What are /r/istanbul's favorite Products & Services?

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People often come into this subreddit with these types of questions, and the first thing I do is direct them here: http://wikitravel.org/en/Istanbul

In truth, there is a massive variety of things to do, see and experience here in Istanbul, and recommendations from some strangers may not suit your particular tastes, or the type of experience you want to have.

Your best best is to do some reading on wikitravel, see what looks good for you, do up a sample itinerary, and then come back with some more specific questions that you need clarification on.

Trafi is an incredible app for all types of public transportation in Istanbul. Just type in where you wanna go and when, and it gives you several alternatives, indicating which one is cheaper, which one is faster, which one involves fewer transfers etc.

BiTaksi is good if you don't wanna deal with scammy taxis or carrying cash.

if you are in the country & can afford it: get a language course (Tömer, Dilmer, Royal Turkish)

other than that: https://www.duolingo.com/

Also: check google for: fono ingilizce hikayeler kitapları

Those are books meant for Turks studying English, 4 levels, 3 books per level - they have the Turkish text on the right page, and the English translation on the left page. This really helps in reading more fluently, because you do not have to look up everything in a dictionary, but have the translation in context right there.

You can find the books in various book shops e.g. in Istanbul, unfortunately I couldn't find them all in one place, had to look around...

Try Jash in Cihangir - if you can get a table either downstairs or outside it could be quite nice. Small, cozy, reasonably priced and has live accordion music if you're into that kind of thing http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293974-d1951838-Reviews-Jash-Istanbul.html

No problem at all. Half of Istanbul is on the Anatolian side, and the other half is on Europe. Most of the action happens in European side, so it's a better choice for a short time.

Hmm, Vegetarian dishes :) Not my specialty, as I eat mostly meat. But you could try Ispanak (Spinach dish), Fasulye (Green beans dish), Lots of Lentil options (soup, dish, lentil meatballs - which are amazing), Cig Kofte is something could try. It's meatballs but with no meat, quite tasty. I could suggest this restaurant for some other cool veggie dishes: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293974-d1028245-Reviews-Lokanta_helvetia-Istanbul.html

Cheers

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293974-d3710036-Reviews-Varka_Antakya_Lezzetleri-Istanbul.html

Try the lentil soup. You really can't go wrong with anything on their menu.

Runner-up

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293974-d779621-Reviews-FIccIn-Istanbul.html

My favourite hostel in Istanbul. Friendly staff, amazing location (right on Istiklal by Taksim), and honestly a clean cheap bed.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293974-d2650989-Reviews-Eastwest_Hostel-Istanbul.html http://www.eastwesthostel.com/

That's helpful, thanks, and kind of what I imagined about clothing.

Bummer on the first front and I could see how we could look that way hahaha

Is it too much to ask if there's like a local meetup.com equiv or a public events listing? I haven't found much.

That looks good. You might wanna switch the balloon ride for the second morning. You'll probably be really tired after a couple flights and a bus ride. As for a meal, I would definitely recommend that you go to an elaborate Turkish breakfast, including gozleme. Also, you can go to a meze place for dinner. They're like tapas and it's easy to find vegetarian options. If you're not vegetarian, they also serve other meals with it, like lamb or fish. My boyfriend and I stayed here and really enjoyed it. Comes with a nice breakfast and the guy there was really helpful. Hope you have a nice trip!

To get the HES Code using SMS:  

1. Write <HES>blank<Your Turkish ID number>blank<Year of Birth>blank <the number of the days you need the HES code for>
2. Send an SMS to 2023

Example : “HES 99762839287 1975 30

You can also get the HES code by downloading the official application for Android from here and IOS from here 

so you can get l-theanine from amazon, thats harmless. but modafinil is prescription.

Modafinil can be abused and its a perscription drug so best to ask a pharmacy for that.

Just some insight into /r/nootropics; If you want L-Theanine naturally all you need to do is drink tea. You're in the most tea consuming part of the world. Try all the different tea leaves and have some fun with it before artifically trying to fix the "problem".

Most notably there is an excessive coffee/caffeine culture in Turkey. caffeine can cause depression when taken in high amounts (yarali/ezik/emrah edebiyati ffs). Not to mention caffeine is an addictive stimulant which makes you seek it out more too. Potassium usually helps alleviate that. Try eating bananas or coconuts (or coconut water/juice). From personal experience I saw some effects in a week.

Im just a dude on the internet telling you these things but here is one of many papers describing the effects (on korean young adults but should apply on Turks too) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4826990/ but there are tons of other research being done as well.

Trafi helps you navigate with public transport.

Here Maps offers voice navigation in Turkey, if you will drive. It also allows you to download maps, and use the app offline, without using data.

Ferry and bosphorus tour tickets are available at the quays. They almost never run out of tickets (especially if it's not a Sunday).

