I flew from Tbilisi,Georgia to Istanbul via Turkish Airlines, which was my first time with the airline. I have always been curious of TK Air. And indeed, the airline did not disappoint. Entertainment was updated with latest Hollywood hits. And the meal was great. They served beef patty in curry sauce and sides. The warm bread was a plus for me. Not all airlines heat the bread prior to serving. Complimentary beverages and wine were also offered on board.

Filipinos need to secure visa to enter Türkiye. However, Filipino passport holders with a valid US, UK, or Schengen visa get the privilege to apply for an E-Visa instead, which was super easy. I only prepared a scanned copy of my passport bio page, a jpeg file of my latest passport sized photo, and a scanned copy of my valid US visa. After payment, I got my approved E-visa within one hour. Posting below some screenshots of my E-visa application for your reference. Take note of the website address below, as there are a lot of pop-up agency sites that offer E-visa services at an added cost.

Highlights of Istanbul. The city is overwhelmingly big. I had four full days in Istanbul, and I decided to allot one day per neighborhood that I wanted to visit.

• Sultanahmet, The old/historic district and Eminonu (Harbor front)
• Taksim and Galata – vibrant local vibe. Shopping and affordable hotels
• Karakoy (Harbor front) and Kadikoy (markets and the peaceful seaside neighborhood)
• Balat – Boho-historic walking quarters. Local artists’ hub.

Getting around Istanbul is relatively easy with the help of Yandex Map and 2Gis App for real time bus and train schedule. These are free apps that I downloaded prior to arrival.

From the Airport, the HAVAIST BUS directly takes you to the city center. The Bus station is located at the basement of the airport. I also purchased an ISTANBULKART to go cashless on transportation fare (Bus/Metro/Ferry). English is widely spoken all around Istanbul.

Day 1: Sultanahmet (Old City) – Best for first-time visitors aiming to see major landmarks like the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the palace. Sultanahmet is rich in imperial history, though highly touristic and gets really crowded and the restaurants are generally pricey.

First thing I noticed upon arrival in Istanbul are the street cats that are well fed by the community. Turkish love cats. Dogs are a rare sight in Istanbul.

The Blue Mosque, built around 16th Century. The mosque is open for all visiting tourists.

Hagia Sophia Mosque – constructed in the 6th century as an Eastern Roman Christian basilica. Later during the Ottoman conquest in 1453, the building was turned into a mosque under Sultan Mehmed II. The mosque was undergoing major restorations the time I visited. I did not bother going inside na.

Note: There is an original Egyptian Obelisk displayed at the park near the mosque. This was seized by conquerors from its origin in Egypt during the early days. It was never returned by Turkey upto today.

Just a few blocks from the mosques, the Grand Bazaar, is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, serving Istanbul for over 500 years.

In Sultanhamet, you’ll also pass by universities and markets that boasts local art scenes and vintage collections. I made some souvenir purchases here, their magnet designs are nowhere else to be found. This book market, I found just at the back of the Grand Bazaar.

Turkish sweets/dessert shops almost always offer free taste of their products. In Sultanhamet, you’ll see a lot of these stores, but are quite expensive. Better reserve your shopping cash for Kadikoy and Balat neighborhood, which I visited on my 3rd and 4th day.

Stopped by T-Cafe for their famous Tiramisu. This cafe is relatively inexpensive, despite operating along the touristic street near the mosques.

After Sultanhamet, Ended the day at Eminonu Harbor where I took a sunset cruising boat along the Bosphorus strait. The Yeni Mosque is a popular landmark in the area.

The Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar is also a popular spot in Eminonu while waiting for the cruise.

The sunset cruise offers a good view of various neighborhoods in Istanbul. Ferry rides are among the primary transportation mode in Istanbul, since the city sits on both banks of the Bosphorus strait. The one hour cruise cost me 240 Liras.

Day 2: Galata and Taksim (my Neighborhood in Istanbul). I chose Taksim area as my place of stay since the Havaist bus station is situated here, near the park/square. In addition, this neighborhood is mainly a commercial and residential area for locals, and prices here are lower compared to Sultanahmet.

Day 2 was actually a chill-day Sunday where I did not have any specific itinerary in mind. I just went for casual lunch, streetside doners and coffee to seal the day.

And yes, grilled corn is a thing in Istanbul.

The Galata Tower is another popular landmark in Istanbul. The tower is a 14th-century medieval stone watchtower that stands 67 meters tall and offers a 360-degree panoramic observation deck.

The neighborhood has this artsy vibe with a lot of interesting vintage themed shops and cafes around. I purchased a pair of locally made leather driving shoes in this area.

Day 3 : Karakoy (Harbor front) and Kadikoy (markets and the peaceful seaside neighborhood)

Karakoy – A charming waterfront neighborhood and harbor, which is a walking distance from Taksim where I stayed.

Kadikoy is located on the Asian side of Istanbul across the strait. It is a 20 minutes ferry ride from Karakoy. Kadikoy is noted as the cheaper side of Istanbul where you can find fish markets and local eateries (lokantasi). The area is not really in the tourists’ loop.

My main goal in Kadikoy was to find the mackerel fish doner, which is popular in the area. Best paired with Coca-Cola. Coke in glass bottle is still a thing in Istanbul.

I found Colombia Cafe in Kadikoy, which offers a great panoramic view from its 8th floor. I basically spent most of my high noon here to avoid the heat. The rest of the day was spent roaming around the local neighborhood and ate cheap local pilaf meal, chips and icecream.

Day 4: Balat Boho-historic walking quarters. Local artists’ hub.

Started the day with a hefty meal that I forced myself to finish since the serving sizes are like good for 2. The spaghetti looked delicious btw. These ready made meals are from casual/affordable eateries, like Karinderia a set up. In Istanbul, they call it Lokantasi. If you want to save on dining, google a lokantasi nearby.

Balat is a down-to-earth neighborhood of narrow cobbled streets and colorful houses, where hip cafes and local art galleries sit next to old-school neighborhood stores.

Ended the day with a hefty Kebab meal from a casual resto just outside my hostel. Probably the best meal I had in Istanbul. Sealed the day with a cup of Juan Valdez Coffee, which is a popular coffee chain in South America. They already have a branch in Istanbul.

Where I stayed: Taksim Green House Hostel Istanbul. Highly recommended for its large rooms, comfortable bed and in-room shower. The hostel is tucked in the quiet side of Taksim, a few minutes walk to the Havaist Bus stop to the airport and the Taksim Metro Station. The neighborhood is also quite decent, peaceful and photogenic.

If you noticed, I skipped on museums and galleries for this travel. Istanbul was the last stop of my 30 days trip (Central Asia, Moscow & Caucasus), and I honestly felt a fatigue for historical sites at this time. I made the most of my remaining days leisurely exploring neighborhood, exploring local food and coffee. No rush. Just absorbing as much vibe as I can. Afterall, vacations are supposed to be just that. Relaxed, diba? =)