Turkey

Fly — or take the train — to Istanbul to explore the Basilica of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the sensory overload of the Grand Bazaar and the foodie backstreets of Sultanahmet, then take a cheap flight southeast to see the canyons, caves and tufa towers of Cappadocia on a hot-air ballooning trip — or rent a car for an adventurous 800-mile road trip along the Black Sea Coast.   For a seaside holiday Izmir offers the big-city break with the urban beach vibe while Bodrum combines the Benidorm-like boisterousness of Gumbet with the nation’s glitziest five-star resort scene. Dalaman is gateway to the boutiquey Bozburun Peninsula and the beaches and coves of Dalyan and Fethiye, and Antalya is the beginning of a strip of hotels and resorts that runs almost unbroken for 100 miles around the Mediterranean coast to Kargicak. By far the best way to explore is by gulet — these luxury wooden boats, still made to traditional designs, can take you to glittering beaches inaccessible by road, anchoring in coves where the water is so clear that swimming is like flying.