|
REFERENCES |
| Nothing
makes us happier than an excellent feedback we receive from our
guests after their experience with us. However, we also know
very well that we cannot excel in our services if we don't ask
our guests how we can improve ourselves. It is certainly thanks
to them letting us know how we have done that we get closer, day
by day, to reaching our only goal, which is perfection.
Below
you can find the letters of recommendations we have received
from our guests. We would like to thank them all for choosing us
and for taking the time and writing wonderful recommendations
for us. You will also find their email addresses in case you
might like to contact them. |
|
"Dear
Hakan,
We want to thank you for significantly enriching our visit to
Istanbul. The depth of your knowledge of history coupled with your
intimate feel for the city created a perfect visit. The reliability
of your staff and your fun approach to touring definitely added to
our experience.
We highly recommend your sevices to anyone visiting Turkey."
Bob and Dana Dickey
Reno, NV, USA
bobdana@hotmail.com
October
2009 |
|
|
"If you are looking for an excellent and responsive well informed
tour guide in Istanbul… Hakan Gurger, proprietor of Guides of
Istanbul is your answer!
This summer, my husband and I traveled through Eastern Europe,
ending up in Istanbul, which turned out to be the highlight of our
trip. It’s not only because it’s a beautiful city, but we were
fortunate to find Hakan as our guide. His enthusiasm, knowledge of
history, religions, and passion for showing us his city made us say
he’s one of the best guides we’ve experienced anywhere.
We enjoyed his delightful personality and sense of humor, as he
pointed out his high school as one of the “Wonders of the World”,
that was before he left Istanbul to attend Northwestern University
for his college education in the United States. Where he played
soccer, joined a fraternity, studied hard and perfected 5 languages,
all of which enhanced his skills as a top tour guide!
Another reason to select one of Hakan’s “VIP Tours” is there’s no
waiting in lines…so you maximize your experience. And his custom
Mercedes vans are super comfortable with expert drivers, like
Mustafa, who was always prompt, patient and made our journey in busy
Istanbul traffic, safe and pleasant. Also we used Hakan’s 24-Hour
Concierge Service for our restaurant reservations, all of which were
excellent. So many restaurants, too little time! We relied on Hakan
to make better recommendations than our hotel concierge desk. And
that paid off. Each restaurant was outstanding with local culinary
delights, and perhaps best, on arrival, we were always escorted to
the best table in the house!
Hakan, thank you again for everything! We’ll definitely be back to
Turkey with our family. Also we’ll highly recommend you and your
‘Guides of Istanbul’ to our friends and, especially those who want
to enjoy the best of Istanbul, like the locals do!”
Warm regards,"
Merrill and Tammy Dean
Scottsdale,
AZ, USA
tammydean@ureach.com
September
2009 |
"Estimado amigo Hakan:
Nuevamente ha sido un acierto contratar tus servicios. La
puntuallidad para recogernos, la amabilidad de Sinan así como sus
extraordinarios conocimientos sobre tan hermosa e histórica ciudad
como lo es Estambul, han hecho de nuestro viaje un recuerdo
inolvidable.
Agradecemos tu profesionalidad y empeño que harán que muy pronto
volvamos a visitar tan grandiosa ciudad que imposible conocerla en
tan poco tiempo.
Un fuerte abrazo."
Angeles y Andrés Massieu
Mexico City, MEXICO
amass1@cablevision.net.mx
September
2009 |
|
"São Paulo, October the 6th, 2009
Dear Hakan,
Knowing Istanbul guided by you was an unforgettable experience.
Besides being always an enjoyable company, your knowledge of the
city and the country enlightened us about the history and culture of
Turkey.
The supporting services provided by your company, like
transportation and other travel arrangements were also perfect,
timely and courteous.
All together, you may count on being hired by any Brazilian friend
of mine traveling to Turkey.
Hoping to enjoy again from this lovely city and your guidance, yours
truly."
Lucia and Roberto Josua
Sao Paolo, BRAZIL
luciajosu@hotmail.com
September
2009 |
"Hakan:
Por medio de la presente quiero agradecerte los tres maravillosos
días que pasamos en Estambul, sin duda es una ciudad maravillosa,
llena de Historia, Arte, Monumentos, Paisajes, etc., etc. pero sin
duda el mejor recuerdo nos lo llevamos de su gente, el servicio que
recibimos fue estupendo, no cabe duda que eres "el mejor guía de
turistas de Estambul" fue dificil coordinar un grupo de 12 personas
con edades de los 2 a los 80 años, con intereses muy distintos, pero
tu acertada intervención nos permitió a todos realizar algo de lo
que esperabamos, tener el tiempo para ver lo mas sobresaliente de
cada lugar y al mismo tiempo cumplir los caprichos de cada uno de
nosotros, solo en Las Vegas había visto magos con tal capacidad,
realmente te felicito.
Aprovecho para pedirte que recibas a un matrimonio amigo mio, el Sr,
Francisco Avila y su esposa quienes llegarán a Estambul dentro de
algunos días ellos se pondrán en contacto contigo, por cierto si se
debe algo se lo cobras a ellos jajajaja.
Ya no te vimos el sábado pero el lugar que nos recomendaste para
cenar fue la cereza del pastel, se que no es un lugar común para los
turistas por su ubicación pero resulto fantástico.
Nuevamente gracias y felicidades."
Mr. Francisco J. Gonzalez Azuara
Mexico City, MEXICO
fjgazuara@hotmail.com
September
2009 |
|
"Hakan:
Again, thank you for a wonderful experience. We could not have had
such a pleasant visit without your help and your capable team.
Our guide, Meltem, was personable, knowledgeable and
enthusiastic. She was eager to take our interests into account and
looked after us well. Our driver was always on time and safe.
The vehicle provided was clean and comfortable.In retrospect, it
would
have been foolish to attempt the tours of Istanbul without a local's
help.
Please use me as a reference. I found the service you provided a
bargain and very much worth the expense. I would strongly recommend
a novice visitor use your service."
Mr. John B. Muldowney
USA
muldo003@umn.edu
September
2009 |
"hi hakan..
sept 12-16. guides of istanbul were all and more we were expecting,
from the pickup by 12 passenger bus for 6 of us at the cruise dock
to our aiport transfer on our departure the 16th.
We especially appreciated the use of the bus to transport us in the
evening to dinner and back to our hotel.
Our guide, "jimmy" was excellent and really gave us a running
history and commentary all 3 days of our tour. He was excellent and
so much fun to be with.......great sense of humor!
We especially liked the Bosphorus cruise on a private boat and the
lunch experiences in authentic turkish restaurants. He was so
helpful with the menus and translations!
Thank you again. I will definitely recommend your company to any
future travellers.
Sincerely,"
Mrs. Renee LeGear
St. Louis, MO, USA
cissylegear@yahoo.com
September
2009 |
|
"Hola Hakan,
Realizamos una excursión con vosotros el dia 10 de Septiembre,
estuvimos 8 horas juntos y fue muy agradable vuestra compañia y muy
provechosa vuestra información.
Vinimos a Estambul con un crucero, gran equivocación, no es una
ciudad para ser visitada en 8 horas, gracias a ti podimos hacernos
una idea. Tengo muy claro que volveremos a Estambul con mis hijos
(sin crucero) y pienso contratar otra vez vuestros servicio.
Besos,"
Maribel y Joan Surinyach
SPAIN
ggrau248@gmail.com
September
2009 |
"Hi Hakan,
I am so amazed at the service you provided us at our visit in
Istanbul. Meltem was brilliant and full of the most awesome
knowledge regarding Turkish history. Your driver could easily enter
any Formula One race. AMAZING!!!!! We felt very safe and enjoyed
every second of our time in your most fascinating city.
Martin and I will make sure that any friends, family or strangers
traveling to Istanbul will have your VIP tours # and Meltem name.
Your service was BRILLIANT and well worth the money. We loved our
visit to Istanbul!
Thank you Hakan! A job well done!!! Best regards."
Siv and Martin Adams
USA
sivadams@hotmail.com
September
2009 |
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"Hakan
We had a great time Apo was superb. I will recommend your services
to my friends."
Mr. Alex
Zapolanski, M.D. - Clinical Professor of Surgery, Columbia
University
USA
azapolanski@gmail.com
September
2009 |
"Dear Hakan,
We had an excellent tour around several of the key historical
sites of Istanbul. As we had visited some locations the day before,
we were able to customise the tour to concentrate on specific places
for a more in-depth visit.
Your guide was extremely knowledgeable and, in particular, he was
very informative during our visit to the Topkapi Palace. All the
arrangements worked very well – from collecting us at the cruise
terminal in a spotlessly clean and very comfortable Mercedes van to
delivering us to the airport for our return flight.
In every possible way, the tour enabled us to maximise the time we
had available. I have no hesitation in recommending your services to
other travellers."
Mr. Michael A. Palmer
UK
michael.a.palmer@btinternet.com
September
2009 |
|
"servicio realizado con la mayor eficacia el dia 10 en estambul, con
el mejor guia de habla en español, sin duda un chico serio, formal,
agradable, y sumamente eficaz. para su empresa un calificativo
sobresaliente y para el guia SINAN una matricula de honor, es decir
lo maximo que se le puede calificar a una persona, muchas gracias,
mañana mismo iré a la agencia de viajes para recomendarle sus
servicios. estoy muy agradecido, es usted una persona seria y
formal.
nuevamente gracias,"
Mr. Antonio Fernández
La Coruña, SPAIN
ferperant@hotmail.com
September
2009 |
"Dear Hakan,
It would be a pleasure to recommend your Company as it was a
highlight of our trip. From the pick up at the airport to the
delivery to the ship we were well looked after by your
staff. Unfortunately, we started the tour with rain but having your
services we were able to be flexible and adjust our schedule to the
weather.
You have a very professional team and we would be pleased to
recommend."
Mr.
Murray Megit
CANADA
mmegit@sympatico.ca
September
2009 |
|
"Hi Hakan:
Many. Many Thanks on behalf of all of us for making our visit to
Istambul and Ephesus really a nice and pleasant experience. We
enjoyed your company a lot and so did the kids!! It was funny to
hear them comparing you with the rest of the guides in Athens, Capri
and Rome: "no one like Hakan. He was so cool" was the common
comment!!!
We will certainly give our recommendation.
Best Regards,"
Brady and Gabriela
THE NETHERLANDS
Brady.Wild@hetnet.nl
July 2009 |
"Dear Hakan:
I am writing
to tell you how much we enjoyed your services during our 4 day stay
in Istanbul in August 2009. Everything worked well from the outset
-- it was easy to make the reservations over the internet and you
were very responsive before we got there.
Once we arrived, you made our stay fabulous! Your driver was right
there to pick us up, getting things off to a great start! Istanbul
is a huge and complex city, but you made it so easy for us (me and
my 19 year old son. You were incredibly knowledgeable about the
city, the country and their history, including how that affected
modern events in Turkey and surrounding countries. We learned so
much!
Your driver and van were fabulous! The van was extremely
comfortable, always on time, and we enjoyed the cold water always
available. We were able to see so much because the driver and van
was always right there to whisk us to the next place!! It was also
wonderful to have them available for dinner and we appreciated your
dinner suggestions and your help with dinner reservations.
We appreciated your flexibility as well. You added and changed
things as you saw what our interests were. Each day was different
and fun! The visit to the Prince's Islands, the Asian side, as well
as the Bosphorous cruise, were unexpected highlights!
I can't imagine touring Istanbul any other way than by using your
services.
After the 4 days with you and your drivers.
Best,"
Mrs. Phyllis Cohen
Houston, TX, USA
pcohen@linnthurber.com
August
2009 |
|
"Agredecemos al Sr. Hakan Gurger su
trabajo como guía
que demostró eficiencia y conocimientos durante nuestra estancia en
Estambul que gracias a él fue muy agradable y provechosa.
