Editorial Policy

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Everything on this site is written and approved by me, Halil İbrahim Şımır: a professional chef and travel vlogger behind the YouTube travel channel “Gezginbirchef”. There are no guest posts, and nobody buys a place in an article. More about me on the About page.

• I write as personal experience only about the areas, places, restaurants and accommodation I have actually visited. Most guides are based on trips I also filmed for my YouTube channel.
• When a guide includes information I did not experience myself (for example an area I did not stay in, or opening hours and transport details from official sources), it is labeled as researched information, and the source is named where possible.
• A “We stayed here” note is used only where I really stayed.
• As a chef, I pay particular attention to food: what to eat, where, and why it is worth it.

I recommend areas and places based on what matters to travelers: location, transport, safety, atmosphere, value for money and who the place suits (first-time visitors, families, travelers without a car, people on a budget). Pros and cons are written for each option. The order of recommendations is never set by commission.

Prices in my guides are what I paid or what I checked at the time of writing, and price ranges are explained on the page. Prices change often, so treat them as a guide. I do not publish fixed prices, discounts or promotions from affiliate partners; the current price is the one on the provider’s own site.

Some links are affiliate links, and the site shows Google AdSense ads. This never affects what I recommend: if I do not recommend a service, I do not link to it, and I do not write positively about a place I did not like. In sections with official information (visa rules, fees, border rules) I never use affiliate links. Full details are on the Affiliate Disclosure page.

• Affiliate links: an “Ad” label next to every affiliate link and booking box, and a short explanation at the end of the page.
• Sponsored content and free stays, tours or products: stated clearly at the start of the article or post.
• Ads: kept visually separate from articles and booking boxes.

I update guides when I travel to a place again, when readers report a change, or when official rules change. Where a page shows a date, it changes only when the content has really been updated, never just to look fresh.

If you find a mistake, an outdated price or a closed place, please email info@gezginbirchef.com with the page address and what needs fixing. I check every report and correct confirmed errors quickly, and the updated date is shown on the page. For unlawful content, see the reporting section of the Terms of Use.

• Every recommendation on this site is made by a person: me. AI does not choose places, hotels or restaurants, and it does not write my experiences.
• AI helps with translation and language editing. The English guides are rewritten from my own Turkish guides, notes and videos with the help of AI for the language, and I check every page before it is published.
• The “Ask the Chef” AI chat uses an AI service (Anthropic) to give you an instant answer. These instant answers can contain mistakes. I review questions and answers before anything is published on the site.

Gezginbirchef started as a Turkish site. The English guides are not word-for-word translations: each one is rewritten for international travellers, with prices in the local currency and practical details that work whichever country you come from. Entry and visa rules depend on your passport, so always check the official rules for your nationality before you travel.

Questions about this policy: info@gezginbirchef.com. See also the Contact page.