30 Things I Wish I Knew Before Flying Down To Istanbul + Grand & Egyptian Bazaar Fake Market Tour.
#dailyvlog #istanbul
During a walking tour of the Grand Bazaar, Egyptian Bazaar and the surrounding area, I narrate 30 things I wish I knew about Istanbul before flying down here as well as give a brief history of the origins of the Metropolis of Istanbul.
Check out my Istanbul playlist for more great videos on Istanbul. • Istanbul
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A friend of mine told me they changed the cell phone rules yet again since I did the video regarding the Tourist SIM Card from the airport. So, the first time you visit, you can buy the tourist sim card at the airport for $60US (you can''t use a local Turkish sim card without proof of Turkish residency). After 120 days, you have to pay a 6,091 TL ($300 US) registration fee to be able to use the same cell phone with a tourist sim card or it's locked out of the network. The best way to get around this is just to bring a different cell phone the next time you visit if it's over 120 days since your last visit.
BTW--I did notice last time I was at the airport that they rent out portable WIFI units for $80US at a fourth booth that looks like a 20,000mAh portable cell battery and it's supposed to link to your cell phone. From that, you can call people from whatsapp, which most people use in the city. I suspect this might be another alternative to the registration fee if you're down there a second time after 120 days. I'll find out more the next time I visit Istanbul. And bringing two cell phones with you is not an option as I discussed in greater detail in the video, so buy a new cell phone, not a refurb., as you have no idea if a refurb. was already used before in Turkey and is locked out of the system.
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There’s a street that you can walk down from the grand bazaar to the spice bazaar. It’s full of shops that sell at the real prices. Bought some great souvenirs there.
Are you referring to Hüdavendigar Caddesi? (the tram line that runs on the street from the Hagia Sofia to the side of the Sirkeci-Marmaray Train Station)? I did notice that some of the souvenir shops along there had beaded bracelets and the evil eye key chains for a quarter. They also had the 4 pack boxes of Turkish delights for half the price of what the grocery store was selling them for. Next time I'm down there, I'll do a video of the street.
This is the most practical travel video i have seen and i have watched tons
Thanks. I appreciate the comment.
Thank you for providing such a clear and informative video.
Thanks for the comment.
Thank you soo much for this valuable information
Glad you liked it.
thanks BRAVO !
Thanks!
Best info ever. Thank you
Thanks for the comment. I hope you have a wonderful trip,
What a beuatiful video. Thank you for the advices. People should deffinetly know all of this before arriving here. I hope you had great time there.
Thanks. As long as people know what to expect and how to deal with it, I think anyone can have a great time there. There's a lot of history in this city that's well worth exploring in person.
Thanks for the info as going ova there soon...
Glad you liked it. Have a great trip!
Thank you very much I am really appreciate and when I will go be careful 😊
You're welcome and have a wonderful trip there.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
I appreciate the comment.
Planning a trip to Istanbul in September. This is great information, thanks. I am a bit wary now though.
Thanks. I hope you have a great trip.
Thanks for good info on some things to be careful for !! Especially the change and the drinking water bottle! We have been to Istanbul several x but it is strange to know some bad side of it ? I suppose times are very bad indeed so money is the problem. Thanks again for your good tips ! Dr hafsah .
Istanbul is such an interesting city. It has its rough edges, but overall I enjoyed my time there. I sort of miss the place more than I did visiting any other European country. I'll have to do another trip there in the future and share some videos of Kadikoy. I had a lot of footage of the Asian side on my last trip that was deleted because of faulty memory cards.
Thanks for the info. I’m kind of scared to go to Istanbul now cause of all the scams.
Don't let the scammers put you off. Just be knowledgeable of the scammers and current by watching videos so you don't let yourself get set up and it'll be a much more enjoyable trip. Doing something on the fly without knowledge eventually leads to bad outcomes anywhere.
Great guide. Thank you very much🙏. I hope it’s ok to share Experience of my brother.He was in European side in November 23, paid 50€ for two kebab’s and coca cola, with recipe. And other group of frends paid 175€ for 5 100gr kebabs and 1.5 cola and 1.5l of water.
Thanks for letting us know. In November, 1 euro was 31.5 Turkish Lire. 1750 TL for two Kebabs and a coca cola is a lot. That's like 50 Euros. There are even restaurants on the Galata Bridge that will openly post prices like that with an aggressive host that will try to get you to sit down in their restaurant. Then, I can walk a few blocks down from the Galata bridge and get those same items for 100TL from a walk up restaurant with their kebab or chicken donair prices posted right above their cash register and walk back to the Galata Bridge and eat it watching all the fishermen on the bridge throwing their hooks in the water and getting fish for free. It's amazing how there's so many restaurants there and no consistent prices from restaurant to restaurant as well as some unscrupulous restaurants that have no qualms about overcharging. Let the buyer beware.
