My employer is sending me to Istanbul in June. What are some interesting things to do in Istanbul beside the usual tourist sites (Topkapi Palace, etc.)??

I like to do odd things.

Could anyone recommend anything to see OUTSIDE of the city? A day trip perhaps?

My mother has been to Turkey, but she is off no help. She HATED Istanbul.

Cheers,
John G.

Hope someone will kindly post a link to the "Turkey in the Straw" trip report -- I've searched fruitlessly for it -- going back to early 2005 as you can see. Thank you!

I could not find it either, even with a search for "Istanbul Ritz Carlton" and the island of "Buyukada" which were in the report.

Thanks for looking, ekscrunchy. If someone does find it, perhaps they could just top it to bring it to the forefront again.

I think it has been deleted!! Proenza Preschooler aka ThinGorgus mentions it in a 3/27/2008 post. He writes that it is called, "Turkey in the Straw:Thingorgus Sleeps in Istanbul.

I may have a copy of it since we traveled to Turkey shortly after Thin. If I find it, I will try to post it again.

Unless it was REALLY offensive, it wouldn't have been deleted. The search function just doesn't work. Plus I <i>think</i> PP/TG has had another couple of screen names over the years.

Found it rather quickly.

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

Thanks so much Adrienne -- I've topped the report for the benefit of all!