Pierre Loti Cafe above Eyup Inexplicably, the Pierre Loti Cafe way out in the Eyup district is meant to be a pretty common tourist attraction. While the view from the hilltop cafe and attached tram are nice, I found the cemetery and mosque down the hill far more interesting to […]
Middle East
Dinner With a Local Family – My Favorite Istanbul Guided Tour
My Favorite Istanbul Guided Tour – Dinner With a Local Family I know I’ve only recently decried the ‘proper-tourist-trail’ thing, but one experience in Istanbul left me thinking about whether or not a guide can be a good thing on occasion. After all don’t we oftentimes need a translator? Someone […]
Istanbul Bosphorus Tours: All Ferry Nice!
Istanbul Bosphorus Tours: Seeing A Ferry Nice City! (Read through for pictures and a short description of the Istanbul Bosphorus Tours I’ve been on, and skip to the bottom for recommendations on operators to travel with.) Istanbul really seems, to me, like a city meant to be seen from a […]
Fatih Neighborhood: an Istanbul Guide
Exploring Istanbul’s Fatih Neighborhood Does anybody else walk around new cities wondering in the back of their minds where the coolest spot to get an apartment for a few months would be? No? In Istanbul the Fatih neighborhood is without doubt the choice so far. The name means ‘conquerer’ and […]
Anadolu Kavegi: The Far End of the the Bosphorus
About as far away from Istanbul as it could be and still be an ‘Istanbul’ trip, the Anadolu Kavegi sits right on the end of the Bosphorus overlooking the Black Sea beyond. While the fort atop the hill is a pretty obvious draw it is not, to my mind, the […]
Istanbul Markets: A Travellers’ Guide
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaars I’ve talked about Istanbul’s markets before, several times in fact, but I’m constantly drawn to them. Between the combination of delicious food, vibrant colors, and a constant flow of people I could spend an hour or two everyday just walking through these markets with a camera. These […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.