Columbus Cruise Review - Kusadasi (for Ephesus)

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Time Zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Currency: Turkish Lira (TL).

Language: Turkish.

Sightseeing: Kusadasi, an attractive resort surrounded by sandy bays, is the gateway port for those wishing to visit the Hellenistic and Roman city of Ephesus, founded in the 13th century BC. The site was first excavated in 1869 by British archaeologist, J T Wood and visitors can now see many of the Roman remains. One of the attractions of Ephesus is the fact that so much of it remains intact and little imagination is required to picture what the Roman city would have looked like. Highlights include the stunning façade of the Celsus Library, built by Gaius Julius Aquila in the second century AD in memory of his father Celsus Polemaeanus, a row of Roman public lavatories, the Harbour Gymnasium and the Temple of Hadrian.

Shopping: Copies of Roman and Hellenic artefacts, textiles and embroideries, articles of copper, onyx and tile, mother-of-pearl, inlaid articles, leather and suede products, jewellery and, of course, carpets and kilims.

Eating Out: Shish kebab (pieces of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled) and doner kebab (pieces of lamb packed tightly round a revolving spit). Fish and shellfish are very fresh, and barbunya (red mullet) and kiliç baligi (swordfish) are delicious. Dolma (vine leaves stuffed with nuts and currants) and karniyarik (aubergine stuffed with minced meat) are other popular dishes.