Istanbul - am I being paranoid?
 

My husband and I have booked a trip to Istanbul on for 6 nights in March. Now, let me start this by saying I consider myself to be well-travelled - my husband and I met in the airport in Amsterdam, starting seriously dating after a trip to Rome and got engaged in Bangkok... so, I must admit I feel very weird to say that I am slightly afraid of going to Istanbul.

I am unsure if it is fear of the unknown or the instabilities of the countries/regions around Turkey. I will not blend in at all in either looks or speaking voice. I would appreciate any insight - if I can't get over this fear - which I know is probably very stupid, we are going to redeposit the FF miles and head to Santiago.

I know the usual of being aware of your surroundings, yada yada. I would appreciate any insight into anyone elses experiences.

One more thing - anyone have any hotel recos? We looked at trip advisor and have gotten several responses from hotels but, would welcome the opinion of anyone who has been there.

Istanbul is an extremely large, metropolitan city. You will not be in any more danger there than you would be in Paris, Rome or London. I think I might be a bit nervous if I were going over to the east side of the country, near the Iraqi border, but other than that you've nothing to worry about. You'll love Istanbul! It's really a fabulous place to visit and shop and see the amazing sites.

When I was there I stayed in the old Sultanahmet section of the city at Barut's Majestic Hotel, a small budget hotel just below the Blue Mosque, Agia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. They were all within easy walking distance. I also was able to walk to the Grand Bazaar, not much further away.

Hello Joshanddeneka:

I was in Istanbul in December, on my own: a single woman, a blue-eyed-blone: definitely NOT blending in :)
I am extremely well-travelled; I spend half my life in Europe on business.

Hand on heart, I felt safer in Istanbul than in many large European cities I visit on a regular basis. I found the “locals” similar to what I would expect in most metropolis: neither more nor less friendly. I loved the food and wine and shopping for a carpet in the Grand Bazaar. I even enjoyed chatting to the carpet salesmen in the Sultanahmet. The tourist sites are spectacular. I hope to return there again in 2006.

Regarding where to stay, I will get back to you. I stayed just off Taksim Square and I liked the hotel, but next time I will probably stay in the Sultanahment.

I completely understand your reticence and concern; I was a little concerned myself before my trip. I can assure you that if you feel safe and content in Amsterdam and Rome, then you will feel even safer in Istanbul.

Trust me, you will NOT regret your trip to Istanbul, it is truly wonderful.

Best regards Ger

Istanbul is wonderful and quite safe. OUr daughter lived two years in Turkey (taught school at Air BAse in Ankara) and we visited her. (15 yrs ago), and spent 3 days in Istanbul.
people are So friendly. If you ask directions they will take you 3 blocks to show you the way.!
We too stayed off Taskim square, forget the name but it was small and lovely , great breakfast looking out over the Bosphorus. Across from this hotel was the Sheraton, I believe, and up the street was a beautiful Hilton.
Also on the square was another modern American type hotel (or French Chain), I forget.
Yes there are some nice hotels around the Grand Bazaar and Blue Mosque.
(I know, I know..not very helpful when I can't give you specific names! Sorry!)
With your travel experience I think you will really enjoy Istanbul, and take in the adventure of it all.

I do understand your apprehension - felt it myself prior to my visit to Istanbul a few months ago. Happy to report that the worry turned out to be baseless. Istanbul is a wonderful place, just crammed with history, and the people are delightfully friendly.
I, too, stayed just off Taksim Square and was quite pleased with that location. My original plan was to stay in Sultanahemt, the "old city" but foound the proverbial no room at the inn for my dates.
If you search on here for Istanbul you will pull up my trip report that lists some restaurant recommendations.

Always worth a read :-)

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34654270

I have never understood this "blend in" thing, I have never even considered of it. So yes, you are being paranoid.

I have not counted the times I have been to Turkey, including Istanbul. Istanbul is one of my favourite "city break" destinations. Even when you have seen the must-see sights it has enough to offer.

