DESTINATION: GALLIPOLI, 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.
More on Turkey...
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.
VIP has hostels all over Turkey, plus packages to plan your trip. Take advantage of the VIP card for savings on accommodation, tours and services. | VIP NEWS:
10 TOP THINGS TO DO IN TURKEY
1. Hear the call to prayer in Istanbuls famous Blue Mosque
2. Bargain your heart out in the spice markets of Istanbul
3. Wander the amazing geographic formations on foot around Cappadocia
4. Get pummeled, prodded and scrubbed at a Turkish bath (hammams)
5. Enjoy a sunset over the limestone pools of Pamukkale (pictured below)
6. Take a history lesson at the marvelous remains of ancient Ephesus
7. Eat a tasty simit (round bread) or two!
8. Hike the 14km gorge of Ilhara and stop to see the underground city and tea with local farmers en-route
9. Relax on one of the Meds best beaches - Oludeniz near Fethiye
10. Wake up at dawn for the inspiring Anzac Day service (see picture below of WWI trench)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
APRIL: National Sovereignty Day, April 23, a big holiday to celebrate the first meeting of the republican parliament in 1920; Anzac Day (25)
JUNE: Sloppy oiled wrestling festival at Sarayiçi near Edirne; the country Kafkasör Festival near Artvin in north-eastern Turkey in the 3rd week; the International Istanbul Festival of the Arts (late June to mid-July).
JULY: Bursas Folklore and Music Festival in mid-July.
SEPTEMBER: Diyarbakirs Watermelon Festival in mid/late September.
NOVEMBER: The nation stops to commemorate Atatürks death in 1938 on November 10 at 9.05am
JANUARY: camel-wrestling in the village of Selçuk, south of Izmir
READ MORE ABOUT TURKEY
For information on Turkish baths, hospitality, great trekking routes and other personal experiences check out our travel articles:
> The Heart of Turkey - Istanbul
> Seeking Turkey Hammam style
> A Furrow into Eastern Turkey
> Turkish Hospitality in Cappadocia
> Anzac Day in Gallipoli |
