In an on going effort to expand my passport’s horizon (It hasn’t had a visa in it since the good ol’ days of Trabants, the CSSR and Iron Curtains) my wife and I will be traveling to Istanbul in the near future. This will be her first visit to a country that is not on the european continent and since we depart on her birthday, it dovestails nicely as a birthday present as well.
The flight plan is entered and has us flying from Grand Rapids to Chicago (30 minute long haul), connecting to a Lufthansa flight to Dusseldorf (this surprises you?), then onward to Frankfurt (Need to take care of my DUCK fix and add the Olympic Edition to my collection) and then finally onto another Lufthansa flight to Istanbul. It’s easier than it sounds.
On the return, it’s Istanbul to Munich and onward to London for a few days(guess what airline). From London, we head to Frankfurt (Guess Why…) and then from Frankurt back home (Yes, on THAT airline again).
We’ve both been to London several times, so it will be as if we are visiting an uncle we haven’t seen in a few years. Maybe a bit older, but we are still very familiar with the place.
Istanbul is the wildcard for us. Having never been there I am open to all and any suggestions for things to do and see. So far, I have the Bazaar and Spice Market on the list and thats about it. For you Anthony Bourdain Fans, we have hired the same cab driver that he used during his Istanbul episode, and are really looking forward to that experience. We’ll have a day with him to show us things not found on the tourist menu. To that end, I am looking for ideas from anyone who has been there. I would love to have a list of places to see ourselves, or to provide to our guide and let him work his magic from there.
Since the trip is a few weeks away, I’ll start a contest that will have a weekly winner. Each week, I’ll pick my favorite idea and that person will receive a souvenir from Istanbul as a token of thanks. I had hosted a similar contest for my trips to Hong Kong and that resulted in some great things for me to see and do that otherwise I would not have been aware of! You can win multiple times throughout the contest period (4 weeks ending Sunday April 7).
This week’s Idea Contest deadline will be Midnight (Eastern Time) on Sunday, March 11. Each subsequent week’s contest deadline will also me on Sundays at Midnight.
Thanks And Keep The Ideas Coming!
Check out this traveler’s Turkey page…I used it as a starting-point for a trip to IST last summer and thought the information was balanced and relevant. Used his recommended tour agent (Backpackers) for a couple quick half-days and had no complaints.
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/
My advice? Ok, it’s touristy and not so fancy…but get a bath. The Mrs. and I went to the çemberlitas hamam and enjoyed it.
http://www.cemberlitashamami.com/
Go have a fish sandwich by the Galata Bridge. They are cooked right on the boats. I personally did not care for it but my wife did.
I highly recommend the cistern too.
Eat at the Banyan Tree restaurant. Its inside the House Hotel right on the Bosphorus. Its pricey, but the foods great and the views even better!
We were in Turkey & Greece last month. We always plan to visit two neighboring countries for the price of one air ticket from US. Try to exchange Turkish Lira in US appr. $US1= 2 Lira, due to high junk fees in both countries. Stay at Arden City Hotel where you will not hear street noises, cat fights and daily prayer calls 5 times/ day. Breakfast is superb.It’s five minute walk to Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace(which is closed on Tuesdays). Fifteen minute walk to Bosphorus where you take a ferry across Asia & Europe.
I’d recommend staying at the Hotel Eresin Crown, which is only a couple of blocks from the Blue Mosque. It is a small museum with historic pieces around the hotel. The restaurant is on the rooftop and has a great view of the blue mosque during dinner:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/muhe-e/6963791857/
IST (and most of the tourist stuff) is definitely in Europe, but it is possible to get to Asia super easy and have a great time by taking one of the ferries over to the Asia side of the harbor. You can also do the tour boats – and plenty of folks will try to sell you on that – but the ferry is a fraction of the price and you get some quality time on the water, watching the city stream by. Plus you can get out on the Asia side and walk around a bit. Within a 5 minute walk of the ferry terminal are a couple beautiful mosques and a market that is a converted old bathhouse.
Back on the Europe side, take the old Tunel funicular up from the bridge and walk along the main drag to Taksim Square. Yes, that’s in every guide book, too, but it really is a rather pleasant walk. Even better, pick random side streets as you walk along and head back into them for a quieter, more localized version of the experience.
