TEMA Guesthouse

T his is a spectacular little valley at the farthest edge of Turkey. It was cut in two in 1921 by the vagaries of international politics, and remained off-limits to outsiders until the '90s for its sensitive position on the Cold War border. The lower part of the valley belongs to Georgia. The top part, with six tiny villages, is made almost inaccessible by an atrocious unpaved road that crosses a snow-bound mountain and descends into a rain forest of almost tropical luxuriance. The villagers speak a dialect of Georgian and sing ancient polyphonic songs. The local honey is famously food.

Mr Nihat Gökyiğit, a leading Turkish businessman who is also a founder of TEMA, the environmental foundation, has now built a top-notch guesthouse in his native village. It attracts nature groups and the occasional traveller drawn here by the lure of the unbeaten path. The setting is beautiful and there is almost infinite scope for hiking expeditions. But it is the sense of being somewhere special that makes Maçahel an unforgettable experience. WARNING: Foreigners need permission from the armed forces to visit the area. The hotel can help with the formalities, but passport details have to be submitted two months in advance.