TURKEY: 7 must-sees for any trip

Pronounced ‘Cash’, Kas is a thriving fishing, watersport and tourist town on the Mediterranean with a distinct laid back vibe. Kas has been a firm favourite with Explore customers for many years – it’s one of the most beautiful ports on the Turkish Riviera, with pretty cobbled streets and lively cafes set against the dramatic limestone cliff backdrop.

Formed by volcanic eruptions which covered the valleys with mud, ash and blocks of hard rock, this volcanic ‘tufa’ has been shaped by erosion into strange and improbable shapes. Byzantine hermits settled in this area and carved churches, houses, fortresses and even complete underground cities into these cone formations known as ‘fairy-tale chimneys’. Places to see here include Goreme Open Air Museum and Uchisar citadel.

This Greco-Roman site is one of the earliest and most interesting sites in the region – equally as impressive as Ephesus but quieter, and lesser-known. The cult of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, had its most important temple here and the city since established itself as an artistic centre, inspiring some of the finest Carian sculptures. Many of them can be seen in the impressive on-site museum. Aphrodisias’ athletics stadium is one of the largest and best-preserved from the classical world.

The Gallipoli Peninsula was the location of extensive First World War battlefields and is an important memorial pilgrimage site. It was here in 1916 that, after much bloody hand-to-hand fighting and loss of life, the ill-fated Allied campaign was forced to concede victory to the Turks and withdraw. The peninsula itself is beautiful, windswept and poignant – visits here include the WWI cemeteries, memorials and Anzac Cove.