Istanbul - The land of second helpings

This magical meeting place of continents and cultures, of the East and the West, is nothing short of beautiful. As beautiful as the unlimited buffet with your favourite food.

In November 2018, I took 10 days off to see Istanbul, and let me tell you, 10 days is not even good enough to cover the area I was staying in. I didn't plan this trip at all, I read how bad their economy was one day (which means good news for us!) and booked my flight tickets within the next 4 days. (Also, full disclosure, I was partial to Istanbul because of their abundance of cats.) Though a lot of people say you can cover all of the 'must-sees' in 3-5 days, I spent more time there without an itinerary because I never knew how long I'd end up staying in one place. I always think it's a good idea to keep enough breathing space between 'must-sees' for afternoons you'll spend walking around and nights you'll spend discovering new things.

November is said to be off-season, but it was still full of tourists (read Indians). The weather was cold, and it rained most of the days I was there. But thankfully, it doesn't rain (or flood) like Bombay. I booked the cheapest flight there (28k, Kuwait Airways) and spent a total of about 75,000 INR. I stayed at this charming little Airbnb with the best hosts ever. Tip: Always keep an eye out for offers or discounts when it comes to flights and stay. This means you will have to download a bunch of apps and keep alerts turned on, but it's worth it. And remember to book flights that land at Ataturk airport and not Sabiha.

If you have a US visa, getting a Turkish visa is a one-day affair. All you have to do is fill a form and pay the fees (I paid $20, but it is $45 as of 2019) and you'll get the e-visa within one working day. You can get the Turkish e-visa here. However, if you don't have a US visa, the procedure takes a little longer and the rules are a little different. The FAQs section on the same website answers all your questions for non-US visa holders.

The currency is Turkish lira, the exchange rate is about 1 tl = Rs. 13 last I checked. Again, exchange some dollars at the airport (keep an eye out for shops that take the least commissions). The rest, you can exchange on Istiklal St. (I exchanged mine at Ye Ye Doviz) or at one of the shops at Sultanahmet. 'Doviz' means exchange in Turkish, so if you're looking for one, use that word.

Where to stay:

Istanbul is a HUGE place. There's Sultanahmet, Beyoglu and the European side of Istanbul, and the Asian side across the Bosphorus. Beyoglu and Istiklal Caddesi is where all the young guys are at. I stayed in Beyoglu, on the street behind Istiklal Caddesi. Istiklal Street has a lot of clubs and pubs that run early into the morning, so if you're staying there, keep in mind that some Ed Sheeran song will probably be playing into the wee hours of the morning.

Sultanahmet is known as Old Istanbul, (also probably because older people stay there). It's quieter and a little more old school, culture-wise. A lot of the museums and mosques are situated in Sultanahmet, so plan accordingly.

The Asian side is like our BKC. Modern AF, dotted with hipster cafes and artsy-fartsy stuff. Kadikoy is where the artists are at. It's a ferry ride away and has a ton of beautiful things to do. Life here moves a little slower than the European side.

How to get around:

There is a metro line that runs from Ataturk airport to the rest of Istanbul. As soon as you get to the metro station, get yourself an Istanbulkart from the dispenser. It looks like any other debit/credit card and works for all modes of transport. The machines have a bunch of languages, so make sure to select the flag of Britain to get the instructions in English. The card costs 6 tl and you can top up the card with more money for transport.

Language:

Language isn't a problem at all. They have a lot of words in common with us (Hindi), so you'll be okay. If you aren't well-versed with Hindi, they're decent with English too. And there's always Google Translate. If you're an avid shopper, 'indirim' is the word you need to know, it means discount. And 'isaab' (like hisaab) means bill or cheque.

Things to do:

Istiklal Caddesi

Walk up and down Istiklal Caddesi, the 1 - 2 km stretch that runs between Taksim Square and Tunel or travel in this cute little tram. Istiklal Street is full of shops, street food joints, street musicians and high-end brands. Eat kokorec and midye dolma at Sampiyon Kokorec. Kokorec is basically lamb intestines wrapped around offal and grilled on a skewer over charcoal fire. And midye dolma is this dish made of sea-salty mussels stuffed with warm rice, perfect for the winters.

Breakfast in Istanbul is a BIG DEAL. It's called menemen - scrambled egg dish stuffed with loads of meat and butter, fresh vegetables, a tomato jam, fresh olives in olive oil, kaymak (this is important, we shall revisit this later), cheese, fresh bread and of course, tea or coffee.

Some of the best places I had menemen were at Lades Restaurant and Van Kahvalti Evi. DISCLAIMER: You will need a really big appetite, because this stuff is usually for two people. Coming back to kaymak, which is clotted cream and honey, is hands down, the most important thing you will have. It is the most versatile side dish, goes with breads, desserts, savoury pastries, ANYTHING. Unfortunately, like all the best stuff, you don't get it here.

The next most surprising thing I had was the tavuk gogsu aka a melt-in-your-mouth milk pudding made with shredded chicken breast at Lades Restaurant - this with blow your mind! It is soft, creamy and nothing like milk at all. Tip: Walk around as much as you can, it builds appetite and you can try more of this heavenly cuisine.

Mandabatmaz is a coffee haven tucked away in the bylanes of Istiklal St. And if you didn't know already, their coffee is made using ground powder that doesn't exactly dissolve in water, but settles at the bottom. So don't go bottom's up on your coffee.

