Inside Out In Istanbul

It's that time of year again when Turks hit the road to be with family as they celebrate Kurban Bayrami. With this years' Kurban being extended to a nine day holiday, you'll need to get cracking if you're planning a bus trip to parts further afield. You'll find everything you need to know in my intercity bus guide here (and I do mean everything, from bus seats to toilet seats along the route). Happy travels!

Practical Intercity bus travel in Turkey guide - Inside Out In Istanbul I’m a member of too many Facebook Turkey travel groups to count, and see questions about intercity bus travel in Turkey pop up all the time. I wondered why so

All over the country today you’ll see Turkish flags and images of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic, put up in celebration of Atatürk Youth and Sports Day. Most people think it’s about sports and the young because of the official name, but it actually commemorates a very important moment in Turkey’s history.

You can find out about it here

Ataturk Youth and Sports Day - Inside Out In Istanbul Kadıköy has always been my home in Istanbul so it was exciting to learn that Ataturk Youth and Sports Day, commemorated every May 19, actually originated in my neighbourhood.

Today is International Museum Day which means many museums waive the entry fee so you can enter for free. Istanbul has dozens of great collections, some of which are free year round!

Check out my handy guide to help you plan which ones to visit on your next trip to Istanbul. Link in comments.

Travelling through Turkey vs living in Turkey are two very different things. Each new experience challenges you to assess what values you hold dear and won’t negotiate on and which you can. In Exploring Turkish Landscapes: Crossing Inner Boundaries journey with me as I set off on my travels throughout the country. Along the way I delve deeper into Turkish culture as a way to escape myself, only in the end to discover who I am.

İnsanın kendisinden, ayrılıkla sonlanan bir ilişkiden ya da kariyer şansı tanımayan işinden kaçmaya çalışması gezi yazıları geleneğinde uzun süredir işlenen konular arasında. Ardında bıraktığı şeyden daha iyisini bulma umuduyla evlerinden ayrılır bu insanlar. Bu seçkideki denemeleri yazmaya başlayana dek, kendimi nereye ait hissettiğimi pek de düşünmemiştim. Seyahat, hayatımın öyle büyük bir parçası ki, seyahat etmediğim, yeni bir seyahat için keşif yapmadığım ya da planlarımı hayata geçirmek için para biriktirmediğim bir zamanı hatırlamıyorum desem yeridir. Sıradanlıktan uzaklaşıp devamlı yeni ve egzotik mekânlar arayan, bilinmeyenin peşine düşen bir turist olmuşumdur hep.

Türkiye’ye ilk geldiğimde, Avrupa’ya ve diğer uzak diyarlara doğru o muazzam sefere çıkan Avustralyalılar kervanının bir üyesiydim. Okyanusyalılar epeydir yetişkinliğe adeta böyle adım atar. Yabancı ülkelerin manzaraları, sesleri, kokuları rengârenktir, serüven ve sınırlarımızı zorlama iştahımızı kabartır. Macera çok zahmetli hale geldiğindeyse, tek bir geri dönüş bileti yardımımıza koşuverir. Belli bir vakitten sonra biraz yaş almış, çokça olgunlaşmış halde eve dönmemiz beklenir. Bazılarımız bir yıllığına ayrılır, bazılarımız hiç dönmemek üzere.

The English and Turkish versions are available direct from me in Istanbul, at Mephisto, Minoa, the Turkish-German, Four Seasons Hotel and Homer bookshops also in Istanbul (if you don’t see them on the shelf, ask) as well as Envai in Bebek, on the Bosphorus. Or online in paperback and ebook via link in comments.

Bursa is a great side trip or city escape if the chaos of Istanbul gets too much for you. It’s only a few hours away, is packed with history, gorgeous architecture and enticing dining selections. Link in comments.

I’ve done all the work for you including highlighting the must sees (from a large selection of possibilities), hotel suggestions and transport option so all you have to decide is when you want to go and how many days you want to stay.

Right, get packing!

Now that I’m living between two cities the amount of stuff I need to travel with has grown (not that I’ve ever been what you could call a light packer). To help with this I looked into using private transfers and came across Melontaxi. I was really impressed with their services from the easy booking process, fixed price set beforehand, great communication on Whatsapp and the professionalism, punctuality and courtesy of my driver, Bilgehan. He drove really well, obeyed all the road rules (not a given here in Turkey) and ensured the highest level of comfort so I didn’t feel a single bump along the way, even over the speed humps.

Melontaxi operate in Istanbul, Bodrum, Dalaman and Antalya and I’ll definitely use them again and recommend them to friends travelling in groups or with family. They’re also ideal for solo travellers who want a safe and secure ride from the airport to their hotel.

Here’s the link to make your booking to start your travels in Turkey right.

https://www.melontaxi.com/en/?utm_source=insideoutistanbul&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=affiliate&utm_content=lisa

This smiling friendly chap is Fethiye's own Enerji Bakanı, an energy minister. One bite of his sweet syrupy tulumba or any of the other treats he sells from his mobile cart at the Çalis Sunday markets and you'll be charged up and ready to go for the day!

The big news in my life is that as of now, I will be splitting my time between Istanbul and our new summer place in Fethiye on the Mediterranean coast. I'm a big city person. I love the hustle and bustle of the crowds, particularly in Istanbul which is full of excitement and possibilties, galleries and museums, cafes and restaurants. That said, sometimes Istanbul is a bit too big, too much, and well ... too too!

Having a place where all I hear is birdsong (rather than ongoing contruction work for the urban renewal project that's taken over my Istanbul neighbourhood) and having the waterfront a three minute walk away, is good for my writing, my soul, and my darling husband who's enjoying getting his hands dirty in the garden and plans to get a dog.

It also means I can explore more of the Western part of Turkey because believe it or not there are still places I haven't been, partly because there is so much on offer in the country but also because they keep making new archaeological discoveries. The excitement continues ...

What kind of person are you - big city, small country coastal town or a mix of both?

I’m sad to announce that my 2026 Writing Retreat, due to take place in the first week of June, won’t be going ahead as planned. After closely monitoring events in Iran and Lebanon as well as comments in large Facebook travel groups, I understand that people aren't confident about making plans at the moment.

However the good news is my Writing Retreat has only been postponed and will now take place between the 12th and 19th of September. It’s a beautiful time of year on the Mediterranean with good weather and warm currents meaning our post writing swims will be magic.

Places are limited so don’t delay! There’s a handy payment plan and a €100 early bird discount if you book before June 30. What are you waiting for? Let’s get writing together!

You’ll find all the information you need here - https://www.insideoutinistanbul.com/writing-retreat-turkey/

I don’t often have time to just wander aimlessly around Istanbul these days what with writing assignments, research, hospital appointments (nothing life threatening just a lot for me and Kim), shopping and seeing friends. That made passing Rumeli Hisari by chance and having the time to look around (more than 20 years after the first time I visited) even more wonderful.

Restoration work on Rumeli (Diyar-ı Rum) Hisari, an historic site dating from 1452, with a name that translates as the Fortress on the Land of the Romans, is ongoing. Visitors aren’t allowed to walk along the walls, but the views are pretty wonderful, don’t you think?

As is often the case, the Turkish government have announced that this year Kurban Bayram will be extended to nine days from the four religious days that are usually observed. The holiday will run from 23 to 30 May so make your plans now before all the planes, trains and automobiles get booked up.

Find out more about this and other Turkish national public holidays here;

Turkish National Public Holidays 2026 - Inside Out In Istanbul On any of the many Turkish national public holidays, thousands if not millions of people are on the move. Istanbul residents take advantage of free public