Insider Guide to Istanbul's hotspots

A journal on Istanbul cannot go without mentioning the historical highlights in Sultanahmet district and around the Hippodrome. These are in particular the Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque), the Hagia Sophia (a former Byzantine basilica, then a mosque, and now a museum) and the Topkapi Palace.

But Istanbul's real architectural delights are the many palaces along the Bosphorus, of which the Dolmabahce Palace and the Ciragan Palace are the most picturesque. These palaces are particularly pretty at night, when seen enlightened from a small restaurant on the Bosphorus shores.

The best for strolling, shopping and going out are Beyoglu and Galata districts east of the Golden Horn bay. And a trip to Istanbul should not end without a visit to Ortakoy, called "The Village" by locals, a perfect venue for fish-eaters and antique-buyers alike, situated below the first Bosphorus bridge.

Istanbul also has its quiet places, untouched by the hectic goings on in the city. Be it a melancholic reminiscence of the old Constantinople in a silent spot on the Theodosian City Wall, or a moment of reflection in a small mosque on the Asian side, Istanbul provides plenty of space for inner and outer journeys.

Quick Tips:

I would suggest you spend not more than one day in the very touristic Sultanahmet district. Instead you should reserve time to explore the more typical quarters along the Bosphorus, and visit the hotspots in Bebek, Galata and Beyoglu districts.

The key to Istanbul is its people. Feel free to join a Turkish party in one of the traditional bars near the Flower Bazaar, or let yourself be introduced to a jeweller's or carpet dealer's trade over a cup of tee. Just try to avoid the pushy dealers and "guides" on the street.

Single male travellers should stay clear of the belly dancing bars around Beyoglu pedestrian zone, Taksim Square and Cumhurriyet Avenue, as most of these are real rip-off places.

Best Way To Get Around:

The only sensible way to cover larger distances within Istanbul is by taxi. Yet one should bear in mind that traffic comes to a complete stand still during rush hours.

The main Bosphorus Bridge, in particular, is jammed between 7 and 10 am, and 3 to 8 pm. This makes the Bosphorus ferries the best means of transport for transferring to the Asian side, with journey times of around 50 minutes.

Within the individual quarters, Istanbul is best explored by foot. Detours through small side streets and alleys will lead you to Istanbul's more exotic sounds and smells.

The Swissotel is one of only two hotels in Istanbul which are members of the group of "The Leading Hotels of the World". It is probably the most professional hotel in Istanbul, with a complete product and service range that leaves no wish unfulfilled.

The rooms are a spacious 25 square metres, nicely furnished in mahogany. Best suited for business travellers, the rooms come with a very large workspace with all kinds of PC & telecom connections. In addition to the extremely large beds there is also a divan sofa. The bathrooms are the best fitted I have seen in any hotel. Both in the workspace and the bathroom, they have added all accessories one could possibly think of and which in most hotels would have to be ordered separately, if available at all. There is a remote control for all technical functions of the room. Most rooms have a Bosphorus view (northeast: Bosphorus bridge, southwest: Virgin Tower).

The Executive Level (floors 14 to 18 of the northeast tower) comes with extra amenities. Executive Rooms are fitted with a high-end multifunctional fax/copier/ printer which connects to a laptop PC with the included drivers. There is also a personal butler service for Executive Level guests. The Executive Lounge offers an extensive breakfast, cakes and biscuits at teatime and cocktails at night, all for free and in a spacious lounge area with panoramic round view.

There are five restaurants in the Swissotel which are all of very high quality and cater for every taste (Swiss, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish, and international cuisine).

The Swissotel has a perfect business centre with secretarial service, and provides extensive leisure facilities, including indoor and outdoor pools, two tennis courts on the roof, sauna, Turkish bath, gym and massage. In a city where parks and green spots are very rare, you will appreciate the Swissotel's extensive park estate.

Agency rates for standard rooms start at $185 excluding breakfast, executive rooms come at $225 including breakfast. Off-season weekend specials are available from $165 excluding breakfast.

Of the large international 5 Star Hotels in Istanbul, the Hyatt Regency offers by far the friendliest and most personal service and a very comfortable atmosphere.