Oh now u have oldubill There is also ozan superapp

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.colendi.oldubil

I have managed to get so far oldubil working by using VPN to either Germany or turkey (for the IP) and German number of a friend

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ozan.android

For ozan as I know u need Turkish number. Ozan has also 3ds

Pretty obvious as a visitor that you're dealing with a government that is collecting a lot of financial data, communications data, and has a history of weaponizing the legal system against critics/opposition. I think normal people generally don't notice/care about these trends until they're personally affected.

Congratulations, you've now been personally affected.

I recommend Mullvad VPN as a way to hide your ip address when you use the internet. Also, don't be logged in to google when you search for sensitive things. Consider using a private messaging service for sensitive communication such as Signal.

You are right, because there is demand for that. Instead of getting a 3060, you can get a RX 6700 XT which outperforms 3060 Ti in most cases, and it sell for cheaper than a 3060 in Turkey. (Prices of AMD cards are much higher in European region).

RX 6700 XT
RTX 3060 12G

https://www.amazon.com.tr/Toyvian-G%C3%B6kku%C5%9Fa%C4%9F%C4%B1-Bayra%C4%9F%C4%B1-Pirin%C3%A7-Halkal%C4%B1/dp/B07NRRQWGB/ref=asc_df_B07NRRQWGB/?tag=trshpngglede-21&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=510730742048&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=1413015...

When I arrived, it did not work for several days no matter what phone, tablet, internet provider I used. Even using ExpressVPN set to not just turkey, but other random countries.

All showed the blocked status that I posted a screenshot of.

I believe on March 31st it suddenly started working on everything, no device or connectivity combination that was blocked before was now blocked.

In the past, even as far back as early last year, people commented on this in different places including TripAdvisor, that the website would sometimes work and sometimes not.

So right now it's working, but whether it goes down or not I guess is no longer relevant, now that the country is doing away with the need for Hes codes

Apart from those mentioned, there's also these:

Link (but their app sucks) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.superpedestrian.link

Hop! (been very reliable for me, but not widely available in Istanbul) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hoplagit.rider

hey jim, you can open a so called 'borderless account' with wise (formally TransferWise) and they'll provide you with a debit card which you'll be able to charge in quite a few currencies, turkish lira one of them

if you happen to reside in any of the countries listed here, you can open free account at wise (formally TransferWise) and you'll get a debit card that can also be used also in Turkish Lira. Worth checking if the online store will accept this debit card as it debited in TL rather than foreign currency

Check out these places: http://atdaa.com/tags/food

Also, my favorite meatball (kofte) place is Kofteci Huseyin http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293974-d3353230-Reviews-Kofteci_Huseyin-Istanbul.html

In addition to kariyer.net, you can also make job postings on LinkedIn. If you're wanting to headhunt more through networking, you can check out meetup.com to find a bunch of tech and startup-related meetup groups (in Turkish and English).

I myself am a UX designer based in Istanbul, so if you're interested in specifically UX-related networking, feel free to PM me for some more ideas.

P.S. I'm also open to applying. =D

It is still not easy to find the correct source on the internet, especially for non-Turkish speakers, when the app is newly released to everyone. At least you could share a link like for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.belbim.istanbulkart

There's also an app (for Androidand iOS) where you can use your phone and pay via QR without the hassle of getting the physical card :)

Istanbul is a huge city and it is highly populated. 15-18 million people. I don't know your whereabouts in the US, however, just like any big city (New York, London, Los Angeles, etc.) you, as a tourist, should follow some unwritten rules. It is a safe city as long as you don't hangout drunk/drugged at night around a neighborhood where you have been taken by a total stranger. Turks are mostly very hospitable people and they actually are more helpful to tourists than they are to their own people. Head covering is definitely non-sense. Whoever mentioned that, must be watching a lot of FOX news. If you are too worried, do not wear flashy dresses or draw attention somehow. You'll be fine. Save the US embassy's phone number just in case. And of course, it would be more fun and safer if you had a friend. Big cities have common problems. Read the following link. Good luck and Enjoy! If you are not on a budget, definitely get a bath at Hagia Sophia Hurrem Sultan Hamam (Turkish bath) http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g293974-s206/Istanbul:Turkey:Health.And.Safety.html

I really like the Yeni Marmara Cafe: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293974-d1796202-Reviews-Yeni_Mamara-Istanbul.html

Food is quality and pretty cheap, and the atmosphere is very laid back. This is actually the only place I enjoy in Sultanahmet, though, so I'm interested to see what else this thread comes up with!

I agree with deadclown in that taksim is full of people out to make money from tourists. They won't scam, but they'll smoothly charge you inflated prices.

70charger has a good room there. Because it is at tophane, it's a direct line to historical sights in sultanahmet.

Conversely, at taksim you need to take the funicular to kabataş and change to a different line

If you insist on taksim, we stayed at this Airbnb which is just a room but it is nestled among big hotels, and very near the airport shuttle. The place is old and not stylish but it is cheap and clean, and the guy is happy to leave you to your own devices. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/819699?s=8

I liked Beşiktaş...its more modern...

