Deal Alert: $489 roundtrips to Istanbul from Boston for fall

If you have some flexibility in your schedule and can leave from the east coast, the deals are just starting to come out for fall travel.  This particular deal I found via Boston, but I imagine that NYC and Dulles will also have similar fares.  Here's an example for a 7-day:

This option is on Air Canada and is in the K fare bucket, so you would earn 100% mileage on United for the connections via Canada and Istanbul, but only 25% on the US connectors.  Still not a bad way to get about 10,000 miles.

Restaurant Review: Faros Kebap

So many places to choose from, so little time!

I found myself thinking that when looking at the massive list of restaurant options in Istanbul.  Plus, with this being my first trip to the city, how do I know which places are good and which should be avoided?

Thankfully there are a number of sites to assist with this, and I did my research fully before narrowing down my list to a top four.

One such place that I can now highly recommend for their menu choices is Faros Kebap, a small restaurant within easy walking distance of the Grand Hyatt and Intercontinental.

When you walk down the streets of Istanbul, don't be surprised when restauranteurs and vendors try and woo you in just by walking up to you and trying to engage you in conversation.  It was interesting the first few times, but became annoying shortly after.  Best to do good research before you go and have a destination in mind.

Faros Kebap has a menu structure similar to most other places, but I felt as though their portions were exactly what an eating experience should be. Not too much, not too little.  I had to try the Urfa Kebap (lamb) during this trip, and was not disappointed.  The flavors and texture were excellent and sides were proportionate to the meal.

They also have a variety of desserts and coffees to choose from if you're planning a late afternoon visit.

I'll definitely search them out on my next visit - the lamb dishes alone make me want to eat there again!

Final Istanbul thoughts list

Here are my final thoughts concerning my first time visit to Istanbul:

1. Things are relatively cheap: meaning, I could get a Coke for $1 US, and overall prices on most food products were reasonable.  Restaurant cost depends on how much you are willing to spend, but overall, not terrible across the board.

2. The mass transit situation is easy: Getting from Taksim to the Old City was not a problem via the funicular and tram.  The only confusing part was trying to decide whether to buy tokens or find an Istanbulkart location.  There is a small kiosk on the square that sells them...will remember that for next trip.

3. Watch out for tricky beggars and vendors: I got duped when a shoeshine guy dropped his brush and kept walking away (making me think he accidentally dropped it).  When I grabbed it and got his attention, I was duped...and I imagine he was surprised and upset when I didn't pay for anything as a result.

4. Tons of kebap options mean that doing restaurant research ahead of time (I used Tripadvisor.com) is critical to find good places that have well-cooked food (as to avoid any gastrointestinal problems).

5. Planning out your day is key. That way you know how much time you have and how much admission prices are.  The earlier you can start in a day, the smaller the lines.

6. I highly recommend Suntransfers for transportation from the airport to your lodging.  The price was reasonable and there was never a concern about missing a connection or figuring out an unknown transit system.

7. Prepare to spend a lot of time at the Grand Bazaar.  The deals just keep on comin'.

8. Start shopping for next Thanksgiving travel deals soon!  February/March tends to be the sweet spot, and more deals will be available for the taking!

9. If you're looking for easy Visa options for visiting various countries, I can also recommend Travisa - easy to get a Turkish e-visa and other countries for a reasonable price

Istanbul: Day 2

Did I mention in the last post that we were able to catch the Packers game via Internet stream after our flight finally landed and we got to the Hyatt?  It was a sad massacre of a game, but it felt kind of cool to be able to listen to Wayne and Larry in Istanbul on Thanksgiving...how many people can say they did that?

For Day #2, there was a definite plan of attack given the short amount of time remaining in our schedule.  Having investigated the train system the day before we were much more prepared and ready to go the following morning.  We were quickly out the door and to Taksim station...only problem was that we were so confident we knew what we were doing we accidently boarded the funicular twice.  Lesson learned: calm yourself down before jumping on the first train you see.  After that bit of fun, we were off on the T1 and our first stop: The Blue Mosque.

The line was already a bit long by the time we got to the entrance, but our efforts to join part of an already large touring group were successful and we skipped ahead of the line...sneaky, I know.  Upon entering the Mosque you must remove your shoes and if you are a female, you need to have your head covered out of respect.  Once that is accomplished in the small anteroom near the entrance, you find yourself in the main part of the building - and witnessing an amazing view of the tile and grandeur that is the Blue Mosque.

