MEMBERS CHOOSE ISTANBUL TO:
- Spend a fun weekend partying, eating, and enjoying the architecture, culture and hamams in this buzzing city
- Shop (and haggle) in bazaars for quality kilims, art and trinkets
- Attend work conferences and sporting events such as the Grand Prix
Combine a European metropolis with a bazaar-laden, hamam-loving eastern city and you get Istanbul - a place where you can spend your days enjoying the glories of the Ottoman empire, dance the night away until the small hours at the Araf (one of many lively bars off street Istiklal Caddesi), and then get up at lunchtime and do it all over again. Southern European expert Helen Duncan says:
SIGHTS TO SEE
Sightseeing is all about art and architecture, and Istanbul has plenty of both. The tourist trail beats a path straight to the magnificent domes of Hagia Sophia (silent G - sounds more like a-YEE-ah) and the Blue Mosque, which are opposite each other in a big square.
Also worth visiting is Topkapi Palace, the primary residence of Ottoman sultans, and the Grand Bazaar, a huge covered, stone-vaulted arcade that's ‘utterly amazing,' says entertainment manager Rich Major, who visited recently. ‘It's bigger than Soho, with covered narrow streets and every spare surface holding things to sell - just looking at something will start sellers haggling. There are districts within it, for gold, fabric, hats, carpets, antiques - and cup upon cup of sweet mint tea.'
A member who's an architect also particularly recommends Basilica Cistern, the Byzantine water supply for Istanbul which he says ‘is like an underground cathedral'.
There are so many mosques all over the city that many - such as Sokullu Mehmed Pasha Camii and Ağa Camii - are found tucked away down quiet alleys. Ask our team to organise a trip off the beaten track or a private boat ride to the tranquil Prince Islands, where members can enjoy the pine groves, villas and absence of motorised transport (donkey, anyone?).
Istanbul is well viewed from the Bosphorus, the strait that runs through the city: there are many boats that run cruises down it, some with dinner, and being touristy doesn't stop them being highly enjoyable. You could just buy a ferry ticket from one end to the other, but where's the cocktail and fine dining at sunset in that? Ask the team.
HOTELS & HIDEAWAYS
For European glamour, members stay at the spanking new W. Located in the hip Akaretler Row, the hotel is set against spectacular views of the Bosphorus and the city skyline.
The Park Hyatt Istanbul is in the historic Maçka Palas, combining art deco features with state of the art facilities (including an outdoor pool). However, to get under the skin of this city, choose a yali (a beach-fronted mansion).
The A'jia Hotel and Les Ottomans have particularly spectacular buildings and locations. Ask Ten about arranging a private dinner on the waterfront.
HAMAMS
In Turkish culture, hamams (steam baths) are places to get together. They tend to be based in beautiful, large marble rooms that give splendour to the ritual of steaming. Following the steam bath, members often choose to have a soapy body wash by a therapist, topped off with a massage.
As an experience they're favourites with members, and ‘will certainly leave you feeling very, very clean' says our spa expert Franscesca Sheldon.
FOOD
‘People tend to eat at 10pm, ordering meze and bottles of raki - similar to ouzo - at a street-side restaurant, and then moving on to a club or bar,' says Rich, who spent a lot of time doing this with friends at Istiklal Caddesi. ‘It's a little like a Turkish Regent St, with a tram down the middle, shops either side, and outdoor cafes. We also liked having drinks in the almost water-level cafes under the Galata Bridge, particularly at sunset.'
The Guardian tipped Istanbul as the hottest food destination of 2008, and many members visit for a weekend's gastro-tour. A little of the cuisine ─ strong coffee and sweet pastries like baklava, kebabs and grilled meats, meze and salad ─ is regularly exported, but Ciya, a cluster of three lively restaurants, will take diners into the heart of regional Turkish dishes rarely seen elsewhere.
Also enjoyed by members are Hakkasan Istanbul and Muzedechanga (Peter Gordon, from Providores, was the consultant). ‘Take the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn into the Eminönü for some great fresh seafood. There are lots of places along the river where fisherman bring in their catch and cook it,' says one member.
CLUBS & BACKSTREET BARS
Istanbul's like London: it's big and there are lots of districts within it. Rich recommends the Beyoğlu district for hidden backstreet bars, live music and a bohemian crowd. ‘Turks are very hospitable and ebullient and there's a lot of live music and singing choruses when out. A lot of the clubs, in Beyoğlu and elsewhere, are outdoors. You pay a premium to go indoors to clubs on the top floors of hotels, which tend to become more European, and give a great panoramic view of the city at night.'
Taksim Square is the Times Square or Leicester Square of Istanbul and has nightly folk (halk) and gypsy (fasil) music, as well as two Burger Kings and a McDonald's. Or swank it up on the coast at Zihni, which started life as an elegant antique shop and now hosts a restaurant, bar and a view best enjoyed by moonlight.
FLIGHTS & TRAINS
Budget flights have opened Istanbul up as a weekend destination, but should you want to go more slowly (and more green) you could spend an entire weekend getting there by train, through Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest, with tiny Balkan villages nestled in pretty river valleys.
Lastly, exploring the rest of Turkey from Istanbul is easy. Ask our experts about private transfers, by limousine or private jet, to the beautiful resorts of the Aegean and Mediterranean coast.
WHEN TO VISIT
Turkey has a Mediterranean climate so Istanbul can be overheated and crowded during hot and humid summers, and cool, rainy and sometimes snowy in winter. Any season will do, but members say that spring is one of the most comfortable times of year to visit.
