11 Top Authentic Istanbul Experiences

On a typical Istanbul holiday, a visit to the Sultanahment Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Galata Tower and a Bosphorus Cruise would come recommended on all websites and guide books and they are worth visiting and exploring. But, if you are looking at something more local and more authentic Istanbul, then you might want to read the below 11 top experiences of this Turkish city where the East meets the West. During my last trip to Turkey, I visited Istanbul many times and due to the local friends that I made there, I got to experience all these in person.



1) Wine, Dine and Shop on Istiklal Street

With more than one  million visitors walking this street every single day, the Istiklal street is one of the world’s busiest streets and is Istanbul’s eating, drinking, party and shopping hub. It is packed every evening and more so on Friday and Saturday nights. If you want to experience local foods and drinks, this is the place. If you wish to buy Turkish fashion, Turkish hand made towels or musical instruments, this is your place. If you are the nightlife type, then this is your place too as it is packed with clubs, pubs, lounges and discotheques. Mavi Jeans is a great place to pick up Istanbul souvenirs.

2) Visit the Asian Side


On a holiday to Istanbul, most tourists only explore the European side of this city, but if you wish to see a different side of the city with lots of local character and more off-beat buildings and architecture, then the Asian side of Istanbul is the place you should explore. You could either catch a bus, ferry or take a taxi to reach here.

3) Indulge yourself in a Raki Sofrasi at Cicek Pasaji


The Raki Sofrasi is one of Turkey’s national past times. And Cicek Pasaji is one of Istanbul’s iconic wining and dining hub. It would be a no-brainer not to experience this classic Istanbul drinking session with friends at one of the city’s most beautiful setups complete with hookahs (shisha) and all.

4) Take a Local Ferry


A lot many Istanbul locals take the ferry to commute from the Asian to the European side every day. You would definitely take the trams to explore the sights on the European side. But, if you take a local ferry, you will get the opportunity to connect with locals or simply feed the sea gulls and enjoy a hot cup of Turkish cay while you see the city from the Marmara Sea.

5) Soak in the Galata Bridge Experience


The Galata Bridge is one of Istanbul’s iconic places and the sight of its fishermen has been portrayed in almost all travel books and magazines. It is a great experience to see how these fishermen go about their job while the rest of the city whizzes past them. And when you feel like getting some fish for yourself, head one floor below and enjoy a classic fish sandwich or other fish dishes on any of the many famous fish restaurants on the Galata Bridge.

6) Eat Local Food with a Turkish Family


Connecting with a local family, going to their house, talking to them, cooking with them and eating with them is an absolute surreal experience. It is nice if you have friends or if you are staying with locals. I had an absolute blast during my Istanbul gastronomic journey with locals. There was delicious food, great cultural exchanges, bazaar visits and much more.

7) Go High on Turkish Delights


Turkey has a sweet tooth and if you do too, you are bound to have a blast. From traditional Turkish delights to Baklava to Kunefe to Sutlac, you are bound to go absolutely high with all that sugar. But, this is one of Turkey’s and Istanbul’s authentic food connections.

8) Listen to street musicians at Beyoglu


If you like good traditional music, then you should head to Beyoglu in the evenings. Local bands, poor artisans and basically musicians from all over Turkey gather here to share their love for music with the rest of the world. Most of them play music unique to their home town and some of them are seriously good.

9) Treat yourself to the services of a Turkish Barber

If you have a beard, you are bound to enjoy the Turkish barber experience at Istanbul. They have some of the most skilled barbers who are adept at shaping crisp and sharp beards. Whatever be your design, they are bound to make it for you. And they don’t even make a dent in your wallet.

10) Enjoy Delicious Turkish Breakfast at Saray Muhallebicisi



Started in 1935, this restaurant on Istiklal street is a great place to relish a delicious Turkish breakfast with Turkish Kahve or Cay. Their croissants, sahlep and menemen are my absolute favorites. It is a great way to start your Istanbul day.

11) Become Sultans and Sultanas at the Basilica Cistern


This is a bit cheesy and not very local, but if you do end up visiting the Basilica Cistern, see if you wanna become a Sultan or a Sultana. You will be decked up in traditional clothes, given traditional accessories and photographed in a very local surrounding. It is expensive and kind of a bit tacky, but sometimes being tacky is a lot of fun on a holiday.

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How to keep up with the World Cup when traveling

Out of the country for the World Cup? Having nightmares about missing the action? Unless you’re planning a summer break to North Korea there’s no need to worry as living in the age of the internet means you can follow every kick of the ball from even the most remote locations. Here we take a look at some of the easiest ways to ensure that your summer tan doesn't hamper your social life forever!

TV
Wikipedia provides a helpful list of which networks will be broadcasting the World Cup. Rights have been assigned in almost every country imaginable, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe so as long as you’re near a TV you should be able to sneak off and catch a game.

Kick off times are generally either at 1PM, 4PM or 6PM (Brazilian time) but make sure to take account of your time zones. Luckily for the viewing public, afternoon kick offs mean that the games should be on during waking hours for America, Europe, Africa and even parts of Asia, albeit at punishingly early hours.

