Local Expert
Jessica Tamtürk
Welcome to PlanetEye's Istanbul City Guide! My name is Jessica Tamtürk and I'll share with you insider's tips on how you can make the most of your trip to this intercontinental city.
Originally from…
Welcome to PlanetEye's Istanbul City Guide! My name is Jessica Tamtürk and I'll share with you insider's tips on how you can make the most of your trip to this intercontinental city.
Originally from Belgium, I now call Istanbul one of my home bases; the other being Los Angeles, California, the place where I grew up.
Whether you hail from the European or American continent, my roots – biological and experiential – makes me the virtual guide with the most to help you conquer this metropolis of over 15 million.
What you'll get through these pages is my unbiased opinion of destinations, hotels, and restaurants. You may even learn a little Turkish in the process through my STRICTLY SPEAKING segments at the end of each post. I'm a stickler for responsible tourism; that means that I firmly believe that the industry should integrate with a country rather than the destination complying itself to the whims of its yearly visitors. I hope you'll agree and use the language tool to mingle with the natives. You'll be glad you did!
Aside from keeping you updated on the ins and outs of the greatest city in the world (at least I think so), I'm hard at work developing a first edition, 500-page travel guide to Turkey for Avalon Travel Publishing.
If you like what you're reading, have a question or just need general info on Istanbul, then by all means drop me a line by visiting my website....
STRICTLY SPEAKING
Hos Geldiniz = Welcome!!!! (pron. Hosh Geldiniz) –
More
BEER+MUSIC=LOVE
The 7th Annual EFES PILSEN ONE LOVE FESTIVAL will occur Saturday--the longest day of the year, or the estival equinox. Among the world-renown acts appearing this year at Santralistanbul in Eyup include Roisin Murphy, Hot Chip, The Long Blondes, Bedük, Kres and DJ Style-ist .
And that’s just on the first day. Gogol Bordello, Shandtel ve Bucovina, Miss Platnum, Baba Zula, Gevende, Selim Sesler, Kolektif Istanbul, and DJ Ahmet Musluoglu are scheduled to perform Sunday.
Aside from plenty of love and kegs of beer, expect a jolly good-ol’ musical time among Istanbul’s head-banging youth. Oh, and the tickets are 40 Turkish liras per day or 65 for the entire weekend. Gates open at 2 P.M.; come early as the event is typically packed.
ESSENTIALS
SANTRALISTANBUL
STRICTLY SPEAKING
Beer = Bira (pron. as it’s read)