Igualmente a su
asistente Mustafa, por su cortesía, puntualidad y cumplimiento de
sus servicios."
Familia Ventosa
Mexico City, MEXICO
July 2009
"Buenas tardes señor Gurger, solo una nota para agradecer los
servisios a la familia Ventosa.
Espero estar el contacto con usted cuando tenga más clientes para
Estambul..
Atentamente,"
Mr.
C.P. Raúl A. Aubert - RA Programaciòn de Viajes S.A. de C.V.
raprogramaciondeviajes@prodigy.net.mx
Mexico City, MEXICO
July 2009 |
"Estimado
Hakan:
Te envío unas breves líneas para agradecerte lo mucho que
disfrutamos de nuestra visita a Estambul. La clave del éxito del
viaje familiar a Estambul fue la excelente organización de la visita
VIP Tour de 3 días y tu gran implicación que sentimos como guía,
durante toda nuestra estancia. Nunca es fácil conseguir la atención
de 4 chicos con edades comprendidas entre los 10 y 20 años. Sin
embargo, el tour fue tan interesante y variado, que todos
disfrutamos muchísimo de Estambul.
Hemos sacado una gratísima opinión de Estambul como gran ciudad y de
Turquía como país. El tour y vuestros servicios como guías nos han
permitido disfrutar muchísimo de las visitas a los lugares
turísticos, por los grandes conocimientos de historia del guía.
También nos han permitido conocer sitios maravillosos aunque menos
conocidos y que no hubieramos descubierto solos. Hemos conocido de
cerca la forma de vivir, las costumbres, tradiciones y vida
deportiva de Turquía. Realmente, los servicios tanto del guía
turístico como del chófer han sido excelentes e inmejorables.
Destacamos dos ejemplos: la travesía por el Bósforo en un yate
privado impresionante y las cenas en restaurantes de comida
turca muy sabrosa con traslados con chófer, comodísimos.
Muchas gracias por toda vuestra ayuda y hasta el próximo viaje a
Estambul."
Familia Albisu-Astigarraga
SPAIN
itziar.astigarraga@gmail.com
July 2009 |
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"Dear Hakan,
We were very pleased with your services during our brief stay in
Istanbul. The guide you provided, Barchin, was extremely
knowledgable, tried very hard, and succeeded in showing us much of
the city, the main tourist sights as well as other areas we
expressed interest in seeing. The driver knew his way around and we
rarely had to wait. Feel free to use us as a reference in the
future."
Mr. Alan Natter
USA
mrasn@yahoo.com
June 2009
|
"El pasado
mes de junio estuvimos 3 días en Estambul. Contratamos los servicios
de Guides of Istanbul por mail así que no sabíamos que nos
encontraríamos una vez allí.
Tuvimos una agradable sorpresa puesto que fue un
servicio inmejorable (en puntualidad, comodidad, etc) y con Hakan,
el guía, una persona al que se le nota que ama su país y que sus
conocimientos sobre él y su historia no tienen límite.
Nos ayudaron mucho sus recomendaciones referente a la comida ya que
nos propuso lugares poco turísticos donde pudimos degustar la
extraordinaria cocina local.
También queremos dar las gracias a Mustafa, el chofer, que dentro de
una ciudad caótica de coches nos llevaba siempre de un sitio a otro
puntualmente.
Günaydin Hakan: Ha sido un placer conocerte y disfrutar de esos
días que pasamos en Estambul. No dudes que recomendamos vuestros
servicios a nuestros conocidos así como a quien pueda leer estas
letras.
Un abrazo"
Josep i Irene
Ramon i Yolanda
Girona, SPAIN
ireneroig@arrakis.es
June 2009
"Aquest juny hem estat durant 3 dies a Istanbul, com que vam
contractar els serveis de Guides of Istanbul via mail no sabíem que
ens trobaríem al arribar allà.
La veritat és que vàrem tenir una agradable sorpresa tant amb el
servei (seriós i puntual) com amb el guia, en Hakan una persona al
que se li nota que estima la seva terra i que no es cansava
d’explicar-nos la seva historia tant interessant com extensa. També
molt encertades les seves recomanacions a l’hora dels menjars ja que
vam poder provar la cuina del país però en llocs poc turístics i
força locals i això fa que poguéssim conèixer molt millor el tarannà
de la gent.
També vull recordar el xofer, en Mustafa, que enmig d’aquella ciutat
de circulació caòtica ens traslladava fins l’Hotel o el Restaurant
puntualment.
Günaydin Hakan: Va ser un plaer gaudir dels vostres serveis els dies
que vam passar a la teva ciutat. No dubtis que us recomanarem tant
als coneguts com als qui puguin llegir aquestes lletres.
Visca el Galatasaray i Visca el Barça!!"
Josep i Irene
Ramon i Iolanda.
Girona, CATALUNYA
ireneroig@arrakis.es
June 2009 |
|
"ATT. SR. HAKAN GURGER.
Querido amigo:
A pesar de estar en mi casa en estos momentos, todavia tengo mi
mente en Istanbul, y cuando cierro los ojos, veo nuevamente las
imágenes grabadas en mi retina y siento aquellas sensaciones
extraordinarias como si estuviera todavia allí.
Te veo a tí en el barco, charlando y riendo como uno más de
nosotros, como si nos conociéramos de toda la vida. Veo
a Aydin esforzándose hasta el agotamiento, en hacernos la estancia
agradable, preocupándose de que todo salga bien. Veo la sonrisa de
Salih y su preocupación por el coche bien limpio, siempre puntual,
incluso diría que demasiado puntual.
Si alguien de nuestro grupo podía tener algunas dudas por haber
contratado tus servicios, pienso que a la media hora quedaron
disipadas todas sus dudas, todos sin excepción hemos quedado muy
contentos y satisfecho tanto de vuestro trato como de vuestras
propuestas, y cuando les he dicho que te iba a escribir para
deciírtelo, todos te mandan sus saludos, un fuerte abrazo y muchas
gracias por todo. Y por mi parte, darte las gracias porque han sido
unos dias magníficos.
Verdaderamente, da gusto visitar Istanbul con vosotros ya que
disfrutáis con vuestro trabajo.
Te garantizo que en las conversaciones con los amigos y conocidos,
cuando hablemos de nuestro viaje a Istanbul, vuestros nombres
saldrán en la conversación.
Si algún día por cualquier causa vinieras a Menorca, serás recibido
como un amigo, aqui tienes tu casa también.
Y si alguien de España quiere ir a Istanbul y quiere referencias,
dale mi teléfono y mi mail. Será bien atendido.
Un fuerte abrazo."
Mr. Bep Jover
Menorca, SPAIN
bepjover@telefonica.net
May 2009 |
“I found Guides of Istanbul searching through internet. Their web
page seemed very professional and their offer was different from
others I found. I contact with Hakan, and from the first moment
everything run smoothly. As well as suggesting what to see and do in
Istanbul, he recommended several restaurants which were marvelous.
From the very beginning when we were picked up at the airport until
we left, everything was organized just as we wanted. Our guide,
Zeynep showed us a different city, that we are sure we would have
never known if not for her.
Also, they arranged for us the Bosphorus Cruise, which is an
unforgettable experience, and which I highly recommend everyone to
do.
Hakan, thank you very much for organizing our trip so splendidly.
Thanks again,"
Ms. Leticia Rodríguez Balsón -
Ergon Capital Advisors
Madrid, SPAIN
lr@ergoncapital.es
May 2009
|
"Estimado Hakan:
Luego de un explendido viaje a ESTAMBUL, y sobre todo los tres dias
en los que estuvimos acompañado con uds. visitando parte de esa
hermosa ciudad y sobre todo la puntualidad,s ervicio de guia sin
olvidar al choferes.
La seriedad que tanto Ud como su guia APO FUERON FANTASTICAS, las
visitas fueron acertadas asi como las buenas explicaciones dados por
APO y sobre todo por la programacion que nos propusieron.
Solamente me queda decirles que muchas gracias por todo, por sus
atenciones y que por tanto por mi como esposa y compañeros de viaje,
quiero que sepas que todos las personas a las que pueda recomerdale
lo hare con todo mi maximo interes.
Sr. Hakan, se lo dije alli y se lo vuelvo a repetir, aqui tiene unos
amigos en ESPAÑA (ALICANTE) EN UNA ZONA DE BUEN TIEMPO COMO UNAS
BUENAS PLAYASUn
fuerte abrazo
Hasta pronto. Gracias."
LEONARDO-VICTORIA-EULOGIO Y PIEDAD
Alicante, SPAIN
orts11@hotmail.com
December 2008 |
"Estimado Hakan,
La familia Aleixandre, te escribimos desde Madrid para darte las
gracias por los servicios que hemos recibido durante este fin de
año en Estambul.
Tanto Beatriz, como mis cuatro hijos y yo, hemos quedado muy
contentos con vuestra atención desde el primer dia, hasta el
último de nuestra estancia.
Desde que nos visitaste el primer día en el hotel para organizar
nuestra visita, hemos disfrutado de las explicaciones de Apo (un
excelente y además muy simpatico guia) en la parte más cultural
de nuestras visitas, de tu propia presencia enseñandonos la vida
de los diferentes barrios de Estambul y el crucero por el
bosforo, y de los servicios siempre puntuales y amables de
nuestro chofer al que bautizamos como "Paco".
Vuestras recomendaciones de
restaurantes (hemos comido estupendamente bien) y tiendas, han
sido magnificas, lo que ha supuesto un complemento muy agradable
de nuestra visita.
Hemos realizado ya muchos viajes familiares y conocido muchos
guias y para tu satisfacción te diré que la atención y servicios
recibidos por vosotros han sido excelentes, por lo que no dudes
que a cualquier amigo que piense visitar Estambul se lo
recomendaré.
Mis mejores deseos de éxito para tu empresa y tambien para el
Galatasaray, equipo del que habeis conseguido entre Apo y
tú, que seamos un poco toda esta familia.
Gracias y un abrazo."
Mr. Santiago
Aleixandre García - General Director, Albie
Madrid, SPAIN
aleixandre@albie.es
December 2008
|
"HALLO
HAKAN,
WIR
MOECHTEN UNS HERZLICH FUER DEN UNGLAUBLICH NETTEN UND
PROFESSIONELLEN SERVICE VON GUIDES OF ISTANBUL BEDANKEN.
ES WAR
EINFACH PERFEKT UND HAT UNSEREN KURZURLAUB ZU EINEM ERLEBNIS
GEMACHT.
SOLCH
EINEN SERVICE UND HILFSBEREITSCHAFT FINDET MAN IN DER HEUTIGEN
ZEIT SEHR SELTEN UND WIR WERDEN SIE AUF JEDEN FALL
WEITEREMPFEHLEN.
EIN
GROSSES DANKESCHOEN AN IHR TEAM,"
ELISABETH,
BERNHARD, ERICH UND MONIKA
AUSTRIA
bernd@videotron.ca
December 2008
|
"Distinguido Hakan
Pasados unos dias de mi regreso a España y despues de mi estancia en
esa fascinante ciudad de Estambul, quiero agradecerte el trato y
servicio que nos habeis dispensado durante esos maravillosos dias en
vuestra ciudad.
Vuestro trabajo ha sido inmejorable en puntualidad, en servicio,
personal de guia y conductor etc, etc, por todo ello muchas gracias.
GRACIAS.
Mis compañeros de viaje los tendrás proximamente en Estambul y te
volevere a llamar para que les hagas los mismos servicios más ese
pequeño crucero por el bósforo que no pudimos realizar por el
tiempo.
