(28APR22) Merhaba! I went on a 5-day trip with friends to Turkey, one of the countries that boasts its border between Europe and Asia. It somewhat felt very different that I didn’t embark on my own this time alongside the realization that there are also cons in group travels. Nevertheless, I highly appreciated my squad for touring with me. ^^ Perhaps I might have gotten more used in planning things on my way that’s why the funny feeling came through. 😅
Anyway, this first part covers our whole preparation to travel over the “Land of Turks” and our stay in Istanbul---NOT the country’s capital but the heart of Turks’ tourist attractions.
COVID restrictions might have eased up to its limit in present time but here’s a friendly reminder to stay caution when travelling
FLIGHT/VISA
We flew via their flagship aircraft, Turkish Airlines! I have been eyeing to try this whenever I’m booking a flight bound to the Philippines; But now, I’m going to cross this off my radar as I give it a 3/5 star rating. There’s not enough leg room even for just an economy seat and the service was sort of slow :X Plus, don’t get me started in talking (again) how I hate to be seated at the aisle. With or without air turbulence, it still gave me the motion sickness. -__- But apart from that, the food was fairly good. I was surprised to have in-flight entertainment for a 4-hr ride :D
You can order between beef kebab with couscous or tomato pasta for the in-flight meal.
Filipinos are entitled to have a Turkish E-visa in departing to the country and it’s easy to apply one HERE. A single-entry is valid to use for 6 months.
CURRENCY/WIFI
Wifi is a must especially when doing a DIY tour so we rented this pocket device at Buii. Their service was good and efficient as long as you follow their rules of renting and returning it.
Istanbul Airport is such a wild maze whether you’re transiting from arrivals or departure point. It was more of a walkathon than having longer queues during passport controls.
HOTEL
Make sure to have your accommodation within the city centre! There are several budget-friendly hotels near the airport but it takes 40 minutes (plus traffic) to go towards the metropolis. So we had a family room size at Hotel Queensland.
Me being the picky eater here. Lol jk. I eat small bits to taste each and everything and y'all would realize that there's frequently a variety of cheese and cherry at the menu.
FOOD
We celebrated our first night in the country with a dinner cruise along the Bosporus strait. The entertainment was very lively presenting various Turkish cultural dances up to modern beats(it's posted in my Instagram highlights!). But sadly, I did not fancy the food much. :( Thank goodness that chicken kebab has saved me throughout our whole trip! Haha. I honestly do not like Middle Eastern food however, my tastebuds came to relish some of it. Besides the kebab, I found delectable to try the Turkish pide, lahmachun and anything that doesn’t involve lamb and pungent odor.
And of course, the ever-popular Baklava. I love how they prepare this pistachio treat in various ways. Head on to Hafiz Mustafa for the most delicious (or the 'pasalubong express', rather) Turkish Delight and assorted Baklava. 👍🏻
Authentic Turkish tea is so fragrant it’ll make you buy several tea leaves at the Spice Bazaar! There's always a food tasting session in every souvenir delicacy shop you go. They keep offering until you decide to buy so be mindful about it! ;p
ITINERARY
Being the largest city in Turkey, Istanbul is home to two main attractions: mosques and bazaars. All the must-see places are a walking distance apart if you stay near Sultanahmet Square.
The sunny weather adds beauty at the park. From here, you can visit Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sophia. Some of the mosques/museums have an entrance fee so due to our lack of time, we only went inside Hagia which is free (**provided that you wear proper clothing as it is the Muslim’s place of worship).
Overlooking view of the Blue Mosque at Seven Hills Restaurant. 💙
The byzantine-styled architecture of the mosques are really stunning and gives further sparkle to the interior. Especially in Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), this half Christian cathedral- half Muslim church has a golden touch in every corner.
I bet the crowd gets massive during their praying hours. Near this area also lies a mausoleum of the previous Sultans in the country which we did not enter anymore.
After that mini mosque-hopping, we head over to the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. Believe me, the whole place reminds me of Old Town Manila. There are retail clothing stores, gadget stalls, food kiosks and Class A branded apparel. While as you enter the Grand Bazaar, it becomes an entire sale for jewelry and souvenirs.
It’s somehow a whole new world for me to see that majority of the sellers are MEN. Where are the ladies or do they really just let them stay at home?! Moreover, keep in mind that they like to haggle so try not to be a spontaneous buyer. These merchants often ask where you came from in which this serves as a basis for their price mark-up. Another of their tactic is that you might get obliged to buy their products once you take pictures of it.
Turkish products look pretty and authentic but please be vigilant. They are known for their silk carpets, colorful silverware and glass lamps. I will tell more about this in my Cappadocia blog entry. ;D
To wrap up the tour, we tried Turkish hammam in the evening and it’s quite relaxing even for just a short session. Although the massage was very basic, it’s the bath and sauna that refreshed us.
Thus, that’s about our short exploration in Istanbul. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend this for solo female or all-female group travelers for safety reasons. There are moments when it was hard to converse with them and you really just have to be careful everywhere. Though travel-wise, I liked the experience I had here as this is my first muslim-country to visit apart from my connecting flight destinations.
