Tonic Trek: Istanbul, Part I

Welcome to historic Constantinople. That's right, the grand city of Istanbul was formerly Constantinople during the Roman, Byzantine and part of the Ottoman Empire eras. I spent a week in the mighty Istanbul, one of the most populous city in Europe, and enjoyed a true melding of east and west.

As with any trip, the big question is where to stay. The answer depends on what you want to do. Is your primary goal to see all the tourist sights? If so, stay in the touristy Sultanahmet, the Old City, which puts you within walking distance of Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, the historic Istanbul University, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, the Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) and several other important mosques. While there are endless tourist-ready restaurants in the area, the nightlife is certainly lacking, so partiers might want to stay across the river in the Galata area, particularly in Taksim. The Galata Tower is its main tourist attraction, but its endless bars, clubs and restaurants make the area popular with locals as well. It's also the area where you catch the ferryboats to Princes' Islands. Though currently a hot spot, areas like Taksim actually tend to be cheaper than the better-known Sultanahmet.

Istanbul is located on the Bosphorus, a narrow strait that connects the Black and Marmara Seas and divides the city between Europe and Asia. In other words, you can actually stand on a connecting bridge with one foot in Asia and the other in Europe. For my purposes, I took a ferryboat over to the Asian side. There were less tourist attractions in Asian Istanbul, but that made it a nice place to have lunch, shop and enjoy the coastline. Plus, since it's got an area called Harem on the coastline, you don't have to lie about partying it up in a Turkish Harem.

To learn more about Istanbul, particularly some of the best local foods and activities, check back for Tonic Trek part two.