ALL alone with just nine hours to kill, until my flight back home to Malaysia, I would have never thought I would have the chance to fully utilise every minute in my hand by seeing the city that lies between Europe and Asia.
But, here I am, waiting for a tour bus that will take me on a short city tour to one of Istanbul's most iconic landmarks - the Bosphorus.
Best part is, I don't even have to spend a cent for the TourIstanbul tour as it is a privileged service by Turkish Airlines.
ALONG BOSPHORUS
There are probably over 30 other passengers with me on this tour, all eager to see Istanbul for the first time.
Among them are Mexicans and Kyrgyzstanis, but what are the odds, I'm not the only Malaysians joining today!
Also his first time in the city, my new friend, Zali says that he came to know about this free tour from a friend. Well, same here!
Exactly at 6pm, we hop on the white-coloured, single-deck coach with a TourIstanbul logo, to begin our journey.
Our tour guide, Samet Akbulut says it will take about an hour to reach the city but along the way, he will share some background about the city that was formerly known as Constantinople.
The largest city in Turkiye, Istanbul sits between two continents - Europe and Asia but is divided by the Bosphorus straits, and today, we will be cruising the straits.
"There are so many places to see in the city, and through this cruise you will catch a glimpse of some of the iconic landmarks," he says.
The one hour journey takes us to a riverside area called the Azapkapi Sahil Park, a beautiful open space along the Golden Horn. This is where the cruise starts.
It's quite a scenic stroll at the park, especially during sunset and in this crisp autumn weather.
While waiting for our cruise, we are served with a light-dinner of meatball sandwich (or vegetarian choice) and a can of soft drink.
Zali and I sit by the riverside enjoying our dinner while watching the busy waterway, chatting over the tasty sandwiches.
Shortly after, we board the sightseeing cruise which has two-level, but everyone heads upstairs as it offers an open-air venue with lots of things happening.
There's a traditional costume photo booth, a bar selling snacks and drinks as well as Turkish ice-cream with assorted flavours such as caramel, pistachio, chocolate and vanilla for ₺50 (RM13) per scoop.
On the one-hour trip, Samet keeps us entertained with his stories on the landmarks and historical monuments along the Bosphorus including Hagia Sopia, Topkapi Palace as well as one of the most expensive hotels in the world which is the Ciragan Palace Kempinski and many more.
Samet says the Bosphorus has three waterways which are the Golden Horn and the main strait, one heading southwest to the Marmara Sea and up to the north-east heading towards the Black Sea, which is the route we are taking to see more of the Asian side of the province.
He adds that the straits is 32km long, 730m to 3300m wide and 30m to 120m deep.
Our cruise takes us up until we reach one of the iconic Istanbul bridges which is the 15th July Martyr Bridge before we make our way back.
Although the cruise only takes us to see some of the places only from far, it really leaves me wanting more, a reason to come back again.
ABSOLUTELY FREE PERKS
The TourIstanbul is a complimentary tour for Turkish Airlines layover passengers who are on an international transfer flight through Istanbul Airport. The passengers should at least have six hours (an at most 24 hours) of layover.
No advance booking is required, but all they have to do is to head to the Hotel Desk in the International Arrival Hall at the Istanbul Airport just half an hour before the tour starts.
There are six different tours organised every day, passengers are able to choose one that suits their flight times.
Check out www.turkishairlines.com/en-my/flights/fly-different/touristanbul/ for more information about the free tour.
[email protected]Visit Istanbul with Agoda Discount Code to grab special price reductions on hotel rooms.