Skip the restaurants on the bridge. Just not worth it.
Sultanhamet and Blue Mosque at night are a much different sight than during the day. Worth walking back over that way.
Walking down the hill from the Blue Mosque and around the bend along the highway back towards the bridge can be nice, depending on the weather. Good views of the old city walls, though the traffic along the road can be annoying.
Nothing earth-shattering in the recommendations I’ve got, but they are what I do when I’m in town and I love it.
I figure we’ll take a ride over to Asia for the technicality…..She needs to be able to say she’s been to asia! 🙂
You must visit the Basilica Cistern, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Cistern it is amazing to see such a large cistern underground the city of Istanbul!
Stay near Taksim Square at the Diva Hotel. Reasonable prices and across the water from the busy/tourist areas around Hagia Sophia. IF you areinto Clubs it is ground zero for young people in Istanbul. Lots of great restaurants, walking, and shops. Do not miss the Chora (Church) Museum and its early mosaics – incredible! and right next door is a terrific Zagat rated restaurant. Another one of my favs is the Museum of Modern/Contemporary Art.
Try the Blue Mosque…you will love it
Visit Topkapi Palace – a world class treasure – not only for some of the architecture or artefacts, but to glimpse the life than Sultans led (and the Harem women). Plan 3-4 hours. Audio guides available for purchase in Multilanguage for 10 Lira and worth every penny. Arrive early – get there by 9am even though the Harem is not open until 10am and just before then hordes of people (in the hundreds) arrive by bus in tour groups.
Source: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g293974-s4/Istanbul:Turkey:Things.To.Do.html
Ah, the flyer knows that Istanbul is the only metropolis in the world situated on two continents! You do need to make an effort to cross the water and get to the Asian section if you want your wife to set foot in Asia. Enjoy every minute-it is a fabulous city, I went last weekend, it was my 2nd time and I plan on returning. You’ll love the markets! You must visit a hammam, a lot of hotels have them, if so use it!! If not, ask for a referral and take a couple of hours to experience it.
Ok, my tip is this..go to the Yerebatan Sarnici Basilica Cistern. You’ll be amazed. PS I think we’re neighbors. Are you in GRR? I’m in TVC. Maybe our paths will cross.
My tip is if you are *Gold is to allow enough time to enjoy the very lovely lounge at IST airport. The food, beverage and cool things to do factor (like a pool table, grand piano, etc) make it a destination in itself (I love IST too!)
What was it that PT Barnum said about suckers?
@Yiannis, definitely good point.
In fact, Istanbul is the best known city in the world to have land on 2 continents. That’s why we Turks call ourselves “Eurasian” instead of European or Asian.
I hate breaking it to you, but IST is on the European continent.
I know that IST is on the Euro side, but we’ll be going to the Asian side as well, I just used the IST reference as a generalization for the visit to the Area. 😉
Being a native Turkish myself, I can’t recommend taking a bosphorus tour enough. The bosphorus is probably one of the most unique experiences one can have in their entire life. I’d also suggest having a dinner at a restaurant overlooking the bosphorus. One such restaurant is: Dogatepe. Search for it and you’ll find it.
Also, you need to go to the Taksim Square and Istiklal avenue.
Depending on where you stay in Istanbul, it’s very walkable. I was there in late January and it was a bit cool. I stayed for 24 hours, a quick look. I stayed at the Doubletree Old Town and really enjoyed it. I found a multitude of useful posts at both FlyerTalk and TripAdvisor. I mainly explored the Grand Bazaar and mosques. I had an awesome meal at Sokullu Restaurant and of course got some baklava and turkish delights. Last piece of advice, depending on your citizenship, you do not need to apply for a visa in advance. As a US citizen, I was able to walkup and purchase a visa stamp there for $20USD. Have a great trip.
Take the ferry and go see Buyukada Island, about 45 mins/1hr and a world apart from the busy city sights. Lovely old mansions and horse carriages.
Take the ferry from Europe to Asia – we sugest lunch at Ciya in Kadakoy:
http://musicandmarkets.blogspot.com/2010/11/lunch-on-another-continent.html
You’ll love Istanbul, I’m sure!