Here
are unsolicited comments I received from travelers
planning trips to Turkey who have used Turkey
Travel Planner and/or my consulting
services to plan their trips.
(I've withheld names to preserve privacy,
according to their wishes and TTP's
Privacy Policy). (Here
are press comments.)
It makes me really happy to know that my work, offered to all for free, has helped millions of travelers to discover this fascinating country, its people, culture, history, natural beauty and cuisine.
Why
not send
me a message? If your comments are positive, they'll make my day. If they're consructively critical, they will help me to improve TurkeyTravelPlanner.com for the benefit of future travelers.
"First of all, I love your site. It is one of the most comprehensive and well structured sites I've come across ... it communicates that sense of "place" that other websites don't." Lynn R, American family living in Dubai, August 2014
"Thank you for your website on
travel in Turkey, which is so useful,
intelligent, and comprehensive! Your Lonely
Planets are classics, to my mind,
which will always be on my shelf."— Dr
Jane B, Oxford professor, March
2010
"Your website is a complete
blessing for those of us responsible for booking
a family holiday. I have never
come across such a well oiled machine
of a website. I suspect I will go back
to it again and again even without
the prospect of another trip anytime
soon. So much to see…." —Ailsa
M, UK, April 2009
"...the
best and most thorough travel planning
website on a single country that
I've ever seen."
"This
site is the best web site I've
ever seen about Turkey." "Full
of details, pictures, knowledge,
examples, guides, religion details and
everything." (From a Turk...)
"I have
never found such a wonderful and
personal site before on the web."
Accurate,
helpful and reliable
"...every thing you told us was accurate, helpful
and reliable."
From
a "Young Turkish Female"
"...it is really rare that it is presented
so clear and simply objective."
I must
say, your website is by far the
best I have ever seen on Turkey. (From
a Turkish lady in Germany.)
I hardly found
a better made site for a tourist
than yours on Turkey. (From
a travel writer and pilot in Italy.)
Gives
Confidence
" Your website is just wonderful and gives me
more confidence to do and see more each time I look
at it."
One of the
Best I Have Seen (from
a website developer!)
"Your site sucks people deeper and deeper in..."
Proactively
Getting Lost on TTP
"It's like you lose your way on your trip and
discover some delightful secret...."
Better
than a Well Loved Travel Book
"I've spent the past
3 weeks planning our first trip to
Turkey using not much more than your
site..."
Good consultation!
"You helped to turn a void in our vacation into
what could potentially be one of the highlights...."
Even Turks
Like TTP!
"As a Turk who is living in US, I will refer all
my friends...."
I Want
to Thank You for Doing Such a Great
Job
"While I was surfing on the net I came across
with your site and found it unbelieavable...."
A Huge
Help
WOW! Your sight
and suggestions were a huge
help....
Every
destination should have such a
well-researched, easy to use resource...
Good job!
"It brought back lots of memories...."
Your site
has told me everything I need to
know
"It is so difficult to find unbiased and useful
advice on the web...your site is unique."
Beats
Books & Other Sites
"Your site is the best I have found, beats books
and other sites hands down."
The
Info That Can't Be Found in Books
"The information that cant be be found in Travel
Guides... you have in this site!"
Awesome
Site
"Even our Turkish friends were surprised by the
quality of the information you present."
Best
One Out There
"I've done lots of research
on the web and your site is definitely
the best one out there."
Uzun soluklu
TTP çabanızı bu konuda
anlamlı bir adım
olarak değerlendiriyorum....
A Turkish TTP user says the site is a contribution
to international understanding. (In Turkish)
Far
More Detail
"I am usually a fan of the
lonely planet and rough guide sites
but this has far more detail and info
- thanks!"
Good
Site Structure!
"The structure of your site is unique...."
Like
a Virtual Trip
"I feel like I've already taken a quick trip and
now can easily plan my daily activities...."
[TTP]
Was the Only Site that Gave Me
the Info I Needed
"After hearing about the earthquake this morning
[early May 2003] in South
East Turkey I was trawling various sites to see
what I could find out...."
US
Embassy Official
"Your web site was funny, informative, and right
on target...."
Easy
Navigation
"Your website is so easy to navigate, it has so
much USEFUL information! I can't tell you how difficult
some people make their travel sites...."
Good
Trip Planning
"The trip we planned with
your help was wonderful - a real trip of a lifetime.
All of our plans worked out and the arrangements couldn't
have been better...."
Hi
Tom,
I was confused yesterday because of our religious
holiday and I was searching on yahoo if today was
Regaip Kandili or Beraat or Mirac Kandili. After
I searched it on Yahoo I saw your description
and just clicked.