Un abrazo."
Mr. Ramon Fernandez
SPAIN
aidsport@hotmail.com
December 2008 |
"Dear Hakan,
We would like to express our appreciation for the wonderful
service provided by you during our stay in Istanbul.
As well as seeing the sights of your wonderful city with you &
Abdullah, we learnt so much about your history & culture & your
knowledge was astounding.
We couldn't possibly have seen so much & done so much without
the personal service from yourselves & your drivers & it was all
done with such efficiency & friendliness.
You both made our sightseeing fun as well as informative &
you've made us all want to visit Turkey again soon to see more
of the country.
Regards"
Lynne & Peter Robinson - Perth,
AUSTRALIA
Iris & Bryan Ellis - Ponte Vedra, FL, USA
lerobinson@bigpond.com
November 2008
|
"Buenas tardes Hakan,
nuestra estancia en Estambul fue muy buena. Cuando contacte
contigo para que me informaras de los servicios de tu agencia,
desde el primer momento vi la seriedad de tu agencia, en tu
rapidez de contestacion a los email. Tambien te digo que hasta
que no estube en Estambul y nos recogisteis, estaba un poco
desconfiado por el la cantidad de estafas que hay por internet,
pero no fue asi.
Desde que llegamos, que nos recogio Mehmet, por cierto un
chico muy amable y educado, el guia Jak tambien muy amable,
explicando é informandonos de todo lo que veiamos y todo lo que
le preguntabamos, recomendaciones de restaurantes etc...
El vehiculo de transporte de lujo. La verdad es que si
tubiese que ir otra vez no dudaria en volver a contratar
vuestros servicios.
Muy amable y muchas gracias desde Granada, un saludo."
|
"Dear Hakan,
We would like to express our sincere thanks to you, your guides, and
your drivers, for the highly professional service you gave us during
our recent visit to Istanbul.
Having never traveled to Turkey before, and not being able to speak
Turkish, we felt that it would be wise to engage someone to give us
a tour of the city during our vacation there. Finding a reputable
enterprise did give us some concerns, as past experiences in North
Africa taught us to be careful about being treated fairly and
honestly. Guides of Istanbul came up during our search of the
internet, and inquiries with the tourist agencies and our
hotel indicated no problems with your company - so we went ahead and
contacted you.
Hakan, we are so grateful that we did so. From your initial emails,
you approached our requests very professionally and promptly. In the
end, we chose a three day VIP tour, which included being met upon
our arrival at the airport, and return transportation for our flight
back to Switzerland. In particular, I would like to compliment you
on the friendly and knowledgable tour guides; the accommodating
attitude of your drivers, especially when they picked us up in the
early morning hours after a late dinner and evening out; and the
flexibility with which we could arrange each day's visits.
Looking back on the whole experience, it was worth every Euro paid
to enjoy such a hassle free visit.
We have traveled extensively all over the world, and we can confirm
that the level of service that you and your associates provided was
stellar. We are happy to recommend Guides of Istanbul to anyone who
wants to visit Turkey and be treated like royalty, at a fair price.
Thank you so much, and we hope to see you again.
Sincerely,"
Gabrielle and Claude
Toronto, CANADA and Burlington, VT, USA
October 2008 |
"Dear Hakan
Just wanted to let you know how
much we enjoyed our day with Hatice when we were in Istanbul
recently. She was an excellent guide - helpful, friendly and
knowledgeable and with absolutely fluent English.
As you know, the conditions for
our tour weren't ideal, what with the weather - cold and pouring
with rain - and the fact that the Istanbul Marathon was being
held that day, meaning lots of chaos and closed streets!
We contacted you about this and
you ensured that Hatice and our driver Mustafa were waiting for
us when we docked at 7.30 a.m so that we could get off the
ship and away before the streets were closed.
Despite the less-than-great
conditions, we all enjoyed our tour very much and it certainly
was wonderful when, cold and soaked, we were able to jump into
our comfortable, warm Mercedes van rather than fight our
way back onto a coach with a crowd of other people! We also
heard complaints when we got back from some of the people who'd
taken the ship's tours that they were kept going for about 7
hours without a break, so we were very glad we'd booked with you
and were able to set our own schedule.
Our visit certainly whetted our
appetite to come back - Istanbul needs a lot more time than just
the day and a half that we had.
We would certainly use your
company again and can highly recommend it.
Thanks again."
Roger and
Elaine Osbond - Naples, FL, USA
|
"Thank
you, Hakan, for ensuring that Guides of Istanbul gave us a
really good insight into Istanbul.
Even
though we only had one day with Hatice, she covered an amazing
amount of ground, helped of course by your delightful driver
Mustafa. She was interesting, knowledgeable and very good with
Sebastian – keeping an energetic 12 year old boy engaged is
never easy and she did a great job. We have brought some great
memories back to the UK and are looking forward to coming back
out to Istanbul again – this time I will have to bring my wife
and daughter.
I will
certainly recommend your Company to anyone coming out to Turkey.
Thank you so much once again.
Please say
hi to Bahadir and Mustafa, and tell them that although Baz and I
are supporting Arsenal tomorrow night, we will think of them,
and try not to cheer too loudly when we stuff Fenerbahce again!!
Best
wishes,"
Mr. Charlie
Simpson - Garnett & Simpson
London, UK
charlie@garnettandsimpson.co.uk
October 2008
|
"Estimado Hakan
Acabo de regresar de mi viaje y
quisiera comentarte sobre el servicio de tour y guia que me
proporcionaste en Estambul el 5 y 6 de Octubre.
Lo describo con una palabra
EXCELENTE.
La puntualidad, la amabilidad y
gran conocimiento de David Moskatel, la colaboración de los
choferes y la comodidad del coche fueron de primerísimo nivel.
Tuvimos oportunidad de ver la
ciudad desde el lado Asiático y Europeo, visitamos el Palacio de
Beylerbeyi, el Topkapi, Hagia Sofia, la Mezquita Azul, el
Hipódromo, El Bazar de las Especies y el Gran Bazar, increíbles
lugares a los que me gustaría volver com más tiempo.
Gracias por haber hecho de mi
estancia en Estambul una experiencia inolvidable y ten la
seguridad de que daré las mejores referencias a cualquier
persona que me pregunté sobre guias en tu pais."
|
Mary & Jay
Goldberg
New York, New York
October 27, 2008
"Dear Hakan,
Jay and I just
returned from our trip to Istanbul. Thank you so much for all your
assistance in planning a terrific stay for us. I cannot say enough
good things about the way you handed all the details of our stay.
Our guide and
driver were fantastic. Apo was not only knowledgeable and
enthusiastic about the details and history of all we saw, he had a
warm manner and great sense of humor. The way Mustafa handled
traffic was a sight to behold!! The itinerary you planned had the
perfect mix of seeing all the more important sites in the city as
well as getting to spend relaxed times in the markets, boating on
the Bosporus and just sipping Turkish coffee at one of the many
wonderful cafes. Your restaurant suggestions were wonderful and we
are still talking about the breathtaking views from Ulus 29!!
From your warm
greeting when we arrived until our departure we had a most perfect
stay. We look forward to returning to Turkey to see more of your
wonderful country.
Thank you once
again.
Warm regards"
Mrs.
Mary Cirillo
Goldberg
Mr. Jay Goldberg
New York,
NY, USA
MCirillo@hudsonptr.com
October 2008 |
"Hi Hakan,
Our tour
with Hatice was the very first tour we took when we arrived for
our holiday, we went on many after that through several other
countries in the two weeks that followed.
Your tour
was absolutely the very best. Hatice was fantastic our tour
group consisted of the 6 of us, including our senior parents.
She was very aware of insuring we all got to hear what she was
saying while she safely guided us through some very crowded
areas. We all felt very comfortable with her and she made us
feel very welcome…. She was THE BEST…….
You have a
fantastic city……….
Mike, Deb,
Dale, Paul and Bonnie and Lester (our 80 year old parents)"
|
"Dear Hakan,
I would like to thank you and my tour guide Don for the great
assistance he provided me on October 11 and 12.
You will recall that during my brief stay in Istanbul I wanted to
see a number of major, specific sites including the Grand and Spice
Bazaars, Basilica Cistern, the Bosphorous Bridge (including crossing
to the Asian side), and other locations.
Don and the drivers were most cooperative and helpful on both days.
On October 11th, they were waiting for me as soon as I disembarked
from the M/S Cristal and immediately whisked me to the bazaars.
On day two, Don and a second driver met me as agreed at 9am for a
rigorous day of touring. Through it all, they were friendly and
helpful. Don displayed a wealth of information and was extremely
amicable. On our return from the Bosphorus Bridge, as we approached
the Galata Bridge, he asked if I wanted to get out and walk. What a
great offer, so we got out and walked at least three quarters
across, with Don pointing out sights and providing information all
along the way.
One of the places I wanted to visit was the Suleymaniye Mosque.
However, Don advised me it was closed and under restoration. Don
quickly adapted and suggested the New Mosque, adjacent to the Spice
Market and took me in via the neighborhood streets, so I could get a
different perspective. It was a great experience.
In addition to his keen sense of humor and vast knowledge of
Istanbul, Don was very adept at circumventing the various lines that
we encountered at different locations----thus insuring me the
maximum amount of time for each visit.
Hakan, I cannot stress enough how pleased I was with the
arrangements that were made and the manner in which Don and the
drivers made it all happen. They were thoroughly professional at all
times and a true credit to your company.
You can be assured I will recommend your company to others; please
feel free to print and post the email onto your website.
Sincerely,"
Mr. James W. Bottoms, Jr., ACC, CSS -
Liberty Travel
Bowie, MD, USA
bottomsj@libertytravel.com
October 2008 |
"Dear Mr. Hakan,
I can only express my
total appreciation of our 1st class tour of Istanbul last week.
It was a wonderful experience and we have told all our friends
about it! Nobody should travel to Istanbul without calling on
your services first.
Our wonderful guide - Mel -
as we called her, was so professional and handled all 6 of
us ladies with extreme ease. She managed to get us to the sights
- the shops - and food all in a short time and her knowledge of
the City was amazing.
We could not be more
grateful to her. Again thank you so much. We only arrived home
on Tuesday and miss the weather already. We will be back to
Istanbul for a holiday soon.
Regards,"
Myriam
"Dear Meltem,
Just a quick note to tell you that we are back home again and
exhausted from a wonderful holiday!!
Istanbul was the highlight
for all of us and of course you made that happen for us! You
were the most patient, kind and wonderful guide - so full of
knowledge about everything in Istanbul - we will definitely come
back and look for you! I have not downloaded the photos yet, but
will send you one as soon as I do.
Thank you so much again for
everything and the wonderful memories we all have of Istanbul.
Talk soon.."
Myriam and
the girls - Norma, Angela, Theresa June and Maryrose
Cork,
IRELAND
vantergouw@eircom.net
October 2008
|
"Dear Hakan:
I am writing to you on behalf of my wife Najwa, my daughter Rania
and my friend Dr. Ghazi and his wife Ghada to thank you on the VIP
treatment you gave us during our recent trip to Istanbul from 30th
Sept to 3rd of Oct. 2008.The
moment we arrived at the airport we were recieved in an excellent
way and you personally accompanied us during the Bosphorus private
cruise it was magnificant and out of this world.
Every minute detail was attended by
you personally and the trip was most enjoyable. We all again thank
you and wish you the best of success and I am going to spread the
word about you in Jordan.
Sincerely Yours,"
Professor Yousef Goussous MD
JORDAN
ranoush18@hotmail.com
October 2008 |
"Estimado Sr. Gurger:
Le agradezco las atenciones que hemos recibido
durante nuestra visita a Estambul.
