Asan Askin
TRAVEL ADVISOR
Direct: +1-310-728-1808
Bio: I have been working in travel for a little over three years, taking quite an unorthodox path to get here. I was born in Izmir, Turkey and grew up in Germany and the Netherlands; I then moved to Washington, DC for college, where I worked in Congress, before heading to law school in Boston. My family’s vagabond life introduced travel into my life at an early age, but it didn’t take long for travel to go from necessity to passion (you can ask my parents for the binders of plans I made for my own airline at age 10… true story). After over a decade of working in the legal department of a major entertainment studio/company, I decided to turn the joy I got from planning trips (for myself, friends and family) into a career. As much as I enjoy luxury travel, my passion is in adventure and sustainable travel: biking through Southeast Asia; horseback riding through Patagonia; hiking up a glacier in the Nordic countries; or driving or trekking around the African savannah to see endangered black rhinos…sign me up for all of the above.
Which is your favorite city to visit? And why?? Of all the places I’ve been to (in over 35 countries), London always finds a way of making its way to the top of the list. For me it is the definition of a cosmopolitan metropolis with all its beauty and grit on full display. A close second is Berlin, with its impressive resurgence from a walled off city, to a multiethnic hub of art, history, culture, and music.
Which is your favorite beach? Any beach that can only be reached by sailboat, but particularly the pristine undiscovered coves and bays of the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey and Greece. The smell of the pine trees and the salt water and the contrast of the colors only adds to the experience of taking a wake up dip off the boat.
Name one thing you must have with you when you travel. And why? A universal adapter & back-up power pack: Let’s not let that phone and/or camera run out of battery and keep you from documenting your travels.
Travel Tip: Go into each trip with a sense of adventure. Plan the basic structure of your trip, but leave yourself “off time,” so that you can find hidden gems, hole in the wall dining spots and to go off the beaten path to gratify your curiosity. Bonus side effect: Leaves you more satisfied with what you were able to do/see and not have you wishing for a vacation to recover from your vacation.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of work? Movies, good music, cooking big meals for friends, chasing actual waterfalls and finding hammocks with views.
Working Languages: English / Turkish / German / French