I was impressed.
This site is the best web
site I've ever seen about Turkey.
Full of details, pictures, knowledge,
examples, guides, religion details and
everything.
I used to be a guide in Cappadocia
area when i was in high school and
I know a couple of Travel Agencies
and their web sites but non of
them has a web site like yours.
Thank you so very much for introducing Turkey with
a beautiful web site like this.
Thanks alot,
Regards
Mahmut S.
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Dear
Tom,
This is just to say thanks and compliment
you for developing the best
and most thorough travel planning website
on a single country that I've ever
seen. It's very, very useful
and you're doing good to a lot of people
by writing and keeping it.
All the best,
Ricardo
Brasilia - Brazil
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Dear
Tom:
I wanted to first say thank you for
the wonderful site that you have put
together about Turkey. I am an experienced
traveler and I have never found
such a wonderful and personal site before on the
web....
Best wishes,
J~ C~
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Dear
Tom,
I just wanted to let you know how
greatly you contributed to an incredible
two weeks in Turkey for M~ and me.
Between your website and your private
consulting, every thing you told us
was accurate, helpful and reliable.
The hotels *the Esbelli Evi and the
Mavi Ev* were just wonderful and we
very much benefitted from your being
their good friend.
If you ever need me for a testimonial,
just say the word!
Thanks again,
L~
PS: We loved Turkey and our trip!
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Dear
Tom,
I have just come across with your
TTP website and found it really good.
I am a young Turkish female currently
living abroad. People often bother
me with funny questions about being
a Turkish woman. I have read until
now many comments about Turkey but
it is really rare that it is presented
so clear and simply objective.
I really appreciate your observations
and advices.
Have a good day,
D~
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I
must say, your website is by far
the best I have ever seen on Turkey.
Hi Tom,
I am a Turk living in Germany and
I will take a German friend of mine
to Istanbul in the coming days. So
I was I was looking for some info material
in English on Hamams in Istanbul and
luckily I have come across with your
website.
I must say, your website is
by far the best I have ever seen
on Turkey.
The content is absolutely true and
very amusing. I almost cried of laughter
when I read the Turkish
driving habits.
And also, about the basic facts on
the Turkish
language; it's amazingly
correct.
Thank you for your interest in my
country and I will definitely advertise
your website; no traveller
to Turkey shall miss it.
Best Regards, F~ Ö~
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I
hardly found a better made site for
a tourist than yours on Turkey.
I just wanted to tell you that. It
has been helpful for me in planning
a little journey to Turkey.
I crossed Turkey in 1971 and 1973
on a VW (going to India) and I am thinking
to visit again Istambul in a month
(by airline) and the major sites on
the Aegean
coast down to Antalya in
spring. We will be a group of 7 and
we will go there on two amphibious
aircraft, from Como, Italy, where we
live (30 min. flight distance from Sankt
Moritz).
I see that your site includes only
a few information on general aviation.
If everything proceeds as planned,
I will send you fresh information for
pilots wishing to visit Turkey with
their own aircraft and pictures of
Turkey from above (hoping in the weather...).
You make a nice job! ...
Thank you again. Come to Como if you
will transit in this area.
C~ B~, Como, Italy
Dear
Tom,
I had no idea last time I mailed you
that I was mailing such illustrious
company!! Only now do I discover all
the books
you have written. Well better
late than never.
I guess your website has more
up-to-date info than the lonely planet
books? If so I think I will
be spending hours in the library
on the internet!
My trip is coming together and I'm
really enjoying planning it and working
out for myself where I want to go based
on the info available.
This for me is a milestone. I am on
my own for the first time this Christmas,
after 10 years of being a fiancee/wife,
and wanted to do something different,
if for no other reason, than to prove
to myself that my get up and go has
not got up and gone.
Your website is just wonderful
and gives me more confidence to do
and see more each time I look at
it.
best wishes
A~
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One
of the Best I Have Seen
Tom,
Awesome web site. One of the
best I have seen.
I build web sites for a living. People
want to pay me for design/graphics
that lose the purpose and actually
drive people away. Your site
sucks people deeper and deeper in.
Good job.
N E
(Back to Top)
Proactively
Getting Lost on TTP
Merhaba! I stumbled into your website
via Google while surfing for info on Anatolia [Two
University of Auckland pyschologists,
Russell Gray and Quentin Atkinson,
report in "Nature" that the
Indo-European language tree originated
in Anatolia 8,000 years ago].
I have always been fascinated by Turkey....
