PART 2 : Where to stay ?

Where you will stay depends on two factors : your personal preferences and the time of the year. Differences in prices are generally not so big that they could be an obstacle. Let's have a look at the different possibilities.

- The Bonchuk Hotel : on the road about 10 km before you reach Eceabat. A good choice if you prefer some form of luxury and are prepared to pay more for your stay. The hotel has an open air (salt water) swimming pool. A disadvantage is the fact that it is relatively far away from the places you want to visit on the peninsula.

- The Chanakkale hotels : there are several reasonably priced hotels in Chanakkale. Booking in advance is not necessary, with 25th April as an exception.

- The Güzelyali hotels : if you don't want to stay in a town, there are a number of family hotels a couple of miles south of Chanakkale. They are situated on the waterfront in a small hamlet that is called Güzelyali. Most of them are relatively new, comfortable and have open air swimming pools.

When you decide to stay at Chanakkale or Güzelyali, you'll have to cross the Dardanelles every time you want to visit Gallipoli. Grave as this may sound -it's crossing from Asia to Europe after all- it's in fact a lot of fun. There are two possibilities : you either take the main ferry (from Chanakkale to Eceabat), which is a big ship. It's a longer trip, it's more expensive and you'll have to wait longer for the next ship to sail. Luckily there are also small ferries : they sail to and fro all day long, between Chanakkale and Kilitbahir. As this is the narrowest part of the Dardanelles, the crossing is shorter, the ships are smaller (some 7 or 8 cars + a number of local people going to market) and very cheap. The trip takes about ten minutes, and during that time you will get splendid views of the castles at both sides of the Narrows.

- Kum Camp : a kind of holiday resort with cottages along the Gaba tepe - Seddülbahir road on the west coast of the peninsula. They are open from 1st March till 15th October. Price per night is 120 000 000 TL = 67 EUR for half board for 2 pers. Tel. 0090-286-814014055.

- The Abide Motel : A reasonably-priced motel situated at Morto Bay near Seddülbahir. It's only open from 1st July till the end of August. Although it's 18 km (12 miles) away from Anzac it is by far the best choice for its pleasant situation and the informal atmosphere. They are open from 1st April till 15th October. Price per night is 50 000 000 TL = 28 EUR for full board per person.If you want to reach it, carry on through Eceabat, through Kilitbahir and just follow the road. It's 20 more kms, but you can't miss it : just keep heading for the tip of the peninsula. You will find a signpost just before you get there.

- The Aqua Hotel, Eceabat : A reasonably-priced hotel on the waterfront at Eceabat, and therefore situated centrally between Helles and Anzac. The 29-rooms hotel, which has opened only recently, offers modern accomodation in a restored old sardine-factory and has a sun terrace near the water. Price per night is something like 30 USD per person for full board, although this price may slightly vary during the high season. Tel 0090-286-8142864. Website : www.heyboss.com