The rooms are around 22 square metres in size, decorated in light colours and teak fittings, with accessories resembling something like Versace style. There is no special work space, but a nice living-room table which can be used as such. The bathrooms are very, very nice, tempting you to make your shower last for an hour. Bosphorus views are only available from the Regency Club rooms on the 8th and 9th floors, as an old city palace blocks the view from the lower floors. Standard, Superior and Regency Club rooms don't differ in layout or design, only in service.

On longer stays in Istanbul, I have made the Regency Club Lounge my livingroom. This is a small, elegant and sunny lounge with its own library and bar, and it offers a nice view over the Hyatt's park and sports area. Breakfast, snacks and biscuits at teatime, and cocktails at night are free, as usual on the executive floors of luxury hotels. Once you get to know the dedicated Regency Club staff, they will drop their artificial smiles and let you into their conversations. All of them are well-informed and very friendly.

The Mezzanine Level is filled with bars, restaurants, café, in addition to another lounge bar on the ground level. The Spazzo bar often features live jazz music. The whole Mezzanine Level exudes the atmosphere of a distinguished country club. At the rear of the hotel are the pool area, tennis courts and pool bar. The pool bar in particular is a very inviting place on mild summer evenings, I have often preferred it over going out to the nightlife quarters of Istanbul.

Agency rates start at $175 for standard rooms exclusive breakfast. Regency Club comes at $215 inclusive breakfast, but is often booked out. Considering the price of breakfast at around $25, the Regency Club is better value for money, but requires around a week's advance notice. A real "bargain" are the suites which start at $300, compared to $500 and more at other hotels in Istanbul.

On top of the BJK Business Centre, Le Vogue offers not only excellent cuisine, but also a fantastic view of the Bosphorus. This venue includes a restaurant, a sushi bar (one of only two in town), a regular bar, and three terraces which are open in summer. The restaurant serves both Turkish and international cuisine and is best tried for grilled fish and meat.

The bar comes with the best margaritas in town. Le Vogue is extremely popular with the young Turkish elite and absolutely packed late night. THE place to experience modern Turkish urban lifestyle over a good dinner. Valet parking is available.

Once you have crossed Galata Bridge from Sultanahmet District, you enter a different world. No more great squares and splendid Ottoman architecture; instead there are small steep alleys, surrounded by medieval houses and the remains of the old Genoese city walls. Indeed this quarter was built by Genoese salesmen in the 10th century and very much resembles a medieval European town.

Half way up the hill to Beyoglu stands Galata Tower which provides one of the most beautiful views in the whole world: a panoramic round view of the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the European and Asian parts of Istanbul. On a clear sunny day, you can see as far as the Princes' Islands in the middle of the Sea of Marmara.

The view is most beautiful just before sunset, and you can finish your visit with a meal in the top floor restaurant, although this is a tourist trap and rather expensive.

Underneath the first Bosphorus bridge, north of Besiktas District, lies Ortakoy, which locals call "The Village". Ortakoy is comprised of small streets with several nice antique shops, but its centrepiece is the square right by the Bosphorus.

This square always reminds me of what the main square at Montmartre in Paris must have been like before it was overcrowded by tourists: painters who capture the scene on canvas, young street performers, and children playing between the trees. The square is surrounded on one side by the Bosphorus and a mosque built close to the water, and old houses and fish restaurants on the other.

The posh and expensive downtown gourmet temples aside, the small restaurants in Ortakoy are among the best places for fish in all of Istanbul.

The most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul can all be found in Sultanahmet District. At the center of is the Golden Triangle with Saint Sophia Cathedral, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.

The Hagia Sophia (St Sophia Basilica) represents the different periods of medieval history in Istanbul like no other place. It was built in 537 as the spiritual center of the entire Byzantine Church. In 1453 the people of Istanbul, which at the time was called Constantinople, gathered in St Sophia's, praying to God to save their city from Turkish occupation. After Constantinople nevertheless fell to Sultan Mehmet, St Sophia's was used as a mosque for five centuries, until Kemal Atatürk turned it into a museum in 1934.

