Guest post: 55 hours in Istanbul

Day 1

I had butterflies in my stomach on my flight to Istanbul. No, it wasn't because of the turbulence. This trip was special because it was my first solo international trip.

I had a stopover in Istanbul on my way to Mumbai and I had decided at the last minute to prolong it by spending a little more than two days in the city.

We got greeted by the season’s first heavy snowfall as soon as my flight touched down at the Istanbul Ataturk airport. It was my first snow experience and I already knew this trip was going to be a memorable one. Breezing through immigration (yes, the airport authorities were quick) I stepped outside of the airport to finally experience tiny flakes of snow land slowly on my palm.

I had pre-booked my stay and ride, which I highly recommend. The moment you leave the airport, you will see 3-4 storied red-roofed buildings on both sides of the roads. Ten minutes into the journey and Istanbul reminded me of one thing about Mumbai I hate the most – the never-ending traffic. But unlike Mumbai, it was easy to deal with thanks to the beautiful view of the Bosphorus strait that stretches along the entire shoreline.

You can see ships docked for as far as the eye can see. And the water was so clean. The promenade is lined with trees and has seating area, jogging tracks and playing area for kids.

Where I stayed

I stayed in Asur Hotel which is located in the tourist area of Hoca Paşa. It is a budget hotel, clean, small and not a very pretty hotel but it's very close to the historical sites. The rates vary depending on the season so it's best you compare the rates with hotels around. There are many hotels in this area and all of them are pretty similar. 

For a first-timer, this area seems like a good choice since its walking distance from most historic sites. Most hotels are cramped in few lanes around these sites and the hotels themselves are tiny. But then again, hotel size and grandeur wasn't a priority for me.

Hagia Sofia

I dropped my bag at the hotel and headed out to see the sunset near Sultanahmet. Pretty much every historical site that you see in an Istanbul ad is in and around Sultanahmet. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, The Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace are the top 4 monuments which are literally two minutes from each other. Although they are close to each other, you will easily take an entire day to visit each and every site. 

The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of my hotel was the amount of attention I got from the men. It's not something I am used to so this scared me enough to want to go back to my room. Luckily, I met an American lady who had settled down in Istanbul two decades ago. She told me to ignore these advances because they were all trying to sell something – carpets, artifacts, and even sex as some of them double up as gigolos.

What I visited

* Blue Mosque

This is Istanbul’s pride and stands tall with six minarets and a huge centre dome. Since this is a living mosque, make sure you are well-covered and is closed to non-worshipers during prayer times which happen five times a day. Calls for the prayer meets though are divine. The Blue Mosque isn't as blue as you think it will be; the blue tiles are in sections that are not accessible to general public. Be warned that here are a lot of beggars around this place as are pickpockets.  

* Hagia Sophia 

The Hagia Sophia was a Greek Orthodox Church for 916 years after which it got converted into a mosque. It is bang opposite the Blue Mosque. The beauty of this place is its Byzantine architecture. Make sure you sit through the video presentation to understand more about this place. 

* Basilica Cistern

The largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city, it provided water to the Topkapi palace nearby. Be very careful when entering the cistern; the floors are wet and the place is dark. The images don't really come out very well so make sure you carry a good camera. It's a little disappointing considering you spend almost 20-30 liras on a ticket. 

* Topkapi Palace
My hotel manager told me that I would take around two hours to visit every section of the palace. Boy, was he wrong. It took me 5-plus hours. This palace is so beautiful it would be unfair to miss anything in it. This was the residence for the Ottoman Emperors for about 400 years after which it lost its importance to the new palace Dolmabahce. 

It has a room filled with antique clocks that were used in the palace – some made with real gold and precious stones. My favorite section was the room with royal jewelry. The sheer size of the diamonds encrusted in the necklaces and bracelets were incredible.

When at the palace make sure you go to the Grand Kiosk section where you can get a panoramic view of the Bosphorus. You also get a beautiful view of both side of Turkey - the Asia part as well as Europe. Perfect place for a photo-op.

Most of these historical sites have an entrance fee ranging from 20-50 liras but the money spent is worth it because everything is well-preserved. Don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes to enjoy this place. If ever you have a stopover at Istanbul like I did, make sure you stay for at least 2 days

Visa requirements

If you have a valid Schengen/US/UK visa, you can apply for an e-visa at the airport which is a fairly simple process. If you don't have any, visit the visa centre for more information. 