Todos los servicios que se nos brindaran fueron
de óptima calidad, y en especial deseo felicitarlo por la
profesionalidad y buena voluntad del guía que nos asignó Sr.
Abdullah Yenice.
Cordialmente."
Mr. Nestor C. Ick
Santiago del
Estero, ARGENTINA
nestorick@estudioick.com.ar
October 2008
|
"Mr. Gurger,
We want to thank you for the excellent service that we received
during our stay in Istanbul. The drivers were polite and very
professionnals.
We have a special word for Hale, our french guide, who was
excellent, informative, interesting and very sympathetic.
We gave your coordinates to the french guide that we had in
Alexandria (Egypt) because she wants to go to Istanbul.
If anybody of our friends want to visit Istanbul, we will recommend
you for sure.
Thanks."
Marie and Serge Vallée
Rimouski, Québec,
CANADA
valleecybele@hotmail.com
September 2008 |
"Buenos días Hakan, realmente
nuestra estancia en Estambul, fue corta pero muy bien aprovechada
gracias a vosotros, realmente pudimos ver y estar en los lugares más
bonitos.
Tanto nuestra guía ( una mujer encantadora y muy bien preparada)
como los dos chofer que tuvimos los días de nuestra estancia han
sido personas muy agradables y serviciales.
Lamentamos no poderte saludar personalmente, pero seguro que lo
aremos la próxima vez.
Un saludo para todos.
P.D.: No dudes que os recomendaré a todos mis amigos"
Mrs. Concepción
Fuentes
Barcelona, SPAIN
cfuentes@ancoraaudiovisual.com
September 2008 |
"Hakan
It’s been a
while and we can’t seem to stop talking about our experience in
Turkey and it is mostly thanks to you and Apo’s marvellous
atitude towards making sure we have a good time. We did, we want
to go back, let there be no doubt about that!
Thanks,
Thanks, Thanks!
We’ve passed
the word along so that other visitors from our petite country
contact you for their travel arrangements in Turkey!
Thanks!"
Mr. Carlos
Guillermo León -
President, Grupo Financiero León
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
carlos.leon@leon.com.do
August 2008
|
"COMENTARIOS SOBRE NUESTRA VISITA A ISTANBUL LOS
DIAS 15/18 DE SETIEMBRE DE 2008
Matrimonios: Latorre, Mas y Padrós
Hakan, gràcies per haver fet que el nostre viatge a
Istanbul hagi respost a les expectatives que teníem i que, per tant,
resultes especialment còmode i agradable.
En el nostre viatge hem trobat els serveis que ens
havies ofert. Crec que és just el reconèixer-ho, especialment quant
no és freqüent que, en aquest tipus d’activitats, coincideixi allò
promès amb la realitat.
Repeteixo, gràcies per la vostra serietat i per
haver-nos facilitat una estada que sens dubte recordarem durant molt
de temps.
Salutacions cordials.
Hakan, gracias por haber hecho que nuestro viaje a
Istanbul respondiera a nuestras expectativas y que, por tanto,
resultara especialmente cómodo y agradable.
En nuestro viaje hemos hallado los servicios que nos
habías ofrecido. Creo es justo reconocerlo, especialmente cuando no
es frecuente que, en este tipo de actividades, coincidan lo
prometido con la realidad.
Repito, gracias por vuestra seriedad y por habernos
facilitado una estancia que sin duda recordaremos durante mucho
tiempo.
Saludos cordiales,"
Mr. Josep Padrós
Barcelona,
SPAIN
JPADROS@telefonica.net
September 2008 |
"Estimado
Hakan,
Desde
Madrid te escribimos para agradecerte los excelentes servicios
prestados por vuestra parte.
Muchas
gracias a Sanem por sus explicaciones de los preciosos
monumentos de Estambul, de la historia y de la situación actual
en Turquía, por sus recomendaciones de restaurantes ¡precioso y
muy agradable el restaurante donde comimos! Y acertadísima en su
sugerencia para visitar el barrio de Ortakoy ¡disfrutamos
muchísimo de las vistas y el encanto de este barrio!
Sobretodo
y muy especialmente agradecemos su paciencia, disposición,
amabilidad y cercanía… guiar a un grupo de 12 mujeres no es
fácil, y ella lo hizo de una forma muy profesional.
Muchas
gracias también al conductor del minibus, no nos entendíamos,
pero siempre nos recibía con una amplia sonrisa a pesar de las
veces que le cambiamos horarios, itinerarios…
Y
finalmente…darte la enhorabuena como representante de Guides of
Istanbul, diferente al concepto tradicional de guía, con una
atención muy personalizada y siempre acertada. Muchas gracias
por tu asistencia en el crucero del Bósforo ¡fue todo un placer
el contar con tu compañía!
Y por
último…¡os echamos de menos en El Reina a ti y a tus amigos!
¡Esperamos vernos de nuevo!
Las 12
mujeres de Madrid."
Mrs. Mónica Trujillo
Madrid,
SPAIN
Monica.Trujillo@TELINDUS.ES
August 2008
|
"Hakan,
Thank you very much for all of your
help while we were in Istanbul; we had a lovely time. We never would
have seen so many of the important sites and learned so much without
your guide, Meltem (who was wonderful and a great person to spend
two days with), and Mustafa, who took us from place to place. Your
private tour is priceless - we did everything on our own schedule,
asked as many questions as we wanted, and saw what we thought was
most important.
We also appreciate how helpful you were every evening when we
were making plans - we really wanted to not just see "tourist"
Istanbul, but also experience the nightlife and local flavor (very
important to New Yorkers!). Your recommendations were excellent and
we had a lot of fun.
I have already forwarded your information to a friend who is
planning to come to Turkey in October. We can't wait to come to back
soon! When we do, we'll be sure to call you for dinner.
Best regards,"
Ms. Shireen
Hilal
Mr. David Sarna - Editor, Time Out Israel
New York, NY,
USA
princess_sgh@hotmail.com
David.Sarna@timeout.co.il
August 2008
|
"Dear Hakan,
Our trip to Turkey this past summer was wonderful and one of the
highlights were the days we spent in Istanbul.
You and your assistants helped
make it a smooth and enjoyable trip. From our arrival at the
airport, to our private boat on the Bosphorus, to our custom tours
which changed as the interests and energy of our group (especially
our 2 young boys) changed, to our relaxing evenings spent in the
wonderful restaurants you arranged, everything was lovely.
You and your guides were
extremely insightful, not only about the history, but about the
people of Turkey today. We felt taken care of throughout our stay.
Hope to return again soon,"
Carla, Jack,
Spencer & Zander Levy
Los Angeles, CA,
USA
carla_j_buck@hotmail.com
August 2008
|
"Dear Hakan,
Rýza made our stay in Istanbul as wonderful as it could have
possibly been!
His knowledge of history and his kind nature brought the city to
life for us, and we truly had a fabulous time. Mustafa was a delight
as was Baha, and we wish you much success in the future as you grow
your company.
Thank you agaýn for your fine service in your cýty.
Sýncerely,"
Ms. Susan Scalfi and Mr. Mark
Anderson
Louisiana, USA
suscalfi@hotmail.com
August
2008
|
|
"Hola Hakan,
Buenos Dias.
Le queria comentar que mis padres
volvieron muy contentos del tour por Estambul. Quedaron ademas
muy satisfechos por sus servicios, por vuestro profesionalismo y
por vuestra responsabilidad.
Sin dudas, el paseo les resulto
muy interesante y bien aprovechado porque sus guias (y usted)
los atendieron de manera excelente."
Mr. Leonardo
Sandler
Tel Aviv, ISRAEL
sandlerl@netvision.net.il
August 2008
|
"Hola Hakan:
No puedo mas que felicitaros por el perfecto servicio que ofreceis
en Estambul, que consiguió que nada mas aterrizar se desvaneciesen
nuestros recelos por ser un servicio contratado on line.
Sin duda recomendaré tus servicios a cualquiera que viaje a
estambul, y de hecho el dia que decida volver, cosa que haré, no
dudaré en volver a contar con vosotros.
Un cordial saludo"
Mr. Luis Marfil
SPAIN
lemarfil@gmail.com
August 2008
|
"Dear Hakan,
We are now back in Dubai and I just wanted to write to thank you
for the excellent service you provided our family during our
time in Istanbul.
We so enjoyed our day with Meltem, who was absolutely lovely –
friendly, intelligent and with excellent interesting knowledge –
she was a perfect companion for us all, from my 10 year old son
to my husband! Engin, our driver, was also wonderful, and it
was great to cross from one continent to another in the comfort
and luxury of your spotless Mercedes!
We will most surely recommend your services to anyone we know
travelling to Istanbul.
Many thanks.
Kind regards."
Mrs. Tara Rogers -
General
Manager, d'pr
Dubai, UAE
tara@d-pr.ae
July 2008
|
"Hakan
Venimos llegando, mi familia y yo, de un viaje maravilloso.
Quiero agradecerle mucho sus servicios, fueron profesionales y muy,
muy agradables.
Si Ud. me permite, lo voy a recomendar.
Tanto nuestro guia como nuestro chofer y la camioneta fueron
estupendos, sevicio VIP.
Muchas Gracias por sus finas atenciones."
Marisa Elias de Meljem
Mexico City, MEXICO
msmeljem@prodigy.net.mx
July 2008
|
|
"Dear Hakan
My wife and I would like to thank you
again for the excellent service and personal attention you provided
while we were in Istanbul. Knowing that we had very little free time
in Istanbul on our way to and from a business meeting elsewhere in
Turkey, I knew we could not afford wasting time getting lost with a
"do-it-yourself" tour of Istanbul. Luckily, I came across your
website, and after several emails, decided your service was our best
option.
The peace of mind knowing that
once we landed we were being met by you or your people, and from
that point forward in expert hands that included knowledge of the
history, language, culture, sites and cuisine (oh yes, and the
shopping) until we were back at the airport, was alone worth the
price of your service.
You not only met but exceeded
our expectations. Your vehicles were first class, as well as your
drivers. The only time lost during our short visit was in Istanbul's
famous traffic jams, but even then your folks came up with short
cuts. With your help we were able to experience the most important
sites in Istanbul and learn their history, enjoy some excellent
restaurants, meet interesting and friendly natives, and be
introduced to the most reputable merchants in less than three full
days. Best of all, by the time we left Istanbul we felt we had made
a new friend in Turkey, Hakan.
Since returning we have talked
to several of our friends and acquaintances with plans to visit
Istanbul in the near future, and each time we have strongly
recommended they contact you if they want to make the most of their
visit.
We look forward to our next
chance to visit your beautiful city.
Best Regards,"
glenn_bilek.pdf
Mr. Glenn E.
Bilek - Vice President, Business Development, Daubert Chemical
Company
Chicago, IL, USA
gebilek@hotmail.com
July 2008
|
"Hi
Hakan, we just wanted to thank you so much for everything you did
for us while we were in Istanbul.
Our experience with your company was excellent. When the airline
lost my luggage you were so helpful to us in getting it back. The
tour guide you provided was the best we ever had and the automobile
and driver were spotless and a must have.
Again
thank you for everything and we will definitely call you if we come
to Turkey again.
Please
feel free to post our experience on your web site."
Mrs. Tina Lieberman
NJ, USA
tsilver@hudsonhp.com
July 2008
|
|
"Dear Hakan:
A few words to personally thank you
and your staff, (David, our knowledgeable guide and Mustafa, our
driver), for the wonderful time spent in Istanbul.
Certainly, this would not have been possible without your expertise,
warm hospitality and friendliness. In three short days, we became
good friends, not 'clients', as is the usual case.
We can assure you that the experience was a marvelous one, thus, we
are sadly leaving for our homes in Puerto Rico with heartfelt
desires to see you all again soon in your wonderful and historic
city.
