Half-Turkish, half-American Oxford graduate based in Istanbul. Author of the Louis Vuitton City Guide to Istanbul. Freelance voiceovers. Founder of Momcierge, family travel concierge in Istanbul.
A Taste of Sun: Chef Hüseyin Acar Takes Aegean Cuisine to the Next Level in Bodrum
A profile of Executive Chef Hüseyin Acar
Marriage Lessons from My Turkish Grandmother
Memoir essay about my summer spent in Turkey with my Turkish grandmother, incorporating feminist Turkish fairytales.
Time for Food: New York by Sevil Delin and Thomas Cook Publishing Staff (2001, Paperback)
This guide to New York City's food and drink includes both restaurants and buying local produce, with recipes for local dishes and adaptations for cooking back home. All price ranges are included, with the top ten for all tastes: vegetarians, meat eaters, seafood addicts, wine lovers and more.
Louis Vuitton Istanbul City Guide, English Version
Author of the Istanbul edition of the Louis Vuitton City Guide since 2015. Updating the app version 3x a year, as well as the print edition. Link to app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/louis-vuitton-city-guide/id1014618396?mt=8
The Monocle Travel Guide, Istanbul
Author of the Hotels section for the Monocle Istanbul Travel Guide.
Gold List 2017: The best beach clubs in the world
Article about Maça Kızı beach club in Bodrum, Turkey
10 Karaköy hotel - Istanbul, Turkey
The first property under the Morgans Hotel Group umbrella to open outside of the US or UK, Istanbul’s 10 Karaköy is the beginning of a series of hip, upcoming international launches for the brand. Named after the burgeoning neighbourhood it is resident of, the 71-room hotel is housed in a handsome neoclassical pile – the vision of architect Araditi Razi – dating from 1875. Inside, the property achieves the cloistered quiet, remindful of the hospital it once was, thanks to architect Sinan Kafa...
Turkey: top 10 budget beach hotels on the Aegean coast
Paradise Garden, Fethiye
Located at the meeting point of the Aegean and the Mediterranean, Fethiye is home to plenty of sandy beaches and the celebrated Ölüdeniz lagoon, (meaning "dead sea" due to its calm turquoise waters). Up a steep hill, Paradise Garden is massive property set on 30 acres of land with a panoramic view of Ölüdeniz. A free shuttle makes the short but steep two-minute drive to the beach. The 33 rooms are comfortable, with thick drapes and carved wooden furniture, and there a...
Karaköy, Istanbul's coolest new hotspot
Once a thriving port, Karaköy fell on hard times in the 20th century, and magnificent commercial edifices were divided into workshops. The opening of the nearby Istanbul Modern art gallery in 2004 sparked a renaissance that has gained momentum in the past couple of years. Now, hardware stores rub shoulders with galleries, restaurants and boutiques, creating a dynamic blend of urban grit and glitter. Hoping to cash in on this cachet is a swath of soon-to-open hotels, so Karaköy's days as an "i...
A day in … Cihangir, Istanbul
During the Gezi protests earlier this year, the neighbourhood of Cihangir near Istanbul's Taksim Square earned its stripes as an anti-establishment stronghold as images of tear-gassed protesters being chased down its cafe-lined streets were broadcast around the world. The protesters were typical of the locals in this corner of Istanbul's Beyoglu district: artists, writers, actors and expats, drawn by the area's culture and equally lofty Bosphorus views. (Orhan Pamuk's office is here.) The dem...
Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum
invites guests to sample all of the Turkish peninsula’s local flavours – from its coastal towns to its azure bays and exotic cuisine – enjoying not only the resort, but also the destination
The Aegean town of Bodrum has gone through many phases in its long history, varying vastly in prominence and might. At its zenith in 350BC as Halicarnassus, the capital of the small kingdom of Caria, it was powerful enough for the towering tomb of its leader, Mausolus, to become one of the Seven Wonders of...
30 awesome Turkish expressions to know before you go
TURKS HAVE A SAYING FOR EVERY OCCASION. These expressions serve as bookends to each conversation, providing a handy and automatic beginning and end to every human interaction. They’re adages that serve as social glue, meaning you’ll never find a Turk who’s lost for words, even in the most unexpected circumstances.
Many of these sayings are known as ata sözü, which literally translates to “words of our ancestors.”
Travel guide to some of the best natural areas in Turkey
ASK MOST TOURISTS in Turkey where they’re headed, and they’ll likely say a resort somewhere on the Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean, or Black Seas. The country has 5,177 miles of coastline, and its beaches are without question some of the finest in the world. But Turkey is also home to mountains, lakes, and geological splendors that rival any setting of sun and sand.
Here’s a breakdown of the country’s different landscapes and the stunning natural areas they contain.