24 Hours in Istanbul

Having direct flights from Cape Town to Istanbul makes this city even more inviting. Turkish Airlines have new Airbuses operating on the South Africa route, and have an amazing entertainment system. I was lost for choice and had to force myself to shut eye, as I knew there was a huge day of sightseeing ahead for me. Luckily for me, I touched down in Istanbul, just before sunrise on a Sunday morning. My transfer into Sultanahmet therefore only took 15 minutes. During the week though, please be prepared for over an hour transfer. Whilst transferring to Sultanahmet, I was amazed at how clean the city looked. The old city walls, lined the road on the one side, while the Sea of Marmara was on the other side. It really is beautiful and offers a very comforting welcome to a new city. Once in Sultanahmet, I dropped my bags off at a very quaint and beautiful Boutique Hotel and set off on foot to find out why this city is so highly recommended. I definitely made the perfect choice of location for a hotel. I was literally 2 blocks from the Blue Mosque and 2 blocks from the Bosphorus River in the other direction. Once again I was reminded of how fortunate I am to have the Travel Counsellors booking system at my finger tips. Whilst choosing my hotel in our Phenix system, I could read up on reviews from previous Travel Counsellors guests, see the exact location of the hotel, and get a street view. I was really happy to have myself as my own Personal Travel Counsellor! I made it to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia by about 08:30 in the morning. They both only open by 9am, so the area was still quiet and peaceful. I got to walk around the gardens and take some wonderful photos and just experience the awe inspiring buildings. By 09:30 the area was packed, so I would definitely recommend getting there nice and early, if you want to experience the peace and tranquillity which this area can offer. The cobbled streets of Sultanahmet are very beautiful and well maintained. Turkish tea and Baklava easily drag you into the street side cafes. While roasted walnut and freshly baked breads from street vendors entice you to snack while walking. Either way, you can’t go wrong! As I only had 24 hours to enjoy the city, I chose to do the ultimate tourist tour – the Hop on Hop off bus. It departs from Sultanahmet at 10 am, and the route takes approximately 1.5 hours, if you don’t hop off it. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I got to see the old and new town, Taksim, drove along the Sea of Marmara, all the way up to Eyup, Galata and Ataturk Bridges and along the Bosphorus River, to name a few. After the Hop on Hop off bus, I decided to walk down to the Bosphorus River, to take in more of the local atmosphere. The Galata Bridge is a wonderful area. The local’s fish directly off the bridge and the restaurants which serve their fresh catches are along the river’s edge or just under the bridge. I did not try the fish, but chose a Turkish Ice Cream. What a treat! If you try one thing in Istanbul, make sure it is their ice cream! As there were still a couple of hours left in the day, I was tempted onto a cruise along the Bosphorus River to the Bosphorus Bridge. There are many boats waiting at the water’s edge, and I would recommend that you work this into your itinerary. The whole cruise takes about 1.5 hours and goes from the Galata Bridge to the Bosphorus Bridge. Along the way, you pass the Maidens Tower. This was a very relaxing way to see the city from the water. Ending my day with a Mesa Plata, and an ice cold Efes, I could not help but promise this beautiful city, that I would be back to explore the streets some more.