Read Day 2 of this trip

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About the author

Diksha Singh is an engineer in biotechnology but she is biding her time doing online marketing for a travel media house. She has the exuberance of the young, which is often catching. A self-confessed control freak and a foodie, this serial photo-clicker will endure even chilly winds to get a good selfie. You can write to her at happyhappyradio@gmail.com

Want an underwater wedding? Go to Thailand!

Head into the deep by heading into the deep!

Thailand has always been a popular wedding destination. It is now promoting underwater weddings off its emerald isles. Underwater weddings are possible year-round in Thailand and packages are now available for the ritual that is becoming more and more popular among the adventurous looking to tie the knot. 

The packages on offer specifically for the Official Underwater Wedding Ceremony held annually on Valentine’s Day in Trang are end-to-end solutions. 

For the official underwater wedding ceremony the couples are brought to Trang on a Nok Air flight which is welcomed with flowers and cultural performances sponsored by the local TAT Office. The couple is then treated to refreshments in a beautiful botanical garden in Trang where they are to make the first symbolic commitment to each other – a tree-planting ceremony as a symbol of the birth of a new bond. Couples may return a few years later to check on or collect the sapling that they planted on the day prior to their wedding. 

A traditional Thai style wedding follows this little gesture.

Next up, the hosts go all out to make the bride and groom feel like celebrities for an evening. A one kilometer-long parade comprising young flower girls and boys, cultural artists and floats takes the to-be-weds through the town where nearly all the residents gather to wish them good luck on their journey. 

Sailesh Kochraekar, who married his girlfriend Pooja Raut, says, “It really made us feel special. We felt famous for a day.” The parade then led to an arena where a local feast was served up while musicians entertained the to-be-weds. Theirs was the first underwater wedding for an Indian couple in Trang.

The this-is-it moment comes the next morning. Wet suits and themed T-shirts as well as thoughtfully-made bride and groom head-pieces that are aimed at making photo-ops more interesting are handed out. 

The underwater ceremony actually has the marriage officiated by a government-approved authority who signs the marriage certificate underwater. The traditional Thai wedding ceremony is repeated underwater where water used for blessing is replaced by colourful stones – once again so that the ritual is clearly identifiable in the wedding photos. 

The reception is actually a beach party! I think i might just get married!

The birth of Israel

Although i didn't start my posts on Israel with this, i strongly feel that one should ideally start their trip to Israel with Yad Vashem - the Holocaust History Museum - in Jerusalem.

Visiting this landmark early on in your trip will help you see Israel from the point of view of the Israelis and that is when you will be able to completely understand the significance of all that they have achieved. The time you will spend here will also reveal to you why and how the idea of Israel was born and their struggle towards independence. 

The Declaration in progress

But because you will land in Tel Aviv, a more practical thing to do would be to stay in the city, in which case i recommend beginning your journey with the Independence Hall.

Independence Hall 
It is located in the posh Rothschild Boulevard where all the action happens. This is one of the most expensive streets in the city with a wide, tree-lined strip running through the centre of the road with dedicated pedestrian and bike lanes. Very picturesque.

Rothschild Boulevard as it looks now

The Independence Hall tells the story of how Israel was born. You start with a black and white picture of a biggish group of people standing close in the middle of some desert. This location, you will soon learn, is where you are standing! And all this in just 100 years.

Meeting of the Jewish families

The story goes that 66 Jewish families from different geographies gathered at this spot on April 11, 1909 to build a Jewish neighborhood, which they did. This particular plot on which the Independence Hall rests was owned by a Zina and Meir Dizengoff, who at one point was the city's Mayor as well.

In 1910, the residents, decided to name their neighborhood Tel Aviv, which was inspired by Theodor Herzl's Altneuland (translated to Old-New Land).

So why is this particular building important? Because it is also the place where Israel's Declaration of Independence was signed in 1948 - a year after we received ours. And thus was born a separate country of Israel.

What you will see here
Once you have admired the above-mentioned black-and-white, you will be ushered into a small room where they will play a short docu explaining the above, who Herzl was, and how the signing ceremony took place.

(On an aside: You will note that almost every historically-significant place you visit in Israel, which you will, will start by showing you a short movie that will explain everything. As a country with a whole lot of history ourselves, we should take a cue from Israel.)

Anyway, here comes the interesting part. You will then walk into the main hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1948. You will have a guide who will explain not just the how but also the why - i.e. the political situation as it was then and as it stands now. 

Our guide was excellent and it looked like he poured his heart and soul into narrating the history and the geo-politics of Israel. He seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say and show equal enthusiasm when we had our questions - Why didn't India vote 'yes' for Israel to become a separate country, who are Israel's friendly neighbours, what is the current situation as it stands today, from what parts does it have to protect itself, the questions were endless.   

