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
ISTANBUL ON THE CHEAP II-ORIENT HOSTEL
Backpackers heading to Istanbul will love the Orient Hostel International . It's the ideal base for an inexpensive Istanbul stay. The Orient boasts dormitory-style lodings, singles and doubles for ridiculously inexpensive rates. Internet access and a travel agency are also featured.
The Orient's added bnonus is its onsite travel agency that'll help you save even more with daily tours to the historical battlefields of Çanakkale for about $100. Or longer tours to the southern Aegean region to check sites like the ruins at Ephesus and the house of the Virgin Mary .
The place is best known for its great views at the Terrace Café & Restaurant. Nightly entertainment includes belly dancers and music of all genres. Here you'll also find a bar and the rudimentary ample collection of hookah pipes.
ESSENTIALS
ADDRESS: Akbiyik Cad. 13, SULTANAHMET
PHONE: +90.212.517.9493
EMAIL: info@orienthostel.com
RATES From $25 for dormitor-style lodgings
STRICTLY SPEAKING
Free = Bedava (pron. as it's read)