Here’s an ideal holiday destination if you want to balance beach bliss and sightseeing!
It’s not as well known to people outside Turkey, but this is one of my favourite beach destinations in Turkey – it has much more natural feel and has lots of history and things to see.
I’d say you could get : Resort (70%) + sightseeing (20-30%) which is perfect for me with two kids under 7.
Sightseeing : 1. Ephesus ( ancient city and ruins) – full post on this here
2. House of Mary (May Allah be pleased with her). I didnt know about it, so it was fascinating and heart warming to visit.
3. Castle / town centre walk – for the castle there is small climb up, sweeping views. Covered spots. Worth it to discover a new view and beautiful setting. The town walk is short, but it was still nice to stroll through and get an ice cream to cool down.
4. Marina and Boat ride – 1 hour trips gives you a lovely view of the seaside and town. It was lovely and cool on board. There are several boats along the walkway so we just chose the first one leaving as they are all similar prices.
Next time: I’d like to check out a water park in Kusadasi to add a different activity to the resort stay.
Duration: 3-5 days for a relaxed break in this city to check out the sites and to relax at the hotel. (we would jump into the pool every day after touring!)
How to get here: Fly to Izmir, 1 hour drive to Kusadasi
Alhamdulillah, though it was so hot mid July, we had a blast. I’ll share a longer blog post on Maryam AS house soon 🙂
So if youre looking for a little adventure and history besides beach fun , I hope you add Kusadasi to your Turkey summer ☀️ itinerary Insha Allah!
What’s your ideal summer coastal holiday split between beach and sightseeing?
Alhamdulillah , I’ve spent countless hours wandering through charming streets of Istanbul, whether it’s for sightseeing, people-watching, or simply soaking in the atmosphere.
What hit me, is the distinct feel that each neighbourhood contains. It adds to the interesting history and experience of Istanbul, and it means you’ll never tire exploring this colossal city!
So heres what I have discovered:
Uskudar
This charming neighbourhood is rich in history and culture.
At any given moment, you will hear 2-3 adhan at the same time and there is a distinct Muslim feel such as in Ramadan.
There are plenty restaurants, local stores, markets and a promenade to walk along the Bosphorous.
Arnavutkoy: For good coffee, a lovely stroll along the Bosphorous or to see the unusual and beautiful houses. I came here once for sunrise and it was spectacular Alhamdulillah.
Balat and Fener
Balat you will go to for something different – so many interesting things to see in the streets, like colourful walls and quaint cafes and stores.
There are historical monuments to see as well so makes for a great day out to share amazing tourist photos on Instagram!
I wrote a longer post on spending a full day out here – you can read it here
Bebek, Besiktas
Here you find modern cafes, smart cars and beautiful Bosphorus views.
Bebek Parki is a gorgeous little park with kids playground, sandpit and area to ride bikes.
There are kumpir and waffle, ice cream places dotted along the streets near the Bosphorous, so you could takeaway your lunch and sit near the boats and relax in the evening.
Cihangir
Street walks and views. Lovely breakfast spots and independent coffee shops.
Taksim
One of my favourite places in Istanbul because the vibe there is unparalleled!
Most people come here for street shopping, and while you do get almost the same stores at a mall, theres just a lively tourist feel here thats appealing. I do recommend to soak in the atmosphere
You’ll find a variety of cuisines in Taksim – including some of the best Indian/Pakistani and Iranian food in the city.
Theres plenty of street food options as well, so come hungry!
You can also visit the museums such as Illusions, Madame Tussauds.
The new Taksim Camii near Taksim square is worth a check out.
Galata
The area around Galata tower is filled with vibrant windy streets and funky stores!
Behind the tower, is the famous Viyana Kahve for San sebastian cheesecake – look, their cholcoate topping is good but take it from me – you could get this anywhere in Istanbul so dont feel disheartened if you miss it here!
Anyway, I have roamed this area at night (be more careful with tourists etc) and in the day, and its always busy!
Besiktas
Transport hub, with connections to all over the city. Always busy, plenty of great places to eat at and shopping here is also good. There are a few museums worth checking out near the Bosphorous.
Başakşehir
This is up and coming neighbourhood, with lots of expats here, there are international food options.
Plenty of parks and open spaces that have been created.
Near to Mall of Istanbul, a mega shopping centre.
We would only venture here to meet our friends, otherwise its quite far out from the Besiktas centre so wouldn’t simply recommend!
Emirgan
Lovely, leafy neighbourhood, near the Bosphorous.
There are restaurants and cafes alongside, where you could take relaxing walks.