Twitter
Love it or loathe it the enormously popular social network will be abuzz for the entire two weeks of the finals. Every goal, save, mistake and quote will bounce around the Twitterverse and the website must surely be gearing up for its most active period ever.

All major media outlets will also have a Twitter presence, so even if you don’t want to learn the latest from hastily assembled and oh-so-funny memes it may well be the best place to get live updates.

Betting sites
Bookmakers are beginning to understand the value of in depth World Cup coverage, as Coral’s shiny new website shows. In addition to previews, match reports and analysis they’ll also be offering a variety of specials throughout the tournament. If you enjoy a flutter on the football then Coral offer a one stop shop for all your World Cup needs.

Newspapers
Even if your foreign language skills extend as far as ordering a beer and asking directions to the toilet, you can still keep up to date through newspapers. Many newsagents, especially in tourist hot spots, will carry major foreign language newspapers; which can be expected to devote vast sections to World Cup news and analysis. Don’t expect your copy to be hot off the press though, most of the time you’ll be getting yesterday’s edition.

Wherever you’re going this summer, the world’s favorite football tournament will never be far behind. If you want to follow the action from a far flung country the chances are it won’t be a problem. Make sure to find some good news sites, a newsagent and hopefully a sports bar and you won’t miss a thing.

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Skyscanner: Cheapest and Best Flight Deals on the Web

I am sure a lot of people out there know about Skycanner. If you do not, I would recommend that you look it up. I have been using Skyscanner for my travel planning and have found amazing results. In my opinion, it offers some of the best tools and coverage to provide the cheapest flight options. I have broken down their functionality and strengths to help you get a better perspective of Skyscanner’s true power.

Unbelievable Coverage
Skyscanner covers most of the cities and countries on this planet. If there is a flight between two destinations, in all probability, it is on Skyscanner. It covers low cost airlines and full service airlines, making it a wholesome travel portal. Thus, wherever you wish to travel to, you should be able to find the best deal via Skyscanner.

Find the cheapest flights to any destination 

For a traveler like me who travels without any prior plan, this feature comes in very handy. This allows you to find the cheapest destination. To give you an example, I am in Bangalore and don’t know where I want to go next. But, have a budget constraint and hence would only go to certain destinations depending on the flight deals. This is precisely where Skyscanner comes in handy. It throw a result of all countries/cities that flights from Bangalore fly into and not just that, but it gives their fares too. Now, isn't that a cool feature to have for us budget travelers? 


From this list, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates piqued my interest as they were on my travel list and Sri Lanka more so because it was cheaper. Now, I can select Sri Lanka, pick the city, select the date and go ahead with my flight booking. As simple as that.

Flexible dates can result in serious cost savings
There are always certain days of the week when flights in different parts of the world are expensive. Some domestic travelers might know this trend, but us international travelers and people lacking time to research would hardly know anything about it. But, Skyscanner does understand this behavior and it aims to provide us the cheapest options provided we keep our dates flexible.

Let’s say that I want to travel from Bangalore to Colombo. I can fly today, tomorrow, this week, this month or anytime this year as long as the flight costs are reasonable. Skyscanner offers such options that allow me to search for that cheapest flight. 



I can then see the option either in a calendar view that allows me to pick closest dates or a price view that allows me to pick on price. A very helpful feature for most traveler types.

Ability to book directly with flight operator or travel agent

Most of the flight search tools allow booking only through their portal as they make their profits from cost that they add onto each ticket. Skyscanner doesn’t function in that fashion. It allows the user to book directly with the flight operators or travel agent in that travel zone. This gives additional flexibility to us travelers.

Lots of filtering options while choosing flights 

Some people hate hop over flights. Some travelers have a preference for an airline to accrue on more air miles. I take red eye flights to save on cost, but not all travelers are like me. Some like to take flights from the airport close to them. Skyscanner handles the whims and fancies of all travelers by allowing them to filter flights by number of stops, take off/landing time, airline, price, airport, etc. 

Zero Fees
The best part about the Skyscanner experience is that they don’t charge anything from us customers. They make their money directly from the operators. So, we can rest assured of any hidden charges.

Book Hotel Rooms and Hire Cars
Not only can we find the cheapest flight deals through Skyscanner, we can also book hotel rooms and hire cars. Now after booking my cheap flight to Colombo from Bangalore, I can find a hotel room that suits my class/budget/need and book it right on Skyscanner. Similarly, I can hire a car that fits my spacing needs/budget/comfort, etc. and book it again on Skyscanner. This feature is an extension of the overall Skyscanner concept and hence the usability and  comfort factor remains the same.

Localized Content
Skyscanner caters to a global customer base. And hence they make their flight search tool available in over 29 languages and over 70 currencies.

Skyscanner – Free Apps for Mobile Devices
In today’s world, most of our online time is spent through our mobile devices (tablets and phones) and Skyscanner has taken care of this behavior by having a simple app for iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry and Windows 8. 

This app is an extension of the web version and provides all the features in a different form factor. These apps are totally free too!

I hope this review of Skyscanner has piqued your interest and I am sure you will use it for your current and future travel booking needs. You can follow them via their Facebook page and twitter updates to know about the latest offers and deals.