Beautiful bazar
Yes, it does look beautiful.
Very good advice
I appreciate the very good feedback.
Thank you very much for your tips. Will be there in 5 weeks.
I hope you have a wonderful trip.👍
@@david1george thank you very much.
At 52:18 The sign says in spanish "Precios Especiales para Hispanos" which translates to "Special Prices For Hispanics". Pretty interesting that it has special prices only for hispanics as a Latino from the USA would I get special prices or by Hispanic do they only mean European Spaniards?
Interesting observation, but I suspect it's only a gimmick. Based on what I've experienced at other shops, I believe that anyone with a basic understanding of negotiating could get the same discount as a Hispanic at that shop. In any case, I would highly recommend you compare their best prices with similar items from several places outside the bazaar.
Thank you for this video, I am going next week there, I wanted to bring 2 cellphones with me.
You're welcome. I hope you have a great trip!
Hi thank you for the video!! Did you shoot the video during Ramadan? Just wondering because we’re going in Ramadan and we were wondering how things are there during Ramadan
No, it was actually filmed during off peak season. I found that during peak season like Ramadan, most hotels and airfare cost 50%-100% more than off peak like January to early March. The lineups and crowds are a lot bigger and the cellphone GPS becomes useless with really long delays updating your real time location on busy streets if you're not familiar with the neighbourhood--you think it'll take you 10 mins. to get from point A to B using the GPS and it ends up taking you an hour and a half.
I wish i had all the cd's that i took to good will. I think i currently have 4 cds left, the muddy waters box set.
What else are you going to do with them? They take up a lot of space and the pawn shop won't give you anything for them.
We bought different teas but it's 2 times higher than in Kapadokya☹️
It doesn't surprise me that the same tea is 2 times higher. The Grand Bazaar has become a tourist trap for really overcharging everybody.
what do you mean about refund if i buy gifts for family?
What are you talking about? The sales tax rebate?
There are 5 km and 500 years between Fatih district and Beşiktaş district. Sultanahmet, Hagia Sophia, okay, historical, just to see the Grand Bazaar, I can understand that too. But; I can't understand tourists. Istanbul has wonderful places, I wouldn't come on holiday for a week and visit these places. Even I get nervous when I visit these places. It is not clear whether it is Istanbul or Pakistan.
6:14 words
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Really??? Not allowed bringing 2 phones? And have to pay for it? Where do the check it?
When you go through airport security.
@@david1george is there any x-ray gate at immigration? I dont think ever seen x-ray to go outside any airport.. how do they know we hide phones?
@@aryo7781 For me, everything went through the x-ray machine. Every single time I went to Istanbul airport, they made me stand in the x-ray booth. I also emptied my pockets into a tray and they put it in on the conveyor belt along with my jacket, belt, and carry on. There was absolutely no way to hide a second phone.
@@david1george yes, if you are going inside the airport from the city. The rules are for foreigner after landing, right? To prevent they selling their phone in the city? Why they bother checking people to go outside country bringing 2 phones? Even that means if someone buy that expensive phone in turkey. In my country, to prevent people smuggling phones (maybe they buy it cheaper from another countries, and not paying taxes), my goverment blocked unregistered imei, so people cant use their unregistered phones after 1 month. To be able to use the phone, the imei must be registered and pay the tax.
@@david1george it just doesnt make sense if i must pay taxes on my own phones to enter istanbul, i already pay my tax in my country 😅
Wow!! Never imagined there was such scamming, underhanded individuals and dangerous people in Turkey. Thank you for this information I have reconsidered my vacation plans all together and will not be traveling to Turkey at all✨🙏🏼✨
Whether you come down here or not, it's up to you. I've been down here a bunch of times and I'm glad you decided to do your research so you'll know what to expect and do in the future if you change your mind.
Just dont to grand bazar period! Full of scams!!!
Not a bad strategy. There's a lot of other places to shop at in Istanbul.
Just don't go to istanbul. Scammers r every where. Its so sad!!!! Vacation somewhere else just dnt to go to istanbul!!! If u really want to go to istanbul just be careful!!!
Yes, it's important to do a lot of research before heading down there so you know what to expect and how to deal with those issues if they arise.
Never shall I travel to instanbul! Too fearful of scums and local fake prices.
Understandable. It's not for everyone. I think people have to find a really good reason to go down there. I went down there for a $2,000+ dental implant for $250. My hotel room was around $21 a night. With my expenses, it was like a free vacation and then some.
There is so many good places to go in Istanbul, it is possible to avoid scams and tourist scams. Just do some research before you go.
I travel and I never buy anything at all.
Thanks!
Thanks, I appreciate your support!
I would rather not going to Grand Bazaar at all
I don't spend a lot of time at the Grand Bazaar anymore either. It doesn't make sense to me to spend so much money on knockoffs.