Istanbul, Turkey. Help needed

[Kenyan Spur]

Hi Guys,

The wife wants to visit, as our daughter and her hubby are going there.
The plan is to be there on October 10, for 7 days.

I have been checking where to stay, and have found the following:

- Sultenahment:
This seems to be the historical part where all the must see tourist sights. I am not sure about the bars etc.

- Beyoglu / Taksim:
This seems to be the fun area, where you have bars, restaurants, cafes, that are open till late night.

We would really like to stay in an area where we can drink and try different food.
We will go to the the historical sites during the day

Any suggestions, comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks & COYS

 

[funster]

I've only been once and that too only for two days! Stayed in Karakoy which is a stone's throw from the Galata Tower and Bridge. Lots of cafés and bars, some very decent places to eat. If you could have fine dining kebabs the place I had dinner at would qualify! It was about a 20 minute walk from Taksim Square. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to go back.

Hopefully others can give you more insight from longer times spent there.

 

[Papercut]

I've only been once and that too only for two days! Stayed in Karakoy which is a stone's throw from the Galata Tower and Bridge. Lots of cafés and bars, some very decent places to eat. If you could have fine dining kebabs the place I had dinner at would qualify! It was about a 20 minute walk from Taksim Square. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to go back.

Hopefully others can give you more insight from longer times spent there.

Been to Turkey I guestimate around 30 times at least but only a couple of time to Istanbul (and too young to remember). Auro Ramon is your man here...

One thing I will say is that it is meant to be one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the World (contrary to what some people think - i.e. lots of people in burkhas)...

 

[AuroRaman]

Hey dude!

Yep, I lived in Istanbul for two years (well remembered Papercut!) but that was a while back. However my Mum was there very recently on a business trip so I'll have a chat with her about good places to stay/go.

From what I personally remember, Taksim/Beyoglu was the hub but it was super crowded, so it depends on how much outside noise you're willing to live with . It's also the area where Galata/Besiktas/Fener fans go after a game to get their party on! One thing my Mum did say was how much the infrastructure has improved in terms of traffic and environment etc, so it could be that Taksim is your equivalent of Covent Garden type are now. Will double check.

Ortakoy used to be a great area to get amazing street food and funky bars by the Bosphorous, I can double-check with my mates still living there if that is the case. One place to check out if its not already on your itinerary is Rumeli Hisar, which is near where I lived and went to school. It's the old fort that used to protect from hostile ships coming into the bosphorous. I must admit, I didn't ever venture too much to the other side of the river, however there are some great sites and historical areas to visit.

Papercut is right, Istanbul is a fantastic blend of incredible history and cosmopolitan affluence. Just a great place to visit and I'm very jealous! If you do get a chance and timing works out, would be a good shout to go to a game. Not a place to take the kids though! I'm sure it's improved safety-wise from when I was there, when the fans used to bring guns into the stadium and shoot them in the air to intimidate the opposition fans.....

My mum is visiting tomorrow, so i'll get some info from her and will also check with mates in the city. Would be good to know what sort of budget i.e. top/middle/bottom end you are looking at for places to stay. Istanbul has some quite frankly awesome hotels, such as the Swissotel, Conrad and Movenpick.

 

[Kenyan Spur]

@AuroRaman

Thanks Paji,

My daughter is going to Turkey from the UK, and would like to meet up with us in Istanbul for a week.

We are just deciding where to stay. We will do the historical and other sightseeing stuff during the day. Maybe, even go on a day trip to somewhere.

I am looking for a hotel that is in an area where the evening action is - bars, restaurants, cafes etc. Noise is not too much of a problem - we would probably be making some ourselves !!!!. Plus, I am sure some hotels have sound proofing.

My budget for the hotel is flexible. I haven't looked at any yet, till I figure out what area to stay. Probably a middle class hotel, 4 star, around 125 quid a night per room.

Any info, suggestions you can provide will be very helpful .

COYS