It may be a mind-boggling twenty-eight centuries old; it may still be outside of the EU; and it may have an average temperature of 28* in summer, but Istanbul has officially never been hotter.
Much has been made recently of the bubbling up of this exotic East-meets-West city from historic site to bona fide hip and happening hotspot (see Paula Reed’s top addresses for the city here) but now something has happened to confirm the city’s stellar status: the Chanel juggernaut has landed.
Last night Chanel held a glittering show of its Byzantium-inspired pre-fall collection in the opulent rooms of the Ciragan Palace on the Bosphorus. Lagerfeld lovely Kirsten Dunst was in attendance, where she joined a host of VIP guests in reclining on luscious Oriental divans to view the show.
The showing of the collection cements Istanbul’s status on the fashion circuit, with Chanel opening a third boutique in the city in July to cater for the burgeoning number of high-fashion consumers in the city.
So what does that mean for us? Time to start packing your bags we reckon! While we’re too late to join Kirsten, Tilda, Riccardo Tisci and others for the Istancool festival this weekend, we’re hot on the case of booking ourselves some Eastern promise in this most splendid of cities.
The recently opened Istanbul Edition hotel looks like our kind of scene (the opening there recently drew the likes of Diane Kruger, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Richard Nicoll to revel in its unadulterated luxury) but failing that you’ll find us hanging out in the Grand Bazaar sipping mint tea and watching the stylish locals go about their business.
So if you, like us, failed to book yourselves a getaway on this every-so-slightly dreary bank holiday weekend, make like Karl and his Krew and book yourself in for a long weekend break to discover for yourself why it’s called ‘City of the World’s Desire’.
The Guardian have partnered with VFB Holidays to offer readers a fantastic seven night holiday to Turkey. Simply Tweet your idea of a perfect trip and enter your details below for a chance to win.
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 26 May 2011 16.06 BST
THIS COMPETITION OPENS ON TUESDAY 31 MAY
The prize
You’ll start off with three nights at Istanbul’s beautiful Sultanhan Hotel. This four star gem is tucked away down a picturesque tree-lined street in the heart of Sultanahmet, providing a peaceful base from which to explore this vibrant city.
VFB Holidays will then take you on to the magical five star Museum Hotel in central Turkey’s stunning Cappadocia region. Combining traditional arch and cave rooms with modern comforts, the hotel also offers views over the gardens or the Cappadocian valley. You can relax at the pool and wellness centre, and enjoy the delicious local cuisine.
How to enter
For a chance to win simply sign up to the Guardian Holiday Offer’s monthly email, below, and then click the Twitter button here to Tweet and tell us your ideal trip:
Prize includes:
Return flights for two from London to Turkey
3 nights at the Sutlanahmet Hotel, Istanbul
4 nights at the Museum Hotel, Cappadocia
Internal flights from Istanbul to Cappadocia
Half day city guide of Istanbul
Airport to hotel transfers in Turkey
All through VFB Holidays
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Terms and conditions
1. This prize draw (the “Promotion”) is open to residents of the UK aged 18 and over.
2. The Promotion is not open to employees or agencies of Guardian News & Media Limited (“GNM”), their group companies, their family members or anyone else connected with the Promotion.
3. Entry into the Promotion is acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
4. To enter the Promotion, please tweet your ideal trip on Twitter by clicking on the link above, entering your ideal trip idea and pressing “Submit”, AND then return to this page and complete your details in boxes shown above and press the “Submit” button. Existing subscribers to Holiday Offers emails are also eligible to enter our prize draw, if this is applicable to you please send an email with ‘Turkey trip’ in the subject line to holidayoffers@guardian.co.uk
5. Participants should note that the Promotion is connected to GNM’s holiday offers regular email service ). Participants are required to sign up to the email service to enter the Promotion.
6. Only one entry is permitted per person. If you sign up to receive GNM’s holiday offers emails then you will be entered into the Promotion only once.
7. Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed.
8. No responsibility is taken for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt.
9. The closing date and time of the Promotion is 23.59pm on 30 June 2011 following which the draw will be made. Entries received after the closing date will not be processed.
10. The winner will be selected at random from all the complete entries. GNM’s decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
11. One winner will receive a pair of standard class return scheduled flights to Turkey from a London airport, together with 7 nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation in two hotels; 3 nights at The Sultanhan Hotel in Istanbul and 4 nights at The Museum Hotel, Cappadocia. The hotel room is 1 twin or double room. Also included are return airport-to-hotel transfers in Turkey (not in UK), a pair of standard class return internal flights between Istanbul and Cappadocia, a half day city guide tour in Istanbul, free time for shopping and sightseeing, Government taxes and local service charges (the “prize”).
12. The winner must book their prize by 10 July 2011 directly with VFB Holidays (Full contact details will be provided to the winner). The prize must be taken for departure by 30 November 2011.