I had a great time in istanbul but I'm back home now (which is in Gothenburg, Sweden btw ;). Me and my friends pretty much hung out around the galata area and istiklal avenue, which was great. The back alleys were a lot more fun than the main street.

We stayed for 7 days at a hostel called levanten which was located 100m from istiklal street close to tünel. Part from the fact that it was quite an uphill walk to istiklal and that they never managed to get us a fan for our room (it's really hard to sleep when it's 30'C in the room and no breeze >_>) I'd say it's a pretty good place. They were very friendly and it's open 24/7.

The wikitravel article was of great help. The "Eat", "Drink" and "Stay safe" sections come highly recommended.

I also bought an offline map of the city for my android phone, cost me about $3. It uses the open street map data so you could use the free mapdroyd as well but I found the interface better in the pay-for app. There are probably similar apps for iphone et al.

So load your smartphone up with a map and the wikitravel articles (the main one plus the ones for each of the districts).

If you're staying for more than a week you could check out what kind of deals you could get for a pre-paid data plan while you're there. It'd be awesome to be able to use google maps etc.

Yep I did this journey recently and this is true. Trains in Bulgaria suck and are often slower than the buses (I just Googled it quickly and it seems the bus is quicker). Sofia to Istanbul by bus is cheap and simple, the only downside is you never know how long the border crossing will take and normally you have to wait a while (but I imagine this would be the case with the train too, I don't know). Anyway this is normally a good website for how long things take, and Metro is a reliable and usually cheap Turkish bus company that goes from Bulgaria

Did you try Vrbo.com or Hotels.com (they also do apartment-stays plus you can collect free nights for every 10 night you stay, good deal). Lastly, many of these properties offer a discount if you book more than 30 days, FYI)?

Here you can find the timetables for the metro and trams. I also suggest using Citymapper app, it's a lifesaver when travelling abroad. You can also change trains at Aksaray, or go to Yenikapı and take the Marmaray train to Sirkeci. The latter might take a bit longer but it's the most hassle-free option if you ask me, in terms of ease of interchange. You can take the Sultanahmet exit from Sirkeci station and it's only a ~10 min walk to Sultanahmet Square from there.

You should be perfectly fine travelling alone, just be aware of the usual scams in the touristy areas.

Blue Mosque could be closing even earlier, I'm not sure. And yes, Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays, unfortunately. You can grab a bite at Galata Bridge if you like fish, or take the tram to Karaköy which is on the other side of the Golden Horn and offers a much better variety of restaurants and cafes and is just a nicer neighborhood overall.

Enjoy your visit!

&#x200B;

c/p of an answer i gave the other day.

> try meetup; james joyce pub at taksim is a good bet for finding english speaking people and you can hit me up if you wanna grab a drink also.

there are quite a few english speaking meetups happening regularly on meetup, for example 3-4 happening tomorrow.

Thank you so much! I'm conducting the interviews through Skype text chat if that works for you. My skype name is redditfinalpaper if you could message me at any point today (as early as possible would be wonderful) I can ask you a few questions! If there is an instant messaging software that works better for you please feel free to PM me your username and I can speak with you there instead.

EDIT: Also added some basic interview questions here if you are unable to use Skype.

They sell data packs lasting for 14-30 days only.

There is an official turkcell app, but it is in Turkish by default :) you can change language in settings https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttech.android.onlineislem

electronics are expensive in turkey.

Paying shipping + tax by ordering something from amazon can still come out to be cheaper than buying it here

334TL:

http://www.hepsiburada.com/logitech-g502-spectrum-gaming-mouse-910-004618-p-BD210107794?magaza=EnGlobal&amp;wt_gl=cpc.elk.bilgisayar-diger.pla&amp;gclid=CjwKEAiA3NTFBRDKheuO6IG43VQSJAA74F77HxXGI83vkBomICcYKo2JGJ0eVy4WfGOXJc88L8_JJRoCAUnw_wcB

277TL ($58 +$18 shipping + tax x3.7 USD/TL)

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Proteus-Spectrum-Tunable-Gaming/dp/B019OB663A

I was yesterday in Bursa and visited just the city, but the Uludağ mountain is very close, about one hour from Bursa.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/articles/the-10-best-hiking-trails-in-turkey/

You can reach Bursa via seabus from Yenikapi for 60 TRY per round-trip. Here is the link to the app to get tickets for the seabus.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.btpro.client.ido

If you take the earliest seabus it is doable as a day trip.

For closer hiking possibilities go to the Belgrad Forrest north of Istanbul with the Haciosman Metro and take the Bus to Bahçeköy.

Have a great time

A

Sure, I understand you now. I highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071749012 Like I said in my first post, Turkey is not really one of those countries where everyone speaks English. Most people don't speak English. However, in touristy areas, people love to speak English and some are actually pretty good.