Istanbul Travel Blog

Someone quoted recently that when it comes to Valentine’s Day, romance and Paris; “it is not a brain teaser” to assess the relevance. The same happens to apply for Istanbul as well. Imagine yourself sitting on a dock, in your loved one’s arms and wrapped into a thick polo scarf or blanket, sipping...

Nothing better and more soothing, pacifying and more romantic than watching the sunset reflect on the tip of mosque or Bosphorus from the top of anywhere in Istanbul. When accompanied by a glass of cool wine or well-brewed Turkish tea, it feels as if the world is yours. The following are a few places...

Galata Neighborhood It’s funny how fast this city is changing… Just as I thought I was grasping the gist of the Tunnel district, I found myself face to face with a new challenge. The Kuledibi Mahallesi in Galata, the Neighborhood beneath the Galata Tower in translation, has become an extensive neighborhood...

A local newspaper (Hürriyet to be precise) nominated the best restaurants to host business dinners. While I agree with most of them, I decided to go about to produce my own list as well. So, at the link are Hürriyet’s nominations; and below are mine. Feel free to choose whichever. 1. Sunset:...

Brunches are the nicest way to kick off a Sunday morning with your loved ones. Especially when your mind is not full and the weather is good… Imagine a great buffet of nicest samples of delicious food -both breakfast and lunch-, your loved ones seated with you around a round table, sun shining...

In my opinion the boutique hotels are usually much more romantic than some other five or seven star hotels. The boutique hotels provide a certain sense of belonging that many other big and major hotels lack. Arrival to a boutique hotel is a simple process. A friendly concierge or receptionist directs...

Overlooking the Hotel courtyard and the Hagia Sophia Image courtesy of: Ottoman Hotel Imperial Handan Küçük from the Ottoman Hotel Imperial was kind enough to spare us some of her time and discuss what she likes about Istanbul and what she would recommend her visitors to do when in the city. Ottoman...

Here we go with another gourmet diaries article, featuring those places in Istanbul with a fantastic bird’s eye views of the city… Mikla Restaurant has one of the best views of the city overlooking both the city itself and the Bosphorus from the rooftop of the Marmara Pera Hotel. In summers,...