Sultan Marshes Bird Paradise

At the Sultan Marshes Bird Paradise, 35km southeast of Soganli, well over 250 species of birds, including cranes, herons, spoonbills, eagles, and storks have been recorded in the two main lakes, the saltwater Lake Yay and the freshwater Lake Egri. However, most people want to see the estimated 100 000 migrating flamingos that can be seen on Lake Yay from lake March to October. Some years the birds come later or leave earlier so you should probably ring one of the pensions to check that they are there before making a lengthy journey. Beware of the snakes and leeches around the lake.

A visit to Sultan Marshes Bird Paradise is likely to be both time-consuming and pricey. Even if you have your own car, you will have to hire a boat to get through the thick marshes to see the birds. Near Lake Egri you will find a risible bird-life “museum”, a dodgy-looking observation tower and the Sultan pension and camping. There a handful of tour agencies that can organize full-day tours for you to see the birds but this will probably be quite pricey for you. Nevertheless, Sultan Marshes Bird Paradise of one of the must-see places among the Turkish natural landmarks and is definitely worth seeing.