After three visits to Kusadasi, we finally reached Ephesus, one of the world's ancient wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The best time to visit is during shoulder season before the tourists arrive.
Ephesus is an ancient city dating back to the 10th century BC in Turkey's Central Aegean region, about 15km from Kusadasi, where we are staying.
Ensure you start exploring the site at the top, as you can casually walk down. Be warned; it's very slippery. There is a permanent first aid station at the bottom (and it was well attended on our visit).
Our taxi dropped us at the top and then waited at the bottom for 500 Lira, plus a 10% tip, from Kusadasi, with the obvious gentle nudges to visit a local gift shop (which we politely declined).
Paved streets of marble wind past squares, baths and monumental ruins.
Its excavated remains reflect centuries of history, from classical Greece to the Roman Empire – when it was the Mediterranean's main commercial centre – to the spread of Christianity.
Make sure you pay extra to visit the excavated houses; the tile work and fresco paintings are simply stunning.
