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September 20th, 2022

Our Stay In Istanbul, Turkey

After being in the Western world for well my entire life, the buzz and bustle of Istanbul was a dream. People from all over and in every direction in constant movement. Shop owners urging you to buy their clothes, try their teas and Turkish delights, and will capture you with whatever sayings necessary. You quickly learn that the second you make eye contact with one, they will chase you down the street with whatever product they’re selling and although it may sound annoying, they do it with the biggest smiles on their faces and make you feel entirely special – even though they do it to every tourist walking by. The smells of food cling to the air as there are kebab restaurants every 5ft and the lingering of the sweet Turkish treats is endless as every glass window you walk by is stacked to the brim with the most decadent desserts you have ever seen. 

Sultanahmet Mosque:
You need to see at least one mosque when in Istanbul and this one has an amazing view of the city and about a quarter of the people that the Blue Mosque has. It’s also the oldest and largest in Istanbul.

Mosque

Basilica Cistern & Unexpected Carpet Shopping:
As we were walking along the streets, debating whether to take the bite and visit the tourist sites: Basilica Cistern & the Hagia Sophia, even though they were packed with people and the lines were ridiculous, we ran into an obvious salesman but eager to help as long as we visited his families shop afterwards.

Cistern & Carpets

Grand Bazaar :
Get ready to be overwhelmed by a boatload of people with the most vibrant energy, hundreds of charming salesmen doing anything to get you into their shops, and spending money because you really can’t resist them. It’s definitely worth it to try the wide variety of Turkish delights and sample all the amazing tea flavors! Oh, and if you can fit it in your bags please bring home some of the spices! section of the drive is supposedly as heart racing as it is beautiful. 

Grand Bazaar

Our Favorites

Explore By Tram:
we ended up exploring the city by metro our last 2 days and it was such a fun way to see the city. Not only did we end up in neighborhoods we didn’t even know existed, but we got a taste of the local life, switching trains, figuring out how the ticket machine worked, and people watching on the platforms. 

Tram Ride

Walking The Streets of Balat & Fener:
Colorful stairs, great food, wild street art, colorful cafes, the streets of Balat & Fener are wildly unique and a must-do experience in Istanbul! Follow your own path, and make sure to stop for some Turkish Delights and coffee along the way. 

Balat & Fener

We found ourselves in the old town of Istanbul in a wonderfully appointed (small), really cool AirBnB that worked out fabulously for us.  It was central, new, 2 beds, 1 room but local enough to access all of the places you would want to visit in Istanbul. We even found ourselves walking home one night at 3am and felt completely safe (while chomping down on some Turkish delight after a very long drunken evening)



 

Where We Stayed

Link to Home/Hotel



 

Hunkar: Our first night we landed, exhausted and insanely hungover from my pub crawl the night before, we somehow still managed to rally and headed down a lively street filled with restaurants and some of the best salesmen you’ll meet. They will bargain with you any chance they get, to come to their restaurant, claiming it’s the best food in town, and throwing free food and drink offers at you if you “just come in and eat.” We ended up at a restaurant called Hunkar. The owner was an extremely outgoing guy and he ended up ordering his favorite meals for us. The night ended by being serenaded by a Turkish band and fooled into the class Turkish ice cream trick. 




 

Aheste: Eating in what feels like an underground cave and having traditional Turkish food with a modern twist had to be one of the coolest restaurant experiences and atmospheres we have experienced yet. Dim lighting, cave walls, and impeccable service made it felt as if you were transported back to the time of the Sultan's in Turkey. They offered both a tasting menu and regular menu so of course we opted for the 6-course tasting menu which was stacked full of calamari, lamb, and other classic Turkish ingredients and some of the best food we’ve ever tasted.

The Food

Turkish Coffee & Tea: I spent days searching for the Turkish coffee made in the hot sand, and we finally found a stand while exploring the streets of Balat and Fener, and it did not disappoint! Of course that was just for the show, but Turkish coffee or tea are served with every meal and definitely became something we looked forward to each day! 

Barba Vasilis Tavern: Amazing Greek restaurant in the Balat and Fener district. I Highly recommend getting the stuffed artichoke and Sahanaki. 

Kunefe: A must try desert along with the Turkish Delights. It’s a combo of sweet and savory with gooey cheese and a flaky pastry soaked in syrup on the outside.

The Other Stuff

Seeing as I had entered my 20’s in Istanbul, we of course had to check out the nightclub scene. After pampering ourselves for a few hours in a typical Turkish Hammam Spa, we headed off to the first spot of the night, Sortie NightClub: a lavish club right on the water, overlooking the Bahadosh, and filled with women in stylish dresses and men in suits. Wearing a pair of trousers and Birkenstocks, I felt entirely underdressed but that wasn’t going to stop me from having my night. Within an hour I was 3 shots of tequila and 2 cocktails deep and of course swinging my hips and getting down to the music. 

Taksim Club IQ – Small club down a side alley street with great music, dancers, and cheap drinks. Once again though the place was filled with tables and no dance floor.

Sortie NightClub – A high end spoofy place with a somewhat unfriendly staff and no dance floor. However, the music was great, and the view was even better. Dad spent the night flirting with a woman from Saudi Arabia where we truly got a glimpse into the life that people from those areas live. Arranged marriages, culturally not acceptable to date, and traveling to find a man. 

Nightlife

Hammam Spas

Cagaloglu hammami - Although so out of our price range, if you are looking to spoil yourself this is the place to go. I have never felt more like a royal princess in my life and it was the perfect 20th birthday treat!