Hi folks,
I just got back from a lightning trip of 5 days in Gallipoli. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone, especially if you have an interest in the area due to relatives serving there etc. I rented a car in Istanbul airport and drove down to Cannakale, a 4.5 hour drive. No problems with traffic and the roads are excellent - not so much if you decide to do a little local travelling, but still no major issues. I booked a coach tour of the ANZAC sites, then did the British sites down south on my own by car. That gave me the chance to revisit any sites that were skipped by the tour. Quite a few of the ANZAC and British cemeteries are inaccessible to coaches so if you need to visit a specific one you may need to hire a car anyway.Those include Shrapnel Valley, Plugge's Plateau, Shell Green, The Nek, and The Farm (accessible via a steep track from a coach stop at Chunuk Bair) in the ANZAC sector, and Redoubt and Pink Farm in the British sector down south. Also well worth a visit are the Turkish memorials and the forts of Namazgah (opposite Canakkale) and Ertugrul (overlooking V Beach).
Here are some pics I took whilst there.
Canakkale, my base for the trip. Well worth staying here and taking the ferry over, it's only 10/20 minutes depending on whether you go to Kalitbahir (for going south to the British sites) or Eceavat (for going West to the ANZAC sites).
Z Beach ANZAC Cove
Ari Burnu Cemetery
Chunuk Bair
Lone Pine
New Zealand Number 2 Outpost
Turkish 57th Regiment Memorial
Turkish Cemetery in the southern sector
Fort Namazgeh
Kilitbahir Castle from Fort Namazgeh
Fort Ertugrul
V Beach from Fort Ertugrul
X Beach
Lancashire Landing Cemetery
Pink Farm Cemetery
Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery
Redoubt Cemetery
Helles Memorial and the view inland
Turkish memorial at the site of the Battle of Gully Ravine
and the view inland
If anyone is planning a visit and wants some tips I'd be happy to pass on my experiences.
Ian