Hot air balloon is a great way to experience Cappadocia's rocky landscape. Photo / Thinkstock
Hot air balloon is a great way to experience Cappadocia's rocky landscape. Photo / Thinkstock
There's a lot to see and comprehend in Turkey. Mike Osborne draws up a shortlist of seductive attractions.
Now that the hordes have started to depart Gallipoli, you can visit where the Anzac legend began at your own pace. And there's plenty of other things to see and do in Turkey, a vibrant country which brims with history from waves of ancient civilisations. Here's a cheat sheet to help you get the most out of Turkey while you're there.
1. Gallipoli
This is the reason you are here, so make sure you do it right and get a guide. While you can easily travel around the Gallipoli Peninsula and visit all the important sights, war cemeteries and memorials yourself, to get a real feel for how the battles unfolded at Anzac Cove a century ago, a local guide adds all the necessary background. Most guided tours go for about four hours and every second is needed to really appreciate the remote beaches, the ridges, valleys, trenches and tunnels hidden in the undulating wild scrub of the area where so many men lost their lives. You can do a very long full-day tour from Istanbul or go to Canakkale and stay a night or two to enjoy the area.
While you are in Gallipoli, spend some time enjoying the seaside resort of Canakkale, where hourly ferries dart across the Dardanelles joining the European Gallipoli Peninsula with the Turkish mainland in Asia Minor. A short half-hour trip south from Canakkale are the remains of the city of Troy. The giant wooden horse from the Hollywood movie starring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana stands on the promenade at Canakkale, while there's another at the ruins themselves, which are now starting to become a worthy tourist attraction. There is a lot more to Troy than the story from Homer's Iliad, and the trip is worth the effort.
3. Istanbul
You need at least four full days to truly appreciate all that is on offer in this ancient city that straddles Europe and Asia. The big sights include the Hagia Sophia, once a Christian cathedral then a mosque and now a museum; the Blue Mosque, younger by some 1000 years; Topkapi Palace; the Roman Hippodrome; and the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. Across the Golden Horn over the famed Galata Bridge is Karakoy and the hip shopping strip of Istiklal Caddesi topped by Taksim Square. And there are regular cruises up the Bosphorus from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea, that showcase the palaces and grand houses along the waterway.
This is the most famous tourist area of Istanbul. Many who visit the city don't leave its environs. Apart from the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Hippodrome, it is walking distance to the giant, covered Grand Bazaar and equally alluring Spice Market. The other major attractions in the area include the underground cistern, made famous in James Bond movies and Dan Brown novels, the massive Topkapi Palace, where the Sultans ruled for 800 years, and the nearby Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which holds some of the region's amazing hidden history. This is the area to stay in while visiting Istanbul because so much is so close.
5. Ephesus/Kusadasi
One of Turkey's must-see places, Ephesus drew the Apostle Paul in the years after the death of Christ and pilgrims still head there in droves. But now they come to see some of the best and biggest Roman ruins outside of Italy. For fans of archaeology or Raiders of the Lost Ark, it's a fascinating look at how the Romans lived. Nearby are the remains of the Greek Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; and the house where Christ's mother, Mary, is supposed to have lived out her final days. There's nowhere to stay in Ephesus but the beautiful beachside port of Kusadasi is a short drive away. Stay in a boutique hotel, like the LaVista, on the hills on the south side of town.
6. Aegean/Mediterranean beaches
South of Kusadasi are the resort towns of Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and Kas, which have amazing sunsets and beaches with turquoise water.
7. Cappadocia
This central Turkish region features lunar-like landscape, ancient underground cities some 800m deep, towns carved into the sandstone mountains complete with churches and painted walls, and giant volcanic rocks carved over centuries by the wind and rain. Urgup and Goreme are the starting points for the tours on foot, bicycle, horse or bus. Another great way to see this area is by hot-air balloon. Weather conditions are conducive year round.
8. Hamam (Turkish bath)
It's a sauna, body scrub and massage all in one. Men and women are separate and you decide how many extras you want. Some of the baths are centuries-old, especially in Istanbul, which adds to the experience, although the cost is usually lower in the regional areas.
You can find the Trojan horse in a scene from the film Troy on the promenade at Canakkale. Photo / Supplied
9. Turkish delight and baklava, with Turkish tea or coffee
Some cafes around Istanbul have served Turkish delight and baklava for hundreds of years. They go down a treat with sweet Turkish black tea in small liqueur-style glasses. Turkish coffee is also served black and sweet in small cups.
10. Turkish food
The quality and style vary from region to region but the kebab is a standard throughout Turkey. In Cappadocia they have a pottery kebab -- the meat is cooked in a pottery jar, a bit like a Moroccan tajine, but it's cracked open at the table and poured on a plate. Pide or Turkish pizza is another staple. Fish is good in the coastal areas, especially the sea bream, and the Turks do a great line in eggplant dishes as well as red and green capsicums. Locals wash it all down with raki, an anise-flavoured alcoholic drink.
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Emirates offers return travel between Auckland and Istanbul.
