ISTANBUL: SIX SENSES HOTEL

When I booked the hotel, I had a few parameters including a place that was small, stylish and had twin beds for myself and Lauren. I was challenged in trying to find a decent hotel that had twin beds which surprised me, but it is also not a parameter that I am usually looking for when looking for a place to stay. ln retrospect, Next time, I probably will stay at the Four Seasons in the center of the City because the Six Senses is located 90 minutes by ferry from the center of town. But, taking the ferry had its perks with seeing Istanbul from the water and enjoying a more leisurely start and finish to each day.

The Six Senses was lovely and it focuses on its spa which we visited on the first day we were there. Lauren had a hazam, which is a fancy Turkish “bath” and I had a 90 minute massage by a woman from Uzbekistan; she was small but strong and successfully rubbed out the aches brought on by traversing Africa-bush roads for three weeks. Lauren loved her hazam.  The hotel was a thoughtfully designed structure that merged two mansions.

Our room was spacious, with comfortable beds and ceilings that appeared to be at least 18 feet high. The food for breakfast was excellent and we also enjoyed a delicioius dinner there on one our evenings.

To meet our guide each day, we grabbed a ferry at 8:30 am which got us to the historic center at 10 am and departed each day at 5:30 pm to get back to where we were for dinner at 7:00 pm. The ferry was a very Zen way to get into town, looking at stunning mansions along the waterfront, the fishermen and the waterfowl. On our return trips, we enjoyed the sunset over the hills, and it was an opportunity to edit my pics.