I came to your website and have enjoyed
every second and every story. It's
like you lose your way on your trip
and discover some delightful secret
and you are so pleased to have got
lost and you say, "screw the program" and
go on proactively getting lost. Thank
you!
RN, NJ, USA
_________________________
RN,
You've made my day, not just because
you say nice things, but because you
apparently used my site just the way
I designed it to be used....
When I set about making the site I
gave some long, hard thought to how
to set forth the info, and I came up
with "optimized hypertext:" not
just linear text with links but "text
objects," discrete concept-topics
treated in shortish (well, mostly shortish)
pages. The whole idea was that users
could ramble and roam through
the topics as they caught their interest.
And you did!
Thanks,
Tom
(Back to Top)
Better
than a Well Loved Travel Book
Tom
Thanks so much for the TTP!!! It is
literally the best the trip
planner I've ever come across.
When we travel, my husband and I like
to do it "our" way, rather
than having to rely on joining tour
groups.
I've spent the past 3 weeks planning
our first trip to Turkey using not
much more than your site and
can't wait to get there now!
Words just can't describe
how useful the TTP has been to
me but I'll try a few:
• Clear
• Concise
• Logical, practical
links (e.g. the Turkish
airport code table!!!)
• An obvious personal
love of the country —> Inspiring!
All this and more makes the TTP read better
than a well loved travel book -
so far, I haven't even opened the
brand new Rough Guide I bought over
4 weeks ago now!
Many thanks!
Kind regards-
A M
P.S. Funnily enough, I found your site via a simple
Google look-up on "Turkey
Travel Warnings" -
we're Aussies and currently the Aussie gov't has
a warning against all non-essential travel to Turkey
for Australians. After spending a couple of days
getting lost in your site (it's addictive!),
and checking similar but not quite as strong warnings
from the UK and U.S. gov'ts we decided what
the heck and just went ahead and booked
and can't wait for our 2-week trip at the end Aug/beg
Sep!
Good
Consultation!
Tom,
The consultation with you was invaluable. You helped
to turn a void in our vacation into what could potentially
be one of the highlights of the entire three weeks.
Thanks for the advice.
F~
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Even
Turks Like TTP!
Mr Brosnahan,
I just wanted to thank you for creating
such an informative and enjoyable travel
site for Turkey. As a Turk who is living
in US, I will refer all my friends
who are planning to travel to Turkey
to your site.
Again, I appreciate your efforts and wish you all
the luck in your travels.
Thank you,
AMG
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I
want to thank you for doing such
a great job
Dear Tom,
I really would like to thank you for preparing a
web site like this and assisting people wishing to
travel to Turkey.
I lived in Australia for about 6 years...spent some
time in London...then returned to Turkey.
Last night, while I was surfing on the net I came
across with your site and found it unbelieavable.
I became a member of your forum rightaway.
I wanted to thank you for doing such a great job,
and secondly if you need any information about Gallipoli/CANAKKALE I would be more than happy to provide you with them.
I am one of those who believe Turkey is one of the
tourism heavens in the world. And my biggest desire
would be to take part in the best possible introduction
of Turkey in the tourism sector.
With my best regards,
M V
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A
Huge Help....
Just back from 2 weeks in Turkey with
my sister in law. What a great trip!
We spent a couple of days in Istanbul at
Empress
Zoe. Then flew to Izmir.
Rented a car and drove to Sirence [Sirince]
and Ephesus. Then
followed your suggested
route through
the lake
district to Konya.
Then up to Goreme.
WOW! Your sight and
suggestions were a huge help.
Thanks so much! I'll be leaving some
info in the forum.
M W
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Every
destination should have such a well-researched,
easy to use resource...
Wow—I am so happy
to have found your website. Every
destination should have such a well-researched, easy
to use resource like this to demystify the process.
I am 31 years old, and have done a
good deal of travel—throughout southeast
asia, latin america, Europe and North
Africa.
My mom, on the other hand, has not
left the United States since a trip
to Mexico in the 1960s. I had been
trying to convince her to come with
me on a trip to Turkey in 2005, but
she was a little wary of travelling
to a such a different part of the world.
I sent her the link to your
site, and it completely pushed her
over the edge. It took away
a lot of the apprehension, but also
got her totally jazzed on the incredible
variety of activities and places
that Turkey has to offer.
These days, especially, Americans
need to get a world perspective. I'm
very excited to travel with my mom
to Turkey. Thanks so much for all your
work on this website.
Best,
E~ W~, Washington, DC
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Good
Job!
Tom,
I stumbled on your article
about the Cicek Pasaji while preparing for another
trip to Istanbul.
