ISTANBUL TURKEY

A little recap of our week long stay in Istanbul.

A T U R K I S H S T Y L E V A C A T I O N

As some of you may already know, Aya and I spent the summer apart from each other while she traveled the Eastern side of the world & I held down the fort in Charlotte. Towards the end of her 2 month getaway, we decided to meet each other in a place that we both had never experienced before, Istanbul, Turkey. Our parents (& my in-laws) had been raving about their visit to the country, and even mentioned that it was their first choice as a city to retire in. Hamzeh and I had a little difficulty getting there (due to the storm in NYC), but once we arrived we knew that the hassle was well worth it. I got to spend a week with my family and we had such a blast exploring everything the historic city had to offer. Our experience at The Raffles Hotel was also one for the books. It ranked up there with one of the most beautiful hotels we have been blessed to stay in.

F A V O R I T E S T O P S & E A T S

Grand Bazaar (shopping) // Hagia Sophia (historic) // Galata Tower // Dolmabahce Palace // Topkapi Palace// Huqqa (hookah) // kumpir (baked potato sold on street) // corn & kestane (corn & chestnuts sold on street) // ALL kebabs // Hafiz Mustafa (sweets & turkish delights)

R A F F L E S H O T E L I S T A N B U L

Hamzeh and I arrived to The Raffles Hotel midday, where we met up with my family who were naturally smoking hookah in the lobby. The hotel was breathtaking, and on top of everything, was located in the heart of Zorlu center which was connected to a mall, movie theatre, and high end bakery. The beautiful blooms were carefully placed throughout the hotel, and the service made us feel right at home.

While our decision to stay out in Zorlu Center is uncommon for those visiting Istanbul (most stay near Taksim Square), I wouldn’t have chosen another location because of this resort’s beauty. Overall, it wasn’t too far from all of our stops pictured above either. A short 15 minute cab ride got us to where we needed to be, from Grand Bazaar to Hagia Sophia. Also, if you find yourself ever staying here, make sure to stop by the indoor spa which is extremely relaxing and probably much needed after long days exploring the city.