Turkish Delight

Along the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, lies Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city, home to iconic landmarks such as Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. It’s fair to say that this culturally and historically rich borderland is a city of contrasts. This is where Europe meets and mixes with Asia, and skyscrapers coexist with buildings that have stood for centuries. With its 15 million residents, Istanbul is one of the world’s most congested cities; it might come across as intense and overwhelming on land, and contrastingly unhurried and serene the moment you get on a boat and let the Bosphorus carry you between continents, and on to your next calm, relaxing waterway adventure.

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Although the local ferries carry hundreds of thousands of passengers daily, Dilara and Süleyman feel like the only people in the world for a moment because, right now, only they and their forthcoming adventure matter. Istanbul offers a multitude of landmarks to admire, and Kız Kulesi, the Maiden’s Tower, a legendary fixture of the city's skyline dating back to the Byzantine period, wishes them fair winds and following seas. As they pick up the speed and head towards the horizon, they might just be the fastest-moving vehicle in Istanbul, yet the most relaxed ones in town.

They leave the mainland and hustle and bustle behind, as they set course for the Princes’ Islands, Kızıl Adalar, and soon enough, Istanbul is part silhouette, part haze on the horizon. The boat is rolling out the red carpet for our adventurers on the Sea of Marmara, and the tingling sensation of adventure settles in as they approach the Kızıl Adalar archipelago, comprising nine mythical islands off the city's Asian side. Out on Kızıl Adalar, the scent of pine trees blends with the thick sea breeze, and the rhythm of the city gives way to something slower, softer, almost suspended in time. Here, the legacy of slower days lingers, where every quiet lane and passing breeze seems to invite you to pause, wander, and let time stretch a little further than expected.

A secluded bay, framed by lush vegetation and reddish cliffs characteristic of Kızıl Adalar, is rightfully chosen as the anchorage. The lapping of water against the hull is the only prominent element in their soundscape, a gentle calm that settles over the bay, broken only by the duo talking. The kind of moment you think back to, and wish would come again soon. Also, a moment that demands Türk kahvesi with Canapés. As the conversation drifts on, the line between inside and out softens until both seem to flow into one another.

Their adventure continues to Sedef Adası, the smallest and calmest of the inhabited islands in the Kızıl Adalar archipelago. The once almost completely barren island is now flourishing with greenery, making it almost impossible not to bring out the camera for a quick photo op as part of today's contribution to the yearly photo album. A welcoming whiff of balık tava from one of the local restaurants wafts towards them along the island's winding paths, and soon they have plates of freshly caught local delicacies in front of them. Restaurant food undoubtedly tastes the best when the ingredients are fresh, and with a seasoning of a car-free, care-free setting.

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The 1,560 m-long Bosphorus Bridge once hosted a tennis match between İpek Şenoğlu and Venus Williams, making it the first tennis match played on two continents.

Over the centuries, the stone landmark of The Maiden's Tower has taken on multiple roles, including a customs checkpoint, a James Bond movie set, a watchtower, a lighthouse, a quarantine hospital, and a retirement home.

As late as the 1950’s, Sedef Island began with just a single tree on its hilltop and was gradually transformed into a dense pine forest through decades of careful, hand‑planted reforestation by its residents under strict environmental rules

The Kızıl Adalar archipelago sits along one of the world’s busiest bird migration corridors, so species change with the seasons. Timing your visit right can feel like catching a live nature show.

Soft tunes from the speakers, tea water cooking, and reliving memories with your significant other adventurer. What else would one possibly need?

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The perk of not having to be somewhere is that you can go anywhere. So as night starts to fall and the temperatures drop, they head out to sea again in search of the prime anchoring spot, in the middle of the bridge of sunlight at sunset. As the anchor goes down, the ambiance of the toasty cabin goes up. Their favorite tunes gently fill the space as they huddle to review the pictures that they have eternalized during the day of bite-sized adventures, knowing that tomorrow, they’ll do it again.