In the face of the credit crunch, many of us are looking for cheaper alternatives this summer. For those of us lucky enough to still have the funds to go abroad, it's simply a matter of finding somewhere with a currency which isn't crushing to our humbly reduced pound sterling, and one thing that this definitely means is getting out of the euro-zone. So without travelling too far afield, one attractive option is Turkey, as the pound is still strong against Turkish lira. It's also a fantastic destination on its own, without this extra perk.



Much of Turkey's history looks to the mighty Byzantium, later to be Constantinople, which was at the heart of the Roman Empire under the reign of Constantine, and now Istanbul: the largest city in Turkey, Europe and third largest city in the world. In 2010 Istanbul has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture. This gives a city a valuable opportunity to showcase its cultural wares and can change the preconceived international perceptions of the place. With such an illustrious cultural heritage, it's hard to think how Istanbul could possibly impress upon us further, but no doubt 2010 will be an exciting time for such a city to pull out all the stops and celebrate all their artistic achievements, ancient, renaissance or contemporary.

For something more down to earth, there's plenty of opportunity to sample some of the traditional Turkish folk culture in the streets of Ankara by night. Many restaurants and bars open their doors to local musicians either for casual recitals or as background ambience to pleasant chit-chat and a few drinks. Ankara has a particular reputation in Turkey for tourist-friendly vibe, so don't be shy about walking into a bar mid-song to experience something of the true local nightlife, and indulge in some of the great food, the apple tea, the mezes and the turkish delight, presented like jewels in the market place.

During the summer months of June and July, Izmir is the place to be, for the International Arts Festival, known as the Izmir International Fair. Each year a different theme is chosen, usually with an incentive to raise awareness on some all-important global issues. This kind of attention has won the hearts of the artistic student population of Turkey and nearby countries as they are inspired to offer up their artistic wares with a view to making a difference to their world ? a somewhat infectious sentiment and it's an intoxicating spectacle.

A goo way to save money on holiday, is to do the research and planning online. Using the internet to find yourself best prices could save you a packet, especially if you're going to book for several people at once or compare deals on travel insurance. Once you've got the essentials out of the way, you'll be able to concentrate on the fun stuff ? daytrips, nightlife, good restaurants ? as well as finding out more about this rich and fascinating country.