With our sincere appreciation,"
Dr. and
Mrs. Enrique Vélez
kikevelez@aol.com
Mr. and Mrs. Israel Delgado
eldaahmarti@yahoo.com
San Juan, PORTO RICO
July 2008
 |
"Praise for Hakan and Guides of
Istanbul.
I can't say enough here, about
how thorough, friendly + informative our guide, Abdullah, is. We
booked the 4-day VIP II Tours. This is well worth the money. For
three days we visited the ancient sites + learned about the history
of Turkey. We also got to visit some of the places the locals go to
in the evenings. Our children, ages 7 and 9, really enjoyed
themselves.
The VIP II Tour also gets you
one day with the owner, Hakan. A private boat cruise along the
Bosphorus and a tour of Taksim Square and the Galata Tower.
Both Hakan and Abdullah are as
if they are part of our family."
Jimmy, Monique,
Anastacia + Plato Pappas
Houston, TX, USA
mopappas@swbell.net
July 2008
 |
|
"Hi Hakan:
I am finally back in the U.S. after a lengthy trip (I had meetings
in Lisbon and Nice after leaving Istanbul) and wanted to follow up
with you. Thank you so very much for the wonderful tours, service
and personal attention you provided for me and my family. We were
all so very delighted with the entire experience which we will
cherish for the rest of our lives. I know that my Dad was
particularly excited about his experience, and in large part that
goes to you and Abdullah for your superb service and friendship. I’m
sorry we didn’t have a chance to say thank you in person or to see
you on our last day, but I know you were extremely busy.
Istanbul is an amazing city and I was so excited to see and
experience so much of it. I will definitely want to come back again,
and also want to see more of Turkey. Should we have any clients
looking for touring in Istanbul, I will of course recommend you
highly and hope that I will have that opportunity one day.
Once again, thank you for everything – we will cherish our memories
of a wonderful trip and wonderful people.
Kind regards,"
Mr. Peter Durbetaki - Owner, Uniglobe Fivestar Travel
Atlanta, GA,
USA
peter@uniglobeatlanta.com
June 2008 |
"Querido Hakan:
Tanto Raquel como yo queremos darte las gracias por el excelente
trato que hemos recibido durante nuestra corta estancia en
Estambul, la cual recordaremos siempre. Tanto nuestro guía Apo
como los conductores nos han tratado de manera extremadamente
profesional y nos han hecho pasar unos días fantásticos e
inolvidables.
Enhorabuena y hasta pronto,
Raquel y Pedro"
Mrs. Raquel
Montero
Mr. Pedro Carlos Llorente
Madrid, SPAIN
pllorente@elderecho.com
"Buenos dias Hakan,
El placer ha sido nuestro.
El Sr. Llorente y su esposa han quedado encantados con la
ciudad y con vuestros servicios.
Muchas gracias por todo
Hakan.
Tambien es nuestra
intencion poder trabajar con vosotros en mas ocasiones.
|
|
"Dear Hakan,
I have been meaning to write to
you to thank you for arranging such a wonderful guide for our
tour of Istanbul. He was charming and sincere, conveying his
love of Istanbul to us. We had a tremendous tour and would not
hesitate to recommend Guides of Istanbul to anyone considering a
trip to Istanbul for either short or long duration. You may post
this on your web-site and have anyone contact us for
confirmation. The vehicle and driver were exemplary. We were met
on time at 7:30 a.m. (which when you are getting off a cruise
ship for a one-day tour of a place you have been wanting to see
your entire life, is critically important) and we were taken
back to the cruise ship in plenty of time for departure (which
is also critical) at 4:15 p.m..
Unlike the people on the
cruise, we had a leisurely and personally informed tour that you
could actually hear of the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia, the
Cisterns, the Hippodrome, the Grand Bazar and the Spice Bazar.
As well, we had a wonderful lunch in a small local eatery where
the locals ate. To anyone thinking about taking a tour with
Guides of Istanbul, don't think twice. The service and guides
are exemplary!!!!
Thanks again Hakan --- we'll be
back......"
Judge
Cheryl Miller -
Provincial Court
of Alberta
Mr. Rick Miller
Alberta, CANADA
|
"Hakan:
Everything was terrific. We couldn’t have asked for two better
guys as our guide and driver. We saw the city, we saw the real
restaurants, we learned the history, we were treated far better
than we deserve (but enjoyed every bit of it).
We’ll
certainly recommend all of you in the future should any friends
be coming to Turkey.
Sincere
thanks."
Mr. Jonathan Stevens
Mr. Steve Gunderson -
President and CEO, Council on Foundations
Former Member of U.S. House of Representatives
Arlington,
VA, USA
gunds@cof.org
May 2008
|
"Our experience in Istanbul was
spectacular. Our guide was excellent, very informative, and took us
to a great restaurant for lunch. Just a great experience for the
other couple (The Covers) and my wife and I. We will recommend your
service to any who wish to see Istanbul.
Sincerely,"
Dr. Donald Fruchtman
Phoenix, AZ, USA
dj4442doc@cox.net
May 2008 |
"Hello Hakan,
One of the smartest things we did on our Mediterranean
Cruise was to contact you for a guided tour of
Istanbul. I took the time to check out some of your
references on the internet. Each one gave your firm high
praises, and they turned out to all be true. My wife and
I were most pleased and your guide and driver which were
excellent. Not only were they on time picking us up, but
both were very knowledgeable about Istanbul. The driver
would drop us off at a sight. When nearly finished, the
guide would call the driver on where to pick us up. Off
we would go to the next selected sight. That night on
the ship we heard all kinds of stories about how the
ships excursion busses were tied up in traffic and they
missed half their Istanbul tour.
I have already recommended your firm to several people
who are going to Turkey.
Thanks,"
Mr. Chester Chiodo
San Antonio, TX
210-824-4414
chet@chiodo.org
May 2008
|
|
"Hi Hakan,
Just want to tell you how pleased we were with your limo service in
Istanbul. Our guide Selma was delightful! She was so informative and
a pleasure to spend the day with. She took us everywhere we
requested and more. We had a great time and really enjoyed
Istanbul. I will definitely recommend you to any friends who will be
visiting your country.
Here is a picture Selma took of our group in Istanbul.
Sincerely,"
Mrs. Diane Dias
Dallas, TX, USA
DIANEPET@aol.com
May 2008
 |
"Hola Hakan:
Ya hace tres dias que regresamos a nuestro pais, tras un viaje
maravilloso. Luego de Turquia, fuimos a Jordania, Dubai y
España.
Permitame decirle y felicitarle a la vez, pues aunque tuvimos un
excelente servicio de transporte y guia en todos los paises
visitados, el servicio brindado por ustedes fue el mas superior,
esplendido y amigable. Tuvimos un guia excelente
y, especialmente, apreciamos mucho la personalizacion que da
usted a los servicios brindados, pues su recepcion en el hotel
nos dio mas confianza.
Nuestra recomendacion sera extendida a todos nuestros amigos que
decidan visitar Turquia y, cuando decida hacer extensivo sus
servicios a otros paises, por favor notifiquenoslo.
Con nuestro sinceros saludos y esperando volver a vernos en un
futuro, les saluda"
Carlos
y Awilda Musa
San Pedro de Macoris, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
awildademusa@yahoo.com
May 2008 |
"Estimado Hakan,
He vuelto encantada de vuestra ciudad. Ha sido un visita corta, pero
gracias a vuestros servicios, he podido rentabilizar el tiempo al
máximo y conocer, no sólo los monumentos, los mercados y los
rincones turísticos, sino también he conocido y saboreado partes de
la ciudad que no son tan turísticas.
Gracias por vuestra amabilidad y cortesía. David y tú habéis sido
unos guías fantásticos, consiguiendo que además de conocer la ciudad
haya pasado dos días en un agradable y cortés ambiente.
Un abrazo
Y... Enhorabuena por el triunfo del Galatasaray."
Ms.
Estrella Valenciano
Madrid, SPAIN
evalenciano@pole.es
May 2008
|
"Estimado Hakan,
Queremos expresarle nuestra gratitud por la maravillosa estancia
de la que nos han hecho disfrutar en su ciudad.
Su profesionalidad, capacidad de organización, puntualidad,
amabilidad y simpatía han hecho que disfrutáramos de un viaje
que para nosotros será inolvidable.
De la mano de Jak, nuestro guía, hemos podido conocer una de las
más bellas ciudades del mundo con todos sus contrastes, su
cultura y sus costumbres. Sus amplios conocimientos, su cortesía
y su exquisita educación nos han dado a conocer tantos aspectos
de la misma ciudad que difícilmente hubiéramos podido adquirir
si su presencia.
El tercer día que pasamos con usted fue el colofón perfecto para
nuestra corta estancia en Estambul. Recordaremos con nostalgia
el inigualable crucero por las aguas del Bósforo disfrutando de
su compañía a la vez que degustábamos su preciado café turco,
todo un recuerdo para los sentidos.
El trato recibido por su personal, chóferes y guía fue
inmejorable.
Hemos vuelto a casa con la sensación de haber dejado en Estambul
a dos amigos Hakan y Jak, y esperamos poder repetir esta
experiencia tan enriquecedora en todos los aspectos. No sólo
hemos conocido los monumentos de una gran ciudad, hemos conocido
a sus habitantes, su cultura, su forma de entender la vida y su
gastronomía. Jamás pensamos que en tan poco tiempo podríamos
enamorarnos tan pronto de un lugar, Estambul, y esto es gracias
a ustedes, buenos profesionales que con su saber hacer y estar
han hecho de nuestra estancia algo difícil de olvidar.
Reciba un afectuoso saludo de sus amigos,"
Dr.
Juan Bonillo Bernet y Marina Ferrer
Valencia, SPAIN
marinaferrerm@telefonica.net
May 2008
|
|
"Estimado
Hakan: En nombre de mi
familia y en el mio propio, muchas gracias por la eficacia,
amabilidad y calidad de tus servicios.
Los conocimientos de Apo, nuestro guía,
y su amabilidad han hecho que conozcamos el Estambul histórico y
artístico, pero también la vida, rincones y comida típicas de la
ciudad.
Por
supuesto recomendaremos tus servicios a nuestros familiares y
amigos.
Un abrazo."
Mr. Anselmo Contreras Nodal
Madrid, SPAIN
acontreras@anaya.es
March 2008 |
"Estimado Hakan,
Estamos
muy agradecidos contigo, por haber logrado que nuestra visita a
Estambul, que tan mal empezó terminara
maravillosamente.
En
verdad fue muy importante contar con tu apoyo.
Si
alguna vez visitas México, no dudes en buscarnos, ya que será un
privilegio tener la oportunidad a corresponder a todas tus
atenciones.
Atentamente,"
Mrs. Fernanda & Mr. Gerardo Molinar -
Director, JIBDA Y Asociados
Mexico City, MEXICO
gerson@atajal.com
April 2008 |
|
"Dear Hakan,
I just wanted to thank you so much for making our
trip to Istanbul one of the best trips abroad we have ever had. Each
night when we came back to our hotel, my daughter would run into the
room and say, "Mom, that was so much fun!" Our guide, Riza Yenice,
was so knowledgeable. Not only did we see all the beautiful sites, I
also felt we learned a great deal about Istanbul's history and
culture.
Every detail of the trip was meticulously arranged,
right down to dinner recommendations and reservations. Our driver
Serkan was also top-notch. All we had to do was relax and enjoy
ourselves!
I definitely plan to make a return trip, and I look
forward to letting you show me some of Turkey's other treasures. In
the meantime, I have beautiful pictures and lots of fond memories.
Thank you again.
