It's impossible to sum up Istanbul in few short sentences so all I can say is that this city should be right on top of everyone's list of destinations to visit. Incredible history, amazing architecture, plethora of museums and galleries, delicious food and lively nightlife are sure to cater for every taste and keep you occupied during your stay.

I stayed with Başak and Idil for four weeks in August 2012. Their flat is very spacious, bright, airy, with a wonderful balcony, and above all is always kept spotlessly clean. The location in Beşiktaş is central yet away from sometimes extremely crowded and noisy tourist areas. It is within an easy reach of all major sights, Taksim Square, and Beyoğlu.

I was mostly walking as I believe this is the best way to get to know a place but when I did use public transport I found it to be excellent yet cheap (up to about 2TL per journey). The flat is very close to Beşiktaş ferry terminal (for trips to the Asian side), Kabataş ferry (for Princes' Islands) and tram station (T1 line for Karaköy, Sultanahmet and beyond), lots of local buses pass by, and the local taxies are very reasonably priced (taxi to Taksim Square would cost 8-9TL).

Beşiktaş is also full of restaurants with great food minus the inflated tourist prices you would pay in some other parts of the city. On long travels I usually get tired of eating out everyday so the ability to cook in my own kitchen was a real bonus. Two local supermarkets, Migros (just down the road), and Macro (a little bit further and up a hill) are both excellent. On the other hand Beşiktaş Market, open on Saturday and Sunday, offers fresh local produce at prices much lower than what you would pay in a supermarket.

Then, when you get tired of restaurants and cooking try some of Başak and Idil's food- their cooking was easily better than any of the restaurants I tried. Turkish people take their food very seriously and only the freshest ingredients will do. Dinners are elaborate affairs consisting of five or more tapas-style dishes (meze) all of which complement each other beautifully. If you are a foodie you will love Istanbul!

Başak and Idil really made great effort to make my stay with them as pleasant as possible. They told me lots of stories, recommended and took me places that I never would have found on my own and were a great company. They are interesting, intelligent, kind, understanding and really funny… I would recommend them unreservedly!