Location:
Situated on the Southern coast of Turkey near the town of Fethiye,
Tohum lies in a region of ancient civilizations, rich cultures and natural beauty. Started as a farm and community center, combining Turkish folk traditions with sustainable and modern land use,
Tohum has been hosting visitors in a relaxing, healing, lively atmosphere since 1994.
-The site is a perfect Mediterranean retreat, with a rich flora of aromatic herbs scattered around acres of pine forest land under protection. Playful paths descend to the refreshing turquoise waters, where one can take a boat to nearby secluded coves, sunbathe on the beach, swim and snorkel.
Accommodations:
At TOHUM Living Earth Center, we blend the benefits of modern conveniences with the charm and timeless beauty of local village dwellings. Our guests stay in 2 bedroom units built by local environmentalist architects using materials from nature, such as stone, wood, mud and straw.
Our rooms are bright and comfortable. Our bedding is manufactured locally by village women
from pure cotton materials. Most rooms have bathrooms and showers with hot water
supplied by solar energy. Others have modern outdoors facilities. While traveling,
we stay in 4-Star or similar hotels when possible, otherwise we choose environmentally
friendly and charming inns or traditional village homes
Activities:
- Visit and experience daily life in traditional villages with people from different cultures.
- Experience spectacular rock tombs, amphitheaters, temples and other magical sites of Lycia, an ancient Anatolian kingdom dating back to the 14th Century BCE.
- See the unspoiled environment with its majestic mountains and a magnificent rugged coastline. Explore enchanted forests, hidden valleys and secluded nature preserves rich with fragrant herbs, wild flowers and wild plants. Meet friendly villagers who welcome the traveller.
- Walk on magnificent sandy beaches where the endangered loggerhead turtles still lay their eggs. Hike around the high pastures of the majestic Taurus mountains. Swim, snorkel & sail in some of the most pristine bays and coves of the Mediterranean.
- Learn ancient forms of self-expression through drum and dance.Rejuvenate your
spirit,mind and body with yoga and meditation.
- You will be able to swim, snorkel or dive in the most pristine waters of the Mediterranean and hike around the high pastures of the majestic Taurus mountains. You will nurture your body and spirit with the pure elements of nature and the delicious, traditional vegetarian menu (fish can be eaten sometimes at the center and during trips in restaurants) cooked with freshly picked ingredients from TOHUM's own organic gardens. You will have the opportunity to develop heart-to-heart relationships with people from different cultures. Most of all you will be able to support and take part in TOHUM's efforts in starting an eco-village for the preservation and promotion of traditional farming and food processing customs in this part of the world.
Food:
A meal at TOHUM is healthful, energizing and satisfying. In our cooking, we use whole grains, beans, freshly picked vegetables, fruits, nuts and wild herbs which abound in our organic gardens and surrounding fields. No refined sugars, meat, chemical or artificially processed foods are available. Fish can be eaten sometimes at the Center or in restaurants during trips.
Freshly made dairy products are available in the village.
Our menus are drawn from Turkey's rich culinary traditions and centuries-old village food preparation methods. To these we add the know-how of contemporary international whole foods cuisine. Guests are welcome to participate in the preparation of flat breads, stuffed wine
leaves or other vegetables, bulghur pilafs or the customary yogurt drink (ayran) or fruit drink (hosaf). Wood-fire is used often as a source of energy.
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Tour Guides
Michael DiMartino
Multi-cultural percussionist and educator, Director of G.A.I.A.,
founder of Drums Around the World, leads various other tours to Mexico,
Cuba, W. Africa, Costa Rica, Egypt & Jamaica.
Special guest
Taner Okatan of the group, Anatolia will lend his local musical expertise.
Providing the warm, comfortable, and stimulating basic atmosphere will be
Beti Minkin, Atilla Sevilmis, & the Tohum staff.
Other attractions:
We can arrange side-trips for our visitors who are interested in more
specific adventures such as scuba diving, bird watching, wild plant and herbal walks,
horse-riding, trekking, rafting, and mountain-biking in different regions of Turkey. We can also organize extended vacations to Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and other areas of Turkey.
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Register: Web or phone -Maximum 25 people.
Health Considerations: No inoculations are required. TOHUM is a health conscious community.
In our food, we use the best and freshest ingredients, our water is filtered and when eating out we choose families and restaurants with quality food. Be sure to bring any health medications, supplements, etc.
that you may need, as they may not be available on the trip.
Directions: The best way to reach TOHUM Center is by flying into Istanbul and getting a
one hour connecting flight to Dalaman Airport in Southern Turkey. All visitors must contact us
to arrange for accommodations, flights and pick-up service from the airport.
Packing: Pack light clothing for summer travel with one or two medium weight sweaters or sweat-shirts, pants and rainwear. Turkey is a modern country, therefore regular summer wear including shorts, tank tops, bikinisand miniskirts are acceptable.We advise women to cover arms and legs only while in traditional environments
such as villages and mosques.
Visas: Call the Turkish Consulate in your region to find out if you need an entry visa
Language: Turkish
Currency: Lira
Why choose Tohum and how does it help the environment?
Your presence will also lend support to Tohum's efforts to create sustainable
farming, proper land use, and renewable energy in this part of the world.
In addition to tours, Tohum supports the general village community greatly, particularly an all-young-women carpet weaving coop. It also produces and exports farm products,
like Tahini, which it sells in the US under the name of Tohum Natural Foods.
-As a visitor you will be supporting Tohum Center's effort in maintaining traditional lifestyles, in sustainable tourism and development. These efforts are key right now, providing an
alternative to the condo and hotel interests in the area.
-There are many threats to the environment we face in Turkey. The one TOHUM
is most concerned with is the neglect of the land due to enormous numbers of people
migrating to the big cities. As a result, people are becoming alienated from the earth and abandoning farming and food processing skillsthat have taken generations to develop.
The threat of deforestation and erosion is great all over the country.
Another big threat comes from the wrong kind of mentality about tourism. Most
tour operators believe that attracting any kind of tourism is fine as long as it brings money.
As a result of this attitude, we had to watch with great sorrow many environmental jewels
get trashed to irreparable proportions.
TOHUM's optimism lies in the fact that we believe in planting the right kind of "seeds".
If we can provide people with the right kind of markets for their products, we can easily convince them that organic farming is much more worthwhile then the use of pesticides. The same way, if we can show that the right kind of tourism can be profitable and better for health and the environment in the long term, we believe our example will be taken seriously and reproduced.
We work very closely with Turkish Environmental Protection Groups and International groups such as International Eco-Village Network and the Institute for Peace through Tourism. We are also amongst the pioneers of the organic farming movement in Turkey and export traditionally made nutritious foods to the USA which we sell to health food stores under the name of
Tohum Natural Foods.
Global Alliance for Intelligent Arts
759 South State Street #75 • Ukiah, CA 95482
Phone/Fax 413-374-6531
Email gaia@crocker.com for comments about this organization.
Copyright © 1998 Global Alliance for Intelligent Arts