My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Asia, and started out with three days in…read moreIstanbul. We were on our own, so we sought a guide to show us all the sights around the city. We keep congratulating ourselves on our good fortune in finding Arif Yasa.
Our experience with Arif started a few months before we arrived in Istanbul. We began an email correspondence with him, and discussed our visit dates, arrival details, and options for activities in Istanbul. He did a great job of asking us what types of activities and sites we preferred to visit, and then offered a suggested itinerary for the three days we'd be there. We asked questions about a few of his recommendations, mentioned things that friends had told us, and iterated a few times. By the time we touched down in Istanbul, we had a pretty firm itinerary, packed with activities every day (the way we like to do things).
Arif arranged an airport transfer for us from IST to our hotel (we had booked the hotel ourselves using frequent stay points, but he was kind enough to give us his thoughts on the hotel's location and suitability).
The next morning, Arif arrived promptly (as he did every day) to start touring. On day one, we had our only rainy day. Arif took this into consideration, and by the time he picked us up, had already altered the touring plan to accommodate the weather. By focusing on indoor activities, the rain was not a factor.
Arif clearly knows the city inside and out. He has built great relationships with many shopkeepers, restaurant owners, hotel personnel, and is always able to strike up a conversation with people at every site that help to move things along in a positive way. He is able to configure a daily touring plan that is both efficient in terms of dealing with traffic and walking patterns, as well as an interesting mix of different types of sights so there's not too much "sameness" in a given day. He cleverly paces the visits so a particular site is "featured" and given the appropriate amount of time, information, and level of appreciation, while ensuring you don't get "mosque fatigue" or "bazaar boredom".
Arif is a fount of information -- both historical and contemporary. At each site, he first gives a broad overview of the historical context and significance, and then a timeline for the evolution of the site. Perhaps a site was a religious site that evolved into a political site that evolved into a museum. He is able to explain the various regime changes that brought the object to the present-day situation. He is also adept at pointing out architectural or artistic styles at each site. No matter whether you are a history or civilization buff, an art or architecture aficionado, or a religious scholar, Arif is able to provide you with a factual-yet-colorful account of each point of interest.
Arif also has a great list of restaurants he prefers all over town. We ate at a few places that he frequents personally (not just with his tour clients, but with his family), and found those to be excellent in every instance. They were all different types and prices of restaurants, but uniformly good.
On two evenings, we had dinner on our own. Arif offered suggestions for dining venues, and even called to make reservations for us.
The only disappointing evening we experienced was one on which we veered from Arif's guidance. We'd heard about the whirling dervishes, and figured, "as long as we're in Istanbul ...", so we asked Arif about it. He recommended against going, but we plunged ahead anyway. We should have listened to Arif (I will be writing a review of the Dervish performance separately).
Arif did a great job of mixing up transportation types, so we'd get a real feel for how the locals live. On our rainy day, we used taxis a bit more, but other days we took public transportation or walked most places. Arif made everything run smoothly by scanning his public transportation pass for us at each turnstile, and keeping track of the fares for when we tallied up expenses later.
He made a point to discuss with us the political rallies we passed (this was just before the national elections), and walked us along popular avenues and shopping areas at times designed to give us the real pulse of the city. One highlight was when he took us to the rooftops to get a panoramic view of the city. I am an amateur photographer, and Arif was always thinking of great viewpoints and locations that would allow me to capture the perfect shot.
In case it hasn't yet sunk in, if you are thinking of spending time in Istanbul, I urge you to contact Arif Yasa. Arif is a true gem. We are experienced world travelers, but it's clear that Arif's expertise and personality would work equally well with first-time tourists, business travelers, or families. We are lucky to have found him.
Thank you, Arif, for a great time in Istanbul.
