Turkey is becoming increasingly popular as a holiday destination as the word spreads of its winning combination of summer heat, sapphire sea, golden sands and its abundance of culture. 97% of the country is located in Asia and the remaining 3% falls under Europe, meaning it’s a Eurasian country combining the best of the east and the west. Surrounded by 8 countries, Turkey displays a broad mix of influences and encompasses everything you could possibly need from a holiday away.
Places to See
The amount of interesting historical, cultural and natural sites all over Turkey is somewhat baffling. If you are a culture vulture, this is undoubtedly the place for you as Turkey has a total of 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are also countless archaeological sites, ancient Greek and Romans ruins plus areas of outstanding and incomparable natural beauty so you will be hard pressed to decide what or where to visit first. You will simply be spoilt during a trip to Turkey.
Cuisine
Most of us may wrongly assume that Turkish people only eat kebabs. Whilst kebabs do of course feature on the menus, you will find them to be more authentic and tastier than what you would get down your local takeaway, that’s for sure. Aside from this “signature dish”, other food on offer in Turkey is simply delicious. Locally grown, fresh produce and fresh sea food is abundant on the menus and the selection of dishes is diverse to say the least. Every dish is just as yummy as the next and should be tried and tested first hand.
Cost
Over the past few years, the Turkish Lira has dropped around 20% against the British Pound, meaning that there has never been a better or cheaper time to visit Turkey. There are plenty of great deals to be had on flights and accommodation including private villas and hotels and you can eat like a king without spending a fortune. Bonus!
Culture
The culture in Turkey is a vast and varied combination of east and west and it has a certain allure to it. Without delving too far into the facts, staples of the Turkish culture include the history, the food, as well as belly dancing, Turkish Baths (Hammams), hookah pipes, mosques and of course Turkish Delight amongst much, much more.
We want to add some personal touches to the list of reasons, courtesy of you, our readers! Are you off on holiday to Turkey soon or just got back? What sold it to you? What are your favourite bits about Turkey? Please help us to expand the list and add your suggestions below.