Vacation In Turkey Istanbul
Turkey is an exotic destination , with fascinating stories in a very interesting history and culture. There are many intriguing, beautiful and amazing places to visit all around the country. Turkey is the second largest tourist attraction in the world, next to Paris. Since the 1980s foreigners began to know about Ephesus–one of the ancient Seven Wonders, as well as Pamukkale, Konya and Cappadocia that are among other wonderful attractions.
Don’t miss the chance to visit Istanbul. In my blog post will give you some advice about what should be done in Istanbul and how it should look like.
Thousands of years of history and an ancient culture with a diverse heritage, Turkey has plenty of tales to tell. From the ruins of Troy to the old Ottoman palaces that stand to this day, the country is full of historical sights. The cities in Turkey are vibrant and have a lot to offer. Istanbul with its historic Grand Bazaar and legendary Spice Market brings together east and west while Antalya is home to amazing beaches and equally amazing nightlife. Did you know that Istanbul was also the place where coffee was discovered? And there are over 20 mosques in Bursa! You also can’t forget Pamukkale, which is famous for its travertines – calcium formations that resemble huge white pillows that once used to be hot springs. It’s just another example how one country could hold so many different attractions for tourists.
Turkey has served as a bridge between Europe and Asia for thousands of years. This small country is one of the most exciting places to spend your vacation in Europe.
Vacation In Turkey Istanbul
Turkey is a country straddling eastern Europe and western Asia with a population of about 80 million people. Its main cities are Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Apart from Turkey’s well known classical heritage, this country possesses stunning coastlines, mountainous terrains, castles, medieval towns, Black Sea resorts and much more. Turkey is in the crossroads of continents by land and sea and has recently been renovating itself as a tourist resort. The country is served with major airlines from all over the world; also it has a good railway connection to some countries like Bulgaria, Russia, Greece and European countries. The influx of tourists in recent years has boosted the market for luxury hotels in this country.
Everyone knows that person who spends weeks sniffing around travel blogs, going deep into Tripadvisor rabbit holes, collecting Google docs from friends of friends, and creating A Beautiful Mind–style spreadsheets to come up with the best vacations/itineraries possible. In this recurring series, we find those people who’ve done all the work for you and have them walk us through a particularly wonderful, especially well-thought-out vacation they took that you can actually steal.
Host of the Naked Beauty podcast and @nakedbeautyplanet and creator marketing manager at Instagram Brooke DeVard has been traveling back and forth to TurkeyThe COVID-19 situation there: Turkey requires that passengers entering from the United States show proof of full vaccination or provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken up to 72 hours before arrival or a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken up to 48 hours before arrival. since 2014 — first on her own, and then with her now-husband Umut Ozaydinli, who grew up there. “I love going both as a tourist and with someone who lives there,” she says. “It’s not one of those cities where if you don’t know the right people it can be challenging to navigate.” For Ozaydinli, Istanbul matches New York’s energy and pace, but what DeVard sees as its biggest draw is that it otherwise resists comparison to other cities: “If you travel a lot, some cities start to seem very similar. I think Istanbul is so special because it’s a unique combination of old-world and new that really feels distinctly its own.” This summer, she returned to Istanbul with her husband and new permanent plus-one, 13-month-old son Mavi, for whom it was the first trip abroad. Her priorities when she’s traveling (and, frankly, when she’s home in New York) are the same: “I love food, beauty treatments, and shopping, so they are always top of my list to experience wherever I am.”
Day 1
We often stay in Kanlica, where my husband’s family lives. Their house is right on the Bosphorus, so you wake up to this amazing view of the water. Kanlica is the Asian side — it’s the quieter and more residential side of Istanbul — and it’s connected to the European side by bridge. If you want an area that feels much less busy and low-key, there are some hotels on the Asian side or you can book an Airbnb. But it is farther away from many of the attractions, so just be prepared to spend more time in traffic or on water taxis (which I’m obsessed with, anyway). If we’re staying on the European side, we like to stay at Soho House in Beyoglu or the Four Seasons. At Soho House, you’re really just in the thick of it, with tons of art galleries, restaurants, and shopping walking distance from the hotel, which also has a beautiful pool on their rooftop. If you’re going in the summertime, that’s a nice place to pop up to for a drink. For a luxury experience, I love the Four Seasons, which has gorgeous views of the water.
From $250
From $421
8 a.m.: Breakfast before anything else
We always start with a traditional Turkish breakfast, which includes simit bread — The best! Like a bagel, but way better — white cheeses, fruits, eggs, jams, and maybe even sucuk (Turkish sausage). Most hotels and restaurants will serve Turkish breakfast in the morning (the Four Seasons has an amazing one), but Migros, a grocery store with locations throughout the city, is a good one-stop shop to get everything if you want to make your own. Or there’s a fancier version of Migros called Macrocenter. I really like visiting grocery stores when I’m traveling abroad.
9 a.m.: Start in Old Town
I believe in doing the tourist attractions first and then relaxing on the back end. We started by going to the old town center and visiting the architectural marvel that is the Hagia Sophia. I like going as early as possible because it’s less crowded and it’s easier to get through it all. It is a Muslim country, so when I’m in the historic areas of Istanbul, I tend to cover up more. But all across Istanbul when you go to tourist places and you’re in a tank top, they usually have little shawls at the entrance that you can just drape over your shoulders.
10 a.m.: Stop at Topkapi Palace
A five-minute walk away is Topkapi Palace, where you can easily spend three or four hours. If you want a guide, you can find English-speaking ones on the grounds. There’s a separate ticketing kiosk to visit the palace’s harem quarters, and I recommend paying a few dollars extra to do that. You’ll see rare artifacts, like the Spoonmaker’s Diamond (the fourth-largest diamond in the world at 86 carats), and it’s an amazing way to learn how the sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived. I’m African American and I had no idea that there were Black eunuchs that played this big role in the sultans’ life. There’s a small community of Afro Turks, Black Turkish people, that can trace their lineage back to these people working in the palace with the sultan.