Istanbul, Turkey
I had such high expectations for Istanbul, but unfortunately it has to go on the bottom of my list for top places I’ve traveled to- and I’ll tell you why below, but still let you know some things worth doing and where to stay if you are looking to visit.
Where to Stay
I cannot recommend this hotel enough! Although, this wasn’t one of my favorite cities- this was one of the best hotels I’ve stayed at, and I don’t say this lightly. There are always hotels that stand out to me for different things, and this hotel not only had a great complimentary breakfast, which let’s face it, any hotel can have- the staff were absolutely incredible from the moment we arrived. We had a really early flight so when we landed was around 7am- we thought surely we’d have to kill some time before being able to check in.
We were checking in with 2 adults and 2 kids and booked a standard king room, since we are backpacking and are on a budget, and the kids both cosleep anyway. Well upon check in we were greeted at the door, a staff member helped us get everything from the uber and sent it up to the room for us, and they gave us a complimentary breakfast for that morning- even though they didn’t have to. Then around 10am a staff member met us at breakfast to let us know we can come to the lobby to check in that a room is available.
So, as were checking in the staff let us know that they upgraded us to the best room available since we have the two kids- they gave us a corner room on the third floor (awesome because no one was below us so my toddler could jump around and be crazy all he wants) There was honestly so much space in this room it was lovely.
Not only did we have this great check in experience, but throughout our whole stay the staff was so kind and friendly, from playing with my babies during breakfast, giving my son toys, to giving us local recommendations. I would NEVER go to Istanbul and not stay at this hotel after my experience!
My Favorite thing to do was make custom jewelry! If you don’t know Turkey is one of the cheapest countries you can buy gold. They sell gold by weight. So basically- you see something you like, they’ll weigh it in front of you and give you the price. I went to Povlino Jewelry & Diamond and made a custom necklace. They have a variety of gemstones, personally I love a lab created diamond. There’s something about the elegance of a diamond but price point and ethics that come with choosing lab created. So, I chose my stone and then I chose a setting for my necklace and chose a chain. While you are choosing everything is being weighed and you are given the prices so you can adjust what you want and make sure you stay within your budget. If I were to return to Istanbul, I’d be sure to budget a little more, so I can bring home some more jewelry, because this was such a great experience, and only a 2 minute walk from my hotel- and took about 20 minutes to create. We also did all the typical tourist stuff- but the necklace was my favorite- I’m just a girl.
What I Liked and What I didn’t Like
To start off on a positive note, I liked the people and the food. Every encounter that I had with people was generally very friendly and very helpful. Some cities it may feel like people are rude or standoffish but I didn’t feel that here. I had a local give me directions, I had some interactions with the staff from my hotel to get some local recommendations for food and shopping – I didn’t realize how cold it was and wanted to buy a coat without the tourist price tag. Generally everyone was very friendly and accommodating.
What really put me off was the culture with smoking. Our hotel was in a prime location where we could walk everywhere. However, every time we were walking we were always behind people smoking. It felt like 9/10 people were smoking cigarettes and there was no getting around it. Outdoor dining? Forget about it- every table has an ash tray, even if you sit inside if it’s an open restaurant you run the risk of people sitting outside smoking, and it blowing in. Maybe this might sound dramatic, but if you’re a non smoker and don’t like the smell or have young kids and it feels inescapable everywhere you go it’s justified.
rie
Where to Eat
Buhara Fish Meat House Roof if you are looking for local food at local prices that’s really good I highly recommend!! This is a low key place, nothing too flashy, but will make you feel at home. It’s not for the tourists, it’s where the locals want to be, and if you travel- you know you want to be where the locals are not the tourists! Cannot recommend this food enough!
Las Tapas Restaurant now this is where the tourists are but I think the locals probably come here to? I’m not sure, because the food is SO good, it has 4.9 stars for a reason- I suggest trying the clay pot chicken!
Seven Hills hot take maybe? I recommend coming here and grabbing an appetizer to share or a drink, snapping some photos and eating elsewhere. This place is definitely meant for tourists. The views are amazing- it’s worth going to for the views but in my opinion the food is subpar and the prices are high.
Got questions?
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