Warmest personal regards,
stacey_meyer.pdf
Ms. Stacey Meyer
Forest Lake, MN, USA
stacey_meyer@admworld.com
March 2008 |
"Hola Hakan:
Ya de nuevo en nuestra ciudad despuès de este maravilloso
viaje.
En nombre de todo el grupo y en el mìo propio, queremos
expresarte nuestros agradecimientos por esta maravillosa
estadìa en Istanbul, todo lo que nos seleccionaste para
conocer fuè perfecto, asì como el guìa (Abdullah) que nos
asignaste.
Cuenta con nuestra mas amplia recomendaciòn y te autorizamos
a incluir nuestros comentarios en tu pàgina de Internet.
Cordial saludo"
Mrs. Ana
Lucìa Mesa
|
|
"Querido
Hakan
Hemos realizado un espléndido viaje, donde nos hemos sentido muy
bien atendidos y guiados de forma extraordinaria. Te lo dice alguien
que está habituado a viajar de forma muy privada y organizada.
Quiero
destacar la amable puntualidad así como la perfecta y simpática
corrección en todos los sentidos del amigo Serkan. La magnífica
labor de Apo, nuestro guía, que con su extenso conocimiento logró
hacernos un poco más cultos de forma amena y entretenida, arropando
con su calidez y calidad humana una relación que sobrepasó en todos
los aspectos las mas altas expectativas.
Por último
agradecerte profundamente tu magnífica acogida y organización así
como el fenomenal día que pasamos contigo, conociendo el Bósforo y
el Estambul más actual y moderno.
Es relevante
la medida en que la calidad de personas y servicios así como su
coordinación afectan en el resultado de un viaje de vacaciones. En
tu caso, Hakan, debo expresar mi más sincera gratitud. Lograste
hacer de esta corta estancia una soberbia vivencia y un inolvidable
recuerdo para toda mi familia. No hubo fallo alguno; como poquísimas
veces, este viaje rozó la perfección.
Te lo agradecemos de corazón."
Mr.
Roger Sangenis
Barcelona, SPAIN
RSangenis@gesisa.net
March 2008 |
"Hakan
Hi,
‘’Thank you for the hospitality you and your company provided
myself and my family during our holiday in Istanbul. The service
you provided was superlative.
Our guide
Abdullah was extremely knowledgeable and gave us an accurate
insight of the history in Istanbul and all the historic sights.
My daughters are going to miss Abdullah as he constantly kept
them entertained, my 6yr old Myah has already written a story
about our visit and about Abdullah.
The vehicle was amazing I would say ‘proper luxury’ Serkan drove
exceptionally well and safely.
You
provided us with amazing memories that we will cherish for a
very long time, and hopefully we will visit again very soon and
enjoy your services once again.’’
Hope to see you in a couple of months to pick up the watches.
R’s"
Mr. Asad Adris and Family
Birmingham, UK
SAdris@mpb.co.uk
March 2008
|
|
"Dear Mr. Gurger,
The whole family was very happy with our stay in
Istanbul. Your services (bus, driver, organization) were just
perfect. We never had any problem and everything went very smooth.
You could not possibly do better. The traffic jams in your beautiful
city are not your fault!!!
Mr. Tibet is a perfect guide, very patient in
answering our hundreds of questions, loving his country and very
interesting to discuss with. He knows the history of Turkey very
well and is very ineresting in his explanations. We intend to visit
Capadoce in the future and will then try to go there with Mr. Tibet.
Everytime we come to Turkey, we love this country and its people
more and more. We only hope that it will not be unstabilized for
political and religeous reasons and that it will very soon enter
into the Eruopaen community.
Thank you again for all your kind help and we hope
all of us, to meet you again very soon."
Evelyne and Fabien Wolfrath,
Dominique, Philip, Laurence and Stéphanie
Neuchatel, SWITZERLAND
wolfrath.richei@bluewin.ch
March 2008 |
"Estimado Serhan:
La familia Piquero te estamos profundamente agradecidos porque
has hecho de nuestro viaje a Turquía una experiencia
inolvidable.
Gracias a ti hemos aprendido mucho acerca de un país fascinante.
No te olvidaremos nunca.
Te enviamos una foto del grupo y reiteramos nuestro
agradecimiento. Eres un gran profesional.
Un saludo muy afectuoso de todos nosotros."
Familia Piquero
Zaragoza, SPAIN
iamelagarcia@terra.es
March 2008
 |
|
"Hola
Hakan,
Soy
Montse Torá y te mando este correo desde Barcelona, no sé si te
acordaras de mí pero por si acaso te doy más datos,
contratamos vuestros servicios para un tour de un día por vuestra
maravillosa ciudad el pasado verano, más concretamente el 31 Julio,
éramos 5 personas que llegábamos a Estambul en el Gran Voyager y
teníamos muy poco tiempo para visitar la ciudad, y tampoco sabíamos
por donde empezar, al veros en Internet pensamos que nos podríais
ayudar, y la verdad es que fue la mejor y más provechosa visita de
todo el crucero, Hasan, el que fue nuestro guía fue fantástico y
puso el listón muy alto a los demás guías que nos acompañaron
durante los tour del crucero. Nos llevó casi exhaustos a ver la
mayor cantidad de cosas bonitas que se pueden ver en Estambul, nos
llevó a comer a un restaurante donde la comida era buenísima, y
además tenía unas vistas espectaculares y nos cuidó mucho,
especialmente a Ana una jovencita de 15 años con mucho peligro.
Bueno desde Barcelona un saludo de Angeles,
Miguel, Ana,
Marcos y mío y un recuerdo y un beso a Hasan de parte nuestra.
Volveremos a Turquía y volveremos a vernos, seguro."
Ms.
Montse Torá
Barcelona, SPAIN
mtvi@telefonica.net
March 2008
|
"Estimado Hakan:
Sólo quería saludarlo y decirle que nuestro viaje continuó
por Turquía (Capadocia y Ankara) luego fuimos al crucero por
el río Nilo, luego a Grecia: Atenas y la parte continental
hasta Kalambaka, y luego Madrid.
Todo biem, pero demasiado largo y agotador.
De
los países, a pesar de las conmovedoras riquezas
arqueológicas de Egipto y Grecia, a mí lo que más me gustó
fue Turquía. Y, volveré más de una vez a Estambul.
En Capadocia me compré una alfombra, que mandé a hacer, y me
llega en Junio.
Quiero agradecerle sus atenciones porque gracias al cómodo
auto y a que teníamos su oficina y a ud. todo nos fue más
fácil y pudimos sobrevivir al frio de la nieve y el sol.
Ya de regreso a Chile y pasada la semana Santa (Chile es
mayoritariamente Católico) me he reintegrado a mis
actividades.
No quería dejar de pasar mucho tiempo para darle las gracias
y decirle que su país es muy hermoso, pujante, la gente es
muy amable y Estambul es mágico.
Le saluda con afecto"
|
"Querido Hakan,
Quiero reiterarte en mi nombre y en el de mi esposa Inma las
atenciones y el servicio recibidos durante nuestra visita a
Estambul. Lamentablemente la visita no pudo ser completa por causas
completamente ajenas a nuestra voluntad pero, como hemos comentado
esta manana, la proxima vez en 2009 volveremos con nuestro hijo para
una estancia algo mas larga y con extension a Capadocia tambien.
Por favor trasladale nuestro agradecimiento tambien a Zeynep por su
profesionalidad y simpatia durante el dia que pasamos en
Sultanahmet. Nos hubiera gustado despedirmos de ella personalmente
pero lamentamos que no fuera posible.
Yo tengo pensado volver a Estambul por trabajo seguramente en
Septiembre. Estaremos en contacto para organizar un servicio de
coche y conductor para mis desplazamientos.
Lo dicho. Un placer y espero verte pronto. Estamos en contacto.
Un saludo muy cordial,"
abad.pdf
Mr. Jose Abad
Warner Bros, Senior Vice President, Southern Europe
Madrid, SPAIN
Jose.Abad@warnerbros.com
March
2008
|
"Estimado Hakan:
En primer lugar felicitarte por lo perfecto que resultó, nuestra
vista a Estambul (12 personas),todo fué sobre
ruedas, con la inigualable figura y personalidad del guia amigo APO,
persona entrañable y que desde estas lineas deseamos que le
transmitas nuestro profundo agradecimiento.
Los restaurantes a los que nos llevasteis, colmaron nuestra
pretensiones y los sitios fueron muy agradables, no nos cabe la
menor duda que hemos de volver, aunque cuando lo hagamos, lo
hariamos con más dias y ampliariamos la visita a otras zonas de
Turquia, con lo que tambien contariamos con vosotros.
Como
se dice en nuestra tierra vusetros servicios fueron de "chapó".
Recibes un cordial saludo,"
Mr. José Luis
Mora Ramirez
Mora y Asociados
Seville, SPAIN
morayasociados@telefonica.net
March 2008 |
|
"Dearest Mr. Gurger,
I would like to thank you very much
for making my stay in Istanbul especially memorable. The tour guide
you have provided me, Ms. Meltem, has been extraordinary. After
spending 2 days with Meltem, I feel like we've been friends forever.
She is just lovely and she made me feel so at ease the entire time.
I have had a chance to experience not only the wonderful sights but
as well the history of Istanbul. I also had the pleasure of getting
to know a little bit of the culture as well. My experience with your
private tour has been the best I've had.
I must also mention that my transportation and its driver have been
so comfortable. I apologize that I don't remember his name but I
wanted to acknowledge him as well. He's been so patient and made my
journey a pleasant one.
I hope to see you and your team soon.
Best Regards"
Ms. Tessa
Yamut
Los Gatos, CA, USA
tessayamut@yahoo.com
March 2008
 |
"Estimado Hakan:
Queremos manifestarte nuestra más
sincera felicitación y agradecimiento por todos los servicios y
atenciones recibidas durante nuestra estancia en esta ciudad los
pasados 18 al 21 febrero 2008.
A su vez,
nuestro reconocimiento para Abdullah Yenice, que nos ha
acompañado en nuestras visitas, haciéndonos disfrutar de manera
encantadora, con una magnífica y gran preparación y
profesionalidad. Persona así, nos gustaría encontrar siempre en
nuestros viajes.
Salud y
bienestar para todos. Gracias."
Mr. Francisco
Javier Mena Caballero
Seville, SPAIN
fmenac@terra.es
March
2008
 |
|
"Hakan and his guides and drivers
were absolutely first rate. We could relax in the comfort of their
white glove service while being stimulated by their intelligent
and knowledgeable explanations.
They brought 1500 years of compelling
history and exotic architecture to life in the
most intriguing manner.
It was great fun."
Ms. Darelyn
Anderson Olsen
Mr. Gary Brown
New York, NY, USA
darelyn@mac.com
|
"Dear Mr. Hakan,
Thanks for everything. Whatever words I will use now is nothing
for your hospitality and care. My trip to Turkey was historical
for my life as I came to celebrate my 1st anniversary. Of course
you made it more memorable, I will never forget the moments with
you.
We got more than we spent.
Really fantastic & really luxury.
Thanks again for
everything."
Mrs.
Sarju J. Chauhan
Mr. Jayesh Chauhan
Dubai, UAE
uaegeneraltrading@gmail.com
 |
"Hello Hakan,
I just wanted to drop you a note and tell you how pleased we were
with the guided tour that you set up for our group. We were met at
the airport and each morning, promptly, and Earphan (forgive the
spelling, I never saw his name spelled out), our guide, was
knowledgeable and helpful. We were able to see much more than we
could possible have seen on our own, and we were thrilled that we
learned so much about the city and country.
A special thanks to you for helping us at the hotel that first
night, when our reservations were lost. You were a world of help to
us in straightening it out.
We look forward to visiting Istanbul again in the future, and your
service will be our first choice for a guide.
