Istanbul by Chance: My Personal Four-Day Experience

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Turkey is an interesting country for many tourists around the world for many reasons, but here I want to share my own story of how we spent four days in Istanbul and its surroundings.

Contrary to most people, I never really aimed to visit Turkey. This time, I found myself here almost by accident — more like a transit point. Logistically, it was simply the most convenient and economical way to travel from Georgia to the Balkans.

So Batumi in Georgia became my starting point in early May, and the final destination was supposed to be the capital of Serbia. Since these two countries are far from being neighbors and I couldn’t find direct flights online, the most reasonable option was to travel by bus from the Caucasus mountains to Istanbul and then fly to Belgrade.

Since I was inevitably going to pass through Istanbul anyway, I decided to stay for a few days. The availability of flights worked in my favor.

So I crossed the Georgian–Turkish border with my travel backpack, which held everything I needed: a laptop, two sets of clothes, shoes, and, of course, documents.

Right after the border, there were regular buses and minibuses heading to Trabzon, a city on the Black Sea coast. From there, I took a very comfortable long-distance bus to Istanbul. The whole trip from the Georgian border to the former capital of Turkey cost me about €26–28.

That price included roughly 1,247 km, around 18 hours on the road, and even one meal served on the shuttle bus. I had time and curiosity, so the journey itself didn’t bother me at all.

Finally, I am in Istanbul.

I had exchanged money back in Georgia, so once I arrived at the bus station, I could calmly make my way to the hotel. I had offline maps downloaded on my phone, which helped me navigate the city confidently. Once I reached the hotel, I had Wi-Fi access, so I didn’t bother buying a local SIM card — overall, it was comfortable enough.

What surprised me was the relatively small number of available options compared to what I had seen in Georgia. Prices for a double room started at around €27, often with a shared bathroom, but the hotels were located right in the city center.

Istanbul is about crowds, street food, and sea views.

Seagulls are everywhere — flying and screaming — mixed with smells of food, the sea, and sometimes garbage, to be honest. The city felt like a huge bazaar: chaotic, loud, and demanding attention and awareness at all times.

I never thought it could feel so tangible, but in terms of atmosphere, Istanbul — and perhaps Turkey as a whole — really feels like a bridge not only geographically, but culturally, between East and West. From what I noticed, the more central and significant part of the city is located on the European side.

The city has trams, metro lines, and a ferry network that is both affordable and practical. Ferries are not only a way to commute across the city by water but also a form of travel for tourists.

For example, a one- or two-hour ferry ride to the Princes’ Islands (Adalar) cost us about the same as a tram ticket. The island welcomed us with calmness, beautiful nature, and architecture — a complete contrast to the chaotic city center.

This place is absolutely worth visiting, even though it requires dedicating a full day.

Istanbul has an incredibly long coastline due to its bays and the Bosphorus Strait. Fishermen can be seen almost everywhere. It feels more like a cultural tradition and a form of leisure for local men than a way to provide food.

In some spots, the density of fishermen standing side by side was about 1.5 to 3 meters apart — as if a fishing festival was taking place.

If Georgia is known for its many stray dogs — mostly friendly and harmless — then Istanbul, at least, is about cats. There are many of them, and it seems like locals genuinely care about them.

The main place that felt central to me was the street with the famous historic tram, the tower, and a long promenade. There are also currency exchange offices for those who prefer cash — which makes sense, since Turkey is strongly associated with shopping and bazaars.

Tea culture stood out to me. If in Georgia loose-leaf tea is a normal part of meals, and in the Balkans I don’t drink tea at all, then in Turkey it feels almost sacred. Tea is drunk constantly, with or without food, served in small transparent tulip-shaped glasses. What amused me was how small the glasses are compared to the massive slices of lemon served with them.

One evening, we visited a modern waterfront where luxury cruise ships arrive from wealthy European countries. At that moment, a ship with a Norwegian flag was docked there. Walking near these massive vessels under evening lights, with the sea nearby, I briefly forgot that I was standing at the border of Europe and Asia.

Later, I realized that Istanbul doesn’t represent all of Turkey. Each region has its own culture, pace, and attitude toward tourists. I’m glad Turkey wasn’t on my original travel list — yet ending up here expanded my understanding of how diverse the world can be.

Now I feel curious about the southern coast, places like Antalya, and even hiking the Lycian Way one day.