parosblue

We just returned from our February break in Istanbul. First of all, a gracious thank you to Fodorites, in particular otherchelebi, as many recommendations were thoroughly enjoyed.
A week in the city is wonderful, I would not want less and certainly we will go back again.
We had typical winter weather, in the 40s and 50s, some wind and clouds. However, the weather was fine for us. More importantly, we were thrilled by our visit, walking and taking the tram was easy. We stayed in a boutique hotel near Taksim Square in Beyoglu, Larespark, which was recommended by a Fodorite (thank you!). It was an ideal location with comfortable rooms and a nice small hamman downstairs
We took a leisurely and lavish breakfast buffet the first morning as we got used to the time change. After that we just walked down to the corner Simit shop for coffee and pastry. Taksim was a great area for the evenings as there was no shortage of restaurants and activity. We walked Istiklal Caddesi often and took side streets to find little shops and cafes. Our favorite meals were at places recommended by otherchelebi and we would not have found them on our own. At GaniGani, we sat on rugs and pillows in an old pasha's house, ate Turkish specialities and drank tea while chatting with the waiters. I plan the trips, but my husband is the ambassador, adept at picking up new languages and trying them out, he gets into conservations everywhere we go. On Valentine's Day we had a romantic and friendly meal with the friendly folks at an Armenian restaurant called Prokopi. My birthday dinner was at Changa - good idea otherchelebi! Very chic and delicious with truly excellent service. We dined one night at 360 Istanbul which was a choice picked from the NYTimes Travel Section, nice but not as personable as our other dinner locations and overly "trendy". We thought our table service was fine, but we went to the bar for an after dinner drink and the service was so inefficient we left. We enjoyed dipping into little cafes that offered homecooked dishes set out on trays and enjoyed hearty comfort food, like stews, rice, and vegetable dishes. Our days were spent in the Sultanament area. We were spellbound by the Blue Mosque and Aghia Sophia. The Archeological Museum was spectacular - I could have spent days there. The number and excellent condition of ancient artifacts was fascinating. The Grand Bazaar was totally fun and although we are not shoppers we found ourselves packing to go home with a kilim and several scarves. The kilim-buying afternoon was worth it for the experience and the rug sellers were impeccably polite and interesting. And now we have a lovely memory on our floor to admire. The Topkapi was very interesting and worth the visit although you pay twice to see both the palace and the harem. Another high point was a ferry ride up the Bosphorus. It was windy and gloomy that day but still so enjoyable to actually see the coasts. We wandered across the Galata Bridge into the fish market for a sandwich one afternoon and hopped the ferry with commuters over to the Asian side. We enjoyed the little planning needed and headed out on foot each day without an itinerary. Still we managed to see all the major sites on our list and could have easily stayed longer. But a week in a city is a good amount of time for us country folk. Please accept my thanks to Fodorites on this forum - your ideas helped to make our trip wonderful. Next up, we plan to return to Greece in summer 2012, and combine it with some beach time along the southern Aegean coast of Turkey. I'll be looking for insights again! Thank you.

otherchelebi

Thank you Parosblue.

I am glad you enjoyed istanbul and the restaurants.

I am now preparing a fresh list of things to do and restaurants to visit with the hope that you will pick a better time of the year for your next trip.

ebacher

I just returned from Istanbul in late February as well. I adored the Turkish people and Istanbul but I admit that the weather was really difficult, very cold. Istanbul must be simply amazing and sexy in the sultry weather of Spring and Summer! I'll be back! Thanks Otherchelebi for the Ciya recommendation! Best meal of our trip!