13. Flight tickets and trip dates included in the prize are subject to availability. If the date or airport you choose is unavailable we reserve the right to offer you a suitable alternative.
14. Tickets will be issued directly to the winner by VFB Holidays.
15. The winner will be notified by e-mail by GNM within 5 days of the closing date for the Promotion referred to above. If the winner does not respond to that e-mail from GNM within seven days of the time of notification, then the winner’s prize will be forfeited and GNM will be entitled to select another winner at random (and that winner will have to respond to the e-mail sent to them by GNM within seven days of that e-mail being sent to them or else they will also forfeit their prize).
16. The prize is non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and is not redeemable for cash or other prizes and cannot be used in conjunction with any other special offers or discounts. GNM accepts no responsibility for any costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize, including, without limitation, transfers to and from the departure airport, spending money, travel insurance, meals, any additional accommodation, or any travel visas required.
17. The winner is responsible for obtaining and possessing a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity for entire duration of trip), insurance and any visas that may be required.
18. GNM retains the right to substitute the prize with another prize of similar value in the event the original prize offered is not available.
19. Details of the winner can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the following address: The Guardian Marketing Department, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU.
20. No purchase necessary.
21. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall exclude the liability of GNM for death, personal injury, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation as a result of its negligence.
22. GNM accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by you as a result of entering the Promotion or accepting the prize. GNM further disclaims liability for any injury or damage to you or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials in connection with the Promotion.
23. GNM reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this Promotion with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control (including, without limitation, in the case of anticipated, suspected or actual fraud). The decision of GNM in all matters under its control is final and binding.
24. GNM shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure.
25. The Promotion will be governed by English law.
26. Promoter: Guardian News and Media Limited, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU.
As it gets more expensive to travel, governments in Europe are stepping up to help out families with travel vouchers.
The ancient site of Ephesus is three kilometres outside of Izmir, a hot destination for Turks but not so much for international travellers.
The ancient site of Ephesus is three kilometres outside of Izmir, a hot destination for Turks but not so much for international travellers.
Ever since Englishman Thomas Cook started selling package tours to working women and men in the 1840s, travel has been more about taking a break than indulging in privileged leisure. But it’s only recently that some governments have been seeing it as a social good, and one that deserves their support.
Belgium, Finland, France and Spain all offer one form or another of holiday vouchers to seniors, people with health problems and families who otherwise couldn’t afford to get away. This month, the United Kingdom starting taking the idea seriously, too.
Known as social tourism, the idea is based on an understanding that there is a positive social good associated with vacations and that, like health care, it’s more of a right than a luxury. According to the Family Holiday Association, a travel industry-supported charity in the U.K., France’s scheme helped seven million families travel in 2010.
A parliamentary group, headed by the MP for Blackpool, where Cook took some of his first working-class tourists, will be submitting a report to the U.K. government in July.
With opposition leader Jack Layton in Stornoway, could social travel soon be finding its way onto the Canadian agenda?
A NEW TURKISH DELIGHT?
The Turkish tourism folks are turning up the steam on Izmir.
Thanks to the Four Lads, we know that Istanbul used to be Constantinople. But until a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea that Izmir used to be Smyrna, Homer’s hometown.
Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city with a population of almost 4 million, is on the Aegean Sea and has been a tourist spot for Turks and Greeks for years. But of the 27 million people who visited Turkey in 2010, only about 1 million came to Izmir.
Last week, Turkey decided to try to turn that around, bringing in more than 60 journalists from 26 countries for three or four days to take a look around.
It’s no Istanbul, but then, going to Istanbul and saying you’ve seen Turkey is like going to Paris and saying you’ve seen France. Though mayor Aziz Kokaoglu and tourism officials seem to want to sell it as a European metropolis, Izmir’s main selling point is probably just how Turkish it is. Folks haven’t gotten around to learning English for the tourists yet, and everything from the early-morning waterfront tables in the Kordon district to the 1901 clock tower in Konak Square is there for people who read Orhan Pamuk in the original.
The tourism plan, which coincides with last year’s introduction of the first direct flight from Toronto to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, will be rolling out over the next year or so, and Izmir hopes to be competitive with Istanbul within the decade. But you might want to drop in before that, while it’s still mostly itself.
TOP BOUTIQUE HOTELS UNDER $200
In North America and much of Europe, boutique hotels have become known for extraordinary attention to design, and their higher-than-average price tags. But though the concept’s caught on in the rest of the world, according to TripAdvisor’s readers, the cost has not.
Last week, the user-review website compiled its list of the top 10 boutique hotels under $200, six of which were in Asia. Malaysiam (the Lone Pine in Batu Ferringhi), Thailand (U Chiang Mai), India (Royal Heritage Haveli in Jaipur), Cambodia (La Maison d’Angkor in Siem Reap) and China (Hong Kong’s Butterly on Wellington) were all on the list, and though the Hotel du Cadran Tour Eiffel in Paris and The Hide in London made the list, it was topped by Vietnam’s Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel, which opened a year ago this month in the city’s old quarter.