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Casemate: Protecting the Traveler’s Gadgets

As travelers in today's era, most of us carry many gadgets. And as a travel blogger, I end up carrying a bit more. Our travels take us to places far and wide and through difficult weather and terrain. And all this requires protection for our dear and expensive gadgets, which we seem to use almost every day, if not every key moment. There are many products out there in the market that offer protection to our gadgets, but the one that comes to my mind is Casemate. I use some of their cases to protect my iPad mini and my phone. I thought it would be a good idea if I reviewed them and shared my thoughts here. 


Casemate is India’s leading brand for fashion forward accessories for mobiles, smartphones and tablets. They not only provide protection to our gadgets, but its fashion sense gives it a lifestyle flavor too. The best thing about Casemate products is that they go across the board and support many mobile devices that include iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, HTC, Nokia, Sony Xperia, Google Nexus, Blackberry and many more and this ensures that whatever your device is, you will find a stylish case for it.

Personally, I have used three Casemate cases for the gadgets in my house. Below is a quick review of those cases.

iPad Mini Tough Extreme

The iPad Mini Tough Extreme is a military grade case that provides the ultimate protection for my iPad Mini. Its toughness ensures that I need not be worried about how and where I use my tablet. It’s thin construction, sleek and non-bulky style makes it look very trendy. It has 3 layers of extreme protection that includes a built-in screen protector, impact resistant Polycore hard outer shell and a shock absorbing DuoFlex interior liner that protects it against shock/drop, wind/rain, sand/dust and vibration.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Tough


This is again a tough case to ensure carefree use. It’s dual layered design beautifully balances the impact resistant polycarbonate hard shell with a shock absorbing interior cushion. Its rugged and textured finish ensures that I can hold it securely and steadily even during in humid weather. The case is so small that you hardly notice it except for its benefits.

iPhone 5 Brushed Aluminium 


This is one of those cases that makes your beautiful phone look gorgeous. And this is one of the reasons why Casemate is one of the top mobile case designer in the world. This Brushed Aluminum case comes with a blend of sleek, sporty look and top notch protection. The inlay flawlessly fits together with the hard shell that surrounds the edges of the iPhone. This case just ups the style quotient by a long way.

These are just 3 cases that I have personally used. Casemate has many cases and styles for each mobile device. And they also come in different cost ranges to suit everyone’s budget. If you wish to know more about Casemate products and stay on top of their latest releases, follow their Facebook page, twitter updates and blog.

Note: All the photographs in this post are copyright of Case-Mate India.

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The Rise of the Chinese Traveler

If you have been traversing across the globe, you would have definitely noticed the rise of the Chinese traveler. These days, people from China seem to be everywhere. I mean not as immigrants, which is on the rise too, but more so, the Chinese travelers. Their numbers have increased so much that the entire travel community is creating a special China focus area in their business plan. You can see Chinese translators at key tourist hot spots and then you have all these travel companies and agents have their information lied out in Chinese. I have noticed this trend too and have in fact come in touch with many of them personally during my travels. I have put them into different buckets to help understand their true travel personalities.

The Super Rich Chinese Traveler
The entire world knows that 99% of the products they come in touch with is manufactured in China and hence it comes as no surprise that this has led to some of the Chinese people becoming super rich. To see the amount of money they have, walk into some of Macau’s casinos during a weekend and see bets worth millions of dollars being placed. These are travelers who don’t flinch at seeing the bill. They are out there to sample special destinations and don’t care how much it costs.

The Rich Chinese Middle Class Traveler
They wear designer labels and don’t flinch while swiping their card for a $10,000 watch in Hong Kong. They are the luxury traveler and can be seen in five star hotels in Kenya, Tanzania, Italy, Hawaii, Bahamas, Bali and other exotic destinations. They love to be pampered and indulge in massages, spa treatment and good food. Some of them speak English, while the rest speak Mandarin only. I hate to say this, but some of them are also very loud and rude.

The Large Chinese Tour Groups
There is no other country on the planet that travels in larger groups than the people from mainland China. I have personally seen 20 buses in Siem Reap and 200 tuk tuks in Thailand ferrying large groups of Chinese travelers. Generally, all these groups come with Chinese translators and tour guides. A lot of tour agencies in China cater to such kind of travelers who like to travel, but need their own flavor. These people love to stick to their kind and try and eat Chinese cuisine. They are middle aged to elderly people who seek a bit of luxury and comfort.

The English Speaking Young Chinese Backpacker
The younger generation of Chinese people either speak crisp American English or speak passable English. Their gadgets are like second skin to them. I think they are possibly the most obsessive users of social media in the world. They have been bitten by the backpacking bug and bitten real hard. They stay in hostels and do budget travel. They like to experiment. They break the ‘standard Chinese travel’ style and go out of the way. You will see them in places where you typically will only see die-hard European backpackers. They do both short vacations as well as gap years.

If you are a travel outfit and don’t have a China focus area, I advise that you re-look at your plan and think of the potential of a billion plus people with rising income and increasing travel appetites, but who prefer their own style of travel.

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