One thing you didn't mention in your article, because
you didn't know about it is that during the middle
and late 50"s the "Flower Bazaar" was
also the 2nd home for the Marine security
guards at the American Consulate, in additon
to the vendors, pimps and catamites you spoke of. I
visited it last year and even met a waiter who befriended
us "Yanks" way back then and actually
remembered me from 1958.
It's good to know you were able to
dine off a slab of marble. All
we were offered was a square of plywood. They
must have upgraded in later years.
The facility looks nothing like the one I knew back
then. Then there actually were many flower
stalls in existance with only a few eateries.
Anyhow, just wanted to say GOOD JOB. It
brought back lots of memories.
B. E.
USMC (Ret)
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Your
site has told me everything I need
to know
What a great website. I enjoy trying
to visit a city every year for a long
weekend (they are getting longer every
year) and it is so difficult to find
unbiased and useful advice on the web
that is not sponsored by one thing
or another. So Istanbul it is for us
in April 2004 and your site has told
me everything I need to know.
Well done your site is unique amoungst great swathes
of useless, unresearched and unhelpful sites that
are on the web today!
KB, UK
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Beats
Books & Other Sites
"Your site is the best I have
found, beats books and other sites
hands down."
MZ, Peabody, MA, USA (MZ later called
for a private
itinerary consultation.)
(Back to Top)
The
Info That Can't Be Found in Books
"First may a congradulate you
on your site. The information that
cant be be found in Travel Guides...
you have in this site! It is truly
a Travel Planner site for Turkey."
J & M C [no location available]
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Awesome
Site
my wife and I are in the very early stages of planning
a trip to Turkey and luckily we just discovered your awesome
site. Even our Turkish friends were surprised
by the quality of the information you present. All
your efforts are trully appreciated.
JP, Boston, MA
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Best
One Out There
"After reading as much of your
web site as possible and exchanging
some emails with other people, I decided
to cough up the extra money for a flight
from Athens to Istanbul and
just spend a few days in Istanbul instead
of visiting the west coast. I'm not
happy about paying
for visas as well, but it would
be a shame to pass up the opportunity
to go there while we're so close.
"Thanks again for your help.
I've done lots of research on the web
and your site is definitely
the best one out there."
David
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Far
More Detail
Hi,
First of all - GREAT website - I am
usually a fan of the lonely planet and rough
guide sites but this has far more
detail and info - thanks!....
Yue
(Back to Top)
Uzun
soluklu TTP çabanızı bu konuda
anlamlı bir adım olarak değerlendiriyorum....
Sayın Brosnahan, internette gezinirken
tesadüfen sitenizi keşfettim
ve çok beğendim. Emeğiniz
için size teşekkür
ediyor ve saygılarımı sunuyorum. Türkiye'ye
yeniden uğradığınızda sizinle tanışmak
ve İstanbul'un dilediğiniz yerinde
size yemek ısmarlamak isterim.
Geçen hafta, çalıştığım şirketin
bilgi teknolojileri (IT) uzmanı arkadaşım
'Green Card' alarak uzunca bir süreliğine çalışmak üzere
Seattle'a yerleşti. Tabii bu yerleşme
A.B.D'yi tanımak için değil, ekonomik göç dediğimiz
olgu nedeniyle...Ama yine de görülüyor
ki, dünya üzerinde yaşayan insanlar
yaşlı gezegenin tasşıdığı sayısız insanı
soruna rağmen eski zamanlara kıyasla birbirlerine
daha yakınlaşıyor, gerek turizm gerek teknoloji
ve gerekse ekonomik ilişkiler nedeniyle birbirlerini
daha yakından tanımaya başlıyor.
Akıl almaz toplumsal ve ekonomik uçurumlara
rağmen ben dünya insanlarının aralarındaki
tüm sorunlarını günün birinde çözeceğine
inanıyorum. Bunun için bence insanların birbirlerini
tanımaları ve her türlü önyargılarından
kurtulmaları gerekiyor. Uzun soluklu TTP çabanızı
bu konuda anlamlı bir adım olarak değerlendiriyorum.
Dini, milliyeti, cinsiyeti, kültürü,
egıitim durumu ne olursa olsun - insanlık suçu
işleyenler dışında - tüm insanları
benim eşitim, benim öz kardeşim
olarak görüyor, çalışmanız
için size tekrar teşekkür ediyorum.
Thank you Mr. Brosnahan
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Good
Site Structure!
