Sleep in a cave (hotel) in Turkey

The Elkep Evi Cave Hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey

The idea of sleeping in a cave doesn’t hold much appeal to those of us who are non-campers, but I’ll admit, it does sound pretty hard-core.

Which is exactly why I was excited about sleeping in a cave when I visited Turkey. The even more exciting part was that this cave had four walls, a comfortable double bed and an en-suite bathroom with a (sometimes) hot shower.

In fact, if you visit Cappadocia in the central part of Turkey, you’ll quickly discover that almost all the hotels are in caves. This is because the region is famous for it’s natural fairy-chimney style rock formations, out of which locals have carved houses, churches and monasteries.

So the good news is that whether your budget leans towards backpacker or to the other of the spectrum, you are sure to find a cave to call your own for the night, and a comfortable one at that. But you can leave that tidbit out when you relay your story to the folks back home – I won’t tell.

The Aydinli Cave House in Cappadocia

Shoestring Cave Pension, Cappadocia. Photo by Darcy McCarty.

The fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. Photo by Benh Lieu Song.