This year I went to Turkey on our family holiday. We stayed in Alanya a few years ago so decided to visit Kusadasi this time. Turkey is a unique place – friendly and exotic, with a rich culture and a wealth of historic beauty. The Turkish people are warm and friendly and make you feel very welcome in their wonderful country.

Kusadasi is a resort on the West Coast of Turkey; it is one of Turkey's largest holiday resorts and is very popular with Irish holidaymakers.

There are many beaches around Kusadasi, we went to two, Ladies and Long beach. Both are great for sunning yourself and swimming in the sea, and there are plenty of bars and snack areas if you're feeling peckish. We went a couple of times to Long Beach which is only 15min by dolmus ( the local bus service) from the main city but is less busy and crowded.

Travelling around Kusadasi is very easy, they use a 'dolmus' and it means you can travel pretty much anywhere for a couple of Lire (the local currency).

If, like me, you like shopping then head for the centre of Kusadasi which is a shopper’s paradise but remember that you are expected to haggle. Best buys include branded fashion wear, leather goods, gold, jewellery, rugs and spices.

I recommend a boat trip if you want to get a nice tan. You catch the boat at Pigeon Island which is gorgeous to visit as well. The boat trip we went on took us to three different islands and at these islands you got the chance to look around the beach, and for the brave amongst you, to jump of the boat, which for me was an amazing experience. Lunch is also served on board and was really tasty. A great day out!

We went on a half day trip to the nearby ruins of Ephesus which should not be missed. Ephesus is an ancient Roman city and home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Sadly not much remains of the Temple of Artemis, but the Public Library building is the big draw for the crowds today. Ephesus takes some walking around so be sure to take a sun hat, water and plenty of sun cream when you go.

The best route into Ephesus by far is Upper Entrance. This allows you see the smaller amphitheatre used for training the gladiators before coming on to the more impressive large amphitheatre which held up to 25,000 people. It also means you will walk down the hill to see the Public Library building and get a much better sense of the size of it and much better views.

There is also a water park which my daughter really enjoyed and it is just outside of Kusadasi.There is so much to do in Kusadasi it is hard to mention it all. We had a fantastic holiday and would recommend it to anyone who likes a lively holiday with plenty of variety.