ANOTHER POST WITHOUT PICTURES! I AM SO SORRY!
Anyway, another happy news to share with you guys, gonna have a new trip review series in June soon! Seeing The World In Steps is gonna go to Melbourne. New Country New City!
Istanbul, left much expectation for me, keeping me awaiting too! It’s a city that I had never thought of going to practically in my life. Although, with that being said, Ataturk International Airport hadn’t been foreign to me! In my opinion, it has always been operating over it’s capacity and overcrowded, the queues are never ending whenever I am clearing customs while transiting both currently and two years ago on my trip to Europe also. To make it even worse, the airport announce whenever a plane landed, thus you practically hear Turkish Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Turkish Airlines every 5 min while waiting in the queue. Istanbul, Turkey doesn’t really represent safe to me, especially even after the recent trouble by being next to Syria. Furthermore the country is desperately trying to join the EU which explains them trying hard in improving their standards, security and infrastructure. The public transport stills lack in depth and safety given my thoughts which explains why I have decided to opt for booking an airport transfer for my stay here! Costing about 25 euros each way, although pricey but safety is still my main concern here. Due to the flight delay, I was quite worried about the transfer! Once I left the airside, I was pretty shocked actually the crowd the traffic, pretty unexplainable.
Following on, the next biggest shock came to my during this trip! As said, exploring the unexplored should always be the aim of travelling, which I say this moment pretty much check this off the box. End Suites Hotel, which I booked through booking.com and looked through maps and maps to determine it to be suitable for my stay by being near Taksim Square turn out to be something very very different. I practically refuse to believe it and continue to live in self denial when the car stop! The place was totally unbelievable to the point that the local driver wasn’t even aware of the place! Something to keep in consideration if you would still like to stay here. The hotel was located in some “slums” and the area was pretty desolate and many of them are at a halt of renovation state if you get what I mean. I am really sorry that I have no pictures for this post. I am really too freak out at this point of time. Imagine this, 3 Chinese person travellers, which are hungry arrive at such a place in the dark and lost! This is really something unexpected and never ever happen to me before. Definitely an eye opener and a brand new experience for me.
To be honest, I have to say once you enter the hotel, everything was much better, you also feel more at ease since I saw the staff and some fellow Caucasian travellers at the lobby. The hotel is for a suites, apartment kind, the inner fitting of the place was actually pretty solid and of a high standards, WHICH PROBABLY MAKE ME FALL INTO THE TRICK OF BOOKING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! Upon verifying my booking, they inform that my room was ready and a bellboy will help with my suitcase and show me to the room, as with the norm of European hotels the lift are tiny, thus we split up into two groups! Somehow this makes me sceptical and suspicious since the staff took the room keys and me and my mum was waiting for the second lift! Somehow, the surroundings and awareness suddenly become very high!
The room was actually very nice, large enough and also comes with a fully fitted kitchen. However I really hate the sound proofing and the door lock of the room. the door lock is really the worse, it doesn’t come with an inner lock but actually an button that will activate an alarm. If you engage it, the alarm will ring once the door is on. Although I get the meaning behind it, aren’t it too late for alarm when the person break it, I will rather get a strong bolt as a second lock hands down! Next up the sound proofing, definitely got to be the worse of any that I have seen before in my whole life! Lets know talk about the footsteps you hear when people next door are leaving and coming in but the fact where you could hear what people are saying in the next couple of block loud and clear! To make things worse, I could hear the locals pray every single time, before daybreak to late at night! Not trying to be a racist or associate them with radicalised people! But it really strikes fear into me, the surroundings and then plus these praying, nothing relaxing I would say. Although the recent news and happenings, if you know what I am saying, definitely affect me and my thinking.
To sum up, I really don’t feel at ease staying here and was not comfortable living here for the 3 days! Istanbul stills await for me personally and I would love to return one day soon! Although breakfast was included in the stay, it was lacklustre and unappetizing, which is all what I think it is! To conclude, I have nothing against Istanbul but I will never recommend anyone to stay here at End Suites Hotel! Please stay in somewhere reputable and a safe district! To say, I will say, please stay in a reputable, preferably a well known hotel chain such as hilton, hyatt or starwood brand.
Seeing The World In Steps 