Edremit Travel Guide

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This borek is very famous around Balikesir. The dough has pinched meat, potatoes or cheese inside. It is fried in olive oil. I had this one in Adatepe, in a small café called Ihlamurlu Kahve. I’m not sure about the name but it is very close to Zeus Han. Owners are the locals of Adatepe. I must admit that it is the best cig borek I ever had. Don’t forget to drink ayran or tea with borek.

Favorite Dish: Cig borek

After the stay at Diliki and excursions to Bergama and Troy we headed for Canakkale and crossed the Straits of Dardanelle by ferry (not this boat I hasten to add)

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To say antiques would be correct but as for the quality of some of the bric-a-brac well !
If you want something typically Turk or Ottoman, then here is a great place to discover that hidden gem.

What to buy: If you're looking for something Turkish, maybe Ottoman to take home then try here. Amongst all the bits and pieces there must be some real treasures, just give yourself a few hours to try and find it.

What to pay: It isn't cheap for Turkey.

Once on the other side of the Dardanelles we were headed for Istanbul for 3 days but first a stop at Gallipoli. Here we had time for a poignant walk around the war memorial for the ANZACS, which commemorates the events of the Great War campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula Turkey that took place between April 1915 and January 1916. In the nine months of the campaign more than 36,000 Commonwealth soldiers died and Australia suffered 26,094 casualties. The 31 war cemeteries on the peninsula contain 22,000 graves, but only 9000 of these were able to be identified. Anzac Day Services are held each year at the Anzac Commemorative Site at Gallipoli on April 25.

Troy is a bit of a tourist trap for those doing a tour in this area on the way to Istanbul. Excavations are nowhere near the extent of other historical sites but the kids can have fun climbing inside the mock fabled wooden horse.

The nearby Devil's Table gives a wonderful view of the Gulf of Edremit. On our coach tour here we stopped to admire the view and at a local stall we all bought delicious cherries.
Trouble was cherries was on the hotel menu for desert that night...nobody could face eating anymore though!!

There are several hiking routes at Ida. Since it is a national park, at the gate, you can obtain the map of the park (although we could not). We made two different routes: 30 minutes route to Akyazi (a great part of the river to swim) and 2 hours route to the canyon... Hizir is planning to organize 4 day long hiking tours. When we were there, a group was just coming back from the trial version of that tour. Most probably next year, the 4 day tour will start.

Equipment: Good hiking shoes, water...

Fondest memory: On the way to Troy from Bergama we stopped off at this beautiful beach for the afternoon. I wish I could remember its name as it was one of the nicest turkish beaches I've been to. We had to pay as it was a private beach, but it was well worth it.