This town lies in a beautiful, stark setting near the eastern shore of 2,256-sq-mi/6,620-sq-km saltwater Lake Van. Though remote, transportation links are good: Van can be reached by air, rail or bus. The primary reason to go is to shop for kilims (rugs) and other Kurdish weavings, and to visit the beautiful 10th-century Armenian church of Akdamar, on a nearby island in the lake. Other interesting excursions from Van are to the Hittite city of Cavustepe and the Kurdish castle of Hosap. The town of Hakkari, high in the mountains near the Iranian border, is the base for mountain-climbing expeditions. Two nights should be adequate for the region. 625 mi/1,005 km east-southeast of Ankara.