This is just one from a whole series of travel packs published by New Holland. They have one of the best reputations for producing guides for city breaks, being both well-researched and easy to use, with a book and a large-scale fold-out map.
You want to get the best out of any holiday but most city breaks last only a couple of days so you’ll need a good guide book, and my advice is to read it before you even leave home. Pick out the places of interest and plan a route. A bit of work beforehand will ensure that you have a full and memorable visit.
The Globetrotter guides have a plastic cover to withstand all that in-and-out-of-bag routine that is the downfall of flimsy books. There is an introduction that gives something of an overview of the country, and also a handy listing of where to stay, where to eat, useful contacts and travel tips.
The Topkapi Palace is a “must see” for any tourist and there are ten pages devoted to just that. There are maps and historic notes. The main highlights are listed so if you are a bit short of time you can still see much of what’s interesting.
The guide book shepherds us through courts to The Harem (a popular attraction for men with lively imaginations), the Sultan’s bath, the Room with Fountains, the Museum of Holy Relics, to the fourth Court where you will find the beautifully tiled Circumcision room (gloating queues of recently divorced or jilted women), and on to the restaurant.
There are another seven areas of the city that are covered in the same detail – everything from the Blue Mosque to the Bosphorus, and the Grand Bazaar to Gallipoli and its moving and poignant cemetery.
The Globetrotter Travel Guides are good quality and accurate. The author of the Istanbul edition, Sue Bryant, is a writer and broadcaster who has penned several other Globetrotter Guides, as well as numerous travel-related articles for both newspapers and magazines. Great value for money.
Istanbul – Globetrotter Travel Guide
Author: Sue Bryant
Published by: New Holland
Price: £8.99
ISBN 978-1-84537-846-2
Travel book review by Chrissie Walker © 2018