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Turkey Beach Holidays: Kusadasi
The population of Kusadasi expands phenomenally every summer with a massive influx of tourists on their Turkey beach holidays flocking to its sunny shores, located on the Aegean coastline; it is one of the most swollen holiday resorts in Turkey. Once a small fishing village, today the busy town is packed with curios and carpet shops; its proximity to the ruins of Ephesus making it an ideal base for Aegean cruise ships. Despite the frenzied tourism, Kusadasi is situated amid splendid coastal scenery and several significant archaeological sites, including the three well-preserved Ionian settlements of Miletus, Priene and Didyma. There are plenty of good hotels and restaurants, and ferries link it with the nearby Greek islands of Samos and Mykonos.
Kusadasi is home to one of Turkey's shopping treasures, called the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is crammed with 1,000 or more stores and stalls open seven days a week from 9am until midnight. Bargaining for a variety of attractive items, like leather jackets, sandals, carpets and hand-made jewellery, is a fun experience, usually accompanied by a glass of tea. Despite the traditional trading atmosphere, most merchants accept credit cards, traveller’s cheques and even foreign currency for purchases.
Turkey beach holidays in the Turkey resort of Kusadasi offer a vast choice of delicious cuisine, with many restaurants, cafes and lokantas of varying nationality and price to choose from. Most visitors opt for sampling Turkish cuisine or enjoying the sumptuous seafood on offer, but there are numerous alternatives from curry to Chinese and burgers. Acknowledged, as one of the best seafood restaurants is the Cinar Fish Restaurant, where guests can watch their meal prepared in the open kitchen and dine with a view of the sea. For top class Turkish specialities the Konyali Restaurant opposite the marina, and the Erzincan near the post office, are hard to beat.
Kusadasi nights are filled with eastern promise, with a vivacious nightlife starting in the aptly names Bar Street in the old town, that is filled with flamboyant bars and clubs. One of the hottest spots is the huge open-air disco, Ecstasy Bar, featuring top European DJs. Jimmy's Irish Bar at the start of Bar Street is a favourite gathering place for young Brits. Those looking for something more sedate will find cabaret bars, Turkish folk taverns, or cosy jazz clubs tucked away.
Unspoilt sand beaches stretching for miles and the warm balmy climate of Kusadasi draws visitors to it regularly, the shores offer sunbathing, swimming and vast range of water sports as regular daytime activities. The turquoise Aegean waters are particularly popular for scuba diving and snorkelling. A variety of boat trips are also available. Water-babes will also enjoy Kusadasi's three thrilling aqua-parks. Away from the water active holidaymakers can indulge in a horseback safari, or head off on a jeep safari to get down and dirty on muddy nature trails. The surrounding region of Anatolia is crammed with interesting historical and archaeological sites and dozens of excursions are available for visitors to explore these, particularly the ruins of ancient Ephesus.
Attractions
Holidays to Turkey do not only consist of Turkey beach holidays, but also include many local attractions in Kusadasi, with the chance to explore one of the biggest and best-preserved ancient cities in Turkey. Ephesus was established with a harbour on the mouth of the Cayster River, and in the 2nd century BC it became the most important port and commercial trading centre in Anatolia, from Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic period to capital of Roman Asia under Augustus in 133 BC. The city went into final decline during the Byzantine era with the silting up of the harbour and by 527 AD it was deserted. The city is also important as the early seat of Christianity, visited by St Paul, whose letters to the Ephesians are recorded in the New Testament. The site needs little imagination to see what a functioning Roman city would have looked like, but guides are available and can offer a rich insight into the history and architecture of the ruins. Among the amphitheatres, murals and mosaics, baths, fountains, brothels and columns, the chariot-worn streets lead to some of the highlights, including the enormous Library of Celsus, the impressive Temple of Hadrian, a row of public latrines and the Grand Theatre where Paul preached to the Ephesians.
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