Turkey

Turkey is the international destination Pakistani travellers ask us about most, and the standard route earns its popularity. Istanbul spans two continents: Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque face each other in Sultanahmet, Topkapı Palace looks out over the Bosphorus, and the Grand Bazaar has been trading since the fifteenth century.

Cappadocia, an hour's flight inland, is entirely different — volcanic tuff eroded into valleys of fairy chimneys, with underground cities carved metres below ground. Hot-air balloons launch at dawn most mornings between spring and autumn, weather permitting.

Ten days allows Istanbul, Cappadocia and either Antalya on the Mediterranean or Bursa and the lakes.