Well, where do we start singing Esen's praises? We cannot describe how wonderful and memorable our stay was, but we will try.

Firstly, the apartment is great: it's spacious, clean and very cosy. Esen has a great collection of movies and classical music to relax with too. The neighbourhood is superb as well: it's chic/cosmopolitan (but not touristy), with nice bars, cafes and restaurants. It's a ~15 mins walk to Taksim Square (big shopping/transport hub) and about 15-20 mins down to the water to take a cruise or catch a tram. There is also a metro very nearby.

Now onto the host. Esen could not have been more generous or more helpful. He made us traditional Turkish breakfast (healthy and delicious). He gave us any info we needed about transport and seeing Istanbul, and was extremely attentive, always making sure we were comfortable, offering coffee, tea, fruits, snacks. He even accompanied us one day to the Asian side of Istanbul, and showed us around a nice waterfront area and the main shopping area. When we had to catch an early flight out the day we left, he got up at 5:30am (!) to show us to the airport shuttle bus.

Esen is very good at understanding travellers' needs - if you need space and privacy, you can get it here. But if you want to sit and chat with him, or go check out parts of Istanbul, you have a very knowledgable companion in Esen. Furthermore his English is great, having lived for seven years in America.

We were very sad to leave Istanbul, and even contemplated extending our stay as it was so enjoyable. We can truly say that by the end, Esen was not our host, but our friend.

Do yourselves a favour and stay here!