One of the many charms of Istanbul is that you still find lots of street vendors, also called hawkers, everywhere. They sell all kinds of merchandise or provide services like shining your shoes. It reminds me of my youth in the south of the Netherlands where I saw them selling sweets, or shoe shine, or sharpening... Read more »

Lots of tourists want to relax in a swimming pool after a busy and tiring day of sight-seeing in Istanbul. So which hotels are equipped with a swimming pool? I found several in the touristic heart of Istanbul, in the district Sultanahmet with the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi palace, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Hippodrome,... Read more »

Kadıköy, an old, laid-back cosmopolitan and residential neighborhood with curving streets on Istanbul’s Asian shore, has grown enormously in popularity in recent years. It is the cultural heart of the Asian side of Istanbul and definitely the hippest place to stay, eat, drink and hang out. This hood should be on everyone’s travel bucket list right... Read more »