The city's over-abundance of important historic buildings and exciting new art galleries and museums provides visitors with more than enough to see during the day, but it's at night that the place swings into high-velocity, mega-stylish action. Locals are flocking to see and be seen at an ever-growing array of bars, clubs and restaurants, bringing with them an infectious sense of joie de vivre and a discerning ability to judge these places on their standard of service, drinks, music and food as well as their position in the what's-hot-and-what's-not stakes.

CAPPADOCIA

" Cappadocia is one of those places that looks better than its pictures." A fragment of another planet, a mirage of stone in the heart of Anatolia... There are parts of the Earth which do not seem really belong to; Cappadocia is one of them, a strange and spectacular landscape from the pages of science fiction. It is an extraordinary region, unmatched in the world. A fascinating beauty. An incredible harmony of shapes and colors. An ideal landscape for history and art lovers.

Those troglodytes sure knew what they were doing when they decided to lay down their hats and call Cappadocia home. They settled within the lunar-like landscape and burrowed their houses and churches into stone cliffs and their cities underground. These days the cave dwellers are predominantly tourists staying in cave hotels who have been drawn to this part of Turkey by its surreal scenery, wealth of ancient churches and unparalleled opportunities for adventure activities. Where else can you float over the fairy chimneys in a hot-air balloon in the morning, admire Byzantine frescoes in the afternoon and sample fine food and wine at night? Let alone take a spectacular hike through a rose-tinted gorge, indulge in a frenzy of shopping at a covered bazaar dating from Ottoman times and see dervishes whirl in an atmospheric caravanserai. It's this mix of attractions that makes Cappadocia such a compelling tourist destination - there truly is something here for everyone.