Thread: Everyone, please help me enjoy Istanbul!

I have a newly booked trip to Istanbul in October. All ideas, thoughts, contacts, places to eat, dance, watch dance and stay are really appreciated!..g.:

Wow, nothing ...I am frankly surprised. Will check back later..

I stayed at the Mavi Onur Guesthouse in Old Istanbul. Was the cheapest place I could find at the time for double private room with bathroom.

Gonul of Fazil studio booked all my lessons and contacted all the teachers for me.

I just ate at small street restaurants. You can get good food and plenty of it for a few lira.

Check out some of the older threads like
http://www.bhuz.com/forum/travel-lan...-istanbul.html

Hi,

I Stayed in istanbul last september, Buhara restaurant is a great place to eut and a little bit further there is fish restaurant were you can eat menu of the day very cheap and it's fresh fish. I will send you the adresses later on.

I didn't like the hammam there...But I loved the souk. Also there I have some adresses.

I am now at work and don't have the adresses with me and all the rest of the informations. What you like to know more?

There are various threads about Istanbul here on Bhuz.

As always I recommend my shopping guide:
Successful shopping in Istanbul

I love Istanbul and will be back in May!

MEISSOUN

just make sure you go down taksim square and try the pastry shops. i DIE FOR THE PAStry SHOPS!

Yea!, taking notes now feverishly... thank you all! Keep it coming!! Aunna

My printer is now smoking from the links, good..good...

I am going to Istanbul for 3 nights in June! I am so excited! I've checked out old threads and found some good info there.

I've posted this before, but here is my blog from the trip. If you can weed through all the personal stuff you'll find lots of hints and suggestions for restaurants and hotels.

Istanbul: Not quite Europe, not quite Asia

Favorite restaurant: Istanbul: Not quite Europe, not quite Asia: I'm here, I'm safe and I'm lovin' it

I am Turkish but I am not sure how I can help you in hotels or restaurant as I stay with family and eat mostly home...yummy hommade meals.
but definetely visit Sultanahmet Square with museums, bookstores, galleries...eat at famous Kofteci (meatball place), go to Grand Bazaar (spend few days there easily...bargain is must!)
Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofia, mosques (cover and long skirt must), take ferry boat trip to Islands (vapur Bosphorus tour), hmmm
Classes with Banu Sultan, Sema Yildiz, Reyhan, Hale Sultan if you can.
Ortakoy on Sunday great but sooo busy..vendors have great items to sell.
Misir Carsisi (Spice Bazaar...try also salep drink or boza)
there are few museums by Bhosphorus great places to see history and costuming I think one i remember Sakip Sabanci's wife museum, used be my fav
I believe it is in Emirgan by park

I am going to Istanbul in June and I am wondering if one can eat from the street vendors? Does one need to be careful about uncooked food and drink only bottled water?

E

We ate from street vendors several times. It probably depends a bit on WHAT you eat.
They roast kastanias (I have no idea what they are called in English) that are absolutely OK.
On the other hand you might be a bit careful with meat and fish sold in the streets. Although I survived a street kebap as well
I never had any stomach problems in Istanbul as far as I remember, and I have been there many times.

Tap water simply doesn't taste very good, so I buy bottles.

Istanbul is a civilized place (my 76 year old aunt went last year and LOVED it - she found it much cleaner than expected) and you can basically do as you do at home.

Have fun!

MEISSOUN