I started planning my one-week vacation to Istanbul back in March 2024. I wanted it to align with my partner's birthday at the end of June so I could celebrate both events at once. I applied for my Turkish visa in early May, which took about two weeks to process. Booking my flight with British Airways early on helped me save some money.

On the big day, I took the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow Airport, feeling fresh with my new braids. I had already checked in online but at the airport, I can’t do the self service check in because security system insisted on checking my visa before allowing me to check in my bags. Others didn't face this extra scrutiny which was frustrating.

The flight with BA was smooth, though I started feeling a bit cold due to the air conditioning. We landed safely at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. After passing through security and changing some money, I contacted my pre-arranged car service. This is where the trouble began. After waiting 45 minutes with no sign of the driver, I had to book an Uber. Unbeknownst to me, I had given the Uber driver the right hotel name but the wrong location. I nearly cried when we arrived at the wrong hotel.

Amid the chaos and communication barriers, I was tense and exhausted. My phone battery was at 1% and died right after I confirmed another Uber. Luckily, I had memorized the car’s plate number. Ransacking my bag for a charger while coughing and dealing with a runny nose, I felt overwhelmed but the Uber driver finally showed up and I reached my actual hotel at 9 PM, three hours later than planned.

Staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Istanbul, I took a shower, ordered food but exhaustion and a growing cold took over. The next morning the cold, cough, and headache were full-blown. During breakfast, I had to pay an extra £ for additional meals, which felt like a breach of agreement but I had no choice.

I ventured out to find a pharmacy (Eczane, the only Turkish word I knew) and bought cough syrup which felt more like honey. I managed a shopping trip to Marmara Park, dodging scams thanks to my Lagos street smarts and pre-trip research.

The following day, I went on a yacht cruise along the Bosphorus with Velena Travels, which was a highlight. The views were stunning and I learned a lot about the local architecture. However the cold air aggravated my cough.

Desperate for comfort, I found Eko Restaurant Lounge online and ordered some African dishes. The first meal hit the spot but the next order of pounded yam with ogbono soup was too salty but hunger made it bearable.

I spent another day at a go-kart track testing my driving skills and later lost a close PlayStation game of FIFA against Man City despite controlling the match as an Arsenal fan.

The Turkish cold was relentless and navigating traffic felt like being back in Lagos. I finally visited a beach, feeling like an alien as the only Black person there. The locals were friendly, offering mats and tents but I avoided the water because of the cough

Finally, unable to shake the cough, I cut my braids and got a close shave to relieve my headache. This illness forced me to stay indoors for the remainder of my trip.

As my departure approached, I tipped the helpful hotel staff. Unfortunately one cleaner stole a small amount of money from my room. Reporting it wasn't about the cash but the principle.

On my way back, passport control questioned if I was the same person, given my new haircut. I boarded the BA flight back to London, happy to be heading home.

Thus ended my adventure—a journey marked by unexpected challenges and a persistent cough in Turkey.

Overall would I recommend visiting Turkey? Yes, if you're going with a group. No, if you're traveling alone.

Next time, you can book group travels where there are other Solo travellers like you and you get to bond during the trip.

Not been to Istanbul but Antalya. And my observation was similar..very few black people during my stay. And the few i saw were working in the hotel and not guests.

shaybebaby:
Next time, you can book group travels where there are other Solo travellers like you and you get to bond during the trip.

Not been to Istanbul but Antalya. And my observation was similar..very few black people during my stay. And the few i saw were working in the hotel and not guests.

Throughout my stay, I only saw three other Black people. Originally, I had planned to go with a group but they kept procrastinating which I can't stand.

Please share your experience about how they wanted to scam you and how you escaped it. How were you also to communicate since they don't speak English in Türkiye

solid3:
Please share your experience about how they wanted to scam you and how you escaped it. How were you also to communicate since they don't speak English in Türkiye

First, be aware that there are numerous scams in Turkey especially targeting tourists. This guys will try to take every penny they can. I highly recommend watching YouTube videos about these common scams before you go.

During my trip, I encountered scams with Uber, taxis, and shopping.

It all started when I arrived at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. I had pre-booked a car to take me to my hotel but the driver never showed up, forcing me to book an Uber.

