day 8: bolu & istanbul - luxury bosphorus cruise

The drive from Bolu to Istanbul took three hours of the morning, but it wasn't time wasted because Koray kept the group engaged with a Q&A session. We discussed politics, education, healthcare system, food and more.

Camlica Hill, 267 metres above sea level, is the highest point in Instanbul. We took lots of photos and enjoyed a bird's eye view of Istanbul.

We drove across the Bosphorus Bridge to the jetty where we boarded our bonus 1-hour Bosphorus Cruise. We were all thrilled to be on our private boat. Over the PA, Koray explained the various landmarks and interesting restaurants as we sailed across the Bosphorus Strait with Europe and Asia on each side.

A second bonus was the Spice market, which was not on the itinerary. Unlike the Grand Bazaar which is extremely touristy, the locals still shop at the Spice Market. The quality of the goods are better and the prices are more reasonable.

The Grand Bazaar, a 400-year-old market has hundreds of shops selling jewellery, bags, pottery, leather, turkish delights, scarves, carpets, and more. Essentially everything that we have been seeing for the past few days. The interior is a little like Bugis Village just five or more times bigger so it is easy to get lost in the maze. The boyfriend and I got tired after 30 minutes because the shops pretty much sell the same things. We rested at a cafe which had lots of old photos and paintings on the wall.

• Costs: 20 Lira honey pisatchio and mixed nuts, 4 Lira Coffee, 13 Lira coffee and orange juice at Grand Bazaar
• Highlight: The boyfriend and I both enjoyed the Bosphorus cruise. With the wind blowing in our hair, great views on both sides, we were happy.
• Lunch: Kebab House - My expectation was higher because Koray said we were going to have real kebab. The interior of the restaurant was classier than the others. The warm soft bread they served was promising. The lentil soup was a little let down. But the beef kebab was tasty. I would have been more satisfied if we hadn't been eating the same food for the last eight days.
• Dinner: Mercan Restaurant - It was a really dinner at about 5pm, most of us ate really little. Food was so-so, we all had a grilled fish each. 
• Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn - The best hotel so far on this trip! Pretty room and bathroom, no tub though.