the real bohemian

Mercado

Bratislava would be one of the last places I would expect a vegetarian friendly designer restaurant (complete with a living wall) but hey surprises are good… :)

http://medusagroup.sk/?t=2#mercado

via medusa group*

Ion Luxury Adventure Hotel

looking for the Northern Lights? Book into this handsome yet rugged designer lodge in the Icelandic wilderness.

http://www.ioniceland.is/

via ion*

Istanbul

is one sexy city. it’s also one of my favourite urban destinations and it’s a place I get asked a lot about. It also happens to be a new destination for Air Canada and the international travel press is just so gaga over this fast changing, modern meets traditional euro-asian metropolis right now. I’m thinking you might even be tempted to see what the fuss is about for yourself. There have been so many hotel and restaurant openings lately it’s almost impossible to keep track, but I try - so without further ado - below is my list of the latest places you want to bookmark for when you do visit. Any you will…

MY ISTANBUL LIST

Turkish Airlines would be my first choice - they fly 5 times per week from Toronto to Istanbul nonstop, are a member of Star Alliance (miles!) and their inflight service is quite good. Air Canada is starting up nonstop flights from Toronto this summer as well. Other than that KLM and Lufthansa offer up daily flights from Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver via their European hubs.

http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-ca/

http://www.aircanada.com/

http://www.klm.com/

http://www.lufthansa.com/ca/en/Homepage

SLEEP

A’jia: http://www.ajiahotel.com/

Bentley: http://www.bentley-hotel.com/

Bunk Design Hostel: http://www.bunkhostels.com/

4 Floors Istanbul: http://www.4floorsistanbul.com/index.html

Edition: http://www.editionhotels.com/hotels/istanbul/

Georges Hotel: http://www.georges.com/en

Karakoy Rooms: http://karakoyrooms.com/home.htm

Mama Shelter: http://www.mamashelter.com/en/istanbul/

Sumahan on the Water: http://www.sumahan.com/

EAT/DRINK

Bread and Butter: http://www.breadandbutter.com.tr/index.html

Changa: http://www.changa-istanbul.com/v2/index.htm

Datli Maya: http://datlimaya.com/

Delicatessen: http://www.delicatessenistanbul.com/

Frenk: http://www.bychefg.com/

House Cafe: http://www.thehousecafe.com/web/5,50,1,1/house_cafe_tr/subeler/subeler/caddebostan

Karabatak Karakoy: http://www.karabatak.com/

Karga Bar: http://www.kargabar.org/

KronotRop: http://kronotrop.com/

Lokal: https://www.facebook.com/tunel.lokal/info

Mavra (no website) add: serdari ekrem caddesi 31/A tel: 90 212 252 7488

Nano Cafe: http://www.nanokarakoy.com/

Propaganda: https://www.facebook.com/propagandaist

Simdi Cafe (no website) add: asmalımescit sokak 5 tel: 902122525443

360: http://www.360istanbul.com/

Tapasuma: http://www.tapasuma.com/en/

Unter: http://unter.com.tr/home/

SHOP/STUFF

ArtWalk Istanbul: http://www.artwalkistanbul.com/

Autobahn: http://autoban212.com/en/about/info/#/contact

Basilica Cistern: http://www.yerebatan.com/

Borusan Contemporary: http://www.borusancontemporary.com/

Salt: http://www.saltonline.org/en/anasayfa

Spice Bazaar (no website) add: rüstem paşa mah. ragıp gümüşpala cad. If you are to do just 1 bazaar, do this one. The sights and most important, the smells are amazing. Plus lots of Turkish delight (I’m a fan).

Tru Project: http://www.truproject.net/Default.aspx

Turkish Bath: this is one experience you should make sure to not miss. The “traditional” hamman experience can be a little rough for the newbie. If you are game I suggest the Çemberlitas Hamami: http://www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr/ (the staff may or may not speak English). My other choice would be the Spa at the Four Seasons Bosphorus Hotel - it’s an awesome treat as well: http://www.fourseasons.com/bosphorus/spa/hammam_moments/ a 3rd option is the Kilic Ali Pasa which only just reopened after a 7 year renovation turning a 1580s hammam into something very 2013: http://kilicalipasahamami.com/

A FEW TIPS

Karakoy is the hot neighborhood right now.

Getting Around: Istanbul is somewhat walkable, just be warned that distances are deceiving. Add to that the hills and it can be quite the workout. The local transport system includes ferries, boats, buses, trams, funicular, cable cars, metro and one of the oldest underground railroads in the world (called the Tunel). A smartcard system called “istanbulkart” is used for fare payment and collection. In terms of resources, in Istanbul each transport type is run by different companies and each have their own websites.

ferries: http://sehirhatlari.com.tr/en/

boats: http://www.ido.com.tr/en

rail services (metro, tram, etc…): http://www.istanbul-ulasim.com.tr/about-us/introduction.aspx

buses and the Tunel: http://www.iett.gov.tr/en

TAXIS can be hailed on the street and there are a lot of them, just be advised that most drivers don’t speak English so have the address and name of your destination written down. Fares are inexpensive compared to Europe and North America however I found, in my experience, that a lot of drivers also don’t have a good sense of direction so a map is useful as well.

NIGHTLIFE is a big deal and Istanbulus love to party. The live music and club scene might not get as much press as other European cities, but I can tell you it’s pretty intense and the agenda in the summer can be crazy. Rooftop bars, restaurants and lounges are very popular - its where the evenings start and it moves to “underground” spots much later on…

read: http://www.theguideistanbul.com/ for great insider tips and the latest lists of food and nightlife openings, much like other cities, locals like new and flashy things.

another good resource for stuff to do is unlike Istanbul: http://unlike.net/istanbul

smoking is still a very big thing here and people smoke everywhere - you are warned.

When shopping the markets, bargaining is expected and practiced.

unlike many European cities, Istanbul is overrun by stray dogs and cats. It’s a problem locals grapple with how to solve but in the meantime, most are actually pretty well fed of by local shop owners, just beware that larger packs of dogs can show alpha tendencies.

via janna dream, bunk#, calcifer, hidden world, bianca f + city istabul*