Thanks again,"
Mr. David Freeland
USA
defreeland@hotmail.com
 |
"Buenas tardes Hakan, con un poco de retraso pero tal y como
habiamos acordado mi esposa y yo te enviamos un mail para
agradecer a ti y a tu equipo el haber contribuido a hacer mas
agradables e interesantes nuestras vacaciones en Estambul.
Sin duda una ciudad unica
que merece la pena descubrir y hacerlo ademas de la mano de un
buen guia como en nuestro caso fue Zeynep, el servicio de chofer
con un van Mercedes es muy recomendable y funciono siempre
puntual y amable.
Como sabes el Hotel
Kempinsky es fantastico ademas de estar situado en un entorno
privilegiado. Nos encanto el Bosforo y el Cuerno de Oro.
Los restaurantes que nos
recomendaste resultaron agradables, aunque es una de las partes
del servicio que se puede mejorar ampliando un poco la seleccion
e informando un poco mas del tipo de cocina, entorno, nivel de
precio etc.
De nuevo Hakan gracias por
tu amabilidad y sin duda recomendaremos vuestros a servicios a
nuestros amigos que visiten Turquia.
Un abrazo."
Mrs. Mirari
Vitorica
Mr. Jose Antonio Alday
Madrid,
SPAIN
YOSEBAALDAY@terra.es
|
Perdona que no te haya escrito antes pues realmente hoy es el
primer dia que tengo tiempo.
Como quedamos te escribo para agradecerte tu amabilidad y la de
la guia y chofer con los que hemos compartido estos dias en
estambul. Cuando hablamos con gente que ha estado ahi, me doy
cuenta que no han visto Estambul, han estado en Estambul,
nosotras realmente hemos conocido una pequeña parte de esa
maravillosa ciudad pero lo que hemos visto lo hemos disfrutado
centimetro a centimetro.
No dudes que si volvemos como si conocieramos a alguien que
fuera no dudariamos en aconsejarle que se pusieran en contacto
contigo. Mi madre y mi tia me dan recuerdos para vosotros y me
suscriben en todo lo que ya te he dicho antes.
Un abrazo muy fuerte de parte de todas nosotras."
|
"Estimado Sr. Hakan:
Queremos agradecerle su
amable hospitalidad.
Gracias a ustedes pasamos
un día fantástico en Istambul. Jaime es un guía genial y,
por supuesto, una persona encantadora.
A pesar del lamentable
incidente que sufrimos en el restaurante del barrio de
Kumkapi, nos hemos llevado un magnifico recuerdo de su
maravillosa ciudad. (Sabemos perfectamente que hechos como
este pueden ocurrir en cualquier parte del mundo,
desgraciadamente también en Barcelona, y con mayor
frecuencia de la que todos desearíamos). Pero,
afortunadamente también, en todas partes, hay gente tan
amigable como ustedes.
Con toda seguridad vamos a
recomendar sus servicios a cualquier persona, amigos y
conocidos, que en un futuro quieran visitar
su cautivadora tierra.
Una vez mas, muchísimas
gracias por todo.
Reciba un cordial saludo y
un abrazo para Jaime."
|
El motivo
del presente escrito es el agradecerte toda la amabilidad
que has tenido con nosotros y el manifestarte lo mucho que
hemos aprendido de tus conocimientos sobre Estambul.
Tal como te comente en el ultimo día el próximo año no solo
te llamare para tus servicios de guía sino para que me
asesores también sobre rutas y hoteles que tu creas que son
los adecuados.
Aprovechando para darte un fuerte abrazo."
Mr. Luis
Chavarría
Grau -
Banco Popular, Director de Empresas de la Regional II de
Catalunya
Barcelona, SPAIN
lchavarria@bancopopular.es
|
"Estimado Hakan:
Después de nuestro
viaje a Estambul, no dejamos mi mujer y yo de recordar los
inolvidables días que hemos pasado allí. La ciudad es
impresionante, sus gentes, los lugares, …pero el como hemos conocido
la ciudad es la que más nos ha marcado. Nuestra experiencia ha sido
extraordinaria.
Vuestros servicios no sólo nos han permitido ver la ciudad y sus
rincones, aprender de las costumbres, conocer con detalle la
historia, sino que lo más importante para nosotros ha sido contar
con profesionales como vosotros que han hecho que nuestra estancia
sea mágica.
Muchas gracias por vuestra simpatía, profesionalidad y empeño en
lograr que turistas como nosotros se lleven el mejor recuerdo de una
ciudad tan apasionante como Estambul.
Volveremos, eso puedes contar con ello.
Un
fuerte abrazo para ti y todo tu equipo."
Mr.
Francisco Cabrera -
Managing
Director, G2 Marketing Intelligence
Madrid, SPAIN
paco.cabrera@g2.com
|
|
"Dear
Hakan:
Just a quick note
to let you know how much we benefited from your services. The guides
and drivers you arranged for our group of 6 in Ephesus and Istanbul
were outstanding and helped make our trip special. They really knew
their stuff.
We especially
enjoyed the day we got to spend with you and see the other side/the
non tourist side of Istanbul. Great insight into the world of today!
Thanks again for
your assistance.
And don’t forget,
when you go back to Northwestern for a class reunion, come and visit
us in St. Louis."
Mr. Lon Zimmerman
St. Louis, MO, USA
lonzimm@aol.com
|
"Hi Hakan
Thank you again
for providing us with exceptional personalised and thoughtful
service. Thank you also for providing a wonderful guide, Meltem was
VERY good.
Regards"
Mrs. Denise Carl
Mr. David Carl
AUSTRALIA
dhcarl@connexus.net.au
|
|
"Our 2 days with Hakan were
wonderful. His knowledge + expertise not only about Istanbul but
also Turkey and the world as it relates to Turkey is exceptional. He
made our stay quite memorable."
Mrs.
Ellen Pearsall
Mr. Philip Pearsall
Pinehurst, NC,
USA
 |
"Dear Mr. Hakan,
Hello from Coral Gables Florida! Just a note to let you know how
much we enjoyed your beautiful city thanks to Meltem, the
wounderful guide you provided for us and the very courteous
driver. If we had to rate this tour on a one to ten we will rate
it an eleven.
The knowledge
and history of Turkey and the sites we visited, explained to
us by Meltem, was incredible. We are planning to give our travel
agent your name and email address so other travelers can take
advandage of your wounderful service. Thank you again for
making our stay in Istanbul so pleasant and rewarding. Say hello
to your father for us.
Coral
Gables,
FL, USA
cvperezsr@comcast.net
|
|
"On our recent European trip we had five guides. You were far
and away the best. When we first met you the first thing my wife
said to me after we had a minute alone was; "he really does
speak American English". Some of the things we loved about you
as a guide were: your extraordinary knowledge of Istanbul and
all of its buildings and history, you showed us a huge variety
of life in Istanbul, you went at our pace slowing down when we
needed to. Within a couple of hours we felt like we were friends
and by the end of the day and a half it felt like you were our
son.
We
laughed we talked and we ate together, this is what friendship
and family are about. When my wife got tired you immediately
found us a place to sit and eat. And the places you took us
would be favorite restaurants if they were in Los Angeles. I
just opened a box of Divan chocolates and think of you every
time I eat one. Experiencing the people the culture and the food
of Istanbul is a treasure that I will savor all of my life.
In
addition to being the best guide we had you weren'teven the most
expensive! I highly recommend it to anybody looking for a guide
in Istanbul. If they live in the United States tell them to call
me at 800-995-1426 and I would be happy to share with them our
experience with you.
Sincerely,"
Mr. Jim Brown,
MBA
|
"Hakan,
It has been 2 months since we were on our cruise and had the
opportunity to see you and Istanbul. Some of the people in the
group that we talk to all the time still talk about it and
especially the day we had in Istanbul with you.
Being able to
tour with just our group made it a more intimate setting and we
were able to ask more questions as we were seeing the sights.
Everyone still talks about the Grand Bazaar and the lunch that
we had with you and how that really capped off a great trip. We
really did enjoy you and the visit to your city very much and
are looking forward to the next time that we have the
opportunity to come and visit. You can be sure that you will get
a call from us when we do.
You can
certainly use us as a reference and anyone that we book into
that area will be given your name to set up tours with.
If you are
ever able to be in the Northwest part of the U.S. and have the
time let us know so we can show you around the area.
Thanks again
for an absolutely great tour and a fantastic ending to our
cruising experience."
Mrs. Kay Sabin -
Kay Sabin Travel
Mr. Mike Sabin
ske340@comcast.net
Hillsboro,
OR, USA |
|
"Gracias HAKAN
Tu buena
disposición y amabilidad nos hizo pasar un día
estupendo y sobre todo diferente.
Un saludo de
Santander."
Mr. Jose R. Saiz
Mrs.
Pilar Martinez
Santander, SPAIN
 |
"Dear Hakan,
What wonderful
memories we have of your beautiful city of Istanbul. We shall always
remember your hospitality, knowledge of historical Turkey and
appreciation of the arts. Your driving skills are superb! Lastly,
our discussions with you made us feel so very welcome. We hope to
see you again. Best of luck to you."
Mrs.
Sylvia Fredricks
Mr. Robert A. Fredricks - Consultant, Ferguson Electric
Buffalo, NY, USA
 |
|
"My husband and I spent two
wonderful days getting to know Hakan and his Istanbul. His
historical and cultural knowledge was shared with passion. His
command of the English language (and several others) was masterful.
Hakan, thank you and good luck with your endeavours."
Mrs. Lesley Spiegel -
Synergy Events
Mr.
Tim Spiegel
Kelowna BC,
CANADA
 |
"Apreciado Hakan:
Queremos
agradecer tus servicios en nuestra primera visita a Istanbul. Tus
conocimientos sobre la historia y costumbres de la ciudad nos
sirvieron para integrarnos en la vida ciudadana.
No dudes que
nuestros amigos y conocidos tendrán nuestra
recomendación sobre tus servicios si visitan la ciudad.
Un abrazo."
Mrs. Inma Chueca
Mr.
Salustià Binefa
Barcelona, SPAIN
 |
|
"Dear Hakan Gurger:
Coming to Turkey
for the first time and to do business was quite exciting. I found
that my decision to retain your services was quite fruitful because
most of the people I came into contact with did not understand
English and were also people I wanted to make a positive appearance
to.
It is one thing
to travel and "wing" it in a foreign land, but when you are sincere
in this, one needs assistance from someone like yourself to help
articulate business in a friendly and positive manner. Having you by
my side I felt very comfortable as well as discussing matters of
business.
Your services
would be essential to anyone wanting to conduct business in Turkey.
Please feel free to use me as a reference.
Sincerely,"
Mr. Eric Oler
Austin, TX, USA
|
"We would like to express our deep appreciation for the tour guide
services provided by Hakan Gurger in Istanbul, Turkey.
Hakan was very
amicable and accomodated our suggestions with a fine itinerary that
included a scholarly integration of the history of ancient and
modern Turkey.
He was extremely
pleasant, had fluency in English, a wonderful contageous sense of
humor that added to our two day tour.
With his
assistance we were able to see what we wanted as he took our
suggestions and together with his knowledge of Istanbul built a two
day tour to fit our time and agenda.
We would most
highly recommend Hakan to others who want a knowledgeable and
pleasant guide for one, two, or more days."
Mr.
Tim Shine
Mr. Bob Januska
Burlington, CT, USA
|
|
"Estimado Hakan Gurger, queremos agradecerte tus servicios como guía
de esta tu ciudad, y sobre todo la amabilidad y dedicación con las
que lo has llevado a cabo.
Ten por seguro que hablaremos de ti a nuestros conocidos y amigos.
