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Rating: 
Summary: Turkish trip planner recommends Frommer's Guide to Turkey
Review: As a yacht charter broker and trip planner specializing in Turkey, my clients often ask me to suggest a guidebook for Turkey. I have begun recommending The Frommer's Guide to Turkey because it is filled with fresh insights and practical information. I have had very positive comments from customers who have purchased it. Ms. Levine's work is clearly the result of thorough, in-person research. She is a dedicated "good traveler," who has made the effort to understand the subtleties of the Turkish culture. Her discussions on a number of commonly asked questions, such as the merits of driving on your own in Turkey, rug shopping, and bargaining were right on target. She writes with wit and a sense of fun! Overall, Frommer's Turkey Guide is superior to other guidebooks on the market, and I will continue recommending it to our customers. Best wishes, Patricia Goksel
Rating:
Summary: Turkish trip planner recommends Frommer's Guide to Turkey
Review: As a yacht charter broker and trip planner specializing in Turkey, my clients often ask me to suggest a guidebook for Turkey. I have begun recommending The Frommer's Guide to Turkey because it is filled with fresh insights and practical information. I have had very positive comments from customers who have purchased it. Ms. Levine's work is clearly the result of thorough, in-person research. She is a dedicated "good traveler," who has made the effort to understand the subtleties of the Turkish culture. Her discussions on a number of commonly asked questions, such as the merits of driving on your own in Turkey, rug shopping, and bargaining were right on target. She writes with wit and a sense of fun! Overall, Frommer's Turkey Guide is superior to other guidebooks on the market, and I will continue recommending it to our customers. Best wishes, Patricia Goksel
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing - Go with Lonely Planet instead
Review: Disclaimer: I don't pretend to be a Turkey expert. However, my experience during a 12-day trip Turkey is consistent with other guides much more than this one. The author sometimes seems to be generalizing from experiences she had, to say that everyone will have the same experience (I didn't--and found other guides more reliable in terms of what to expect on a social & cultural level). Furthermore, many times I find myself wondering about the depth of research--asides like "(unless my guide was pulling my leg)," (p.101) are alarming and tend to indicate a lack of reliability and attention to detail (which extends to misspelled Turkish words--e.g. efendem for efendim). There was a sort of shallowness throughout that I can't pinpoint but which I found disappointing. Even more startling are the omissions. Just for a sampling, the book gives no information on Edirne (Adrianople), Iznik (Nicea), or Kutahya; within Istanbul, it skips some of my favorite--not insignificant--mosques and churches (Rustem Pasa, Mehmet Sokullu Pasa, Sergius & Bacchus), the Bucoleon Palace ruins, and even the Theodosian Land Walls (which are mentioned in the introduction but the "see chapter 3" is a dead end). For even the most mildly curious about history/architecture, there is very little here. Even for those who only want to shop, the info on carpets conflicted with what I have read elsewhere (and saw with my own eyes--a fine carpet at 10 knots per inch? Shouldn't it be double that?--again, I'm not an expert, so correct me if you know otherwise) Anyway, there are much better guides out there. I won't pretend to have read them all, but for Istanbul the Eyewitness Guide was fantastic, and for the rest of Turkey, while Lonely Planet Turkey has many flaws, omissions are not one of them--it is encyclopedic (a term mysteriously used for this book by a reviewer on the flyleaf). The Blue Guide is also extremely helpful. Better luck with the second edition.
Rating: 
Summary: perhaps the worst Frommer's guide to date
Review: Don't look for travel advice here.
Lots of elitist opinions on Turkey's history and the growth of tourism there over the past twenty years. O tempore o mores !
oi veh !
A glance at the "best beaches" will give the reader a quick lesson in obfuscation and double talk. While bemoaning the fact that most of the best beaches have been "snatched up by big hotel chains" and access is not free, the author manages to compile a less than worthy list of nine beaches.And on that list are harbours and beaches which have been "snatched up" by the big hotel chains( read hotel chains as the bad guys!) Quality of sand and water temperature are virtually ignored. When and where you can enjoy the best swimming is not even mentioned. Ms. Levine has time for some great advice on behalf of the turtles and the reader is advised to stay away from "off- limits" protected areas ! No kidding !
