My husband and I visited Istanbul for the first time this June and booked a room at Basma's apartment the first two nights of our visit. Basma made us feel very welcome; she served us tea and cake upon our arrival and gave us very helpful tips on places to visit/local restaurants to try out. Because the tram is across the street from her apartment, we were able to commute to and from major sites/museums with ease. We enjoyed staying with her so much that we wished we had booked accommodation at her apartment for our entire stay in Istanbul.