Returning from a 5 day adventure in Istanbul, I’m feeling so grateful for the experiences afforded to me. Istanbul has gone right to the top 20% of cities I’ve ever been to it has so much to offer and is without a doubt a more exciting place to be than London. Arriving I was somewhat hesitant, but I’ve learned to not judge countries and cities by what people say. There’s so much negative commentary about Istanbul but I loved it and if you’re a seasoned traveller you will too. I’ve noticed that when you go almost anywhere everywhere outside of Western Europe, people can’t wait to warn you about the various dangers you might encounter! Every day hundreds of watches and phones are stolen in London, but people (often who’ve never visited the city they’re talking about) seem to take a sort of self indulgent joy from warning you that X or Y city is a dangerous place. Before being warned, I was intending on walking through the back-streets of Istanbul at 2am in a thong bikini with 5 diamond encrusted Rolexes strapped to each wrist of course 🤣

Istanbul city has so much to offer, it is without a doubt a place of beauty, energy, culture, grit, luxury, and soul. I explored everything from markets to members clubs, mosques (surprisingly I didn’t spontaneously combust after walking in), to live music, kebabs to 2 Michelin star tasting menus… a true adventure, and one of my most exciting invitations this year. In fact I enjoyed my trip so much I decided to stay on for a further 2 days (and would have stayed for longer if duty didn’t call in London). Here are some of my observations of Istanbul:

1. I loved the mix of east vs west. These days so many European cities have become nothing more than a high street where every other shop is a STARBUCKS, McDONALDS, or ZARA. By the way I have nothing against any of the aforementioned list…. But it’s what makes a city different that gives it its heart. I loved how many cool cocktail bars there were, as well as the beautiful little independent shops selling jewellery and homeware. I got as much as I could carry.

2. The Turkish currency (Lira) is very weak and its great as a tourist but makes you feel a bit sad because its a dire position for the local businesses to be in. I often found myself haggling (I’m very bad it it, I usually end a 10 minute haggle having only secured 2% off the advertised price and then feel bad so instruct the vendor to “keep the change”, meaning my initial haggle has somehow turned into a tip). Anyway, you often forget the nature of the currency and find yourself haggling over 200 Turkish lira before realising that’s £3.50. It’s a great place to shop, I picked local brands and crafted things (I know Turkey is famed for fake handbags, and I saw many that were perfect replicas, but I don’t believe in wearing counterfeit things or supporting those sellers over those who are making an honest living).

3. Turkey is resistant to imports. Attending as a +1 I learned a lot about how Turkey operates from a commerce perspective, and was surprised to find out that although they manufacture a lot, the government is resistant to imports, which can make things difficult depending on the business you’re operating. I have very strong views on why inhibiting trade is a very bad idea (are you reading this Mr Trump?? 🤣*)

*If you are reading this I can offer some consultancy… for a fee of course…