Welcome to Visit-the-World's Turkey section ...

Visit Turkey

Turkey is a very large country, over three times the area of the United Kingdom. It straddles two continents, with a smallish footprint across the Bosphorus in Europe and the vast bulk of the country being in Asia, occupying the peninsula between the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

The chief holiday area of the Asian part of Turkey stretches from Alanya
on the Mediterranean coast round to Izmir on the Aegean Sea, on the west coast. This staggeringly beautiful, long indented coastline of headlands and sandy bays has wonderful beaches, sparkling blue seas, lively resorts, little fishing villages and a fantastic range of modern hotels that suit every taste.

This coast is served by four airports. The most northerly is Izmir Airport,
just over an hour from the lively, popular resort of Kusadasi. The fascinating, well-preserved ruins of the ancient Roman city of Ephesus is nearby. This provides a wonderful day out.

A little to the south of Kusadasi is the whitewashed resort of Bodrum, with its narrow, winding streets it is one of the prettiest resorts on the Aegean. It also has a great choice of nightlife. Nearby Gumbet is often referred to as "Bodrum's Beach", but it also has a great choice of bars and restaurants of its own. These resorts are served by Bodrum airport, about an hour further south.

Travelling further south-east, one comes to Icmeler, one of the most
cosmopolitan and well-planned resorts in Turkey. A man-made beach, with a back-drop of green mountains, runs the length of the bay, with an abundance of restaurants, bars, discos and shops to meet every need. Wonderful, popular Marmaris, with even livelier attractions, is only a bus ride away.

To the south, Dalyan, with its natural beauty, ancient history and gentle, traditional Turkish atmosphere is sometimes described as "one of the last corners of paradise". It is also a breeding ground for the loggerhead turtle. This stretch of coast is served by Dalaman airport, as is the vibrant resort of Olu Deniz, further south. The main beach here is regarded by many to be the best in Turkey.

As you travel further around the Mediterranean coast, you arrive in the
large city of Antalya with its charming harbour, modern shops and a mix of old and new. It has its own airport, outside the city, which also serves
popular resorts to the east, like Side, Belek and Alanya. Belek is a new
tourist region, where everything has been done to attract the holidaymaker. Remaining intact are the thick forests of pine and eucalyptus which stretch down to a golden beach.

Well to the north of this wonderful coastline is a place that provides a very different kind of holiday. Istanbul, overlooking the Bosphorus, at the entrance to the Black Sea, is one of the most fascinating cities on Earth and a wonderful place for a city break. Here, east meets west, on the boundary of Asia and Europe.

The ancient attractions of Istanbul are world-renowned. Aya Sofya, for a
thousand years the largest church in the world, is now a museum. Then who has not heard of the nearby Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace? These have been featured in numerous Hollywood films over the decades and have fired the imaginations of would-be travellers world-wide. They are the most famous of the many historic buildings of beauty that can be visited in this ancient city, formerly known to the world as Constantinople.

Once the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and later of the Turkish
Ottoman Empire, Istanbul has a fascinating story to tell, reaching way back through the millennia . What better place for a week-end break?