Ancient cave dwellings in Cappadocia

If you've ever fancied sleeping in a cave, floating over a lunar landscape in a hot air balloon or getting inside the heads and homes of the early Christians, then you'll adore Cappadocia.

Encompassing some 300 square kilometres, this barren region in central Turkey was once the centre of the mighty Hittite Empire.

With its cave-dwelling population and sleepy traditional villages, Cappadocia feels light years away from the crowded mosques and frenetic bazaars of Istanbul.

Lorded over by snow-capped Mount Erciyes (3,916m), the region is a geological marvel. Thousands of ancient cave dwellings have been hewn into the soft volcanic tuff, many of which are still occupied. In addition, mushroom-shaped rock formations created by years of erosion punctuate the landscape. Known as "fairy chimneys", Christians carved churches, monasteries and homes into them as early as the 4th century.

The best example of ancient Christian cave dwellings can be found in the Goreme valley. At the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Goreme Open-Air Museum there are about 30 cave churches decorated with vivid medieval frescoes dating from the 9th century.

The 16km Ihlara Gorge, a popular hiking destination, is strewn with further fresco-decorated churches carved into rock.

Cappadocia is also home to dozens of underground cities, the largest being at Derinkuyu where around 20,000 troglodytes once lived in an eight-level city.

If you're souvenir-hunting, Cappadocia is a good place to pick up decorative pottery, ceramics, carpets and other traditional Turkish handicrafts.

Cappadocia also boasts some pretty unique accommodation - make sure to spend at least one night in a boutique cave hotel.

If you really want to splash out, an early-morning hot air balloon ride offers unsurpassed vistas over this ancient landscape.