Hello Joshandenka,
My experiences in Istanbul were all quite good and I never felt unsafe. The people there are very polite and warm. The vendors at the Grand Bizzarre can be slightly aggressive but in a humorious way and will back off if they sense you've had enough - it's actually very fun - beautiful stuff.

The only time we ever felt unease, was when sitting in traffic after a University soccer game. The young men were taunting people in cars and young women walking. This was not just a few young men but many. They were actually groping women and preventing them from passing. Our cab driver said that that was typical.

So, like any city, try staying away from any situation where there are mobs of pumped up post soccer game types or similar and you should be fine.

Enjoy your trip - you'll love it!
Sherry

Dear joshanddeneka,

We recently visited with very well-travelled friends and asked them where there favorite place was that they had visited. Without hesitation they said "Turkey" and spoke of it so highly that I wish we could head there soon. (They would not have blended in at all, either.)

Perhaps you would be more comfortable visiting on a tour or arranging a private guide in advance to help you acclimate (just a thought.)

Hope this helps. Happy travels!

Well, I do not have anything more regarding safety, the board speaks itself. Thanks everyone to give their opinions as experinced....

As for the hotel ; trip advisor is a good source but do not think its the source ! What kind of hotels you are used to, what is the budget, where would you like to be ( Sultanahmet - old city or Taksim )

Happy Travelling,

Murat

The only thing scary about Istanbul is rug salesmen. :)

If you are going to Istanbul, sweetie darling, you MUST read Thingorjus' travel report<Turkey in the Straw: thingorjus sleeps in Istanbul>. It is the definitive trip report on Istanbul (and Buyukada) here at Fodors. His restaurant review is also listed, but I can't remember the title. If you type<Thingorjus Istanbul>into the search box, it should pop up.

I am the greatest star there is. The stars are ageless!!

Balenciaga, sweetie.

I've been travelling to Istanbul and Ankara regularly for the past six months for business. I, too, felt a little nervous before I went for the first time (after a summer of explosions in London, Egypt and Turkey). I quickly realised as soon as I got there that I had very little to worry about - safety risks were similar to what I have encountered in many other large European and North American cities.

All of the Turkish people I met were extraordinarily hospitable. I felt much less "culture shock" than I had experienced in, e.g., Morocco, Bangkok, Mumbai or St. Petersburg. In terms of blending in, a large proportion of the residents you will see in Istanbul look like you could move them (or at least their clothes and make-up) to Madrid, or Rome or Athens and they would fit right in. There is also a proportion of the population that is more traditionally and conservatively dressed, but I never felt as though anyone thought that I looked strange (except that I have Jean Seberg-style short hair and many women in Istanbul have long, gorgeous wavy hair). On average, fewer people speak English than, e.g. Germany or Scandinavia - it's more like being in Spain. But many people in the hospitality industry speak good English, or enough English for you to be able to communicate with them. I might exclude taxi drivers from that statement, though. I found that a lot of them didn't speak much English; it's a good idea to write the address down and give it to them, or to have someone from the hotel put you in a cab and give the driver instructions. I think that the only thing I found disconcerting was the fact that you will have to pass through a metal detector to enter any building that is open to the public (including shopping malls, banks, museums, and some hotels and restaurants).

If you want to blend in (and don't feel like you have to, you just said that you were worried about it), speak a little more quietly than you might be used to speaking at home. (Since I've been living in Europe, I've really noticed how loud North Americans - and I'm one myself - seem to speak in public places, relative to others). Warmth and a good sense of humour are appreciated.

In addition to shopping in markets, there are some good opportunities to shop for contemporary clothes. There are a number of Turkish designers or home-grown retailers offering designs that are stylish but somehow different from the labels you see everywhere else. They're not cheap, but prices are reasonable.

Take a little care with what you eat. I'm not sure there is a widespread problem with questionable water supplies (e.g. as in Morocco, where you have to be very vigilant) or whether it's more limited, or whether it's just a question of "different bacteria" (as opposed to inherently bad bacteria). Whatever it is, I'd recommend limiting your intake of fresh, unpeeled veggies and fruits. Travelling with my colleagues (including sometimes a native of Istanbul), each of us had a bit of tummy trouble on at least one of our visits.