After leaving the main room and putting our shoes back on, the Hagia Sophia was next on the list - it is located right next door to the Blue Mosque so it was a short walk.  The line was not nearly as long to get tickets, so after waiting about 10 minutes we were in and admiring the history and culture of a building some consider a Wonder of the World.  I found the Roman history portion fascinating - walking in similar corridors as Emperor Justinian made me appreciate the long history and changes that have taken place in the building. The tiled frescoes were also a sight to be seen, despite some scaffolding and restoration work being done in the main hall.

We found lunch after the Hagia Sophia at a small restaurant near the entrance and down the train line - a kebap and cafe that had pretty good lamb.

Our final stop was the Topkapi Palace - we knew there wasn't enough time to visit all parts of it, so we chose to focus on the Hagia Irene and the Archeology Museum buildings near the entrance.  Our patience was tested when a short entrance line to the museum took almost a half hour to get going (for no reason that could be seen), but we were soon in and taking a look at the many artifacts, including the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great and many artifacts from the city of Troy.

Upon finishing up at the Palace, it was time to head back, find some food, and enjoy the final evening in Istanbul.  I even got duped by a shoeshine guy right outside of the hotel - have to experience it all!

Stay tuned for a post on my final top list of thoughts from the trip...

Istanbul: Day 1

I'm not sure what it is exactly about Istanbul, but I found myself being transported back in time while viewing a modern city still trying to make up its mind about what it wants to be.  I don't think I've had a similar feeling since my very first trip to Rome, where the ruins are all around you at the same the cars honk and speed past. 

After getting proper rest from a long day of flying (separate posts will be forthcoming on lodging and food), it was out and about to figure out the mass transit in Istanbul.  This actually turned out to be much easier than anticipated, as the signage is fairly good in each station.  And when all else fails you can just follow the bustling crowd.  We never did find the akbil kiosk - either was so obvious that it couldn't be found or we weren't really looking in the right spot.  In any case procuring tokens from the vending machine was easy and soon we were off down the funicular to transfer to the Tram system T1.  Next trip an investment in an Istanbul Kart will be first on the list to save cost.  The tram is very efficient and stops near all of the major sights in the old part of the city.  Crossing the Galata Bridge was a highlight and soon we were off to experience all the Grand Bazaar had to offer.  Including all of the people and vendors wanting your every attention.

The Bazaar itself is monstrous and a lesson in sensory mastery if you're not accustomed to the hustle and bustle.  It reminded me a lot of visiting Souq Waqif in Qatar and the haggling was eerily similar.  You always have to have a suspicious eye ready to take on whatever bargain you want to discover, and the vendors in the Grand Bazaar do not hold back.  I think we were very successful in haggling for the things we procured and look forward to a return trip to the areas we passed.

Soon after we made an effort to reach the Hagia Sophia, but realized upon arrival that we had the hours wrong for entrance.  The setting sun, though, provided an awesome camera opportunity:

We wouldn't make the same mistake for Day 2...

Greetings from Istanbul

I'm very behind in travel posts relating to this trip, but I will be catching up just as soon as I return home  for a full trip report on the experience.

So far everything has been amazing, the food excellent, and the weather perfect!

Long travel day tomorrow…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving (from Istanbul!)

T-24 to Istanbul

In less than 24 hours from now, my Istanbul adventure shall begin!  (as long as the stupid weather crap doesn't play havoc on connecting flights...)

I'm looking forward to the fun - back in August, there was another amazing flight deal on the docket through Star Alliance for roundtrips to IST...and of course I had to jump on it!  It wasn't as amazing as the $250 r/t to Lima last year, but it's close.  And...I get to visit a completely new country!

I shall be blogging as Internet permits, as I decided not to purchase the AT&T plan for this trip.  And I will also do my best to take as many pictures as I can of whatever I run into. 

Weekend trip, here I come!  (and yes, I will be in Turkey on Thanksgiving - no jokes please).

Istanbul on the cheap?

 

I have a trip to Istanbul planned for later in the year, and my search has started for getting things ready ahead of time.  As luck would have it one of my daily reads has an Istanbul summary for options of where to stay and what to do.

Check it out!