Istanbul Turkey - Plan Your Perfect Trip to Istanbul

 

Welcome to Turkey!

Last night, we arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, and today is our first day exploring this beautiful city. I'm Anna, and Ian is behind the camera if you don't know us. We are a couple who have been travel vlogging full-time for the past year and a half. We are known for our adventures in Southeast Asia, but due to COVID, we had to change our plans and explore the US in a van. Now, with our vaccines, we are internationally traveling again. In this video, we will explore Istanbul, Turkey's largest city.

Where We Stay

While traveling in Southeast Asia and now in Europe, we prefer to use Airbnb. It provides cheap, affordable, and lovely places to stay. Airbnb does not sponsor us, but we highly recommend it.

Turkish Breakfast

For our first meal in Turkey, we enjoyed a traditional Turkish breakfast. It consisted of a cheese plate, eggs, olives, vegetables, and lots of bread. The food was delicious and filling, and the tea was free and unlimited.

Meeting Locals

While running through the rain, we met Metten, the owner of a coffee and tea shop called Chatoti. He helped us pronounce Turkish words correctly and clarified that it was Istanbul, not Istanbul. We love how friendly and welcoming the Turkish people are.

Exploring Istanbul

We are currently on a Europe trip, and after Turkey, we plan to visit Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia. Istanbul has surprises around every corner, and we are excited to explore this vibrant city.

Suleiman Mosque

We visited the Suleimanie Mosque, the second-largest mosque in Istanbul. It is an impressive structure with a rich history. When visiting mosques in Turkey, it is essential to cover your shoulders, knees, and women should wear a headscarf.

Enjoying the City

We found a rooftop cafe with a stunning view of the mosque. We enjoyed Turkish coffee and tea while taking in the beautiful surroundings. Turkish cuisine is presented beautifully, and every dish looks like a work of art.

Our Airbnb

We moved to our second Airbnb, which is more like a hotel but still very nice. It is conveniently located and offers a comfortable stay for a great price.

Istiklal Avenue

We explored Istiklal Avenue, a vibrant street full of shops, cafes, and people. It has a lively atmosphere, and we enjoyed tasting Turkish ice cream and experiencing the European summer vibes.

Haya Sophia

We visited Haya Sophia, one of the most iconic structures in Istanbul. It reflects the religious changes in the region over the centuries. This building has a fascinating history, from a Greek church to a mosque.

Overall, our time in Istanbul has been incredible. We enjoyed the food, the people, and the beautiful sights. Stay tuned for more adventures as we continue our Europe trip.

Moscow is more touristy, louder, and busier than yesterday's destination, Suleimanie. It is essential to be aware of the scams that occur in these touristy areas. We encountered two scams today - a shoe shine scam and the other was a sales pitch to visit a shop. It's essential to be cautious and not fall for these tricks.

During our visit, we visited the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, both currently under construction. In these tourist areas, it's common for people to approach you and try to sell you something. We had a local guide who could speak Serbian, which helped us navigate these situations.

We also visited Nova Santia Cafe, a popular spot for Instagram photos. It's a studio where you can pay to take pictures, complete with fake fruit and tea. We paid 100 Turkish lira for this experience.

We have an extensive food tour to explore Istanbul's culinary scene tomorrow. Our guide, Latif, who we found on Airbnb, will show us around. We started our day at the spice market, where we saw a variety of spices and ingredients used in Turkish cooking. We also learned about Turkish coffee and Turkish delights.

After the spice market, we visited a famous Turkish breakfast spot and enjoyed olives and cheese. We also tried goat cheese wrapped in goat skin, which was a unique experience. Latif informed us that there are often debates about the origin of certain foods in this region.

We then visited a bakery where they make traditional Turkish bread called Simmet. Tea is a big part of Turkish culture, and we learned that Turkey is the highest tea-consuming nation per person in the world. We also tried water buffalo cream with honey, which was a cultural experience for us as vegetarians.

Next, we crossed over to the Asian side of Istanbul, which was a new experience for us. We learned about the traditional steps to making Turkish coffee and enjoyed a meal at Chia, a restaurant featured on Chef's Table. The meatball and cherry dish was a standout for us.

We also tried stuffed mussels, a famous Turkish street food, and indulged in different types of baklava. We learned the proper way to eat baklava, which involves turning it upside down to enjoy the layers and avoid excessive syrup.

Our day ended at a Turkish pide restaurant, where we had the opportunity to make our pide. It was a fun and interactive experience.