Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar is a foodie’s dream come true. The covered market is lined with vendors selling spices, teas, dried fruits, and Turkish desserts. Mounds of jewel colored spices and teas line the walls of the market, and dried clusters of herbs and loofahs are strung up from the ceilings. The different aromas create an…
Tag: #istanbul
Baklava For Days at Mado Pastry
Let me start out by saying that I don’t really like baklava. Growing up in a Middle Eastern family, there was no shortage of baklava, kunefah, basboosah, etc, but as more of a savory than sweet kind of girl, none really held much appeal for me. My tooth has gotten slightly sweeter with age, however, even…
Worth the Ticket Price: Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
As a die hard budget traveller I am super skeptical of tours, tourist trap sites, and basically anywhere that charges an entry fee that I haven’t heavily vetted/weighed the value of the ticket price. I’ve mentioned before, if you’re travelling all the way to Istanbul, it’s worth it to set aside maybe $30-40 of your…
Happy 2016: A Mid-Way Update on 25 for 25
Happy New Year all! I hope you’ve had a good couple weeks of eating well and merrymaking. I certainly did. January 1st always rolls around and the cookies and eggnog are swapped for cold-pressed green juices and promises to lose 10 pounds by spring. While I could certainly stand to lose a few pounds after…
Istanbul’s Underworld: The Basilica Cistern
No, I don’t mean that during my four days in Istanbul I delved into the Turkish mafia (which I know nothing about, but I’m sure there is one). By underworld I mean literally under the city. Whilst you’re in the Golden Horn visiting the Hagia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmet, take some time to check out…
Is it a Mosque? A Church? A Museum? Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia
I wouldn’t necessarily describe my travel style as super sight-seeing oriented. I like to see stuff, but I usually don’t arrive armed with my fanny pack and maps, with a minute by minute itinerary and a list of 15 sites I want to cram into the day before lunch. As a budget traveller, I’m also…
Discovering Istanbul: Beyoğlu, Istiklal, and My Love of a Hotel with Free Breakfast
As you readers know, this was my first time to Istanbul, but my parents have been many times. As such, they did a lot of driving the itinerary, so I didn’t have to put a ton of research or effort into figuring out the main places to go and things to see. It made for a super…
Trip Recap: Istanbul and Cairo
I’ve got so much to say about my trip to Istanbul and Cairo, that I thought it would be best to start with a broad recap and then delve into some of the more detailed stuff I’ve been busting at the seams to share with you all. Literally dozens of blog post ideas on the…
Hey Wanderers, I’m Back!
Hello wanderers, I’m sorry things have been so quiet on the blog. I’ve been busy the past couple weeks exploring Istanbul and rediscovering Cairo. I had an amazing week or so soaking up every moment and enjoying time with family. Between that and very very sporadic internet access in both countries I’ve had limited opportunity…
Something You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Stop Over in Istanbul
This post brought to you by my extremely high excitement levels over my recently booked trip to Istanbul. No, sadly Turkish Airlines is not showering me with extra special free perks, although I did get a free piece of baklava from them at a fair once, and the available-to-everyone perk I’m about to tell you about…
Travel Plan Update: What’s My Next Big Adventure?
Such exciting news!! After my setback with my planned trip to Cairo this month, I have officially booked my tickets to go to Cairo for my other cousin’s wedding, with a three day stop-over in Istanbul. I’m absolutely elated to be going back to Cairo to visit my family for the special occasion, and to…
The 9 to 5 Wanderer 