Take stable walking shoes. While women in Istanbul seem to run around in 4 inch heels, I don't know how they do it without breaking their necks. You will often encounter uneven or broken pavement (sometimes on hills and in narrow paths) - it's easy to trip.

A couple of hotels that don't seem to be turning up yet in the guidebooks: the Point Hotel - www.istanbulshotels.com/pointhotel/
and Taxim Hill Hotel - http://www.taximhill.com/

The Point Hotel was much more stylish, but both were good.

You might want to look for the book, Travellers' Tales: Turkey, and read up on the country before you visit. I'm sure you'll fall in love with Istanbul once you get there.

You are going to love Istanbul. Do, however stay in the Sultanahmet District, prefereby in a restored Ottoman townhouse. We stayed at the Sumangen You can google it.

Thank you all so much for your responses - it has definitely helped.

In response to the "blending in thing" -I have LONG bright red hair, green eyes and fair skin - my husband on the other hand is darker in skin tone and could pass for many different nationalities - plus, not speaking any other language, it is pretty obvious I am a southern American! The blending in is merely to not draw too much attention to one's self as recommended by the state department (for what its worth!)

I will more than likely keep our trip booked as is - although the "pelting of the Danish consulate today" has not set well with me, I still have a few weeks.

I appreciate all the advice and will read the recommended threads.

Funny thing, if we didn't have a 3.5 year old daughter, I doubt I would think twice about this....

Will let you all know how this goes!

Re hotel:

I stayed at the Point Hotel also, as I was there on business. I liked the "High Tech" decor and the free broadband internet access in the room. However, although I was on the quieter side of the building, the noise was constant and into the early hours of the morning. Then there was a one-hour respite, and the morning traffic would start. I ended up sleeping with ear-plugs. Obviously, the windows are not sound-proofed and I prefer to sleep with the window open anyway. I was on the 4th floor; perhaps the higher floors are quieter.

Next time, I will stay in the Sultanahmet, probably at the Four Seasons, but I would also consider this “Best Western” (http://www.bestwesternturkey.com/acropolhotel.htm). I had lunch in a restaurant just opposite and it is a lovely, pretty, quiet street within walking distance of all the major sites.

Regards Ger

LOL about the only thing to fear is the rug salesman. True...:)
You'll love Istanbul. Don't miss the Hamdi Restaurant - ask anyone. Great views and fabulous food. If you go on a Sunday when the Bizarre is closed, check out the local market the runs behind the plaza near the Hamdi. Great for buying nuts. etc. Lots of fun...you'll love it!!

Just curious--how do Turkish people's voices differ from other people's voices?

Might not want to pretend to be a Dane in any Moslem countries right now.

"I have LONG bright red hair, green eyes
and fair skin"

So do many Turkish people. Turks are not just "Turkish", there is a lot of Russian and Armenian blood and other kinds of that has come during centuries. There are also blond Turks, and blue and green eyed ones.

And Turkish women also dye their hair just like women in other countries. And you really don´t have to "blend in", all those hoards of European tourists that come to Turkey for holidays don´t blend in, and don´t even try to. And nobody tries to attack or otherwise harm them.

Just curious Elina - when was the last time you visited Turkey?

What was your experience? The reason I ask is that you seem to really have a keen understanding of the Turkish people and what they look like, talk like, act like, etc.

I welcome your advice. BTW are you American or European... just curious.

I appreciate your perspective.

No, I don´t have any deep understanding. I just have visited 10+ times during the past 25 years. I am European, and it is only 4 hours flight for me. Plus I like the country and people. And sceneries and food, and sailing and ruins and so on.

It is two years from my last visit, but my son visited last summer. It was 10 years from his last visit (he stopped traveling with us when he was 15), and when he came back he said:"I had totally forgotten how friendly the Turks are. Were they as nice and funny also when I was a kid?" Yes, they were.