Cuente con nosotros di decides venir a España.
Un afectuoso saludo,"
Mrs.
Victoria Fluiters - Funcionaria
Mrs. Carmen Cardesa - Enfermera
Mr. Luis de Navascués - Médico
Mr. Luis Calavia - Abogado
Madrid - Huesca, SPAIN
|
"Dear Hakan,
Thank you so much
for the wonderful 2 days in Istanbul with you as our guide. Your
outstanding knowledge of the history and culture of Turkey made our
visit extremely interesting and educational. Karen and I also
appreciate your youthful enthusiasm and love of life, and bringing
our 2 daughters an appreciation of modern Turkey.
With sincere
appreciation,"
Mrs. Karen Lohss
Miss
Averi Lohss
Miss
Cori Lohss
Mr.
Mark Lohss - President, Applied Visions, LLC
Chicago, IL,
USA
|
|
"Dear Hakan,
In spite of
having seen everything on previous trips to Istanbul, our decision
to hire you to guide us was the best decision we could have made.
Your knowledge of
the history, religions, and layout of the city was fabulous - and
your sense of humor was icing on the cake.
When we return to
Istanbul, and I expect we will, we will certainly contact you to
help us explore other treasures in the most historic of cities.
Thanks!"
Ms. Bette Joram -
Psychotherapist
Mr. Frank Whetten, PhD - Wireless Systems Architect, The Boeing
Company
Seattle, WA,
USA
|
"Estimado Hakan,
Fue un placer
conocerte y un enorme gusto conocer Istambul contigo.
Tus conocimientos
fueron enriquecedores para nuestra experiencia, los lugares que
visitamos tuvieron la combinación
exacta entre lo tradicional turístico y lo poco visitado, que
permite acercarnos más a un Istambul distinto.
Te extendemos la invitación para que nos visites en México.
Muchas gracias"
Ms. Victoria Márquez
- Gerente Implementación de Imagen, Banco Azteca
Mr.
Enrique García de León - Gerente Dinero Express, Grupo Elektra
Mexico City, MEXICO
|
|
"Dear Hakan:
We would like to
thank you for showing us your city. The two days of cultural touring
left us very appreciative of the depth of Istanbul's history.
We appreciated
the lovely restaurants you recommended, and your overall passion and
enthusiasm.
Having you drive
us around the entire city allowed us to see much more than we would
have accomplished alone. Thank you for being a safe and careful
driver.
It was great fun
and we thank you for your energetic effort. We learned a lot, we ate
a lot and we felt very secure in your care.
Sincerely yours,
Ms. Pamela Pinter
- President, Big Apple Customs Brokers
Ms. Rita Slavin
New York, NY,
USA
|
"A LA ATENCION DE
D. HAKAN GURGER:
La decisión
de coger como guía al Sr. Hakan fue un acierto total. Cogimos un
guía y hemos dejado un amigo.
Gracias a los conocimientos de Historia y de la ciudad de Estambul
que Hakan tiene, hemos podido ver todo aquello que nos habíamos
propuesto y disfrutar al mismo tiempo de los rincones y de las
comidas más típicas de la ciudad.
Gracias Hakan, te recomendaremos a nuestros mejores amigos."
Mrs.
Francisca Martínez
Mr. Alberto Torres Martínez - Administrador Principal, Grupo
Goldfinger
Valencia, SPAIN
|
|
"Vogliamo
complimentarci con Hakan Gurger per la professionalità,
puntualità e serietà che abbiamo sperimentato durante la nostra
permenanza in Istanbul.
Lo consigliamo a chi volesse visitare questa meravigliosa città."
Dr.ssa Federica Gozzini
- Medico Chirurgo Odontoiatra
Brescia
Dr. Bruno Faini - Medico Chirurgo Odontoiatra
Brescia
Dr. Mario Riccardi - Medico Chirurgo Odontoiatra
Bergamo
Dr. Eduardo Rossi - Osteopata DO mro(i) -
Parma
ITALY
|
El día
de hoy tuvimos como guía al SR: Hakan Gurger, fue una experiencia
enriquececedora para nuestro viaje en Turquía, esperamos regresar
algún día y poder contar en su compañía.
Gracias por su tiempo y conocimientos que dijó a nosotros.
Regresamos a Colombia muy contentos de nuestro viaje."
Dr. Francisco Javier Gaitán Quiñones - Dermatología, Cirugía
Estética
y
Familia
Bogotá, COLOMBIA
|
|
"Dear Hakan,
We
would like to sincerely thank you for the excellent service you
provided during our first visit to Istanbul.
Your detailed knowledge of the city and its
various cultural sites is superb. Given your efficient planning, we
were not only able to visit the usual sites, but also were able to
experience the local offerings that we may have missed (especially
the delicious local cuisine!!)
Even prior to our arrival, your attention to
detail and service via email was most appreciated.
We look forward to visiting this beautiful and
rich city again; hopefully with our children and with you again as
our guide.
Thank you again for the memorable visit to
Turkey!!
With warmest regards,"
Mrs. Robyn H. Stern -
The Manhattan Mortgage Company
Mr.
Peter S. Stern - Principal, Nürnberger Wach-und
Schließgesellschaft
mbh
Chappaqua,
NY, USA
 
|
Listen up, fellow
citizens! Multiply your experience in one of the most intriguing
cities in the world. Hire Hakan Gurger; he was punctual, his manners
courtly, and his humor delightful. Hakan has perfect idiomatic
American English, and knew the current NFL standings and the UNC
basketball bench better than I. He also ordered the perfect lunch.
He may be an
Osmani prince. Of course he knows details about the various sites,
but complements these facts with the political and social
under-story. His pride in Istanbul, its people, and its future is
infectious. He and I talked politics at lunch; he gave my grown sons
an audio tour of contemporary Turkish rock and roll during the
drive.
All in all, it
was a perfect day."
Mrs. Jody Mincey
Mr. Gregory J.
Mincey, MD - Carolina Eye Associates
Mr. Patrick Mincey
Mr. Drew Mincey
Pinehurst, NC, USA |
|
"Dear Hakan:
Allow us to thank you for making our trip to Istanbul truly
memorable. Our visit to your beautiful city was very special due to
your special talents as a tour guide; and your love of, and passion
for, Istanbul was evident throughout our four day stay.
Istanbul is truly a
vibrant world-class city, and our experience was enhanced by
international perspectives - from historical sites to memorable
dining events.
We look forward
to you being our escort on future visits."
Mrs.
Judy Smith
Mr.
David A. Smith - Managing Director, Red Oak Consulting
Buffalo, NY,
USA
"Dear Hakan:
Thank you again for the lifetime of memories you provided during our
brief visit to your wonderful city. We tell everyone what a great,
cosmopolitan city Istanbul is, and that the only way to fully
appreciate its varied sides is by utilizing the services of your
guides of Istanbul.
Best wishes and
please keep in touch when your busy schedule permits.
Thank you again
for being a most gracious host. You are the best ambassador that
Turkey could ever hope for." |
"Mia moglie ed io
abbiamo deciso di trascorrere 3 giorni a Istanbul pensando ad una
guida che fosse in grado di farci conoscere il più
possibile della città in così pochi giorni. Ci siamo rivolti a Hakan
Gurger trovando una guida ideale.
Cortese, colto, intelligente, profondo conoscitore della città e del
suo paese e attento osservatore dell'esigenze dei suoi ospiti.
Veramente impeccabile!"
Avv. Andrea Musenga -
Studio Legale Musenga
Roma, ITALY
|
|
"Dear Hakan, Thank you for all your
efforts to make our two days in Istanbul absolutely great. We would
like to tell you that we enjoyed it very much and it is our pleasure
to recommend you as private tour guide to everybody.
Also, you speak very good French
:) As we told you before, you should definitely make your site in
French and advertise your company in France.
Merci beaucoup et au revoir!"
Dominique, Val et Claire
Paris, FRANCE |
"Dear Hakan,
Today
marked the culmination of our four day visit to your beautiful city
of Istanbul.
Thanks to your
professional guidance and companionship, we had very concentrated
doses of informative history, sociology, culture, religion and
ethnic exposure; but above all, it was your pleasant personality,
patience and your utmost desire to please your clients, that made
our visit such a special and memorable one.
We leave Istanbul
with a sense of sorrow that time was too short to cover the vast
wealth of heritage but with the reassurance that we have you a
friend for life.
Hakan, thanks for
making our stay a pleasant and educational one; we look forward to
many future visits with your company of course.
Regards"
Mr. Hussain Redha
- General Manager, The Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO)
&
Redha Family
Awali, BAHRAIN
 |
|
"Esperabamos encontrarnos una
ciudad oriental, del Este y la primera sorpresa fue HAKAN, que
como su ciudad es amable, hospitalario, vital y cosmopolita.
En
las visitas que realizamos juntos durante tres días nos fue
descubriendo la diversidad de ciudades dentro de la impactante
Estambul.
HAKAN
conoce muy bien y ama la historia de su país y esto transmite en
cada coversación, no es un guía convencional. Resultó un viaje
perfecto en gran medida gracias a él.
Muchas gracias y görüþmek üzere,"
Mrs.
Antonieta
Mr.
Antonio Negrin Diaz
- Urologo
Tenerife, Canarias, SPAIN
 |
"We've had four wonderful days with
Hakan as our guide and he helped us enjoy the city and its beautiful
mosques, churches, palaces, markets and all other monuments. Besides
providing all kinds of necessary information about the city and its
history, Hakan was able to comprehend our unique preferences and
make suggestions accordingly. From the restaurants and events he
picked for us to the daily plans, we can easily say that, even if we
had known the city, the culture and the language extremely well, we
could not have prepared a better four-day trip to Istanbul for
ourselves.
Moreover, a
few points worth mentioning are: Hakan was always right on time to
pick us up from our hotel. He was always very polite calling us Mr.
and Mrs. throughout the four days.
We should also add that Istanbul
is probably one of the most outstanding cities in the world and we
recommend everyone planning a visit to this wonderful city to
contact Hakan and let him take you through the wonders of the city."
Mrs. Christine Barry
Mr. Robert Barry
New York, NY, USA |
|
"Dear Hakan, thank you for everything.. Our tour with you was
wonderful and we enjoyed it very much. We got to see many parts of
Istanbul we would not have been able to see ourselves without your
suggestions. The Bosphorus is breathtaking but my favorite would
have to be the Cafe Pierre Loti. And the Dolmabahce Palace is simply
unbelieveable. Well, anyway.. Thanks so much again.."
Mrs. Marianne Arnold
Mr. Jason Arnold
Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
"Hakan, thank you very much for a great and interesting tour of
Istanbul. Alan and I both really enjoyed our time with you. You are
the best tour guide in Istanbul. When you find out the reason
for the holes in the obelisque, please email me. Sincerely.."
Mrs. Dawn Powlan Levinson
Mr. Alan Levinson
Sausalito, CA,
USA
|
|
"Istanbul was
simply great and we are already making plans to visit it again soon.
Hakan must be the best guide in the city; extremely well informed,
always charming and resourceful. Many thanks..."
Meredith & Justine
London, UK |
"My day with Hakan in Istanbul was
superb. He was waiting there for me at the airport and from there he
did all the work, I didn't have to think at all. It was one of the
most relaxing days I have had in a long time.
Hakan was willing
to pace his tour of Istanbul to suit me. He is enthusiastic and
passionate about Istanbul and this comes through in his detailed
knowledge about the history, religious influences and politics of
Istanbul. He is willing to tackle any subject you desire to talk
about.
I felt safe and relaxed with him as my tour guide and would
happily recommend him to anyone who wants an enthusiastic energetic
guide of Istanbul."
Miss
Jennifer Grocott
AUSTRALIA |
|
