Istanbul Travel Forum

Hi
I will be a newly married at hte beginning of 2009 and would like to spend a weekend with my husband in Istanbul seeing beautiful views, absorbing the atmosphere, experiencing the place a little....we will be trying to do it for a reasonable price (3* hotel maybe of is there such a thing as a guesthouses or bed and breakfast accommodation you can recommend?). A great meal with an awesome view would be fantastic. All advice welcomed.
Where should we stay?
What should we do?
WHat sould we not miss?
thank you very much
K (Mrs W )

Hey.... Lovely city. I was floored when I went... And I was newly married too....

Anyways... I cant say much about cheap hotels, but try staying in Sultanahmet area. Its the old city on the European side. Most of the places of interest will then be walking distance from you and the tram stations etc are all around. We stayed in Hotel Poem in Sultanahmet. Clean, No frills. Its located beautifuuly. See if you want to pay a bit extra and get their 'ALL OF A SUDDEN' room. Its 100 euros a night. Small room but a balcony opening to the Bosphorus and great view is amazing. Breakfast is enough. No frills here too.

As for restaurants.... Try Torquise in the same area. 1 min walking from the hotel. No View but a mindblowing staff and great food. For great Kebabs with a view, Hamdi Restaurant near the Egyptian Market is THE place. Foods excellent too. A small tram ride from Sultanahmet and 2 min walk takes you there. I also have a tip on the same.

In the night head to Isteklal Kadessi. All discs and stuff are here. Its a long street filled with restaurants, pubs, discs, shops etc. Great fun. For a quieter night, head to Ortakoy. Great food and coffee shops on the waterfront.

As for what not to miss..... Do NOT miss a yatch ride. You will go in Jan, which will be cold there. So the days are short. Try hiring a boat(if money permits hire a big boat for just the two of yo. I did. It was marvellous) at around 3.30-4.00. You will see Istanbul in natural light when you leave and lit up by the time you return. Its just a small boat trip where they show you both the coasts(Asian and European) of the river. Its really romantic in the evening. They served us a bottle of wine on the boat and it was great. The usual place to hire is ahead of Ortakoy. But there are a lot of travel agents who can fix up for you. Bargain a bit. Also the Orient House show is great evening spent. Then there is the usual Blue Mosque, Hagia-Sophia etc. That a travel book will tell you anyways.

Hope you have a great time just like I did.

Enjoy!

Tukish proverbs:
I wish you get older on the same pillow and matrasse.
If two loves each other even a hay-house is a paradise.

Beginning of 2009 ???
That means jan., feb. Both months are cold and rainy. may be snowy. If you are luck suny but cold. You can not take a boat trip along the Bosphorus because of the cold winds of Black Sea coming from Russia.
I dont want to disappoint you. But Istanbul is also beautiful in Winter.

Hard to advice something just for 2 days. Istanbul has many things to do. May be you can just walk near the sea at Ortakoy, Bebek etc. See Sultanahmet area, Topkapi palace, etc. If there is not bosphorus tours you can cross to other side by ship. (Pass near Haydarpasa!) Or you can take cingene(gipsy) boat for see many places at bosphorus.
There will be snow (I hope) or rain. But I am sure view will be great.
I wish very good trip and loong, happy marriage to you.

Istanbul is amazing! You're gonna love it. But do try to go in the summer... it's so much more magical.

Where to stay - depends on if you're night owls who like to party or if you want an early night. If you're the former, don't stay in Sultanahmet. It's dead boring at night. Beyoglu is definitely the place to be after dark so try to stay there if you can.

Great meal with a view - 5Kat in Cihangir, Banyan in Ortakoy, or Istanbul 365 in Beyoglu. Not particularly cheap options, but well worth the splurge!

What to do - take Anuj's advice, rent a boat for two (unless you're there in the winter).

Not to miss - the Bascilica Cistern.

Have a great time!

Sultanahmet Area for cheap stay and central location. You will have so many options there, I even suggest not booking and getting your room as you arrive. January-February is quite cold and it is not high season like spring-summer so you should find some good rates. Staying in Sultanahmet will give you walking distance access to Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. For a romantic view and dinner, some of your options are around Eminonu - Cihangir - Istiklal Caddesi area. Bosphorus offers so many restaurants with great strait view. Check my tips on my homepage, you will find more than you expect :) I wish both of you a happy marriage.

Hi everyoe
thanks for all that great information. Getting excited now. going to book flights.
thanks
k

hello,

are you interested in arts? do you want to see something so unique related with Turkish culture?you may also have a look at the fantastic art gallery of Yılmaz Enes in Sultanahmet area of Istanbul if you wish.Have a look at his website written below;

www.yilmazenes.com

Hey art gallery sounds good - will look into it. I am most interested in modern art. What is the modern art gallery in instanbul called and where will i find it please?
thanks
K

If you also want to visit "Istanbul modern" art museum you must walk a bit from Karakoy. You can see many examples from Turkish art. You may see also a good exibition. You may also eat good food by watching bosphorus. But sometimes you can just see a ship. Because it is a harbour area and that building is old harbour building. http://www.istanbulmodern.org/

Also Dali exibition is in Istanbul for 4 months. But until 19 january. It is in Sakip Sabanci museum at Emirgan.
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:SzF_yiHZy1gJ:english.istanbul.com/Event/EventDetails.aspx%3FId%3D445+Istanbul%2Bdali%2Bexhibition&hl=tr&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=tr

Thank you for telling me about the modern art museum. I am really looking forward to going.
happy travels
k

www.mymerhaba.com
is a good page giving information on cultural activitis in Istanbul

Hi Sirvictor, don't you know this site:
www.istanbulguide.net
the best cultural guide about Istanbul.