfly Valley was a relatively
unknown and untouched area. For thousands of years, its inhabitants were
only the butterflies and local fauna. Luckily there was (and still is) really
no access to the valley by land, except for a small trail that led to villages
situated the top of the valley. This near geographic isolation helped to
keep the habitat pure and intact. Starting in he early 1970s, backpackers
and naturalists started to "discover" the valley in small numbers.
With the help of local man, Hasan Bayramoglu (known as "Lawyer Hasan"),
these backpackers reached the valley boat. During one of the many trips
to the valley, Hasan and some of his biologist friends learned of the unique
butterflies and fauna in the area. The splendor and rarity of the butterflies
and fauna led Hasan and his friends to vow to protect this land from being
destroyed by the tourism industry that was beginning to boom in Turkey.
To accomplish this they started an intense campaign to inform and educate
anyone interested in the protection of habitats. They informed people at
universities, newspapers, members of "green" movements, members
of foreign organizations, all in an attempt to create a public opinion that
promoted the safety of the Butterfly Valley. There were not interested in
isolating the valley from human contact completely, rather they were only
interested in assuring that those who came would take care of the area.
So their goal has been (and still is) to establish a sanctuary there so
that the valley van be enjoyed forever. From this concern has raised an
adaptable group of people who are working to protect the area from overuse
and misuse.
This adaptable group is so named because it consists mostly of volunteers working together not
for profit, but are for the protection of the area and its local culture.
The group consists of tourism managers, trekking and outdoor guides, biologists,
aroma therapists, lawyers, village people, visitors who remained here, as
well as many others. They all come together to form a soft tourism group
that aims to control the negative effects the tourism invasion and industry
can have on the Butterfly Valley, while also trying to prepare the valley
for future visitors. Consequently, the money made by the group goes not
only to the sustenance of the area and its volunteers, but also plays a
part in the plans of bringing alternative energies (such as solar energy
and hydroelectric energy) to the valley.
Since the goal of the group is to preserve for the future, they want to maximize the enjoyment but minimize the negative impact of a large tourism location. With this is mind, therefore, a visitor
should be prepared not to have all the luxuries of a bigger, tourist minded
resort. Instead, the valley has the facilities to make your stay a comfortable
and enjoyable one. Sleeping Arrangements: One can either sleep on the terrace,
tree-houses or with a tent in the designated camping grounds. Food: There
is one restaurant that serves three meals a day. The meals are completely
self-service (buffet style). Refreshments: There are two places to buy drinks
besides the restaurant. The first, is a bar built into the rocks and the
second, is a small house where one can listen to music and enjoy their drink.
Toilet and Showers: There is one building that has enough toilets and showers
for everyone.
Kozagan Village: And old local village located very close to Baba Mountain(1975 m.). This region has been unspoiled by tourism and makes for great insight into the culture of the local people. It is possible to extend this trip overnight so that the group can reach the summit of the mountain and witness its beautiful panoramic view.
Faralya Village: Another local village, this one located just above the Butterfly Valley, in which you can experience the different culture of the people.A half hour trek by trail is culminated by a local meal prepared by the villagers themselves. Further trekking through the fields of the village and enjoying the wonderful dark tea of the villagers ear also other possibilities of this excursion. As with all the other excursions, if there are any further questions or inquiries, feel free to speak to any of the guides. The process of signing up for the excursions is very flexible. There will usually be a sign-up sheet either the night before or morning of a trip. There will be minimum participant number of 4 people and a maximum number of 12 people for the excursions. The reason for the maximum number is that too many people at once would disturb the environment and the local people. Do not worry if you miss a certain trip, there will probably be another one as long as there are enough interested people. For any further information, please contact any of the guides.
Although we are sure that you (as a friend to nature) will be extremely careful in your treatment of the habitat we would like to request that you fallow some simple rules during your stay, Thank You......
Sep '97
Rat