Holly_uncasdewar

Thanks for the report. Glad to hear you didn't let the weather slow you down.

mvor

Sounds like you had a lovely visit; thanks for sharing your report. We were in Istanbul in May for a week and would love to return to the city and to see more of the country and of course to sample more of the delicious food.

not_enuf_vaca

otherchelebi

I am not going to Istanbul until next year but I will definately be contacting you for some updated restaurant suggestions (posted my planned itinerary on the forum a few days back...)..
Are you a shopper as well? I want to hit some unique Turkish boutiques for some cool and different clothes while I am there!

toledodd

great report on istanbul. we are spending a week in istanbul in mid may - hopefully nicer weather than you had in february - my birthday month too the 18th. otherchelebi has given me some excellent ideas for our 4 days in the black sea area near trabzon. tried to find his info that he gave you about istanbul. could you please forward the link to me?

thanks

springstraveler

Thanks. We are currently in Istanbul. Miserably cold weather in April but we are braving it to see the sights. Tell me more about the ferry ride on the Bosphorus if you can. We were thinking about a tour but most guided tours include sights we have already seen. We just want to ride in an enclosed boat and see the coasts. I heard that if you ride the ferry all the way to the end, you have to wait 3 hours to return. Is that true? How long was your trip? Were you able to stay warm?
Again, thank you for taking the time to write. We are staying in the Sultanahmet in a wonderful small hotel....don't think I could have stayed in Beygolu. Too far away.

otherchelebi

check the following link for your municipality cruise and commuter ferry options:

http://www.sehirhatlari.com.tr/en/

I recommend one of the evening commuter ferries up to Bebek or Emirgan or yenikoy (all on the European side) or Kandilli or Kanlica on the Asian side, where you can get off for an evening meal and return by bus or taxi.

or take a 90 minute smaller Turyol boat cruise from Eminonu, Golden Horn side of the bridge.

There will be some sunny hours the next few days but it will not be very pleasant unfortunately.

Safa1

Hey Parosblue, folks

My father and I will be in Istanbul in May for about six days. This will be my second visit there, though I didn't see much the first time around, for a number reasons. My father is 86 and not very upbeat, so I am trying to cheer him up a bit (he is coming from Iran, I am going from U.S.) I have booked Pera Palace, as I think my father will enjoy it's grandeur, though I realize it is somewhat faded now.

I would love to get the link to otherchelebi's recommended restaurants, especially those out-of-the-way places like GaniGani that you said you couldn't find on your own, if it wasn't for Otherchelebi's recommendations. I'd love to get the link to the original recommendations, and Otherchelebi, if you have new ones, please let me know!

I am also asking for some advice on whether I should hire a private tour guide. I typically go to all the places myself when I travel with my son, as I tend to research them well in advance. But I am wondering if will be efficient for us to do one day with this private tour guide, to get to know the places and not worry about transportation -- or if it's just as good to hire a car with driver and tell him where to go (the latter must be much cheaper than the 300 EUR the tour guide is charging).

The places on my list (not having done my research yet) are Topkapı Sarayı, Galata Dervish House, Spice Bazaar, Rüstem Paşa Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Bosporus Boat Tour. I am also trying to find some good and fun night clubs to take my father. Personally, I like the small alleys and neighborhoods, authentic restaurants, and historical sites, especially those that highlight how the Turkish culture has evolved.

Would greatly appreciate any suggestions on the above.

cabovacation

I'm departing on Tuesday for IST. It's so difficult to decide which outerwear to bring! The forecast looks poor for another week, but then maybe sunny. Any suggestions on what to wear for a woman?

otherchelebi

Cabovacation, it has been colder than usual this year. warm yesterday and today daytime but cold again at night. weather report says it will get colder till Wednesday in Istanbul and then the cold and wet front will move towards the East, with possibly snow and sleet at high elevations in Eastern Turkey. Istanbul will be warming. selcuk and the Mediterranean will be fine.

I had a light polar yesterday evening which was fine and just a microfiber hoody in the daytime and i actually sweated.

Lots of tulips everywhere in Istanbul, with many blooming cherry and plum trees. You will love it.

parosblue

I apologize for not answering the above questions. I didn't think to look for responses to the trip report.
Anyway, just post again if you still need ideas from otherchelebi. He graciously keeps lifting his hands to type up the ideas and directions for us all.
Also, I think GaniGani was a restaurant recommended from another source. You walk down Istiklal from Taksim Square to the McDonalds (yes, there is one in every city!) turn left up that street and walk to the end - you'll see GaniGani across the way.