Hi Tom,
I was directed to your travel planner
through a post on Lonely Planet's Thorn
Tree, and I'd like to say that you've
done a fantastic job. Thanks for your
help, I think the structure of the
site is unique, it is easy to use,
and is of great value to potential
travelers (especially myself!).
Cheers,
Hannah E
(Back to Top)
Like
a Virtual Trip
Hi Tom:
am returning to Istanbul for the first
time in 30 years. I loved the city
then and can't wait to return. Big
difference this time round: last time
I was living on less that $5 a day
and staying in a tent in a campsite
outside the city! (Yes, I was of the
early users of Frommer's Turkey
on $5 a Day.)
This time - well, a very good hotel.
That being said - I'm still a tourist
who wants to see all the sights and
walk the city again. Thanks
to you, I feel like I've already taken
a quick trip and now can easily plan
my daily activities.
What a great website you have
created! It's very informative,
with a wide variety of useful facts
for every sort of traveler. Site
was easy to navigate and it didn't
take forever to switch back 'n forth
between pages.
Thank you,
Maureen
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[TTP] Was the Only Site that Gave
Me the Info I Needed
I just wanted to say how helpful and
informative I found your site. We've
travelled to Turkey once before (to Side)
and loved it, so had booked to go to Dalyan in
two weeks. However, after hearing about
the earthquake this morning [early
May 2003] in South
East Turkey I was trawling various
sites to see what I could find out
- and yours was the only one to give
me the information I needed. The site
was then so interesting that I spent
half an hour exploring it and was very
impressed! Keep up the good work!
Kind regards,
Faith
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US
Embassy Official
December
4, 2002
Tom,
My wife and I just returned from a
short 4 day visit to Istanbul.
Wanted to let you know that your web
site was funny, informative, and right
on target. We plan to return next year
for another 4 days or more. We now
have an "evil
eye" in the house, in the car,
on my key chain.......what can I say,
we loved it!
Regards,
(An attaché at the U.S. Mission,
Geneva, Switzerland)
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Easy
Navigation
Dear Tom,
Thanks a million for your really helpful
email. Very nice of you, and the information
is perfect. I really like trains, so
I'll probably do the sleeper. But I
also might try the afternoon train;
I think I can buzz out of there a little
early on Friday! I looked at your hotel
picks, too.
You website is so easy to
navigate, it has so much USEFUL information!
I can't tell you how difficult some
people make their travel sites. Yours
is a sheer joy and I will be happy
to tell everyone about it.
Thanks again!
(Back to Top)
Good
Trip Planning
Dear
Tom,
I
can't remember if I ever got back
to you after our trip to Turkey this
past summer. We were gone for 5 1/2
weeks and upon our return were immediately
thrust into the "real world" that
is only just now allowing us time
to catch up on correspondences etc.
that we had meant to take care of
as soon as we returned.
The
trip we planned with your help was
wonderful - a real trip of
a lifetime. All of our plans
worked out and the arrangements couldn't
have been better. 5 1/2 weeks was
too long to be gone - but was still
not near enough time to see all the
things we would have liked . (We
were in Israel and Jordan (Petra)
for 3 weeks and Turkey for 2 1/2
weeks.)
I
find myself gazing over all our pictures
again and again in an attempt to
relive so many enjoyable moments
that we shared.
We
rode a Ulusoy bus from Istanbul to Safranbolu, rented
a car in Ankara and
drove it to Cappadocia, Antalya,
and then up the Aegean
coast to Izmir,
spent two days on small boats in
the Mediterranean in Kas and Fethiye,
and then flew from Izmir to Istanbul before
our flight back to the States.
Getting
around on our own was wonderful,
a little "exciting" at times, but
the real highlight of our adventures. All
the people we met along the way went
out of their way to help us navigate
and communicate. Our only
regret was that we did not rent an
air conditioned car - that heat wave
in early July along the coast even
had the natives panting...Not bad
for four novice travelers!!!
The
people in Turkey were wonderful. One
of the highlights of our trip was
spending the night with a Bahai
family that we met during our pilgrimage
in Haifa, Israel. They were from
the Safranbolu area
and welcomed us to their home after
they returned from Israel and we
were in Turkey. We feel so blessed
to have been able to make last
summer's trip. Today's events in
Israel make our time abroad even
more treasured. We pray for some
peaceful solution to the troubles
of the region.
Thank
you so much for your advice and suggested
itinerary. We wouldn't have gotten
far without your advice. I hope the
year has brought you much happiness
and new exciting travels. Thanks
again for all your help.
Sincerely,
Gayle
and Brooks Michael
Asheville, NC, USA
(name used with permission)
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—Tom Brosnahan
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