PLAN A TRIP TO ISTANBUL WITH YOUR BESTESTBESTESTBESTEST FRIEND. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

My best friend and I fell in love with Istanbul. Armed with an Istanbul card, we hopped on and off the tram, the ferry and the Metro to get to the city's most famous places. We had loads of fun eating, walking around, going to the historical and cultural sites, getting lost and in the process discovering cool pubs and coffee shops, getting battered and scrubbed in a Turkish hammam, and meeting strangers who helped us navigate around the the city. I always found myself in a postcard moment I could never ever capture right, given my poor picture taking skills. But I tried my best, and here are my snaps of one of my favoritest cities in the whole, wide world.

The Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet Square is a must see. 

The Blue Mosque ceiling

Inside the Blue Mosque

It's popular with tourists any time of day.

We had to take the ferry at Eminonu to cross the Bosphorus, effectively going from Europe to Asia! 

Our hotel has the most amazing view of the Bosphorus and Galata Bridge. 

Easily our favorite street food in Istanbul. Medya dolma: stuffed mussels!

A great cafeteria-style doner place in Taksim Square. Cheap & cheerful.

Our hotel: Sumahan on the Water. It's on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.

We particularly loved Istanbul's tram. Cheap, clean, efficient and comfy.

Hagia Sophia - A church-turned-mosque-turned-museum.

Intricately painted ceilings. During the Ottoman period,  Christian mosaics were hidden under a layer of Muslim artworks. Some of them were recovered by carefully scraping off the top layer.

Magnets.

Ancient tiled walls at Topkapi Palace.

Good morning from Istanbul!

We binged of free samples of Turkish delights, and bought some more to take home. 

Bought a few souvenirs at Hagia Sophia.

Hazelnut chocolates. Yes, please!

Efes. Our beer of choice in Istanbul.

Istiklal Street's musicians bring life to Taksim Square.  

Some super strong Turkish coffee to cap the evening.

Galata Bridge at night. We got lost a few times but finally figured out how to go back to our hotel .

Basilica Cistern. A magical underground attraction.

This is right underneath Istanbul's busy touristy area.

On the way to the Spice Bazaar. A loooong walk, but worth it.

Spices.

Teas and spices.

The oldest Turkish delights shop in the country. We bought a few boxes to take home.

Of course, we had to experience the hammam or Turkish bath. It would be inappropriate to post pictures of anything beyond this door .

Inside an antique shop located beside the hammami.

Taksim Square. 

Sumahan on the Water. Once a distillery, it's now a luxury boutique located in Cengelkoy. It's conveniently close to cafes and pubs, plus they have their own private boat exclusively for guests.