Staying with Ali was wonderful! Even though it was only for 2 nights we were treated like family members right from the moment we step on his doorstep.
He, his wife Filiz and adorable daughter Ozlem welcome us with Turkish coffee in their beautiful underground garden. Peaceful with chirping of their yellow birds and flowers and herbs from Filiz's hometown. They listened to our travel needs and even planned us for the 3 days itinerary.
The room was clean and perfect. There's everything you could want from a hotel and more. Fridge, hair dryer, Turkish style coffee corner, travel corner. We were even visited by Ozlem's kitten which was nice since we love cats. The next day we came back to a plate of freshly bake cakes! Yummy!
One cute thing that we noticed is how Filiz and Ozlem both has separate doorbell...be careful not to press Ozlem's doorbell as she might thought you're her friends coming to play ;) how cute is that!
We enjoyed the walk to metro station near Aya Sophia very much. A lot of things to see surrounding the area. We found small Aya Sophia nearby Ali's house. There was also a nice family restaurant nearby if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of touristy area. If you want good quality souvenirs, Ali has them all.
Ali and family are very artistic people. You'll find their artistic touch and beauty around the house.. completely DIY, and you might even be serenaded by Ali playing a traditional musical instrument. My husband was excited to get a music lesson from Ali!
It was very sad we couldn't spend more days with this kind family. We definitely will come back to Ali's for future trips.