Overnight layover in Istanbul

Istanbul Mosque Turkey

Bodrum Airport

Now that it’s out of season, the International Terminal at Bodrum Airport is like the wild west. No there’s no shoot-outs and bar brawls… it’s more like an empty prairie with tumble weeds blowing through it.

The domestic terminal is no better, where airport staff outnumbered passengers 4:1.

Bodrum Domestic Terminal

We arrived bright an early for our flight from Bodrum to Istanbul via Atlas Jet, and had a 3 hour wait until boarding as we’d accepted a lift off a fellow traveller who was leaving on an earlier Turkish Airlines flight.

We kept ourselves entertained by firing up our wi-fi hotspot (Vinn wifi) and catching up on all the latest social media.

(NB: The International Terminal has subsequently closed for the season).

Bodrum to Istanbul

The flight to Istanbul was quick and uneventful. We struggled through the airport with our backpacks. It was the first time we’d man-handled them with this much weight in them, and in the back of my mind I wished my pack had retractable wheels on it to make the transition easier.

I’d arranged an overnight stay at White Palace Hotel in the Sirinevler neighbourhood of Istanbul. It was only a few stops on the metro from Ataturk, and we were opting for a close-to-the-airport location for our 5am departure. It was basic but cheap and located in a lively neighbourhood.

White Palace Hotel Istanbul Turkey

We stuck out like a sore thumb. Two, past their sell-by-date back-packers amid a barrage of locals going about their day. We desperately searched for the White Palace and failed miserably. But true to form, a friendly street hawker got a group of his buddies together and helped us find it.

We dubiously passed a water canon and army presence on the way, but didn’t let that deter us. I wanted to stop to take photos … but was hustled away by the other-half.

We only had the afternoon and early evening in Istanbul, so decided to head straight for one of our favourite locations – The Spice Market. Yes it’s touristy (and there were armed guards with AK47s at each entrance) but I love the sounds, smells and vibe of this place.

Sponges at the spice market Istanbul
Sponges at the Spice Market

It’s only a small location so it’s quick and easy to walk around, but it brought back fond memories of our last trip here with our good friends Catherine and Brian. We met them in Istanbul before taking them to Bodrum, and we walked the spice market together, and bought and consumed way too much hazelnut and pomegranate Turkish Delight for our own good.

Shopping at the Turkish Delight Shop Istanbul Spice market
Spice Market

We went in search of more of the same as the next stop on our trip was going to be New York to see them again. We ended up buying two 1kg boxes of premium Turkish Delight … full of various tangy fruits and nuts. We didn’t have to delve into either box for a taste as we received so many free samples from the shop owner.

Galata Bridge

We opted for a walk along the lower level of the Galata Bridge, which is only a short stroll from the Spice Market. We only fancied a snack, and had to swerve the first batch of restaurants who tried to hustle us into a table to sample their overpriced menu.

I’m sure we could have found a much cheaper restaurant down one of the back-streets, but because we were only in Istanbul for such a short time, we were willing to pay a little extra to get the iconic views.

We walked all the way to the end of the row of restaurants and came across Balik Noktasi.

Galata Bridge Balik Noktasi Restaurant Istanbul Turkey

The menu here was a lot more reasonable, and we had beers and shared a plate of deep fried Hamsi (European anchovies). The food was good and the service was excellent. The manager spoke great English and as they weren’t busy he stopped by our table for a long chat with Neale …. about football!

Galata Bridge Istanbul Turkey
Galata Bridge

There’s nothing I like better than watching the majestic dance of the boats and ferries navigating the waterways, and the fisherman testing their luck on the Galata Bridge.

Galata Bridge Istanbul Turkey
Fisherman on Galata Bridge
Galata Bridge Istanbul Turkey
Galata Bridge with fishing lines hanging down

It took about an hour via the metro to get from Galata Bridge back to our hotel, so we didn’t hang around Galata Bridge too long, but this taster of Istanbul’s sights and lights was enough to keep us sated … and wanting to come back for more.

One thing we did notice, besides the heavy police and army presence, was the amount of mosques that were being renovated … interesting indeed.

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Author: Roving Jay

Jay is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a travel writer. She works with authors and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their self-publishing goals and reach their target audience through content marketing. Jay has published a series of travel guides, a travel memoir, and nonfiction books about travel writing. She housesits and volunteers around the globe with her husband, a Hollywood set painter, and she’s never more that 10 paces away from a wi-fi connection.

7 thoughts on “Overnight layover in Istanbul

  1. We are considering an overnight layover in Istanbul on our way to Kenya in the summer. I wasn’t sure what it would be like, so reading your account of this was really helpful. Thank you1

  2. Interesting blog post! It must have been uncomfortable seeing armed guards outside the spice market and other places.I have never been to Istanbul, but now I have a fair idea of what it would be like with mosques and spice and fishing boats. That’s a nice view of the Galata bridge at night!

  3. We always struggle with the idea of booking a short layover in transit. I love the idea of taking a close hotel to get some sleep. Or maybe a quick day tour. But travel delays and exhaustion would certainly take the fun out of It for me. I can imagine us sticking out like sore thumbs as we searched for the White Palace. It is good that you had a few things on your list to see on your day in Istanbul. I too might head to find pomegranate Turkish Delight. One day we will get to Istanbul for a few days!

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