I and my wife paid a short visit to Kayseri and then spent the night in nearby Urgup at a lovely boutique hotel called Elkep Evi owned and operated by Mr. Haydar Haykir ( http://www.elkepevi.com ). What is special about this hotel is that the rooms and most other facilities, including the reception area, are all carved in caves - hence the name cave hotel. The room (rather the cave) we stayed in was excellent in all respects - ambience, bedding, facilities, etc. The young folks (Ferda Hanim and her friends) at the reception were extremely friendly, warm, and helpful. Although we spent one day at this lovely place, we left with fond memories. We will surely return someday - hopefully in the Spring. Below are some pictures of Elkep Evi along with images from Goreme and Urgup including a few from the majestic Mount Erciyes which looms over the Kayseri plain in Central Anatolia.

One last word -- this whole area known as Cappadocia is an out-of-this world place with all kinds of rock formations, called fairy-chimneys by the locals, and churches with beautiful frescoes and dwellings carved inside these formations by early Christians in order to escape persecution during the Roman period. In short, a must-see for all...