by smitd09 » Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:02 am
Sorry for the late response. If you haven't sorted yourself yet, this may help. I've visited Gallipoli 3 times in the last 5 years, the last time this April. I've stayed at TJ's Hotel in Eceabat. reasonable price and TJ can arrange pick up from airport in Istanbul, which is a 5 hour transfer. He can also provide a taxi around the various sites. This package I found to be half the price of a 'guided tour'.
In 4 days I covered in detail Helles , ANZAC and Sulva, the attack on 6th August at the Vine Yard, when my grandfather was wounded, the Turkish memorials, The Sphinx, Razorback Ridge, The Nek, Krithia and Gaba Tepe, with a small group of 4 others, this helped with the taxi costs.
Ecebat is the closest town to the battlefields with hotel accommodation and evening resturants, cash points, etc, here you'll find a fair few ANZACs giving their stories too in the Boomarang Bar.
2015 will be very busy and if you haven't booked, I'd act soon. To be there in August (9th batn landings) for the Sulva landing and the diversion at Helles will be very hot.
While April for Helles (4th batn landings) will be less so, but full of ANZACs and what I've found in my last 2 visits 1000s of local Turks, remembering their heros.
If going in April, I go the week before ANZAC day, everything is fresh and the crowds are less though still large.
While there you may also want to take in Troy which is just across the straights.
19739 Pte Fredrick Harrison 4th Bat. Gallipoli 1915