And, you just can't leave Istanbul without grabbing a durum (meat wrap) at Durumzade, a tiny joint made famous by Anthony Bourdain. You'll recognise it instantly because his pictures are plastered all over the outside.

Galata

Where Istiklal Caddesi ends, Galata Street begins. It's these cosy bunch of lanes around Galata Tower. I'm told the sunsets from this point are most beautiful. Galata Tower has 360 views of Istanbul, and even in the winters, the view is just, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. The entry fee is 25 tl and the queue can be long, so plan accordingly.

That's the Bosphorus you see in the middle. The are sunset cruises along the river that you should do in the summer. In the winter, it's just too cold. You can book the cruises at any of the ports closest to where you're staying. The sunset cruises are obviously more expensive than the ones during the day. I just walked around the Galata bridge to make the most of it. Along the bridge, you'll find many people making balik ekmek, this really fresh fish sandwich with lime and mint leaves. Walk around the lanes, they have some really nice vintage shops and artifacts. There's this lovely shop called Home Spa that sells homemade soaps and oils at a great price. You won't find a lot of street food places around Galata because it is a touristy area and mostly everything tends to be more expensive. Except the pomegranate juice, which is a winter specialty. I also walked along the Kamondo stairs, an 18th century, curvaceous and distinct piece of urban design. 20 minutes away from Galata is Istanbul's oldest and best sweet and savoury shop, Karakoy Gulluoglu. Have ALL the baklavas and the savouries. And if you're looking to take a couple of kgs home, do it from here or Hafiz Mustafa at Istiklal. On your way to Galata Tower, there's this huge shop with all kinds of bags (name), which has great discounts - GO THERE. It's better than going to the Grand bazaar and spending a bomb there.

Sultanahmet

Getting to Sultanahmet is fairly easy. Take the Karakoy Istasyonu, the tram that goes to Bagcilar (Churchgate station equivalent) and if you want to get off to see the Spice bazaar, get off at Eminonu. If you want to see the Topkapi Palace, get off at Gulhane. And for Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern, get off at Sultanahmet.

Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar

I would skip the Grand Bazaar, I spent a total of ten minutes inside - it was crowded, overpriced and full of stuff you could find anywhere else.

The Spice Bazaar is the place to be. Rather, the perimeter of the Spice Bazaar is where you want to buy your stuff from. Unfortunately, it was raining when I went, so the shops around the perimeter didn't have overhead covers. Spice Bazaar is overpriced AF, so bargain. Go as low as you want to when quoting your price. And ffs, don't buy stuff you can find in India. Get spices and teas you'll never get anywhere else. All the men will try and call you into their shops, check ALL the places before you settle on getting something. And don't pay for something you don't want.

Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern & Topkapi Palace

The Hagia Sophia (pronounced aya-sofiya) is the prettiest thing I have ever seen. You don't know culture until you've stepped inside. Long history short, it was a church, then it was a mosque for a short while and now it's a museum. The entry fee is 60 tl. Opening hours are 9 am - 5 pm in the winters. It stays open till 7 pm in the summer, but entry shuts one hour before closing time. Take an audio guide if you want, but if you're cheap like me, you'll just listen to other tour guides.

The Blue Mosque is a beautiful piece of architecture built with tiny, hand-painted blue tiles. The entry is free. It's situated right next to the Hagia Sophia and opens for guests at 9 am and after prayer time, so I went around 2: 30 pm. You have to remove your shoes and cover your feet with blue plastic, and of course, cover your head, shoulders and knees. It was ridiculously crowded when I went so I got out in 15 minutes flat. Also, after I saw the Hagia Sophia, nothing else compares.

The Basilica Cistern on the other hand, is an interesting walk - the largest network of the many water filtration systems located below the city of Istanbul. The entry fee is 35 tl. Fun fact - it is also the location for many a Hollywood movie. However, be careful when you walk because it's dark and parts of the floor are always wet.

Topkapi Palace is really pretty, but parts of it are closed for renovation. The entry fee is 60 tl. Formerly, the headquarters for the Ottoman sultans, it is now a museum. The palace is located on one of the highest points close to the Marmara sea. The terrain is hilly, so wear good walking shoes.

And a lot of walking means a lot of eating. I went to this place called Şehzade Cağ Kebap, which is supposed to be really really good. But it wasn't. At least, I didn't think it was. I found Durumzade to be much, much better. Maybe it was a one-off, so I'd to go back and see if it is consistently mediocre. I barely ate at any of the places in Sultanahmet because I found them to be incredibly expensive. I would mostly just go back to Beyoglu and eat at Sampiyon Kokorec, or some place nearby. My Airbnb hosts were nice enough to cook dinner for me every night while I played sous chef.

I loved Istiiklal St. and Beyoglu WAY more than Sultanahmet, because of its vibe, backpacker-friendly prices and friendlier people. There are so many places that I didn't see just because I wanted to stay longer in certain places. But that gives me an excuse to go back in the summer, and truth be told, I don't think I will ever get enough of this place. No wonder everybody had their eyes on Istanbul and captured it so often. Go, go, go to Istanbul while the tickets are still cheap and a part of it is still relatively undiscovered by tourists.