All this before you get to page 10.
It gets worse. Check the "Where to Stays" and be prepared for listing after listing of over-priced cookie cutter hotels and resorts. Its difficult to make Turkey into Velveeta Cheese but this Frommer's did it !
Ed von Lemcke
Rating:
Summary: perhaps the worst Frommer's guide to date
Review: Don't look for travel advice here.
Lots of elitist opinions on Turkey's history and the growth of tourism there over the past twenty years. O tempore o mores !
oi veh !
A glance at the "best beaches" will give the reader a quick lesson in obfuscation and double talk. While bemoaning the fact that most of the best beaches have been "snatched up by big hotel chains" and access is not free, the author manages to compile a less than worthy list of nine beaches.And on that list are harbours and beaches which have been "snatched up" by the big hotel chains( read hotel chains as the bad guys!) Quality of sand and water temperature are virtually ignored. When and where you can enjoy the best swimming is not even mentioned. Ms. Levine has time for some great advice on behalf of the turtles and the reader is advised to stay away from "off- limits" protected areas ! No kidding !
All this before you get to page 10.
It gets worse. Check the "Where to Stays" and be prepared for listing after listing of over-priced cookie cutter hotels and resorts. Its difficult to make Turkey into Velveeta Cheese but this Frommer's did it !
Ed von Lemcke
Rating:
Summary: A Great book for travellers
Review: I found this book different and helpful than every other this type of travel guides about Turkey.When I visited recommended places in the book I thought the book is written very objective.
Thank you for writing this book.
Rating:
Summary: Note from the author
Review: It's unfortunate that the writer of the above review attacks this book without a basic awareness of the mission of the Frommer's guides. Frommer's doesn't pretend to provide encyclopedic information; Frommer's Turkey doesn't attempt to compete with the exhaustive nature of the Lonely Planet guides, the historic depth of the Rough Guide or the cultural perspective provided by the Insight Guide. It does however try to touch upon all of these characteristics, and in this, I think it succeeds. If the reader finds the book not to his/her liking, he/she should simply choose a travel guide more suited to his/her interests and travel style. The reader's disappointment by what is described as a "restatement of the tour" in Topkapi Palace disregards the fact that the book targets independent travelers who do not participate in tours; perhaps his or her ire should instead be directed at his/her tour in that it failed to provide more in-depth information. The reader also attacks the author for inconsistencies in admission fees rather than with the Museum Directorate, who is responsible for fluctuations in ticket prices. At the time the manuscript was submitted, all admission fees stated in the book were correct. Furthermore, since the outstanding characteristic of Frommer's guides is to provide opinionated advice, it stands to reason that not all 15,000 readers of Frommer's Turkey (excluding those having read but not purchased the book) are going to identify with the voice of the writer. The author is certainly realistic that neither the Frommer's format nor her "tone" is going to be received by everyone in a positive manner. It is however unfortunate that those having had positive experiences with the guide haven't copied their letters of thanks to this widely diffuse forum.
Rating:
Summary: LOVE TO TRAVEL
Review: THIS BOOK IS INFORMATIVE AND A PLEASURE TO READ. IT IS MORE THAN JUST A GUIDE BOOK. IT SHOWS THE AUTHORS LOVE OF THE COUNTRY AND IT'S PEOPLE. AS FOR THE ERRORS IN PRICES....WELL I REMEMBER WHEN 39 CENTS BOUGHT A QUART OF MILK.TIMES CHANGE AND SO DO PLACES OF INTEREST. WHEN COUNTRIES SEE THE "UGLY AMERICAN"PRICES HAVE A WAY OF RISING. AS FOR SERVICE....GET A LIFE!!!
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