Dolmabahce Palace After the overpriced and under-delivered experience of Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace, I remembered that I don’t necessarily HAVE to visit all the special historical tourist sites in any given city. This came up again, immediately, at the Dolmabahce Palace. To be fair to the Turkish board of Tourism, I’m […]
Turkey
Istanbul’s Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque: Sultanahmet Camii Quick, think of one thing you know about Istanbul! Those of you who said Hagia Sophia, very good. You can put your hands down. Anybody else? Of the things I knew I HAD to check out in Istanbul, the Blue Mosque was tied […]
Topkapi Palace: Why You Should Skip It.
Topkapi Palace: Why You Should Skip It. There are a lot of beautiful things, and Topkapi Palace is among them. Old harem, rooms full of gold and jewels, mosques, libraries, etcetera, etcetera. Its a pretty place. It also, unfortunately, is just about the single most crowded thing to do in […]
Istanbul Galata Neighborhood Guide
Going to Galata Galata, to most tourists in Istanbul, seems to mean little more than “the place with the tower and the bridge”. And it is both of these things. It also, conveniently, happens to be a GREAT district (perhaps the favorite I’ve found in the city) for street food […]
Sultanahmet
Istanbul: Sultanahmet Sultanahmet is the tourist heart of Istanbul, home to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern and more hotels and guesthouses than I care to remember. For good reason, too. The whole neighborhood is resplendent with beautiful old architecture and street food and Istanbul highlights, and […]
Basilica Cistern: Don’t Drink the Water
Basilica Cistern: Don’t Drink the Water For a “hidden gem” of Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern is decidedly crowded. No matter how long the line or how rainy the day, though, make time to visit. I think I lingered here longer than any other single tourist site in Istanbul. So much […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.