Tips

The Best Kept Secrets of Istanbul

Koc Museum: built on the coast of the Golden Horn by the richest man in turkey – Ramie Koc, this museum is dedicated to the history of transport, industry and communications. Go for the collection that goes from needles to ships and aircrafts

Take a balloon tour: the balloon takes off from the sea bus port at Kadikoy on the Asian side. The view from 200 meters above the ground paints a whole new picture of the city spread across two continents

La Rue Francais: ‘The French Street’ behind the Lycee de Galatasaray, off the middle of the Istikal Street looks like an anomalous construction in a city full of mosques and beautiful Islamic architecture. But walk around its houses and shops and the amalgamation of two different cultures becomes real

Sultans Boats: Dating back to the Ottoman period, the Sultans Boats are the perfect way to cruise around the Bosphorus. Get your Bosphorus Tour bookings here.

Aynalikavak Mansion: this is one of the few remaining buildings from a huge Ottoman Palace dating back to the 17th century. Located on the shore of the Golden Horn, this beautiful structure was once part of the area reserved for the Ottoman Sultan’s evening walks

Local Speak

Istanbul can be as economical or as expensive as you want, just listen to the locals’ advice!

- Eat your way through Ortakoy where the neighborhood is particularly vibrant on a summer evening.
- Take a tour through Dolmabahçe Sarayi
- Hunting the Labyrinthine Corridors of the Grand Bazaar
- Take a cruise up the Bosphorus

The Travels-booking Tip Stop

General

1. Keep all your travel documents with you all the time
2. Istanbul is a very safe city and the worst crimes you might face are pick pocketing and getting run over – so, stay alert
3. Make sure you either get the taxi driver to switch on the meter before starting the journey or haggle for a sane price before you sit in the cab
4. Istanbul is blessed with the best of both European and Asian cultures, so it is one of the few liberal Islamic countries left in the world. However, it would always help to be sensitive of the local culture and act accordingly.
5. When buying ‘designer’ wear in Istanbul read the spelling on the labels carefully because many a traveler has been duped in this department
6. Learning some basic Turkish words like Merhaba (Hello) and Teshkuredrim (Thank you) will go a long way

Family

1. Blend in with the locals in terms of clothing and actions so as not to be spotted by trouble makers
2. Although Istanbul is a very safe country, it still has some of the problems that ail big cities, so be aware of your luggage at all times
3. There will be a lot of shopping to do in Istanbul but do try to get your hands on some Iznik Tiles – they make great gifts
4. If there are children in the family, keep a supply of basic medication handy because the spicy Turkish food is often a source of ‘The Sultan’s Revenge’ and other minor troubles like fever and nausea

Couples
1. They say love is all you need but we say add the charm of the Ajia Hotel overlooking the Bosphorus and you would double the pleasure of a romantic trip to Istanbul
2. You could pick one of the most expensive hotels to stay in Istanbul but also look at the delights of staying in an apartment in Istanbul for more privacy and better economy of your budget
3. Stroll around the Rustempasha Market…you don’t need to buy anything but just the heady feeling of discovering something new together is unbelievable

Istanbul, Not Constantinople!

What they have to say

www.guardian.com recommends Istanbul as a weekend getaway destination especially in spring time

www.fodors.com suggests the Cezayir and Giritli to eat out and recommends The Four Seasons as the best place to stay in Istanbul.

www.Frommers.com recommends concentrating on the Sultanahmet area if you had just one day in Istanbul.

Istanbul virtual Tour

If you want to explore Istanbul from your computer, you can do this downloading this files to use with Google Earth software:

Istanbul virtual tour part 1 (kmz file)

Istanbul virtual tour part 2 (kmz file)

Istanbul virtual tour part 3 (kmz file)

Istanbul shopping, hotels and parks virtual tour (kmz file)