Backpacking in Turkey - Istanbul, The City That Spans Two Continents

November 10 2020 | Tagged: Turkey
What I find intriguing about Istanbul is that half of the city is in Europe and the other half is in Asia.
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Having spent a week on the western side of The Bosporus, in Europe, I took the ferry to the Asian side.
I've stayed in Istanbul numerous times, always using the Orient Hostel in Sultanahmet as a base but it's sadly closed now. This time I spent 2 nights in Taksim for want of something different before staying 5 more nights near the Blue Mosque in a damp basement hotel room before transferring to the Asian side at Kadiköy.
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I took the ferry from "​Eminonu Pier Kadikoy":
I bought a 7TL disposable card at one of the ticket machines. These are 1 trip tickets and you can use them on buses, trams, the metro and ferries. If you intend to use public transport a lot, buy an Istanbul Kart for 10TL and top it up. It works out super cheap as each ride only costs 3.50TL.

​I used the disposable ticket from the main bus station too and walked everywhere else so my transport costs within Istanbul were just 14TL.
The incoming ferry which I will be boarding very soon:
Arrival point in Kadiköy:
Arriving in Kadiköy on the Asian side of Istanbul. This is Haydarpaşa, the old railway terminus.
Arriving in Kadiköy:

Top things to see on the Asian side of Istanbul:

Check this out:​ Kız Kulesi against the backdrop of the Galata side of Istanbul.
Kız Kulesi or Maiden's Tower, on a small islet, 150m off shore at the southern entrance to The Bosporus or the Strait of Istanbul. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and is 31km in length.

The tower was first built in 340BC was used as a defense and watchtower, a customs station to collect taxes at the entrance to the Bosporus and a lighthouse
An alternative way to see the Maiden's Tower if you want to base yourself on the European side, is to take the ferry to Üsküdar, from where it's just a 5 minutes walk. Or if you take the Bosporus Boat Tour you will pass pretty close.
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You can take a little boat to the Tower. Price is 40TL and includes entrance to the tower observation deck and museum.

There is also a restaurant/café and in the evenings reservations are required if you want to dine here. Just don't forget you credit card.
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This is not an option for penny pinching travellers like myself.

The Asian side of Istanbul doesn't have the pull of Sultanahmet with the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia or the Topaki Palace but it's still a cool place with lots of vibe and buzzing streets.
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I found this place, Destan Halk Lokantası. I need cheap, filling and healthy. I ate here at least once a day.
This is my kind of food, cantina style:
Why are the prices so low? Because you are not paying to he waited on, neither are there tablecloths.
South of the ferry terminals is a good place to walk, enjoy a picnic, watch the sunset if you time it right:
​When I walked to Kız Kulesi, I passed by Haydarpaşa station, I discovered this:
​I had to Google it. Quite outstanding.

In 2018 they started 'digging'. I can't believe they just built straight over it without having see it; savages!
Istanbul to Ankara on the High Speed ​Train

Another reason to come to the Asian side of Istanbul is that the High Speed Rail Link to Ankara departs from ​Söğütlüçeşme, known as the Yüksek Hızlı Tren, or YHT.
Here's my economy ticket (85.50TL) bought 3 days in advance. Earlier days only had business class tickets left (125TL):
There is no timetable displayed but from what I could gather, there are 4 trains a day from this station: 09:00, 10:00, 16:30 and 17:30.