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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

istanbul anyone?

10 replies

pipsqueak · 14/09/2007 23:53

i am planning for half term already -has anyone any experience of istanbul for a shortish break -maybe 4 or 5 days? also do any of the low cost airlines fly there do you know?
any help gratefulklky received becasue as usual dh has left it to me to sort everything..Grrr!

OP posts:

Original poster

pipsqueak · 15/09/2007 00:47

also has anyone got any hotel recommendataions or views on which is the best bit to stay in? thanks in advacne

OP posts:

Theresa · 15/09/2007 19:44

We went to Istanbul for our honeymoon 10 years ago and stayed a week. Prior to that (& since) we'd done very touristy holidays, Greece, Turkey, Spain & lets face it in the resorts we'd visited you could have been anywhere. We live in Newcastle and had to fly from Gatwick. Our first bit of panic came at the airport when we realised there were only about 20 Europeans on flight, the rest were all 'muslim' types. I know that sounds realy racist and I dont mean it to be, we just felt 'different!' They were mostly men with long beards in robes and they all got out their prayer mats in the departure lounge! We were on a package, cant remember who with and at the airport we were met by a minubus and were the only couple dropped off at our hotel (whihc was lovely but cant remember what it was called). We ventured out and were very nervous (this all sounds really silly now!). I had on a t shirt and knee length shorts but felt i was being loked at by the locals! We tried to tried to ring the rep (long before mobile phones!) witht he intention of booking on every organised tour we could rather than being left to our own devices! The rep never rang back! After a couple of days we got used to it and had a fab time and did all of the sight ourselves! We were glad we;d booked a whole week and not juist a long weekend as it took us 2 days to start enjoying it!
This is very long, sorry, and it probalby makes us sound a bit silly, maybe its' more 'commercial' (not sure if that s the right word?)now. Would love to go back, hope i havent put you off! I'd say go for it!

littleducks · 15/09/2007 19:46

hmm, imagine there being muslims in turkey or on a flight there

littleducks · 15/09/2007 19:48

oh sorry, to op, i was considering going so will look at this thread with interest, hope you have a nice time!

Carmenere · 15/09/2007 19:50

OMG Istanbul is AMAZING. I was lucky enough to go there for work recently and stayed in the Kempinsky which is on the Bosphorus and is incredible. I loved it. It is much much more european than Morocco/Tangiers which is my only other experience of a muslim city. I really felt quite comfortable walking around it by myself wheras I definitely wouldn't walk around Tangier iyswim. I think it is a very sophisticated place and I came accross quite a few women in fairly high level jobs through my work. I loved it and would go back in a shot.

Theresa · 15/09/2007 19:57

yes littleducks I know it sounds daft reading it now, but we were just so outnumbered! Also as we'd been to Turkey loads of times before(albeit the coastal resorts!) we were expecting a lot more tourists on the plane!

Original poster

pipsqueak · 16/09/2007 14:12

thanks all for your comments - have discovered that easy jet fly from luton to istanbul so good value flights- will let you know how i get on

OP posts:

DarrellRivers · 16/09/2007 14:18

Istanbul is fabulous and would be great for a short break.
Wonderful things to see and do during day, the markets, and wonderful in that it really feels like the city where east meets west.
The coastline is fabulous , and it is a very modern feeling muslim city.
Great food , and good value accomadation.
Can't remeber where we stayed as was in my youth and was backback place , but I have fond memories (we travelled as 2 young women together and although the men were attentive, they were always polite.)
Have a lovely time

bigspender30 · 17/09/2007 20:56

I was in Istanbul about ten years ago and stayed not far from Taksim square. It is an amazing place and definitely hip this year. The Sunday times did an article about where to stay and what to do. Lots of boutique hotels have opened up. Try looking on trip advisor and see where gets good reviews. Have a fab time

luckylady74 · 17/09/2007 21:07

theresa - your 'types' choice was a little unfortunate, but culture shock is a perfectly normal reaction to your first non package destination. i went to istanbul years ago with a boyfriend who'd never been anywhere beyond maguluf and he cried because of the poverty - shacks with shoeless children next to skyscraper buildings.
to the op i really loved iot - i've been twice and agree with the previous posts.

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