Tag: izmir

The other side of Turkey

The undiscovered treasure of Izmir

Turkey is the only country in the world which is divided by two continents – Europe and Asia. There is busy bustling Istanbul on the Europe side with its over 17 million inhabitants (or even more, nobody is quite sure) and Izmir on the Asian side, which is far quieter with 3.8 million inhabitants.

The harbor city of Izmir is bidding on Expo 2020 against Russia, Qatar, Brazil, Istanbul, and Ankara. But then again, it has an 8,500-year-old history and is the second most important and largest harbor city in Turkey. Furthermore, Izmir is number one for exports in Turkey and is the gateway to Central Asia with its direct access to a 1.5 billion population. The 3.8 million-strong metropolis boosting 15 percent of Turkey’s GDP, posted an economic growth of 8.9 percent last year, which was topped only by China.

Izmir is on the most western side of the east and is the third largest city in Turkey. This ancient city was generally referred to as Smyrna in the English translation until about 1930. Here, the legendary female warriors, the Amazons, founded Izmir (Symrna) in ancient times, with nearby Ephesus serving as the think tank of philosophy.

Izmir and the city of Homer both enjoy over 300 days of sunshine a year and, unlike Istanbul, Ankara (the capital of Turkey), it boasts Corniche, which is over 10 kilometers long and not so well known, along the Aegean seaside.

Traffic is not an issue over here on the Asian side. Roads and highways are in very good condition and are nearly empty, compared to the jam-packed streets of Istanbul. All road signs on the highways point out 2 directions, one to Istanbul and the other to Ankara – both are about a 5- to 6-hour drive away, and all of the coastal roads are simply enchanting.

Seventy kilometers away, is the historical coastal town of Cesme, perched on a promontory atop a peninsula west of Izmir. It is the Turkish answer to luxurious Porto Rotondo in Sardinia, Italy. This is the most favorite spot of the rich and the Turkish jet set, with an impressive marina and the most exclusive yachts.

Only a 10-minute drive from Cesme, with a direct view of the sea and the Greek island of Chios (in Turkish: Sakız Adası) is Çiftlikköy, a lovely little fishing village “hidden around the corner.”

A Turkish friend took me to HouseOtel with 8 rooms called “House Butik Oteli,” a two-story villa with very cozy rooms on the seafront. The sign outside the hotel entrance shows a cat and dog, as it is a pet-friendly hotel. Other than the big players in hotel industry, the HouseOtel has it already written on the entrance door right from beginning.

Yildaz, the owner, is a very successful former businesswoman, who comes to the guest table in the garden at breakfast time and sits, chats, and writes out invoices. With hand-written invoices, home-baked cookies and fresh pastry, and an open kitchen with delicious food, it makes all the difference as quickly becoming a place where you want to come back. www.housebutikotel.com

On the opposite side is the Greek island of Chios. Here, the Greek crisis seems far away. What about the euro? “Now we are glad that Turkey is not part of the EU; our economy is strong and half of our country is in Asia. The euro is a challenge, but we have other priorities,” is the answer given to that question.

The boat trip to Europe and Greece island of Chios will take only one hour. Turkish people love to go over there and find it most enjoyable. Europe is part of their heart and many have Greek roots.

Sehnaz Yilmaz, an attorney at law who is running for Parliament, has studied in the USA and cannot imagine living in Istanbul. She thinks that the living quality is so much better in Izmir than in Istanbul. She takes me to Cesme Altin Yunus Resort & Thermal Hotel, which has 465 rooms and a superb 200-yacht marina. From where the yachts anchor, one can head straight into one of the 34 marina rooms.

Although nearly 30 years old (from 1974), the hotel is in perfect condition and is very popular among Turkish families for its all-inclusive structure with tea time offering a magnificent sea view. It is a great place for Turkish weddings with 8 banquet rooms and functions that can accommodate up to 1,200 guests. During the same afternoon, we ran into three wedding ceremonies, and on the way back, we passed beautiful scenery and very clean and picturesque villages.

While everybody knows Istanbul, Izmir and the Aegean region is still a hidden treasure for business. Many consider Izmir the most modern and liberal city in Turkey. The modern airport built in 2006, is 18 kilometers from the city center. Izmir is well prepared to present Expo 2020 and come out of the shadow of big sister, Istanbul. Izmir stands ready to become an important city in the business of convention and congress destinations.

Source: Elisabeth Lang, eTN

via The undiscovered treasure of Izmir The other side of Turkey – eTurboNews.com.

October 8, 2011
Image: Izmir Province in Turkey As Seen From Orbit

Image: Izmir Province in Turkey As Seen From Orbit

* Source: NASA HQ

* Posted Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Izmir Metropolitan Area, Izmir Province in Turkey is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 27 crew member on the International Space Station. The metropolis of Izmir is located in the western Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the country’s third largest city in terms of population and the second largest port city (after Istanbul).

The Izmir region has included urban areas for almost 3,500 years, and the ancient core of the metropolitan area was originally known as Smyrna. Due to its location on the Gulf of Izmir (lower left) with access to the Aegean Sea, Izmir (or Smyrna) has been an important Mediterranean Sea port for most of its history. This detailed photograph highlights the modern urban landscape of the Izmir metropolitan area. Today, the metropolitan area includes eleven districts, many of which were independent neighborhoods prior to agglomeration into “greater Izmir”. Densely built-up residential and commercial districts, characterized by gray to reddish gray rooftops occupy much of the central part of the image.

Larger structures with bright white rooftops are indicative of commercial/industrial areas near the Izmir Port at left. Two large sport complexes, the Ataturk Stadium and Sirinyer Hippodrome (horse racing track) are clearly visible at upper left and right respectively. Numerous vegetated parks (green) are located throughout the area. In addition to being a major trade center, greater Izmir is a hub for regional tourism. ISS027-E-033889 (16 May 2011) — high res (1.4 M) low res (86 K)

via Image: Izmir Province in Turkey As Seen From Orbit | SpaceRef – Your Space Reference.

August 31, 2011
A view Of Izmir, Turkey From Space

Located in the western Anatolia region of Turkey, İzmir is the country’s third most populous city and its second largest port (after Istanbul). This astronaut photograph highlights the modern urban landscape of the İzmir metropolitan area. In addition to being a major trade center, greater İzmir is a hub for regional tourism.

The İzmir region has included urban areas for almost 3,500 years, and the ancient core of the city was originally known as Smyrna. Due to its location on the Gulf of İzmir (lower left) and its access to the Aegean Sea, İzmir has been an important Mediterranean Sea port for most of its history.

Today, the metropolitan area includes eleven districts, many of which were independent neighborhoods prior to agglomeration into “greater İzmir.” Densely built residential and commercial districts, characterized by gray to reddish gray rooftops, occupy much of the center of the image. Larger structures with bright white rooftops are indicative of commercial/industrial areas near the İzmir Port (image left).

Two large sport complexes, the Atatürk Stadium and Şirinyer Hippodrome (horse racing track) are visible at image upper left and image right. Numerous vegetated parks (green) are located throughout the area.

Astronaut photograph ISS027-E-33889 was acquired on May 16, 2011, with a Nikon D2Xs digital camera using an 800 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 27 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by William L. Stefanov, NASA-JSC.

Instrument: ISS – Digital Camera

via A view Of Izmir, Turkey From Space – Irish Weather Online.

June 10, 2011
Government paying for your vacation? In Europe, yes

Bert Archer Special to the Star

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.

May 26, 2011