What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Istanbul

Turkey is a dynamo whose changing face keeps me on my toes, especially in 2008. Smoking has been banned in many places, and the ban will extend to restaurants and bars next year. Getting the Turks to adjust their smoking habits seems like an insurmountable task, but soon you may actually be able to enjoy the flavors of the Bosphorus, the Aegean, or the Turkish Mediterranean dancing around your taste buds without the smoky contents of your neighbor's lungs -- not that you'll get a table at your chosen restaurant. Turkey's tourism authorities have reported a record increase in tourist arrivals in 2008, with more than 2.6 million tourists arriving in Istanbul in the first five months of the year alone.

The repeal of the headscarf ban in universities was overturned. I know there are more than just a few people breathing huge sighs of relief at this, even if we Westerners still have a hard time wrapping our heads around any restrictions on personal freedoms. Indeed, context is everything.

Planning Your Trip to Istanbul

New train service now connects Turkey with the Balkans and beyond. Serbian Railways' (www.serbianrailways.com) "Bulgaria Special" departs Belgrade for Sofia daily at 8:40am, connecting with a night sleeper train that arrives in Istanbul the following morning at 8:23am. Round trip tickets cost €88 and €132 for second and first class, respectively; upgrades to a sleeper car cost €9.40 and €14 extra.

The city on the straits inaugurated its first water taxi in May, making the trip between the two continents much easier. Taxis, which are operated by IDO (tel. 0212/444-4IDO; www.ido.com.tr) are available on-demand for service between Ortaköy and Beylerbeyi; Kalamis and Bebek; and Çengelköy and Besiktas. Meanwhile, IDO's regular service up the Golden Horn will be bypassing the Balat Pier while work is conducted there.

Where to Stay

The extremely stylish W Hotel has just opened, housed in the restored Akaratler Row houses in Besiktas (Süleyman Seba Caddesi 22; tel. 0212/381-2121; www.starwoodhotels.com). The row houses, once lodging for workers in the nearby palace, are now literally fit for a king, with each plush room enjoying its own rear garden. Meanwhile, the long (long!) awaited renovation of the Four Seasons the Bosphorus has expanded the capacity of Istanbul's best hotel to include luxurious accommodations rivaling those at the neighboring Çiragan Palace. A free shuttle provides transport between the two properties; guests wishing to hotel hop simply check out of one and into the other, while the service staff packs up their things and moves them to the identical spots (they take pictures) in a similar room.

Where to Dine

While hoteliers stake their claim on Turkish real estate, celebrity restaurateurs are parachuting in from the four corners of the world to expand their franchises. On New Year's Eve 2008, Chad Sarno, powerhouse behind the wave of raw-food fanatics in Europe, brought his vegetarian bistro, Saf, to Istanbul. The restaurant, located in the Ansen Hotel, is closed for the summer (as many restaurants/clubs are in Istanbul; they move to outdoor locations along the Bosphorus), while its two other locations in KuruÇesme (Tramway Yolu 48 opposite the Galatasaray Island; tel. 0212/257-00670) and in the Akatlar Club Sporium (Saf Hayal Kavesi Akatlar:Cumhuriyet Caddesi No. 4/8, Akatlar; tel. 0212/282-7946) remain open. The Michelen-starred, London-based Cantonese restaurant, Hakkasan (Kanyon Shopping Center, Büyükdere Caddesi, Levent, tel. 0212/319-8888), employs 20 chefs imported from China. In April, celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten planted an outlet of his successful Spice Market in the new and chic W Hotel. Another London (and Melbourne) transplant is Moreish (Mesrutiyet Caddesi 67, Tepebas; tel. 0212/245-6089), a diminutive "boutique" style restaurant that is the creation of chef Coskun Uysal.

Exploring Istanbul

Istanbul welcomed the new Museum of the History of Islamic Science and Technology to the Imperial Stables buildings in Gülhane Park in May. The museum compiles eight centuries of Islamic scientific scholarship in the form of replicas of inventions, models and mechanical items created by Islamic scientists between the 8th and 16th centuries. The collection is currently limited to 140 items, but is expected to expand to 800 -- plenty to fill the 3,550 square meter space available in the three-building complex. The museum is currently open from 9am to 4pm.

Side Trips from Istanbul

As reported in the latest edition, hoteliers are clamoring to get into the Turkish market. The Hilton Hotel (www.hilton.com) has designated Bursa, Manisa, Diyarbakr and Kütahya as locations for its new Hilton Garden Inn brand, to be developed within the next two years. The advent of Izmir's new superhighway system is prompting the opening of a number of new hotels on the Çesme Peninsula. The first is the 7800 Residences and Hotel (3424 Sokak, Merkez Tur Yan, Boyalik Mevkii, Çesme; tel. 0532/601-0345; www.7800cesme.com), a mixed-use property featuring a 15-room boutique hotel set adjacent to 57 luxuriously modern private beach-front residences. On the other end of the spectrum is the slightly more populist Dedeman Hotel (www.dedeman.com), to open a property in Çesme in 2009.

Benefiting from geothermal waters, a glorious Mediterranean climate and clientele demanding luxury treatments, Turkey is quickly developing a Spa Tourism niche. One hotel jumping into the fray is the Baia Hotel (www.baiahotels.com), which will be opening an all-inclusive, minimalist hotel on Lara Beach in Antalya in May 2009.