Mert was an excellent host. He has a wealth of knowledge of the entire Istanbul area. His apartment is on the Asian side of Istanbul, which is not seen by many tourists. If you get the opportunity, you should definitely stay at least a portion of your holiday on the Asian side of Istanbul. It is remarkably beautiful with seaside parks and biking/running trials by the sea. There are many facets of public transportation nearby to his apartment that will take you to the European side for more touristy parts of Istanbul as well as the nightlife area in Taksim. Mert will be able to tell you the different ferries, metros, trams, funiculars, etc that you can use to get around the city...Istanbul in my opinion has one of the cleanest and nicest public transportation systems that I have seen. There is also a "yellow minibus" that will take you from Bostanci (close to Mert's apartment) over to Taksim Square for only 7 liras each way...it runs 24 hours per day, so you can take it to the clubs, etc in Taksim and use it to come home...extremely convenient. If Mert has time away from his busy school schedule, he will spend time talking with you about Istanbul and some of its history. I enjoyed our breakfasts together and getting to know more about Istanbul and its rich historical significance. If you can get Mert to make you some pancakes, I'd say do it:) They were delicious!! All in all, he was an awesome host and the place was very comfortable and in a very convenient and safe neighborhood. I never one felt threatened by anyone and he it is an LGBT-friendly apartment, which is always a plus! I highly recommend Mert's apartment anytime you should visit Istanbul to get a feel of the Asian side of the country!