Emirgan park is worth a check out – its on a hill so I suggest starting on the top and making your way down 🙂 There are playgrounds, picnic spots, restaurant, tulip garden in season (April/May) and a small pond and waterfall.
Sultanahmet
The historic centre in the old part of Istanbul. There always a buzz here too, of course unmissable Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and other museums and important sites.
You could wander around here till you get to the Grand Bazaar – enter if you have the right amount of energy (and money!) to!!
Dont forget the streets of Sirceci for shopping and picking up a bargain (with haggling!).
Its quieter at night, not really a hang out spot, but there are plenty of dinner places here so youll always have something to do if you are staying in the area.
Rumeli Hisari Another great place to take a relaxing stroll along the Bosphorus, eat out at any of the delightful cafes and restaurants and visit the Rumeli Fort (closed at time of writing this post) which is one of my favourte places in Istanbul
Karakoy
Has a chilled, hippie kind of vibe! Here you’ll find very distinct coffee shops, has a great nightlife. Near Galataport so makes for a good place to hang out for the afternoon. Filled with interesting streets to discover and lots of photo opportunities!
Ortakoy
Another amazing area to explore for a local vibe if you’re walking through the streets – markets with fresh fruit, homeware and street cafes.
Or you could head for the sahil to the Ortakoy Camii thats on the water which is beautiful and peaceful inside.
For food, go for kumpir and waffles or dine at any of the restaurants – great at night or during the day – its always busy!
There are a few open market stalls for souvenirs and jewellery. A small playground to keep the kids happy while you shop around!
There you have it, a run down of all the big areas in Istanbul, for weeks of exploring!
Step back to a 2000 year old city filled with history and mystery!
Alhamdulillah, it’s been on my bucket list for ages, so I was so grateful when we were able to visit this important historical site last summer.
It was fascinating and exhilarating viewing this remarkable archeological site- once a thriving Greek/ Roman city.
What’s to do there? We basically walked through different significant ruins, including the underground city reflecting on pervious civilisations that lived there and created this city. You need about 2-3 hours.
We began the day with a visit to House of Mary (Maryam, may Allah be pleased with her) – see next post about that.
Top tips: – the reviews are right that there’s limited shade! Dress cool, carry enough water and snacks – we combined it with a stay at the beach in Kusadasi – we carried a water spray bottle and umbrella to stay cool – rocky, uneven path but stroller needed for smaller kids. – we paid a guide which helped to bring it alive otherwise you’re just looking at piles of stone!
viewing the underground citywater spray bottle was a lifesaver!
We learnt alot from the guide, and found every area fascinating.
There’s so much to take in, I loved the whole vibe (albeit an extremely hot day )
Do you love historical sites? What strikes you about Ephesus? Would you go?
Read more about our holiday in Kemer in Antalya: A splash in the sea, a stroll on the beach and a journey back to prehistoric times!
This summer, we decided to explore Kemer, Antalya, intrigued by the DinoPark I’ve had on our list for a while. But we also discovered a new region on the Turkish Coast, with lots of kid friendly and family fun.
Things to do in Kemer
1. Kemer Merkezi : town centre, clock tower, pedestrian shopping street, statues in garden (1-2 hours)
2. Kemer Marina : Halk public beach with very pebbly sand!, restaurants, playground near beach (2-3 hours)
3. Dinopark : Goynuk (3-4 hours) See special post on Instagram.
4. Moonlight Park : private beach clubs with softer sand , Yoruk Park : historical display of Turkish tribes plus majestic sea views (1 hour – depending on time at beach)
Other things to do : Mount Olympus Teleferik (cable car) which we didn’t do this time, but I was very tempted to do so hopefully next time!
Food: There are plenty restaurants around. They range in mid to high prices. I recommend the Dominos as it was as super cool inside with the airconditioner and the menu and food was good.
Getting around: Taxis were charging set rates in €. 100 TL for basic 10 minute journeys. Walking is possible but it’s quite hot. I recommend strollers or scooters for kids to get around.
I recommend 2 -3 days in Kemer , including spending some time at your hotel pool to break up the daily outings. Your itinerary with small kids could look like:
Day 1: Travel + chill at hotel pool. Take a walk in town centre in the evening and have dinner. Day 2: Olympus Teleferik . Moonlight beach, Yoruk Park, Marina walk + dinner Day 3: Check out of hotel and visit Dino Park, Goynuk on way back to airport (or another area in Antalya past airport eg Lara, Side, Belek)
Have you been to Kemer or is it on your bucket list? Let us know in the comments what you loved most or what you’re most excited to see. Let’s create a travel community right here!
