Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Serdar Acar

Foreign languages have always been important to Turkish-born entrepreneur Serdar Acar, founder of the children's language-learning program Dino Lingo (http://dinolingo.com). "As the (Turkish) saying goes, 'One language one person, two languages two persons,'" says Acar, 40, who now resides in Fort Myers, Fla. "Before I moved to the United States, I did some backpacking in India and Nepal. My English was not as good then as it is now, but English was the only language I could communicate with when I was traveling. I made lots of friends and gained a great experience from it. That same year, I went to Morocco for business where Arabic is the official language. Everybody also spoke French. I realized that being able to communicate in those two languages opened new doors and opportunities for me."

To learn more about Acar and Dino Lingo, check out their Facebook feed at http://facebook.com/dinolingo.1.

Q. How lucky are English-speaking tourists?

A. Each language has its own advantages. But when it comes to traveling, I think English speakers are a bit luckier, because you can find an English-speaking person most of the time, especially if you stick to the tourist routes. That is why most people in other countries learn English.

Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?

A. The Turkish Mediterranean Coast, which is a very diverse place where tourists from all over the world enjoy the sun, the sea and food that is unique to Turkey. This summer, my six brothers and their families and I all decided to have a reunion here for our parents' 40th wedding anniversary. We rented an amazing villa with seven bedrooms. We came from all over the world. It was one of the most memorable vacations in my entire life. We did everything together from swimming, walking, shopping and playing soccer. And we also enjoyed lots of delicious, fresh food.

Q. To someone who was going there for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?

A. The area is famous for the sun and sandy beaches. But it also offers lots of culture and history. There are a lot of well-preserved remains from the Romans and Greeks: Aspendos, Termessos, Olympus, Perge are just some of them. There are also some caves with jaw-dropping views. When you visit the towns, you will notice fresh fish restaurants. There are also leather, carpet and jewelry shops. If you have some time during the day, you should visit one of those handmade carpet places. Women weave carpets in an old-fashioned way that is a nearly dead trade today.

Q. If you've ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?

A. My wife was born and raised in Ireland. She still has some family living there right outside of Dublin. So far, I have been to Ireland seven times and six of them were just for Christmas. They own a huge bar and restaurant and it's their family tradition for everyone to eat, drink and be merry. They also host a party on New Year's Eve for the locals where I get to chat with old Irish guys.

Q. What are your five favorite cities?

A. My top five would be New York, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Dublin and Kathmandu.

Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A. I have never been to Eastern Europe. Hungary and Czech Republic are on top of my list. I also want to see Cuba before it becomes a commercialized tourist destination. I saw "Buena Vista Social Club" (in 1999) and it was about the musical spirit in Havana. Since then, I've been wanting to see those streets, capture photos and listen to some cool music.

Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?

A. I was born in a city called Bursa, which is just three hours south of Istanbul. My father used to drive to Istanbul for business expos and fairs and take me with him. The first time he took me, I was about 7 years old. As soon as we arrived to the expo center, he said to me, "This is a very crowded place. Stay with me no matter what, but if you ever get lost, find the police, give him my phone number and our home address and tell him you want to go home." He gave me some money and said, "The police should take you to the bus station and buy you a bus ticket home with this money." Fortunately, I didn't get lost. I really enjoyed my trip by just walking around the expo and looking at the amazing stuff I had never seen before. Since then, I always love going to expos.

Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A. When we were living in New York City, we used to go to the Catskills very often. Woodstock and Saugerties are great for weekend getaways -- just a two-hour drive from the city. We either stayed in a hotel or rented a wood cabin, since I am not good with tents. We used to go fishing and swimming and grilled on campfires at night. They also have some really good restaurants in the area. Since we live in Florida, now we go to Orlando for weekends. We have also explored Miami, the Florida Keys and Saint Augustine.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)