Turkey has exoticism to spare, with its covered bazaars, whirling dervishes, sultans' treasures and Byzantine mosaics. And it has natural beauty in abundance, with great stretches of sandy beaches and romantic rocky coves. Travellers will find Turks to be exceptionally gracious hosts, which makes sense given the country's place as a crossroads between Europe and Asia for thousands of years. Over the past two decades, the country has dramatically improved its tourist infrastructure, too.