TAKE A RUN WITH THE GM
There are four Fairmonts in Vancouver: the classic, the sophisticate, the airport and the Waterfront, which is increasingly becoming the go-to Fairmont for people who prefer to do their relaxing in motion.
This month, that property introduced a new fitness program that includes rooftop yoga, loaner workout gear and morning runs with the general manager.
Some of the more boutique sunspot resorts, like Petit St. Vincent and Jamaica’s venerable Round Hill, have long offered weekly owner and manager cocktail evenings where otherwise secluded guests get to mingle and tipple. But Vancouver attracts the sort of crowd more likely to be gulping protein shakes than sipping Gibsons. So these runs seem perfect. Led by GM Ian Pullan, a marathoner himself, the standard route is about 5 kilometres along the Stanley Park seawall every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 6:30. Rain or shine, of course.
FUEL SURCHARGES KEEPING YOU AT HOME?
According to the latest report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), air travel in economy class was down significantly in March over the previous year, and has been declining steadily for the past five months. IATA says it can be mostly attributed to the $40 per barrel increase in the cost of fuel over the same period a year ago, a cost that airlines have been trying to recoup with higher fares and surcharges.
Though what the industry calls premium travel—people flying in business or first class—is also down, according to the report, which says, “The decline of economy travel over the past five months is more of a concern than the recent fall in premium passenger numbers.” And it’s easy to see why. Though premium travellers bring in a lot of dough, there are 10 times more economy passengers, and if they stop flying it’s a real problem. Flights get cancelled, routes get cut, airlines go out of business.
And those numbers came out before Grimsvötn erupted.
Bert Archer is the Toronto Star’s travel news columnist. His column runs every Thursday; bertstravel@gmail.com; Twitter: @BertArcher.
Bodrum likes families and families like Bodrum – traffic rose 11% last year to 3.1 million.
Milas-Bodrum airport on Turkey’s south-west coast serves a major tourist resort area during the summer months. Last year, the airport served almost 3.1 million passengers, up almost 11% on the previous year. This made it Turkey’s seventh busiest airport behind both Istanbul airports (Atatürk and Sabiha Gökçen), Antalya, Ankara, Izmir and Dalaman. Domestic traffic accounted for 38% of the airport’s total demand in 2010, and this segment grew by 20%. International traffic, which accounted for just over 1.9 million passengers, grew by a more modest 6%. Flights from the UK contributed with 45% of all international passengers (880,000), whereas flights from German airports represented just 5% of the international total (100,000).
Source: DHMI
The airport’s seasonality profile is one of the more extreme in Europe with the airport handling over 600,000 passengers during the peak summer months of July and August, but only 50,000 per month during the winter season from November through to March. This suggests that the region also is a popular destination for Turkish holidaymakers.
The start of London/Stansted-Bodrum services exactly a year ago.
New UK services in 2011 with Jet2.com and Monarch
While UK traffic to Bodrum increased by a modest 3.4% in 2010, this week sees the launch of new scheduled services from Birmingham and London Gatwick operated by Monarch, which complement the airline’s London Luton services that began last May and Manchester services which began earlier this month.
Another UK low-cost airline, Jet2.com, began flights from Manchester last week and is starting seasonal East Midlands and Leeds/Bradford services from the middle of June. easyJet began flights from London Gatwick in April 2009, London Stansted in May 2010, from Liverpool in June 2010, and Bristol in July 2010.
However, while the growing number of services from LCCs is noteworthy, the two biggest airlines serving the UK market remain Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways that provide a predominantly all-inclusive holiday experience including accommodation and transport to and from the airport.
Domestic flights dominated by Istanbul routes
According to OAG data for August, Turkish Airlines and Atlasjet offer over 80 weekly flights to Istanbul Atatürk Airport, while Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines offer a further 36 weekly departures to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport. These two airlines also compete on the route to Ankara. Next month, Pegasus Airlines is starting non-stop flights to Adana, with service operating on Monday, Thursday and Sunday.
The word mausoleum derives from the tomb of King Mausolus which was built at Bodrum in 350 BC and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was eventually destroyed by earthquakes in 1404 although remnants of the marble four-horse chariot that crowned the roof can be seen in the British Museum (where only a few select Brits ever venture; preferring the unspoilt beaches of Bodrum).
ISTANBUL-(Dow Jones)- The number of tourists visiting Turkey rose 31% on the year in April to 2.29 million, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said Wednesday.
Most were from Germany, but many also came from Russia, the U.K. and France.
In the first four months of the year, tourist numbers rose 21% from the comparable period of 2010, to 5.96 million.
