Turkey - Destination Turkey

Watching the dawn break at Gallipoli while the last post echoes off the cliffs, with thousands standing united in commemoration is a moving and unique experience. The tradition of visiting the Gallipoli peninsula for Anzac Day (April 25) has indeed become part of the travel circuit through Europe with 20,000 attendees in recent years.

Kiwis, Aussies, Brits, Turks, French, Indian and many other young people descend to this corner of Turkey every year to acknowledge the loss of 86,000 Turkish forces and more than 160,000 Allied soldiers in World War I. Australia and New Zealand suffered huge per capita losses but other nations, including the locals, also lost many sons. Happily attending these services with an international audience is part of the healing process and something that makes April 25 so special.

Travel agents operate out of Cannakkale offering tours and packages for the day on the peninsula. Many also work through local hostels. Book them in advance to be assured a place but you can usually find a spot on arrival. Most offer a tour of the trenches and cemeteries and then take you to the services which are sprinkled all over the peninsula. It is possible to get to the dawn service under your own steam (although it is some distance to walk) but you wont make be able to make it to all the services this way.

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Turkey has one foot in Asia and the other in Europe and manages to ensnare the best elements of both - the exoticness of the east and the sophistication of the west. Heres a few highlights:

Do you like hiking? Then the moonscape and unusual rocky valleys of Cappadocia are a must. Base in Goreme and walk the numerous tracks. Or you could try the 14km trek through the Ilhara gorge.

Do you like swimming? Gorgeous beaches at Oludeniz and Olympos are forget-me-knot blue and prime for sunbathing. Or join a cruise from Fethiye and enjoy some of the islands.

Do you like ancient ruins? Turkey is swathed in them. Theres ancient Ephesus, Troy, Assos, Pergamon, Miletus, Priene, Didyma and Aphrodisias with amazing theatres, libraries and streets. Many towns in Antalya have their own ancient ruins.

Do you like food? Food comes in the same manner as the hospitality - copiously. Specialities include simits - doughnut shaped bread coated with sesame seeds; Lamuchan - flat pitta with a topping; kebabs - chicken or beef with yoghurt, rice and salad; baurut - spinach or cheese filled pastry; Turkish delights; seafood; fruit; vegetables and mountains of bread. Yum!

Do you like mosques? Theres a lot of them including the stunning Aya Sofya and Blue Mosque in Istanbul. And youll hear them if you dont see them! The call to prayer sounds five times a day.

Do you like to shop? Istanbuls spice markets with their piles of heaped saffron, cumin, sumac, apple tea and Turkish delights. The Egyptian markets and Grand Bazaar are similar with more focus on cloth and house wares. Watch your lira and bargain hard!

Do you like tea? Youll love the endless cups of black tea (cay) served complimentary with meals, carpet shop visits and other business pleasantries. It is drunk black in little glasses with plenty of sugar.

Do you like people? Turkish people are an incredible blend of hospitality, outright kindness, fondness for a joke and a curiosity about foreigners.