Laura's Turkey Trip Story
In 2012 I was going through some changes in my life and decided I needed a change of scenery and adventure. I can't say exactly what drew me to Istanbul, but I felt a pull in that direction. So, I booked a flight from Miami to Istanbul and into a lovely little Guesthouse called Best Hipodrom. Best Hipodrom is located just metres away from the gorgeous Blue Mosque. I didn't plan anything else for my trip. I wanted to just see what would happen and where I would end up.
When I arrived in Istanbul, I was so jet lagged. I decided the best course of action would be to set off on foot exploring in the hopes of getting a good night's sleep that evening. The first place I made my way to was the Blue Mosque. It was absolutely gorgeous. I had never seen anything like it in my life before. At that time, there was a Lonely Planet app which you could use without internet and it would track where you were in the city and give you information about the sites you were seeing. I did many group tours whilst in Istanbul, but I have to say my favourite part of the trip was just walking around with my app, coming across little hidden treasures. I am not sure why that app is no longer available cause it was amazing.
When I travelled to Turkey, some trouble had broken out and there were warnings all over the news. I was advised to change my plans. I am so glad I did not listen to anyone. What I experienced was so far from what was being played out in the media. I found the people to be so warm and friendly. At no time on my travels did I feel threatened or scared. When I arrived, the owner of Best Hipodrom was so unbelievably nice. Being a vegan, I asked for some advice on where to get suitable food. Not only did she give me advice, she took me to one of the restaurants herself. And then she sat with me to have some Turkish coffee. I have never experienced such warm hospitality before or since.
Turkish Foods
I believe this deserves its own paragraph. The food was one of the best parts of my travels. I absolutely enjoyed trying all the local foods. I ate out three times a day, and there was not one meal that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. Turkish food is a vegans dream. Pita with hummus and the best olives I have ever tasted were just some of the things I enjoyed. I also left with a considerable amount of Turkish delight. I loved going into the stores and seeing all the different flavours and varieties available. Another thing I just loved was the fresh fruit available on the streets. What a lovely break to sight seeing.
One evening I decided to go to Sultana's. I couldn't travel all the way to Turkey and not see belly dancing. What an amazing evening that was. There were musicians, belly dancers and of course more delicious Turkish food. This was such an incredible experience for me. I was the only traveller alone and was sitting at my little table for one. At one point during the evening, they open up the dance floor for everyone to have some fun. I think I danced with every waiter there and ended up having such an incredible evening. There was so much laughing and I danced my heart out. Just because you are a solo traveller, does not mean you should miss out on all the fun!
My advice to anyone considering a trip to Turkey? Do it! Do it now. You will fall in love with the country and the culture. I cannot put into words how incredible my trip was. My only complaint? It was too short. I definitely have plans to head back to Istanbul one day to do some more exploring. Are you a solo female traveller? Have you travelled to Istanbul? I would love to hear about your experiences. Please comment below.
I m really grateful to Laura for that amazing article..I hope that we can see you at Turkey with your family.I think that I m not only one person who like Laura's article style and words she really godo at about writing so if you curious about Laura I will say something about her,,she is really kind and nice person and Laura now does all her travelling with her husband, Henry and their 3 year old English Bulldog Lincoln. Lincoln has his own blog where he talks about all their adventures http://www.lincsworld.com/
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Write yorumLaura, reading your article brought back memories of our travel to Istanbul, Turkey a year ago. Oh yes, I agree with you... so many things to see, so many Turkish food to taste and eat, so many sites to discover, so many opportunities to be with kind, friendly, Turkish people, 24 hours is not enough to roam around the beautiful mosques and tourist places, but SO LITTLE TIME. Thank you for sharing your travel experiences.
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