*To see the video in all its HD goodness, click the far right button on the right side of player to go full screen and then crank it up to 720p.

Made for travelers by travelers.

That could be the motto for this holiday apartment. Zumrut and her husband Hayri bought this apartment (and the one below it) so they could rent it out and make money to travel. We found this out after we booked it through Roomorama and started chatting with the hosts through the Roomorama system prior to our arrival.

Their dream is to take a year off and travel the world! It was a perfect fit and we had a lot to talk about. Inside there is even a photo collage of their holiday experiences – it’s really cute. To top it off, because they travel so much they know what you need when you arrive. Cheese, bread, beer, wine & water were already there when we arrived – it was perfect! So many times you arrive in a new place and have to run out and find something to eat or drink, so it was great to have the staples right off the bat! They also gifted us a box of local Turkish Delights – something we seemed to nibble on every day.

And as if that wasn’t enough, when we arrived Hayri took us on a small walking tour of the Galata area. He showed us two grocery stores (1 budget, 1 luxury), restaurants, the bridge to Sultanahmet, a dry cleaner and told us how to buy metro tickets. Instead of wandering around trying to find these things on our own, we knew in 10 minutes time exactly where to go. They also had maps at the apartment and English language magazines for browsing through. Attention to detail and personal touches made this holiday rental stand above the rest.

I should also mention they helped us figure out how to get to the apartment from the bus station. Zumrut emailed directions, maps and landmarks to help us find our way by bus or taxi. If you’ve ever arrived in a new city, you know how nice it is to have one-on-one directions to your location!

Everything about this apartment is 100% spot on. The location is killer – 5 minutes to the bridge, 10 minutes to the old town part of Istanbul, 5 minutes to Istiklal Avenue, 10 minutes to Taksim Square. Only 88 steps to Galata Tower and the square with tons of restaurants, bars and shops to choose from. When we were looking for a place to book in Istanbul I was pretty sure I wanted to be in Sultanahmet, or Old Istanbul, but this little gem popped up and quite frankly I was sold on the interior. It just looked cool. I liked the blue/white theme and the details made it seem like somewhere I imagined staying in while in Turkey.

Turns out the location was better than we could’ve asked for. Sultanahmet Square is a great spot since all the old parts of Istanbul are there, but as we discovered it pretty much dies out at night. All the major sites close and therefore all the people leave. Galata Square however is hopping all the time with the perfect amount of excitement (bars and restaurants) and relaxation (cafes and fruit stands). Everything you need is at your doorstep yet the apartment is peaceful and quiet. The location is also very safe. I felt comfortable walking around at night by myself.

We stayed here with Brooke from BrookeVsTheWorld and all three of us loved this spot. The apartment was roomy enough for everyone and it was incredible coming back to after a long day of touring around Istanbul.

I highly recommend this spot to anyone wanting to visit Istanbul. We loved it and even decided that we would love to spend a couple months in Istanbul discovering the city – yep, Istanbul is that incredible. When we make it back the first thing we will do is see what type of long term arrangement we can make with the owners of this apartment. It was a great spot, we felt very comfortable there and would love more time there. I’d recommend this apartment to anyone – a small family, a group of backpackers or couples. It’s a perfect way to discover an unbelievable city.

We’ve included photos from the apartment and surrounding area below. Although the video gives you a great idea of the apartment this way you can also look at the photos at your own speed. Please let us know if you have any questions about this rental. We loved it!

The apartment is located in this building. The windows are the ones located on the 3rd floor – the one above the blue balcony.

The interior is bright and airy. White walls with bright blue accents and black & white photos. It’s beautiful.

The owners left us a box of Turkish Delights upon arrival and the photo of the Galata Tower was taken while looking out of the bedroom window to the right.

This is the door to the apartment building, a convenience store, small restaurant and eye glass store are the most immediate neighbors. The other photo shows Henyri (apartment owner) giving Randy a tour through our new neighborhood.

Travel bloggers unite – Brooke & Randy hard at work in the living room.

This photo shows the street the apartment is on.

The following photos are shops and streets in the immediate vicinity. Galata Tower is only 88 steps from the apartment and all of these photos were taken in the square surrounding the Tower. Except the photo of the boy collecting water – that photo was taken behind the apartment building where there is a mosque and fountain.

We would like to thank Roomorama for hosting us for three nights in this beautiful Istanbul Short Term Rentals. If you would like to view the property for yourself, you can check it out here: Galata Sapphire.

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*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers and Beans Travel Website, Nariko’ s Nest Weddings & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you do want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

London is home to some pretty amazing attractions. Ranging from museums and galleries to markets and even a palace, there is something for everyone in London making it a great city break destination.

What’s more, many of these attractions are free to visit. London is a notoriously expensive city but thanks to the many free attractions located throughout the city you don’t have to spend a fortune in England’s capital.

Here, we look at 10 of the best free attractions to visit in London:

The London Science Museum – Bringing Science Alive!

Wellcome Collection

Spitalfields Market

Covent Garden London

Pollock’s Toy Museum – London UK

Buckingham Palace London

The Changing of the Guard

British Museum

Portobello Market London

Trafalgar Square – National Gallery, London

TrafalgarSquare-NationalGallery, London by CITYGUIDE

With so much to see and do in the city, any travel enthusiasts who haven’t visited London should definitely plan on doing so in the future. With so much to do in London, many don’t opt for a hire car but of course if you’ll need one if you want to visit London’s surrounding areas.

This post was written by the team at travelsupermarket.com

*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers & Beans Travel Website, Nariko’s Nest Wedding Photos & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

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Napa!

Ok, so this is way behind schedule seeing that I went on this trip in May but since I’m home for the 2nd week with swine flu (yes, it’s true) I’ve had some time to catch up on some old projects. Here’s a slideshow of Napa although be warned, it’s mainly pictures of my friends, however the soundtrack is good! This will mark the second time I’ve been to Napa and have managed not to get pictures of anyone drinking wine. Too much wine on my part I guess! Enjoy.

Click here to view it.