The old stones of Old Jaffa in Tel Aviv

Old Jaffa, or Yafo, in Tel Aviv looks as if it cannot decide whether it wants to remain in the past or live in the present. 

So while it retains its more-than-charming appearance with ancient stone buildings, stone pathways, stone churches, stone... oh, you get the drift... it has embraced modernity with elan. You will see a splatter of chic restaurants and boutique lifestyle stores all over the place but also a sprinkle of old-time shops that look equally alluring.

But shopping in Tel Aviv is expensive. The Israeli shekel converts roughly to Rs 16 but the price tags don't leave much room for splurging. Living in Israel is not a cheap proposition. Still, the neighbourood tempts you to window-shop and just casually stroll around with no agenda except to admire the place, the people and the fantastic civic infrastructure. Walking around is an absolute joy here! 

Clock Tower
Old Jaffa, that orbits around the old Clock Tower (which by the way, is a photo op by itself) also has lines of flea markets in by-lanes running parallel to each other. They magically turn into thumping bars and night clubs in the night.

But it's all good. It's completely safe. Even for women. And it took me a while to get used to the idea that a woman can walk through these lanes and bars and not get worried! When i asked my companion who is from Israel about the safety levels, he gave me a surprised smile and said, "You are funny!"

The question in itself was amusing to him because all of Israel, except maybe the borders, is safe. Tel Aviv in particular. "Women and children can walk alone anywhere at anytime here," he added, seeing that i hadn't quite understood his initial response. 
     
My visit was in February and we were taken by surprise by non-seasonal rains, which should have disappeared by this time. Plus, it had started snowing in Jerusalem which had made the weather a bit uncomfortable for someone from Bombay. There was a chill in the air and no number of layers was going to stop it. Still, we tried to get around as much as we could.

We went to HaTachana, the Hebrew name for the old Jaffa railway station, which was the first railway station in the Middle East! The monument has been thoroughly restored with part of the old train standing in solitude in the middle of the ground.

The Old Jaffa Railway Station in Tel Aviv

It's pretty though; pretty enough to double up as a backdrop for wedding shoots! When we were there, which was for approximately 30 minutes, we were witness to at least three wedding shoots happening in different parts of the ground. The brides were dressed in gorgeous white will-power wedding gowns and did not wince even once in the nippy air. 

The Tel Aviv beach is close-by and you can even walk to it to enjoy the setting sun alongside the beautiful promenade. 

In my next blog, you will read about how Israel was born and what that tells us about the Jews - as a community that must be admired and emulated. Meanwhile you can enjoy 12 incredible photos of Tel Aviv that will make you want to visit Israel right away!

Israel: First impressions

To understand Israel, you have to know its history. It's political history as well its religious history. Only by knowing its past can you truly comprehend the country's present. 

Like most Indians, Israel was not even on my list, probably because it has not been promoted as a tourist destination in India as yet, but mostly because news about Israel in mainstream media was mainly as a nation constantly in conflict.

The promenade in Tel Aviv

I didn't know what to expect before i left for Israel. To be honest though, i had no idea of Israel in my head. I was a clean slate - and that i think is how one should really start before travelling to a new destination.

Like Turkey, Israel too divides its time between Asia and Europe. So it does have a European feel to it. But not all of it. Tel Aviv - its financial capital - in particular is very modern, and from my perspective very livable. It has quaint little cafes with glass walls, dedicated cycling lanes, car drivers that stop for pedestrians, great weather that varies from cool to cold, and extremely pretty people in general. 

Israel, and Tel Aviv in particular, sees a lot of immigrant movement from surrounding countries, specially Europe. Tel Aviv - roughly translated to 'the old new land' from Hebrew - has made it to the top 5 cities that i'd love to live in. Someday. 

One of many beautiful cafes in Tel Aviv

Jerusalem is its political capital and houses all government head offices. It is also the religious capital with an extremely fascinating history. It will awe you even if, like me, you are not much into history. But i'll come to that and much more in my next blog post.

Till then, I want to share a video that will give you a sharp perspective of Israel that started from nothing to becoming a modern, economically-sound country. Talking about his book is Dan Senor who has co-written 'Start-Up Nation' with Saul Singer. It will make you think, for sure! 

Flight options
You can fly directly from Mumbai to Tel Aviv on El Al. Alternately, you can also fly via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines has just started flights connecting Mumbai to Tel Aviv via Addis Ababa.

Visa details
It is advisable to get paper visas for Israel rather than on the passport. The Israeli Ministry of Interior is considering making the visa process simpler and easier for Indians. 

For more details on Israel, visit goIsrael.