We love the hustle and bustle of Istanbul , but every now and then we welcome a break for fresh air and new sights.
This time we visited Anadolu Kavagi in Beykoz, on Asian side. This is a small village located at the point where the Bosphorus meets the Black sea. There are charming little sights to take in and and breath taking views.
Here’s a full day out itinerary you could follow:
Walk around the little town, marveling at the charming houses (10 minutes)
2. Climb up Yoros Castle discover the ruins, take in the sweeping views, and see the furthest point of the Bosphorus. You could eat at the restaurants up there, but everything is priced at a premium. (1 -2 hours)
3. Visit tomb of Prophet Yusha (AS). There are signs in English. There’s a cami with full facilities there too where we prayed Jumuah. (1 hour with salaah)
4. Eat fresh fish at the seafood restaurants. Look for “alkolsuz” (no alcohol) for a more halal version.
5. Have local dondurma (ice cream) to cool down 🍦
We took a ferry from Sariyer to Anadolu, (15 minutes) and the ferry back stopped right at Bebek ( EU side) making it super convenient (1 hour)
It was a fabulous day out Alhamdulillah for a breather and being in unspoilt nature.
Would you like to visit? I feel like everyone would have their own special experience there with the unique sights, sounds and feels. Let me know what you love the most about it!
I’ve been grappling with trying to process the effects of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Such a huge tragedy that has affected millions of lives – it’s alot to get your head around. Some of us are not directly impacted, but living in this country, we are impacted none the less.
My starting point in processing, is to understand it in my own mind. To do that, I consider the context, impact, and whats incredibly insightful has been shining an islamic lens on it to see it from that angle.
I don’t have a clear picture to share as yet – but these resources have been very beneficial to me in providing me some perspective and to organise my thoughts. I would like to share in the hopes that I also inspires you and gives you deeper understanding too.
1. Pop-Up Healing Circle for the Earthquake in Turkey, Syria, and the surrounding regions from Maristan
This presentation had mental health professionals, Drs and community leaders with humanitarian work experience unpack what trauma is faced after crisis, for both those affected directly or facing secondary effects. It helped me give a name to the feelings I was having.
2. Understanding decree and command of Allah by Imam Shuaib Webb This was a live zoom meeting – but he summarises a key point in this clip on his Instagram page. I felt validated, comforted by his words and he gave alot to think about. Favourite quote:
“Your stability for your kids will calm their instability in face of the earthquake situation”
This short talk gave me so much hope and acceptance. I was reminded how as Muslims we know that our pain has a purpose. Everything we go through is to teach us something and is part of something bigger we are working for. My favourite point was about how as people of faith, we have the golden gift of “perspective”. So lets use it to work through this tragedy.
Do you have any great links that have inspired you through adversity? How have you been processing the recent events, what helps you to get through difficult times?
I’ve always wanted to go to Sogut to visit the burial place for Ertugral Gazi and some of his family members. But I didn’t manage to for the past 5 years living in Istanbul because:
a) it felt like my intention wasn’t right – this is a graveyard for a real person, not a movie set for Engin (The Turkish actor who plays his role in the hit series Diliris Ertugral) b) the distance of 4 hours to drive with two kids to this remote town had zero appeal to me.
Until last year, Alhamdulillah we got an out of the blue opportunity to go with our friends visiting from South Africa who had hired a car and driver and wanted us to join the road trip! So having great company (and no kids!) and travelling in comfort made it all the more worth it (even if some of us dozed for most of the ride!). I also managed to correct my intention to remind myself that I was going to visit the resting place for a great Muslim personality in our rich history. Although not much is known about him- what we do know is that he raised one of the greatest leaders in modern Islamic history, Osman Gazi who founded the Ottoman Empire- one of the most powerful states in the world.
It took us around 4 hours (one way) with one comfort break at a petrol station. Total duration for the whole trip with lunch stop 10 hours- we left around 8am from Besiktas and we made it back home for kids bedtime.
What to see at the tomb site
What’s to see at the site:
– Tomb and burial sites for Ertugal, Halime Hanim, Turgut Alp and others. We made dua here and walked around the site. – There are some Alps dressed in traditional gear to give you some movie vibes- but that’s it – don’t expect more – Souvenir shop with plenty swords, IYI tribe gear and houseware and gifts which was great to check out. – Sadly facilities are linited for toilets and food. Small snacks and drinks you may find only.
Length of visit : 1 hour maximum
What I learnt from the visit: I was quite touched at the site, thinking back to what it must have been like in those days to fight for land and rights and how these amazing leaders had a vision for their people that they managed to fulfil. It’s really remarkable what they achieved and its important to teach our children about this important part of our muslim history.