The result is an interesting mixture of styles in St Sophia's: you can still see the wonderful golden mosaics of the old Christian church, but all the sculptures and paintings of Christian saints have been removed and replaced by Muslim symbols.

Sultan Ahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque) stands just across the street from St Sophia's. When this mosque was built in 1609, Sultan Ahmet wanted it to be even larger and more beautiful than the Hagia Sophia. This shows in the picturesque interior, which is decorated with blue and white enamel tiles with flower symbols.

However, the Blue Mosque has never left the great impression on me that other travelers report. Maybe that's because its size and the constant flow of visitors mean that it fails to inspire a reverential atmosphere. Nonetheless, the Blue Mosque is a fantastic piece of Ottoman architecture, both inside and outside.

The most beautiful monument in the Sultanahmet area is Topkapi Sarayi (Topkapi Palace). This place is so rich and diverse in architecture and artwork that it is hard to put it into a few words for this journal. The palace embraces an area of over 170 acres, which includes numerous courts, yards and gardens, two museums, and almost endless numbers of halls, saloons, libraries and harems.

Gold and enamel decorations, mosaics, colorful carpets and breathtaking jewelry collections are among the many attractions to be discovered at Topkapi Palace. You should reserve at least half a day for an excursion to this place.

If the tourist bustle around Sultanahmet is not your kind of thing, then Sultan Suleymaniye Camii may be more to your liking. This mosque, half a mile northwest of Sultanahmet in Beyazit district, is almost as beautiful as the Blue Mosque, but far less crowded.

You may also like to explore the outer parts of Sultanahmet around the Hippodrome. Stroll around small old streets and markets, discover the remains of the Forum Romanum around the Constantine Column, or pay a visit to Cagaloglu Hamani, Istanbul's oldest Turkish bath.

Taksim Square and the Beyoglu area is the center of modern street life in Istanbul. A shopping paradise during daytime and a party venue at night.

In the Beyoglu pedestrian zone, you can find all Turkish and international brand name stores. Of the more up-market choices I would definitely recommend the Vakko store for excellent suites, shirts and ties. The shops get cheaper and simpler, but not necessarily worse in quality, as you move further away from Taksim Square on the pedestrian zone. Many shops offer tailor-made suits and shirts at real bargain prices. I guess you would have to travel all the way to Bangkok to find a tailor-made suite for the prices offered in Istanbul.

One of my favorite stops in the Beyoglu pedestrian zone is the Flower Bazaar where, apparently, you can buy everything except flowers. Most of this market is occupied with food stalls which exude the scents of the oriental cuisine. One side-wing is filled with shops selling artwork, textiles and jewelry. Once at the Flower Bazaar, you should eat Istavrit, tiny fried fish which is eaten like crisps. Or try a glass of Turkish aphrodisiac which looks like honey, but is made from almonds and nuts. The Flower Bazaar is interlinked with Cicek Passage which hosts many typical Turkish bars and small restaurants. Left out by most foreign travelers, Cicek Passage is a place where you can easily get in contact with locals and join a small party over a bottle of Rake and some old Turkish songs.

Just around the corner from the Flower Bazaar lies Pano Sakophanensis, a Greek bar with excellent wines and small snacks. It is very popular with the local youth as well as with expats. The place is always packed at night and you might have to queue for a while before you get a table. But it's well worth the wait, although the staff can be a bit rough at busy times.

My favourite Istanbul nightclub, the Andon, in also not far away, on 89 Siraselviler Caddesi, a side street of Taksim Square. Spread over four floors, it includes a disco, pub, wine bar and tavern. The best place for a drink and a light meal is the tavern on the top level, with a perfect view overlooking the Bosphorus.

Beyoglu also has its own small Bosphorus harbour, Kabatas. Boats depart from here to the Virgin Tower, which stands on a rock in the middle of the Bosphorus. The Virgin Tower was only opened to visitors in Autumn 2000, and a museum has since followed suit on this site. The view from the Virgin Tower is one of the most spectacular to be enjoyed in Istanbul.