There were 5 of us looking for a place with a nice view closer to the city when we decided to explore Istanbul. I found this listing on AirBnb and decided to explore further. As we were driving to the house from the airport, we noticed that it was Saturday evening and the traffic was pretty rough. It took us 2 hours to get to the exit where Ilhan met us. We drove for another 25 minutes through hilly areas. When we arrived at the house, it was in a small town with tiny hilly streets and stray dogs and cats everywhere. It seems odd at first but you get used to it really quick. They are harmless.

I will divide my review into two areas of pros and cons.

Pros:
Ilhan is super-friendly and accommodating and he made himself available when it came to answering the questions, finding the place, understanding the options available etc.

The house is nice and can easily accommodate a large group. It has a nice backyard, 2 living rooms, 1 spacious den, and 4 bedrooms (3 big and 1 small). The view from the den is wonderful.

Everything you need in terms of groceries, ATM, meat, bread, fruits and vegetables is available to you within 10 minute walk. We shopped pretty much everyday and had no issues.

There are a few small restaurants in the village as well however we only tried one and they delivered the food to the house. (Capari) The food was good. Most of the restaurants offer seafood as Anadaou Kavagi is a small fishing village.

Cons:
Getting into city and out of city is not easy from this place. I wish I had known this sooner than later. The impression I got from the listing was that it will be easier but it wasnt. It took us 2 hours each way driving and I am not necessarily talking about the rush hour. Most of the tour guides we spoke to about pickup and drop off said the same thing.

There was no phone in the house. Having a local phone would have helped a lot. Ilhan explained that there is a phone hook up but its not going to work while the wi-fi is on. I didnt understand it. My phone's international roaming was killing me trying to figure things out. Also the TV on the main floor didn't work and was very old.

Although there is a ferry station within a short walk, you will still need to find your way through train or bus or taxi once you get off the ferry. Again going to the city will take close to 2 hours if you are a newbie. Also ferries run on a different schedule for each station so very sure about the last ferry coming back to Beykoz.

Regardless of the challenges we drove in and out of the city everyday. Overall we had a great time at the house and left with great memories.