What’s to see around there: There are some other things such as Ertugrul Gazi Museum and the house of Sheikh Edebali. We stopped at Sapanca for lunch on way back to Istanbul because we really needed to pack in more value for this rather this long day out! You could drive to Bursa to make it a longer trip with overnight stay.
So is it worth it to go to or not? No easy answer from me, sorry! I am glad I went, there is alot of significance for this site – if you are willing to read up or watch the series even for inspiration. In my case, there was a bigger picture of spending time with my friend as well for a couples outing after ages, but everyone’s motivation is different so you need to decide whether you would want to spend your time and energy on this trip out to Sogut!
Have you been, what did you enjoy about your visit? If you haven’t, been yet, is this on your bucket list?
It’s been ages since I’ve travelled across the Golden Horn for good old fashioned sightseeing so on a rare mild weather day recently, we headed over to explore the historic neighbourhoods of: Balat & Fenner in Istanbul, Alhamdulillah. I had this on my bucket list as it’s usually cited as the slightly lesser known tourist spots as well as being interested to see yet another different side to this rich, captivating city!
Situated near Eminonu, on the European side of Istanbul, there are several buses headed in that direction and we took the 99 Bus.
Being a random Monday, there were tourists milling around but it was crowd free and restaurants were quiet making social distancing easy and feasible everywhere we went.
Equipped with a guide book and Google maps on our phone, we walked around the area, stopping for breakfast and later snacks (Pancake house).
Here’s the highlights from our 3 hour self tour:
Breakfast at Balat Antik Cafe – beautiful garden setting with a great menu for breakfast, coffees with fresh gozleme and juices on offer.
Walking along between the significant sights, we came across charming streets, colourful tables, beautiful settings to admire or sit down and enjoy. There are also quirky stores, really nice to browse around and support local designers and stores.
Funny street art -very apt!
Greek Orthodox College: A really interesting story is about how when Conqueror Mehmet conquered Constantinople (Istanbul today) he granted immunity for the Church of St Mary to remain a Greek church and the signed order is in the church today. This was how Christians, Muslims and Jews lived alongside each other.
Mesnevihane Tekkesi- musjid, lodge where sufism was taught. This is located on a rather steep hill – but worth the short walk up to see these places and the view. There is also a musjid up here if you need a prayer stop.
There’s plenty of cute cats and cafes here, you’ll never get enough of. Make sure you have your camera and good walking shoes! It’s a worthwhile visit if you have been here a while or on your third or subsequent trip to Istanbul and want to experience a different vibe in the city. The walk itself around the area between sites is probably around 45 minutes. Adding in leisurely stroll, snack and meal breaks and that’s how we spent about 3 hours here.
Have you been to Balat or will you be adding it to your travel itinerary for your next trip? (when safe and feasible!) Share with us your favourite thing about this neighbourhood below.
Exploring Istanbul, one amazing little spot at a time,
FOREST EXCURSION: Alhamdulillah, we took a much needed nature break recently. It’s been a long winter holiday home so we enjoyed a day out in nature for fresh air and a welcome change of scenery! 📍Kemerburgaz Kent Ormani We have been here before, but this time we discovered more as we went by car, whereas last time we went by taxi and therefore saw just what we could on foot! Check my previous post for details on that visit. This time we explored these areas:
Lake (Gol):
It’s so beautiful to sit near and take in. There are just a few benches and tables near the lake to sit at for a picnic, as well as benches to sit on to view though its on a hill.
However there is a long pathway alongside the lake where you can probably find more places to sit.
Forest : We drove along a little deeper into the forest this time, where it was super isolated. There are even playgrounds here- almost for our private personal use! We had our picnic lunch here as well as nap and quiet time amongst the trees which was awesome.
bonus : hearing the adhan amongst the trees (yes they have a mescit – prayer facilities)
Animals: We were thrilled to come across a pygmy goat family. This is nearby to the main entrance on the way to the ice-rink
Rides: always a favourite- there is a carousel, train and water car rides – plenty of options. You need a ticket (20TL/ride- bit pricey but kids loved it)
Sahlep in the forest
Food: I’m not sure if the restaurant is was open for takeaway. However there were two kiosks serving everything from fresh gozleme, sahlep, sandwiches, biscuits, drinks and snacks. Some hot food ran out though so I wouldn’t rely on it for main food but it was perfect for snacks.
This has become one of our favourite nature places out of the busy-ness of the inner city. Just great for a day out as there’s something for everyone!
Discovering Istanbul, one fun family spot at a time! Taskeen,
Truly Taskeen 