Tourism is a major industry in Turkey. In 2010 as a whole, some 28.632 million tourists visited Turkey, up 5.7% from a year earlier.
-By Yeliz Candemir, Dow Jones Newswires; +905354320591; yeliz.candemir@ dowjones.com
via Turkey: Visiting Tourists Up 31% On Year In April.
Turkey is one of the most beautiful and exotic locations on earth. However, many people don’t know just how amazing this land is, or they just have misconceptions about it. What many people do not realize is that Turkey is unlike any other country in the region. Here are 10 things about the country of Turkey that you might not have known.
10. Turkey has some of the earliest advanced civilizations known to man. At least two cities have been uncovered that date back to the Neolithic Age, which most scientists agree happened between 9,000-5,000 B.C. The settlements of Hacilar and Catalhoyuk show that inhabitants had well-built homes, farmed and maintained domesticated farm animals such as goats and sheep and are some of the earliest examples of advanced humanity. The cities date to between 7,000-6,000 B.C.
9. Turkey has had equality for women going back many millennia. One of the most powerful of the early groups to rule Turkey were the Hittites, who were in control from about 1750-1190 B.C. They were an advanced culture and their historical documents show that they did not practice capital or corporal punishment to nearly the extent as some other cultures at that time, and they also had institutional equality among the sexes. That continues to this day, as Turkey has a constitution that mandates equality for women. In fact, Turkey gave women the right to vote before most European countries and the United States.
8. The legendary city of Troy is located there. If you are a fan of ancient history, or just of Hollywood, then you might be interested in learning that the fabled city of Troy is believed to have existed, in real life, in Turkey. In fact, it looks as if Troy was built, destroyed and rebuilt many times. The Troy from the tales of Homer involving the giant walls and the Trojan Horse may have been sometime around what archeologists call Troy V or Troy VI. There are even remnants of the fabled walls that surrounded the city in existence today and that you can visit.
7. Turkey was once the center of the Roman Empire. When Rome began to fall, the Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the empire to Turkey. For a very long time the city was also named after him and known as Constantinople before it became modern day Istanbul. Constantine was famous for converting to Christianity and Turkey, to this day, is a major center for Orthodox Christians.
6. Turkey is important for Eastern Orthodox Christians. Centuries ago a divide among Christians resulted in the Great Schism and the Roman Catholics moved to Rome. In the East, however, they remained in what was then known as Constantinople. Also, Turkey is the country where the Apostle Paul was born and did his missionary work. This makes Turkey of vital importance to Christians of all denominations from around the world.
5. Turkey spans two continents. One segment extends into Europe and the other segment is in Asia. The part that is in Europe is known as Thrace. The part that extends into Asia is known as Anatolia, and sometimes referred to as Asia Minor.
4. Turkey is a democracy. Ever since Turkey became the Republic of Turkey after World War One, the country has been a parliamentary democracy. There is a president of the republic, but he is largely a figurehead and symbolic in nature. True executive power lies within the prime minister who is elected when his party holds the majority in Parliament, much like Great Britain. Voting rights begin for both sexes at the age of 18, and every citizen is free to vote.
3. If you’ve heard the term “Whirling Dervishes,” then you were talking about Turkey. Whirling dervishes are dancers who originated there. These dancers spin in a dance known as Sema, which represents man’s spiritual ascent. Turning on an axis, the dervish will raise the right hand toward heaven to receive God’s grace, which then passes through the heart and down into the earth itself from the down-turned left hand.
2. Turkey uses a Latin-based alphabet and not an Arabic one. This means that the signs, menus and other printed materials will contain letters that you would be familiar with. For those of you who assumed that traveling to a Muslim country meant that the language would look completely foreign and strange, this is not the case.
1. Turkey has a national program of peace. The country actively seeks to find peace with other nations, a lesson learned after the Ottoman Empire sided against the Allied powers in World War One. Turkey maintained a neutral stance during World War Two, siding with the Allies as a symbolic gesture near the end of the conflict. From that point forward, the country has actively sought to be a peace-keeping force in the region. Thanks to this, Turkey has one of the most stable governments and societies in all of the Mediterranean.
For all of these reasons, Turkey is one of the most beautiful, exotic, historic and holy places on the planet. Whether you are a vacationer looking to relax on a beach, one searching out ancient cultures or a religious pilgrim, Turkey has something to see.
via Ronen Paldi: 10 Things You May Not Have Known About Turkey.
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The start of London/Stansted-Bodrum services exactly a year ago.
The word mausoleum derives from the tomb of King Mausolus which was built at Bodrum in 350 BC and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was eventually destroyed by earthquakes in 1404 although remnants of the marble four-horse chariot that crowned the roof can be seen in the British Museum (where only a few select Brits ever venture; preferring the unspoilt beaches of Bodrum).
