Turkey — Introduction

The exoticism and mysticism of the east is closer than you think. Turkey – Europe’s border with Asia is just a few hours flight away.

It’s a land of wondrous scenery from the towering snow-capped Taurus Mountains to the 430 lakes and bountiful rivers that flow into the Mediterranean.

What makes Turkey fascinating is that it’s familiar, yet intoxicatingly different – European in the olive groves of its Mediterranean landscape, yet Asian in the heady aroma of the pipes smoked at street side restaurants. It’s European in its fresh, flavoursome food and relaxed coffee culture, yet Middle Eastern in the call to prayer that echoes from its magnificent mosques.

Turkey is also a country steeped in history with nine UNESCO World Heritage sites including ‘fairy houses’ chiselled from stone in Cappadocia and ancient sites such as Xanthos near Antalya that dates back to between 700 and 300BC.

Then there are the resorts that hug Turkey’s Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts – a chain of lively beach areas with great entertainment options, delicious restaurants and wonderful stretches of sandy beach.