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Istanbul quickly became one of our favourite cities in the world after our first trip to Turkey in 2019 and our home base was this beautiful apartment in Karakoy.
This top-floor, 2-bedroom apartment had character and stunning views of the Marmara Sea, the Bosphorus Strait, the Historic Peninsula, as well as Serdar-I Ekrem Street, leading up to the Galata Tower.
One of my favourite things about the apartment was sitting on the balcony at sunset listening to the call of prayer from the nearby mosque with a view through the minarets and watching the boats crisscross the Bosphorus. If I grew tried of that view I would head to the main bedroom’s small balcony overlooking the narrow street below and watch the comings and goings of local city life.
This apartment had everything our small family needed and it’s location provided easy access to great restaurants and amenities.
It’s proximity to transit options like the underground metro stations and tram lines made it super easy to get around the city.
What we loved is that the apartment was not in the heavy tourist area and it allowed us to feel like we were living in Istanbul and part of the city instead of visitors on the outside looking in. We were still only a short walk from many of the tourist-specific sites but it was refreshing to come home to this apartment.
Kadir was a great host and while we never had any issues during our stay he made it clear that he was reachable if we did.
We loved Istanbul so much that we spent nearly 3 weeks just in Istanbul and always had something new to do. So many of our days were spent just wandering the back streets, drinking great coffee and enjoying the beautifully designed cafes.
We were blown away by the combination of East and West. The city is a melting pot and it felt very unique with historic buildings yet modern and hip restaurants and shops.
If you are thinking about visiting Turkey, don’t sell yourself short and use Istanbul just as an entry and exit, this is a city that begs to be explored and is worthy of more than just a stopover.
Don’t be afraid to get lost in the city, our favourite days in Istanbul had nothing to do with the city’s top attractions. It is full of amazing neighbourhoods and spending time just hanging out with no itinerary is one of the best way to enjoy a city like this.
We can’t wait to visit again.