Unknowingly, I selected the wrong location for my hotel on Uber as my hotel had two different locations. As a tourist unfamiliar with the area, I relied entirely on Google Maps. One clue I missed was that my booking showed a travel time of 1 hour and 50 minutes whereas my initial search indicated it should only take an hour. I dismissed this thinking Google Maps was acting up.

Back to the scam, Many Ubers in Turkey are actually yellow taxis. Instead of taking the shortest route, drivers often take longer ones to increase the fare.

The driver I had took a much longer route, similar to traveling from Lagos to Ibadan. I realized this when I was heading back to the airport. The two locations of my hotel were only 15 minutes apart and the correct one was an hour away from the airport. On my return trip, the drive was only 50 minutes without traffic. Reflecting on the 2-hour ride to the wrong hotel made me almost cry from the unnecessary stress.

The taxi scam is quite similar to the Uber scam, with the main difference being that you don't book taxis online. you can hail them on the street or have your hotel call one for you. It's important to note that not all taxi drivers are scammers. I did encounter a few honest ones. For instance, when I was heading to the yacht cruise, the driver only charged me 600 TL instead of the actual fare of 780 TL, saying he wanted to welcome me to his country as a tourist.

I went shopping at Marmara Park and had already planned to spend some money, purchasing items worth 30,000 TL. Everything I bought had a fixed price and a tag. However, I saw a jacket I really liked but forgot to check the price tag. When I asked the salesperson to add it to my bill, he told the receptionist to charge 20,000 TL for it. When I asked about the tag, he said it didn't have one. I told him that price was outrageous. He claimed that because I was a special customer and he owned the shop, he would give me a discount and asked me to pay 10,000 TL. I questioned how the jacket could be worth 20,000 TL and suddenly drop to 10,000 TL. He said it was because he liked me and I had bought a lot from them. I told him he was trying to scam me and left the shop despite his pleas for me to buy it.

solid3:
Please share your experience about how they wanted to scam you and how you escaped it. How were you also to communicate since they don't speak English in Türkiye

For the last question, google translate was my best friend. That was my means of translating everything conversation

emperorlaqrin:


For the last question, google translate was my best friend. That was my means of translating everything conversation

I'm wondering, does google translate listen for you and translate or to think you type as they speak is almost impossible.

Google Translate has a voice recording feature that allows users to speak and have their words translated into another language

solid3:


I'm wondering, does google translate listen for you and translate or to think you type as they speak is almost impossible.

Quote

Did you bring back a kangal ..


If I go to that country, I'm definitely tiffing a kangal, nor, two kangals .. why the fvck on earth won't they allow those beautiful creatures out of their country.. 🥵🥵

DeeScan:
Did you bring back a kangal ..


If I go to that country, I'm definitely tiffing a kangal, nor, two kangals .. why the fvck on earth won't they allow those beautiful creatures out of their country.. 🥵🥵

Gosh! Mate, I totally forgot to mention this. Lol, they definitely have beautiful Kangals but they're always sleeping and acting so docile. I took a pic with one. so cute

emperorlaqrin:


Gosh! Mate, I totally forgot to mention this. Lol, they definitely have beautiful Kangals but they're always sleeping and acting so docile. I took a pic with one. so cute

if I was you I'd have copped that one .. lol . ..

DeeScan:
if I was you I'd have copped that one .. lol . ..

lol

I always tell people, especially Nigerians to avoid Turkey. That country is a fake European country, all thanks to their full adoption of Islam as their official national religion.


Zero human right protection.

Highly irrational people with bruised ego.

Highly suspicious of blacks.

Unstable economy

Lots of scam syndicate


Turkey
Russia
Cyprus
Belarus

These are fake EU countries, if you can, avoid them at all cost for your own good.

franchasofficia:
I always tell people, especially Nigerians to avoid Turkey. That country is a fake European country, all thanks to their full adoption of Islam as their official national religion.


Zero human right protection.

Highly irrational people with bruised ego.

Highly suspicious of blacks.


Unstable economy

Lots of scam syndicate


Turkey
Russia
Cyprus
Belarus

These are fake EU countries, if you can, avoid them at all cost for your own good.

Honestly I can’t agree less. Apart from what you have stated tye place was just giving me Nigerian vibe in terms of the road, traffic, policemen lol

DeeScan:
if I was you I'd have copped that one .. lol . ..

lol