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The ‘Nazar Boncuğu’ Pearl of the look (The blue evil eye) is believed to absorb bad energy and protect. You will find these beautiful blue amulets hanging throughout Turkey. They are also gifted; Sally received a bracelet from a new friend on the first night they met as a reminder of their new friendship.

Kose Kahve - One visit Köşe Kahve is the perfect Sunday brunch cafe in the heart of Alacati, full of locals and weekenders. During the warmer months and high season, you will want to get in early to beat the crowds. The team is friendly, and the service is very efficient. We loved the team's full personalities and how they enjoyed bantering with the guests and having a laugh. You are spoilt with a lovely outdoor seating area on the cobblestones to soak up the sunshine and beautiful surroundings, or you can also choose to cozy up indoors by the warm log fire. The menu is very extensive and affordable, something for everyone. We ordered the burgers a cheeseburger and couldn't go past the chicken schnitzel, and they were substantial. Our suggestion would be to start with one to share. Never before would we bother to mention the water, but this is worthy. Your sparkling (yes water) is accompanied by a crystal glass full of freshly cut fruit, seriously almost a mocktail. Coffee and freshly squeezed juices and lemonades were a treat too. The atmosphere and decor had a cozy Mediterranean vibe, and it was complete with the team's energy.

GAIA Alacati - Four nights GAIA Alacati is a perfectly located modern and cosy design hotel. It was filled with a charming team with warm and friendly energy. The atmosphere is cosy and welcoming, designed to relax and enjoy with the guest in mind. After strolling through the beautiful cobblestone streets of Alacati, you can come back to relax either in the beautiful outdoor space or by the fire. Very reasonably priced for the quality of the hotel, the rooms are beautiful, spacious and have heavenly beds. The team are beautiful, very kind and bubbly. Very attentive to make sure your stay is exceptional. Breakfast was one of the best we have had in a hotel for a long time. The full Turkish spread was enough to keep you going all day. Or you can opt for a la carte, more Wayne and Sal style (so a long lazy lunch still works), and the eggs were cooked to perfection! You can settle by the fire in the evening for a high-quality spirit, coffee or wine surrounded by other guests from different parts of the world. The location really is perfect, moments from all the restaurants and shops of Alacati old town. You will fall in love with Alacati, it is magical, a stunning village on the Aegean Sea, and GAIA hotel is the ideal getaway to enjoy the beautiful old town, architecture, cobblestone streets and culinary delights. The locals' energy is infectious, and you are warmly welcomed everywhere you visit, and you are spoilt with choice with the dining scene.

Kostovac Boutique Homes - One Week This brand new Airbnb ticks off all the boxes for those wanting a luxury stay in the snow in Kopaonik. You will be mesmerised by the beauty and the endless views. The cabin is modern, very spacious and beautifully designed. During winter you are engulfed in snow and truly experience a nature stay, along with the fresh country air and peacefulness. Completely private. Spoilt with views to Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, and sunsets & sunrises each day. The kitchen is fully equipped with everything you need to stay and enjoy the space, you have a supermarket within 5 mins walk to purchase your essentials and a five-minute taxi ride or drive to a larger market and the ski fields. The property is perfect for a couple, or a family with 2 kids. The hosts are warm and friendly, very responsive and the property was a five star clean. You will not be disappointed, we would have extended longer if available, it was magical.

Salon Galata - One visit Salon Galata is a quaint bistro restaurant at the foot of the Camondo stairs, known to be the most eclectic staircase in the city heading to the Galata Tower in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. The Camondo stairs were supposedly built to facilitate the transport of Camondo’s children to their school and as a shortcut for Camondo to reach Bankalar Caddesi quickly. Service was genuine and kind, the wine list was great, we were fortunate to find our favourite Chamlija wines again. Unfortunately, there is room for improvement with the food to make it a five-star rating. A suggestion would be to upgrade the quality of the meat and sprinkle a little extra love on the desserts would be a great start. There is a beautiful warm dining area on the terrace and a cozy dining area inside. This is a restaurant with great potential based on its location in the bustling neighbourhood of Karakoy, design of the establishment and friendly team.

Glens Restaurant - Three visits Glens Restaurant fast became a local hotspot for us; we stumbled on this beautiful dining establishment after visiting Istanbul Dental Center as we needed a refreshing cocktail. Glens was a perfect choice; we intended on a quick drink, but a few hours later, we had thoroughly enjoyed the delicious Italian style dishes and sashimi from Chef Murat Taşdemir, including sampling some fantastic Turkish wines. The cocktails were also excellent, very authentic and mixed to perfection. Beautiful indoor and outdoor dining space, funky decor and the staff are all friendly and welcoming. We chose Glens a few days later for our Friday lazy lunch. After a 7-hour session, enjoying the fun atmosphere and a few bottles of our new favourite Turkish wine, Chamlija, we are yet to be disappointed by their magnificent range of wines. The food was equally impressive, each dish was immaculately prepared, bursting with flavour and divine. We had too much fun working our way through the cocktail menu, watching the world and the day pass us by. The food is exceptional, and we enjoyed meeting the chef and devouring all his mouthwatering dishes from starters to dessert. The desserts were magnificent too! Glens is located in the trendy and upscale neighbourhood of Nisantasi, Istanbul part of the luxury lifestyle hotel Glens Palas Istanbul. An ideal spot to stop off after a day of shopping.

