Holiday special - A Turkish Delight |02 August 2019

• Seychellois couple share travel tips following their holiday in Istanbul, Turkey earlier this month

Hotel

There are literally hundreds of hotels covering a complete spectrum of beauty and price. We suggest ‘googling’ in the range that you want.

As Seychellois, we like to attend our Church, and these are mostly found in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul.

People

The nature of Turkish people… kind, helpful and more than willing to go out of their way to set you right if you ask politely.

We would recommend a small Turkish/English or Turkish/French dictionary as most people we met outside the hotel were not too good with these languages, although they did try their best.

Food

There is something to suit everybody’s taste. Literally any kind of seafood, spicy hot vegetables and salads, spicy meatballs, Baklava, meat kebabs - you name it, it’s there, and the prices are pretty reasonable.

Standing out was an absolutely delicious, fresh calamari which melted in the mouth with a lovely cherry salad, all on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the ships sailing up and down the Bosphorus waterway. Cheers!

Turkish wine was good too. Speaking of which, the local beer was quite palatable for those that wish to have this and there are many local spirits and wines to experiment with, should you be so inclined.

Everybody in Turkey seems to smoke, but it is not condoned in public places or transport.

Culture

If you’re interested in culture, then try and fit in a service with the Whirling Dervishes which is a unique religious experience.

If you only want the tourist aspect, go to the Hodjapasha Cultural Centre. If you want the authentic, religious version, go to the Masumiyet Muzesi museum; services here are only twice a month (check it out on YouTube for the action!)

Whirling Dervishes

Sightseeing & historical places

You’ve come to the right place in the world for this! The setting of Istanbul is unique and beautiful.

A boat trip by day or night is a MUST! Ferries zoom left and right, all over the water ways, giving spectacular views of world-famous, cultural icons, such as the Hagia Sophia museum, the Galata Tower which we could see from our hotel, as well as the lovely impressive Mosques (for these, you will need to defer to the culture and remove footwear).

There are also Roman remains; we can highly recommend the Mosaic museum – if that’s your thing – and really, the list just goes on and on; there’s something for everybody.

For a laugh

A nice thing to do is to watch the street side sellers teasing their customers by bobbing ice-cream on their heads and then taking the ice cream away with a long scoop after they have paid for it!

Shopping

There’s a variety of shopping, from high-end malls (Water Garden is one and here there is a magic fountain display for free) to local markets, and everything in between.

A lot of good but cheaper shopping can be done in the pedestrian underpasses, under roads and railway lines, and the quality is actually quite good.

Two well-known tourist shopping centres are the Spice/Egyptian Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar which should take care of all your souvenir needs.

Transport

Many airlines travel to Istanbul so source for prices in your required class.

In Istanbul, the metro is to be highly recommended and it is very easy to use. We would recommend avoiding buses as the roads make Seychelles look like a park. Taxis when you’re lost are not too expensive.

It’s sometimes hard to find particular places and so short taxi rides from the metro can be a good option; it’s about R50 – 60 for a short trip. There always seems to be taxis around, but negotiate prices before you ride.

Helpful tips

ü  When travelling on public transport, wear what you like, but out of respect for the more conservative travellers, more general coverage is recommended, especially for the ladies, just as a courtesy.

ü  Weather wise, it does get cold in winter so be prepared between September to March; to some extent, the summer is preferable as the sightseeing and shopping tend to be less hampered by rain.

ü  The city is quiet before 9am, so is good for those looking to have early morning jogs; don’t even think about it in the evenings and don’t forget travel insurance.

Souvenirs

Typical Turkish souvenirs are their bowls, lamps, carpets, spices, sweets, cookies; the designs on bowls and carpets are from the Ottoman culture which stretches back more than a thousand years.

Then of course are the Turkish Delights – a must to bring home for your friends! Don’t buy the pre-packed ones; choose individually from the numerous sweet shops and you will also get free samples!