Nov 13, 2021

It all started with 'Let's get lost in Istanbul'

Updated: Jan 15, 2023

Adalar, Princes' Islands - One night It all started with 'Let's get lost in Istanbul'. It was Friday noon on the 22nd of October. This weekend reminded us why we travel.

Found the first ferry, and two hours later, we were in Adalar, one of the nine Princes' Islands of Istanbul. We thought it was about a half-hour cruise...

Our ferry ride with Beşıktaş Iskelesi Ferry

Very comfortable and spacious ferry to Adalar, one of the Princes' Islands, in just under 2 hours you arrive. You first board in Besiktas and do a few stops along the Bosphorus, which you can enjoy the beautiful views of Istanbul before heading to the island.

You also have a catering service, where you are offered juice, coffee, tea and a snack, beware these are chargeable, quite expensive at 50 TRY for a juice and a basic toasted panini.

The ferry ticket was only 15 TRY (AUD 1.60), so it was a very cheap way to arrive at the island. You can spend a day easily strolling around and enjoying the dining on Adalar. Although our story was a little different...

The island was a nice calm escape from the intensity of Istanbul, only electric transport, think Hamilton Island, QLD, Australia.

Time for lunch. After a quick google, we were in a secret garden restaurant called 'Secret Garden Restaurant Büyükada', enjoying excellent Turkish food.

After lunch, we found Palya Cafe, a cosy bar to enjoy a Shisha and soak up the view before our ferry home.

We started chatting away with our delightful waiter, Hedayat. He recently came across from Afghanistan and listened intently to his stories and talked about the power of positivity.

After meeting a few couples/families from Iran (along with our new furry friend) and taking some happy snaps, chatting via Google translate, we decided to book a hotel, Ascot Hotel Buyukada, which we did instantly via hotels.com.

Checked in and time to try Liman Restaurant, where we passed earlier, live music and being a Turkish grill we were not disappointed.

The next day we were up and about (in the same clothes) to explore the beautiful architecture and views of the island. Found a lovely boutique to purchase new clothes as starting to get chilly, so time to stock up on winter clothes.

Another delicious lunch back at Liman Restaurant, the same restaurant from the night before, to the ferry home (connecting with more lovely Iranians) during the sunset over the Bosphorus