Turk Fatih Tutak - One visit Turk Fatih Tutak is the epitome of a degustation dining experience. It is a destination restaurant with all the hallmarks of being the first Michelin star restaurant in Istanbul. You are greeted at a candlelit entrance and escorted into the beautifully modern, warm decor dining room from the moment you arrive. Upon entering the restaurant, you are presented with the front and centre kitchen to your dining culinary experience. Tasting menu only, so you can sit back and enjoy a gastronomic journey heavily influenced by land and sea. Be prepared to experience new flavours and textures to receive your palate. The bread was divine! But be sure to stop at a sample as you need space to continue your way through the evening's experience. An impressive Turkish wine collection to complement each course perfectly, and masterful cocktails to end your evening. Attentive service and served by worldly teams they have the luxury of time to spend time with you. We enjoyed engaging in good conversation with the team. Wayne and I especially loved the intimate tour of the kitchen following the tasting menu. A shoutout to the team who maintain a spotless kitchen and prepare all the delicious dishes. It was fun to meet you all, and thank you for the warm welcome. We love slow dining, and the team here are more than happy to accommodate your dining style. Plan ahead as reservations is a must. This new restaurant has fast become the place to be and fully booked most evenings. A foodies delight and cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. You will be impressed by the warm atmosphere, mouthwatering food, excellent wine and exceptional service. A special thank you to Baran, Özkan and the amazing team, from the service to kitchen teams, for a magical evening. We loved it so much we have booked our last meal in Istanbul back at Turk Fatih Tutak.

Istanbul Dental Center - Four visits From the moment you book with Istanbul Dental Center via WhatsApp to the end of treatment is exceptional. The lovely reception team are very responsive, full of positive energy and warm and friendly, fun to chat with and attentive. Dr Emre is an excellent dentist, and we enjoyed his directness and honesty, complemented with a very kind and understanding bedside manner. During your first consultation, he will settle your nerves and make you feel at ease. He does not upsell you and gives you the best treatment plan and advice. You are provided with a fixed quote on consultation, which is very reasonable with no surprises at the end. During treatments, Dr Emre will make sure you are comfortable at all times. He will check in with you to ensure the pain level is 0 and walk you through the treatment. You feel incredibly at ease with his support, along with the lovely nurse. Your treatments are not rushed, giving you time to adjust as well. The clinic is very modern, beautiful reception and treatment rooms all have professional and the latest equipment. My husband and I were pleased with our crown replacements and treatments at Istanbul Dental Center and the lovely Dr Emre. Definitely recommend IDC to anyone needing some dental work or a new smile. Not only do you leave with the best Raki (national drink of Turkey) recommendations, but Wayne (my 59-year-old hubby) was treated with a chocolate heart after his filling:-)

Luxury Design Suite in Maçka - One month This stunning apartment is in one of the best neighbourhoods in Istanbul has a spacious floor plan and a lot of natural light. Tucked away from all the tourists and you enjoy the local community vibe. We planned to stay one week, and one month later, we were still there. You feel at home, and the apartment is cosy and comfortable, also perfectly equipped for cooking at home. The wifi was lightning fast with incredible download and upload speeds, perfect for all those travellers who work remotely. The apartment is spotless and maintained weekly. You are often surprised with gifts of chocolate, water and even olive oil, lovely little perks. All your essentials are on the doorstep. You are spoilt with coffee shops, we fell in love with the coffee shop directly across the road, owned by a lovely lady, and the coffees were exceptional. There is also a great supermarket just across the street, where they are so welcoming and friendly, along with a great selection of fresh produce, groceries and spirits and wine. An excellent dry cleaner called Dry Try is a one-minute walk. You are a ten-minute walk from the beautiful Nisantasi, where you can shop and dine to your heart's content, and a five-minute walk from the trendy neighbourhood Beşiktaş where you are spoilt with casual to fine-dining options. You are also five minutes from Macka Park, which provides you with the comfort of nature you need in a bustling and intense city. Tunç is the most supportive and attentive host, with excellent English and a pleasure to communicate with. He is always there to make sure your stay is comfortable and you have everything you need; he was also incredibly kind to help us organise a luxury transfer to Bursa when we departed. Apartments are self-check-in, and we were able to arrive earlier also, which was a bonus. Thank you again, Tunç. We cannot recommend these apartments highly enough. They are your perfect accommodation that tick all the boxes for a short or long stay in Istanbul in the most desired neighbourhoods.

This week we chatted with Maria & Anthony, our wonderful clients from MazzCorp Partners to share our travel stories from the past 18 months. We shared our experience of travelling and flying internationally during the pandemic. Sal & I are both Australian mature aged full-time travellers, whilst working remotely from all parts of the world. We have been following our dream to travel the world since 2017. Our current travel tips Use canitravel.net, a great travel app to help you navigate the restrictions and entry requirements (of course, double-check with the local government sites for the most up to date info). Don't be afraid to look outside the box and travel to new parts of the world, avoiding the mainstream destinations. You will find they are much more relaxed, lenient and welcome you to be their guest in their country. Most of the world is open to Australia, not just the countries the media are recommending. Do your research. Don't be afraid to travel. The reality is far from the media perception. Amid the pandemic, we have travelled from Morocco to Tunisia, Austria, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey.