This video is all about blackmailing. Almost every restaurant serves Turkish breakfast. No-one approaches me when I am on the street, if they ask for something say " Sorry have no time" simple. Go always where locals go. Every taxi-cab has a meter, installed in the front mirror. They have a starting fare about 70p. Don't negotiate the price, but make sure they turn it on. Taxi fares are very affordable. You don't need Uber. There are yellow buttons on the lamp posts. They will be there in 1-3 mins. If you are looking for scams the streets of Paris offer greater variety. Enjoy.
ım from turkey even same things happend to me in 1996 ı vent this pub to watch basketbol game(efes pilsen) cause says front door that they show the game ı order my beer but just after 5 minutes 3/4 girls sit on may table and waiter ask them if girls want drink and ı realise straith away sayin no no and ı left place immeditly.
taxi will take you for long route even if you show them the right way on google they will take the closest highway where you can not get out of the car and will overcharge you
@@tanerkorkmaz3343 ım not from turkey but I'm from Turkey or Turkiye. In 1996, AKP or Erdoğan was not a president and inflation was %500, women were not allowed to cover their head with headscarf, have higher education and work at hospital as nurses, doctors or become engineers. I wasn't allowed to wear short and mini skirts than unlike, now.
05/2024, stil the same scamming. Trip with taxi 500 lira and normal price 164lira. You ask a trip with meter, 2 blocks later he says many traffic its 500 lira. 4 times today i stoped the driver en get off the taxi. Not all drivers, a honnest driver gets a good tip and respect for those who are descent en honnest. Beautifull city but for me was the last time.
Everyone’s experience are unique. My wife’s cousin worked in Egypt for a few months and absolutely hated the place. Cairo, according to him, was full of scammers and very crowded He said that Istanbul was far more pleasant place to visit. As for my recent trip to Istanbul, my wife and I were there to visit the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Ayup Sultan’s Mosque and tomb. We had no interest in Taksim or Istiklal Street. We stayed in an excellent little hotel across from Sultanahmet Park. The Turkish breakfast buffet was included with the room. The hotel arranged airport transfers. The only scammers we encountered were the annoying people trying to sell us carpets or leather jackets and the people trying to get people to enter shops or restaurants. A rule of thumb is to avoid shops and restaurants that use people to lure customers. We shopped only in places where the merchant wasn’t aggressive or obnoxious. We ate in places that were full of locals. We enjoyed Istanbul more than any American or Western European city we’ve visited. We definitely intend to return to Istanbul and visit of destinations in Turkey.
So you did not take a Taxi? Even Turkish non or Istanbul residents always complain about their scams. Please do not white wash it, it's a common practice in Istanbul.
I’ve been scammed and drugged in taksseem street, I still haven’t listened to your story yet, but it brought back some bad memories…the state should definitely do something to stop them.
I was a single female traveller to Turkey. A guy came up to me in Taksim square, invited me to his carpet shop , gave me tea and coffee when I got there then tried selling me a carpet. I bought a cheapish one. Afterwards he invited me to smoke hookah with him and his friends...anyway around 9pm I tried getting a taxi. Had the same problem with the taxi couldn't get one...the guy took me back to my hotel on his motorbike then said goodnight and drove off. Damn I kinda get a shiver down my spine when I think how brave I was back then 😅
All the comments saying he should be prepared about different things prove his point honestly. I loved Istanbul, but I stand with every person whose experience wasn't ideal because he got scammed in one of a thousand ways you can get scammed in Istanbul. Let's not normalize this for places intended for Tourism. It is not normal to have to research the place extensively in order for your holidays to not be ruined by a scammer.
My buddy - ALL these scams have been well documented. You just have to do your homework and be prepared and then you will be fine. I went to Istanbul solo for 8-9 days in December of 2022 and I saw most of these scams coming at me from a mile away and i just kept chugging along. I would love to go to Istanbul again. You go unprepared, you will obviously leave with a bad taste in your mouth.
I'm sure that's the case. oh no.. next time, I know. honestly, I could care less for all the scammers, but the Taxis Ubers left me a sour taste every day. Next time I go I'll rent a car from the airport and go to other cities and towns.
@@AdventuresFactory My friend, if you come to Turkey next time, I will be happy to give you recommendations for places to visit. I am sure you will return very happy. I can give you directions via message. All you have to do is tell me the cities you want to visit and your areas of interest.
For me Istanbul is amazing, going for the 5th time next month. I have stayed in the European part each time. Unfortunate you got scammed but as a traveler you should have researched the scams/transport. The trams/ferrys/buses are amazing and cheap to get to A-Z.
I was born in İstanbul and I don’t go those places and you could perfectly use the public transportation, taksim is super well connected with metro&bus&tram. No need to hire a car, traffic is terrible. As a local I don’t even use taxi and I do negotiate before, also I call the number 153 to complain. This “bar scam”, known as “pavyon”, is a shitty place, you might end up very badly so you should be really grateful that it didn’t happen. Anywhere in the work I wouldn’t go to a bar calling me for a beer or whatsoever 😊 As I understand from your trip you were in like shittiest places ever. Next time consider stay in Beşiktaş or Kadıköy. You can try a Meyhane next time, with mezes for example if you want to experience a local thing. Eat kokoreç from Reks (Kadikoy), mussels with beer, try islak hamburger on Kizilkayalar, go to Kumkapı for meyhanes, go to breakfast street in Beşiktaş etc etc… And buy from supermarkets like Bim, Migros so that they cannot charge you extra. Just avoid istiklal and taksim… please please Also don’t compare İstanbul with Egypt, for gods sake! Different cultures
It was an exaggerated video. I leave the taxi issue out. The taxi issue is also a big problem for the locals. The government could solve this problem tomorrow if it wanted to, but for some reason it doesn't. Use public transport. Both fast and cheap. I have been travelling to Turkey since 2016. Turkey is one of the most beautiful and vibrant countries in the world. The people are extremely helpful and friendly. It is one of my favourite countries with its places to visit, holiday resorts, beaches, nature and food.
That's what I've been hearing from everyone, but I just simply didn't have the same experience. I'm still planning to go back to a different city. Maybe Ankara or something. I hear it's calm and beautiful there.
istanbul is definitly not a place you just willy nilly go anywhere you like . there are certain things you should avoid for sure. like that bar scam. thats famous . every place has its ups and downs . im iranian been to Istanbul 2 times . its a really beautiful city . lots of great food and great weather. price is also cheap compared to other major cities . all in all its a great place to visit , but you have to know where not to go. it can get dangerous in certain areas . and you should never trust random people who come up to you same as in with most cities
Exactly. This is true for any city or country you visit in the world. There’s no excuse for falling into scams when a simple Google search will help you learn what to watch out for. Plus use your head. A lot of it is common sense. He continually exposed himself and knew he was doing it.
I'm from Toronto. Our transportation system is not the greatest. I usually would rather walk than take the TTC. Lol 😆. It's mostly psychological. 😅.. it's an old system, very loud, too much goes on and too many issues and delays.
i am a turk studying in istanbul and once i was alone a man who was probably syrian or afghan ( i couldnt understand but it was farsi or arabic )thought i was a tourist and tried to scam me . I got so angry thinking that he probably scammed all day long so many tourists , i saw a police officer and runned to him but he left in a few seconds and run away . Everytime i see such people ruinning someones trip i feel so agressive and im really so sorry for you . Istanbuls population was 9 million in the year 2000 and now it is almost 20 million with the illegal immigrants and refugees and the migration from anatolia and eastern turkey. The main population ( my relatives too) have leaved the city cause it was impossible to live cheerful there. And they get replaced with turks from the east and other immigrants doing illegal things all the time. We cant walk in eminönü anymore without getting in trouble . My grandparents are getting very emotional when we are travelling to istanbul and they see what they did to their hometown.
" Don't let my experience discourage you from going to Istanbul" then names video " Don't go to Istanbul" lol it's a little extreme don't you think? Here is my advice, you can definitely point out the negative sides and warn people of scams etc but these things happen literally almost everywhere. That doesn't mean that you cannot also look at the positive things and let's be honest, the city provides a lot of beautiful and memorable things to experience as well.
It does indeed! I loved the architecture and all, but if you can't take a taxi to go to the next spot to make beautiful memories, how would you have a good experience?
In Canada, you are stabbed and mugged in broad daylight. You cannot walk outside at night or use public transport in some dangerous areas. Eating out is not a daily occurrence in Canada because it is very expensive, and the quality of food you get in stabul for 400 lira is comparable to 5 star restaurants in Canada for much more money. Also, the Canadian transport system is terrible, yet he expects Istanbul to be completely problem-free? I recently returned from spending 15 great days in Istanbul, and sure, I experienced a lot of what he described in the video in some regions of Istanbul, but I also experienced the same in Latin America, Thailand, and Egypt. That's the price tag that comes with travelling and he did not do his homework.
I'm not Egyptian. I wish. That was my first trip to Egypt. But yes my mom was born there, but she only lived there briefly before she had to go back to South Arabia, which is now united in one country called Yemen. But even then, they moved to the UK, then UAE before going back. And I lived briefly too in Malaysia. I don't like saying that I'm from Yemen because Canada has always been my real mother. She adopted me, raised me, gave me education, and a better chance in life. She, too, is not high on ideology or substances. Only canada deserves in my perspective all my love and admiration. So, no, I'm not Egyptian. I don't carry any papers that are Egyptian. But I find egypt to be the other mother in that part of the world and probably the only one that gave home to many people that lost their home. It did so to the Syrians, yemenis, Sudanese now and it did so a long time ago to the Greeks and other Europeans. Even when you read about anciant Egyptians "far away from biblical mythology," they also were generous in giving home to anyone coming from outside of Egypt. If what you're asking is why I have a soft spot for Egypt, that is why.
I have been there 5 times, it's amazing. The problem you have like most travellers you don't do your research before going. What is it with you people, live life and enjoy
Just 2 things you have to be careful about are 1- don't go anywhere by taxi (just use public transportations) 2- don't eat anything at where menu isn't avaible. Just be smart, scammmers are everywhere in the world.
Thanks for this video. It is so true that if you start checking other Yutube videos, everybody says how amazing Istanbul is, how great the transportation is, how delicious is the cuisine and that you should go watch Hagia Sophia and go to those trendy neighborhoods, full of small cafes. But the truth is that from the moment you step out of the airport every person you will be facing as a tourist will most probably try to scam you. Taxi drivers, shop owners, cafes, the hotel you booked and even the official tourist attractions. Taxi drivers are telling you about the extra charges for the roads. Shop owners will give you random extra high prices, because you are a foreigner. Hotels will tell that your room is already gone and there was a mistake and you have to pay extra or take another room. And even the officials put damn 25€ per person to enter the cathedral only because you are a foreigner and if you want to avoid the line, the price in the official website will double to 50€ pp (!). WTF? Everyone who says that the part of the tourism to avoid the traps and scams can stay without my money. No thanks. Tourism is about me coming, bringing my money to your place in order to enjoy it and not to pass the damn quest, the squid game of how not step on a mine of yet another scammer on my way to see the damn mosque. If that’s the famous Turkish hospitality, then enjoy your heritage yourself. In the end, it is really not that special and not that attractive, let’s be honest. Istanbul looks bad, it is badly kept, dirty and chaotic. Yes, the transport is frequent, but the whole infrastructure is bad and for all of that - it is way too expensive and unpleasant. And if someone says “well, you were unlucky not to meet the real Turkish people and culture” or "You should have known where you go", "You should have done your research first". Piss off! That’s not how things work. People come for a few days to your country and they are not supposed to go searching those proper experiences kept hidden from everyone like a treasure. Normal attitude should be accessible simply in those places where people go. But instead, Istanbul tolerates scammers and encourages them. Well, if you don’t want to welcome people, but rip them off, enjoy your shithole yourself.
I went there many years ago in the late 90s. I loved it. Interested to go again and see what it’s like now. I was there in winter so I guess it wasn’t quite so busy. Sucks to be scammed though and it is so unfortunate that a minority of people can leave a bad taste in your mouth when in reality the majority are wonderful. Doesn’t matter where. You should try some other cities and towns in Turkey. I found the country people to be very friendly and trustworthy and hospitable.
I am from Turkey and went to Egypt a week ago and searched for traps and scams even if I went with a tour an experienced tour guide...this doesn't mean I would never go country again...I have been scammed in Italy by a taxi driver for the Milano Isaloni design fair...
You seem like you went to Istanbul just to say negative things. I don’t think you wanted to enjoy the city even for a second. I have an advice for you, please don’t go to Turkey again if you hate that much. I understand most Arabs hate Turkey just like you, but that doesn’t mean you have to say stuff which is not real. Good luck you in Egypt, and please stay there.
Why would anyone hate a country? Someone could have a bad experience in a city. But hating a country just sounds like an exaggeration. Watch the video again and see if I mentioned anything about turkish people or turkey. If anything, I said they are nice even though they seem rough around the edges. I also mentioned that it's hard to find English speaking people. I also said, I'll go the next time to another part of Turkey that's a lot calmer. I said too that the country is gorgeous. Watch the video, then come back and tell me if I said anything about turkey. I also didn't mention anything about Arabs. I mentioned a little segment on my experience in Egypt as a tourist. If you notice too, my cousins are the ones that recommended me to visit turkey. Do you think they don't like it? 🤔 you're funny 😄. All love and respect to the beautiful turkish people and all people from the world. I'm Canadian, by the way. We don't generalize because it's not logical. Love and respect to you too.
Yo Wael this content is EXCELLENT! 🏆 And Those taxi prices are ridiculous, this is important info to know prior to traveling there. Also How easy was it to communicate in english there?
Thanks, Qutz. It wasn't easy, actually. Not even in the airport. It was much easier to find people who spoke English in Egypt. The kids in the area I was staying all spoke English.
Why didn't you take the bus/tram/subway/ferry? Istanbul has an excellent public transportation system; it's reliable, cheap, and good. I highly recommend you take at least a ferry ride to somewhere further away from where you were. (The public ferry, please, and not the Bosphorus Tour ferry.)
Please do not forget that Istanbul is a city of 20 million people and be objective. In addition, Türkiye is the 4th country visited by the most tourists in the world. 50-60 million people visit this magnificent country every year. It is a world-historical country with its rich culture, history and unique food. 2 of the 7 wonders of the world are in this country. In addition, Istanbul is the only city in the world that was the capital of the Byzantine, Eastern Roman and Ottoman empires, that is, the 3 largest empires..
I respect you, I am commenting as someone who visits Turkey every year. The only thing that attracts your attention is that you have a prejudiced approach. Yes, you are right, fraud is a very bad experience, but rest assured, I have experienced this in New York, Paris and Rome, but I never said not to go there. The title of the video seems terrible because it gives the impression that you are criticizing the whole country and the Turkish people because you made a video saying "don't go to Istanbul". If I were you, I would change the title to a more positive one.
@fidel7498 I appreciate your input. The title is simply what I thought would bring attention. But in the video, I try to be fair. I mentioned it a lot that the country is beautiful. I also mentioned that the Asian side of Istanbul is a lot more calm than the European part. I also tell people not to let my experience discourage them from visiting it. It's merely an advice to avoid having a bad experience. I myself want to visit other parts of Turkey because I think they look amazing. But next time, before even leaving the airport, I'll just rent a car and will enjoy my trip. Also New York and other cities do have scams, but Uber or taxi is always your ticket out of a bad situation. Not in Istanbul. In there, you're stuck. Also, the Turkish people I know in Canada are the reason why I wanted to visit Turkey. My Turkish friends here are amazing. Some of the people I met even in the European part are fantastic. The hotel concierge, for instance, was really nice. I never said anything bad about the people. They're just as any other population. They wake up, go to work, eat food, sleep, and wake up to work the next day. I'm talking about the scammers in particular that I interacted with.
I just watched your video cause my friend was telling me about Istanbul scamming that she just experienced. Your production quality is amazing and then I checked out your other videos than saw you are into fishing. I love fishing, I live in NYC, if you ever come to NYC we should go fishing 🎣
In Istanbul, the scammers search for middle eastern singles guys as fair game. No offense but many Arabic men come to İstanbul for certain reasons and get scammed easily…
Nobody mentioned about the breakfast price so i wanna say it’s not a scam actually. The currency is not stable. Turkish Lira is losing value every single day. That means the restaurant is also spending more money on everything from electricity to their rent, workers salary, the product they buy and other everything. Thats why they increase the prices. But just because the money is losing value, at the end paying 250 TL few years or months ago and paying 650 now might be the same amount in Dollar or Euro. Its just inflation. But you could find better breakfast much more cheaper in different areas. So instead of checking prices in TL, better to ask your cousin how much did it cost in Dollar the day she/he visit that restaurant 😊
That's a reasonable suggestion. That's why I didn't talk much about the restaurant. I was just not happy because I saw other people next to me pay less.
How are you an experienced traveler but so dumb to get scammed so easily. For one you should do your research before hand . Regardless of doing research it's common sense with the taxis and the club scam
That's not normal, though, after Uber changed the game. Taxi drivers in North America lost all their power. Even if one wants to scam you, they can add a little extra to your bill, but not charge you 10 times the price. That's just a little too much. I wouldn't care if they charged me a tourist's price, but in Istanbul, it was some astronomical numbers that stopped making sense. Also they kept canceling one after the other. They all use the uber app, but none of them follow the uber rules. I used uber in Egypt and it was so good, I paid them all the maximum tip. About the bar, that was curiosity to be honest. I just wanted to see. I didn't expect an entire bar still open up to become a scam rather than a regular bar.
@@AdventuresFactory crazy because i always wanted To go to Egypt but after seeing so many videos about scammers in Egypt. İ took it off my list. İ went to İstanbul three years in a row. This year I'ma pass because it got boring the last time. But i never got i scammed. Just the first time I was there when i bought a hookah set to bring back to America. But i watched some videos beforehand and everyone says avoid taking taxis
Maybe, but based on my experience so far, I'd take getting scammed in Egypt any day. The scam average is about $0.20-5. If you consider people asking you for tips or financial help a scam. You get a lot of that at the pyramids and maybe Khan El Khalili. Other than that, I never really experienced anything else.
You probably could enjoy it if you go to other towns and cities. The country is very beautiful. Just try to hire a guide or bring a turkish friend. It was prettier than Athens by miles. There's a place called Princess Island that's crazy beautiful.
Istanbul is not Turkey! Stay away from major cities and that goes for every major city in the world. If you go outside of these cities you will get to experience the real country and the people. Turkey is famous for being very visitor friendly!
Everyone always gives me a hard time for eating at burger king when I went to Istanbuls tourist area. But honestly what's the benefit of eating at those ripoff restaurants.
every mistake possible never take a cab..never go to a bar..never rent a car..hotel never taxim...public transport takes you everywhere for pennies..all the tourist places are close..you messed up..just finishing 2 weeks in Istanbul spent mabey 25 per day food and transport
I have heard a lot about those scams, but I have never encountered it being a full week in Istanbul alone. I find it actually quite weird how you say; "The place looked so scammy, everything js fake, and they asked me to buy a drink for the lady and I said 'no problem'." Why would you do that in a shady, fake-looking bar, in the first place. Secondly, you said it's 750 lira, which is about 50$, then on day 2 you say that 600 Lira is about 22$. Even the math isn't correct. I find this video to be more shady than the city of Istanbul in my honest opinion. Oh, edit: I think taxidrivers are horrible people in every country, so those don't count. You should avoid them anyway, in any country. I took busses and metro's all around Turkey, they rarely cost more than 70ct (euro) per ride. The intercity busses (2+h drives) obviously cost more, but they are cheap as well. I paid 350 lira (€9,95) for a 7 hour drive.
Many people that visited Istanbul recently say that it's not worth it anymore. Taxi scams, restaurant scams, street scams. Everyone wants extra money. Taxi drivers there are some of the most rude people ever. I find this very disappointing because I loved Istanbul when I visited back in February 2019.
Every city in the world has its bad sides. When you visit a country or a city, you should focus on the good things rather than the bad things. Bad attracts bad.
After watching your video carefully, I believe that you wanted to get scammed and now you’re complaining like an old woman. it’s your fault because just look at you the way you talk ,the way you act , you asking to be scammed.
They're not rude. It's just when they don't speak the language, they tend to seem rough. Like for example, Slavic cultures. If you're not familiar with them, you'd think they're mad at you, as they talk, when in reality they're not really mad, but it's just the way they talk because of literal translation. They won't say "hi, how are you?" For example, because to them, it sounds fake. They'll just say hi. And when you say it to a stranger, they'll think you're a phony. Because you don't even know them, why ask about their life. But to us, it's just a matter of being warm and polite. Just different cultures.
@@AdventuresFactoryTheir friendliness is fake, the only thing that counts for them is money, and it happens from time to time that they become violent towards tourists. As a Turk, I don't go to Turkey myself! The people themselves are of no quality there, so you don't have to expect that the vacation will be good.
@@RodiBeatzIt depends on who. They behave very racist towards Arabs but towards Europeans they would sell all their honor to make themselves popular. I wouldn't call them "nationalists" either, there are Germans who have lived there for 20 years and get recognition without learning a word of Turkish! On the contrary, the Turks, i.e. the locals there, adapt to the foreigners and learn German to show that they are "Europeans"........real nationalists would never act like that! I have traveled to many countries and don't know any other people who make such a fool of them in their own country! Many tourists from Europe only go there because it's cheap, they lie on the beach all week and don't see anything of Turkish culture! Those who like quality go somewhere else!
I heard it's not very safe for Egyptians to be in Turkey. There's no reason why period's probably because of my great migrant people from Egypt to Turkey who knows??
If there's too much scamming in a city or country to visit, then it's not worth visiting and this year. In a legit tourism company with the group of people and economists interpreter and all that that becomes included. But it seems like a stressful period same as visiting Egypt. I watched all the videos of the hagglers, the hassle. And I don't know what else just to look at the pyramids. It's not worth it. The same as visiting brazil that's what i've been observing many videos
As a Turk, taxi drivers have been on our agenda for about a year or two (maybe longer). This is happening because of our government's senseless hatred of uber and shared taxis. They do the same tricks not only to you but also to a Turkish tourist going to Istanbul because tourists don't know the way. People trying to sell things around will not harm you. It is best to ignore them and walk past them. Istanbul is a great city but it has been ruined by the influx of immigration and refugees from the east of our country.
thank you for the video, what is the difference between Istanbul vs Cairo and which one do you like more and why? i want to go with my wife to one of the destinations.
I would say it's harder to get alcohol in Egypt, Even though it's available, it costs an arm and a leg. You'll never get wasted at a bar in Egypt. But you can always bring 2 L with you and get it delivered to the Airbnb. Egyptian scammers were much nicer to me. At least they smiled and made me feel good. Egypt has desert beauty, yet turkey has infrastructure beauty. Egyptians spoke English everywhere, yet Turkey seemed impossible to find english speakers. In both places, avoid staying in tourist areas. Take an airbnb in expad areas and visit the tourist places, otherwise you'll have a bad time. Expad areas in Egypt are an experience, in turkey, it just looks like your average neighborhood. Egypt is much cheaper, even if they give you a tourist's price. Your money will feel larger than life in Egypt. People in general feel more grumpy in Turkey. Food is good in both places, but my stomach was less happy in Egypt. Ancient Egyptian history is much more interesting than abrahamic history. There are a lot more characters, gods, things out of the ordinary to see, stories, buildings, etc. To be honest, in my opinion, I would choose Greece first, then Egypt, then Turkey. All of them have a similar ticket price from North America, but Greece offers all the pluses and more. I didn't feel like leaving Egypt, but I ran away from Istanbul. I've seen many places in Turkey on TH-cam that look stunning, but you can always get that in Greece. People in Greece are larger than life. They're welcoming, generous, polite, and they go out of their way to speak to you, help you out, etc. Food is not that fancy in Greece, but the ingredients taste amazing. A 1 L bottle of wine costs 3-4 Euros at any corner store. Their history is fascinating. People speak English everywhere. It's one of my favorite countries.
Not trying to sound like a hater but were you really that naive to fall for the bar scam and at 10:49 €20 for all those that you have in the table does sound expensive at all. Seems like a fair price. Anyway appart from these two I like the style of your vlog. Keep it up!
No.. I usually tip, especially when I use my camera. My tip alone is $20. But why does the table next to me pay $10 and I pay more? I tipped people left right and center in Egypt. But they didn't try to change me extra except at the pyramids or museums because they have a foreign price and a local for the attractions. A restaurant is not an attraction. Had they charged me the same price as everyone else, I would have tipped them 50% to 70%. Even the Ubers, I never received a message from any uber driver asking me to change the price. But in Istanbul 9 out of 10 times they sent me a message asking me for astronomical prices. $40 US up to $80 for a 10-minute ride. Why? Say Uber says $20 on the app, but the driver will request $60. Simply because you're at the European area. Or sometimes they take you, and before he drops you, he tells you, "You have to pay $40" on top of the $20 that's already coming out of your credit card. I don't care, if I know that's the price for everyone, but I have a problem with price discrimination. Especially if they think you're from the Gulf or hear that you're from the west. They don't do it nice either. They get in your face to tell it to you with an aggressive tone.
1-Never and ever believe a man who promises a good club that you can find nice ladies :). 2-Taxi scammers have been a huge problem not only for tourists and also for us local citizens. There could be some solutions but even these solutions are not enough. 3- Dining in a restaurant in bosphorus area always is most expensive. İ had one kalamari and one sea trout and two cokes the bill is 250 lira in 2018 on that time 1 dollar was around 5-6 liras so the bill was 50 dollars in a fish restaurant in Beykoz. İ am a local, it was not a scam but beware of boshorus restaurants(cafes and clubs also), if you don't want to overpay.
My wife and I almost got stabbed in the beyoglu district, the city has still many rough areas, the poverty level is still high, keep in mind you're not going to an European destination.
You seem to be a novice traveler. Before travelling you need to do a little bit of research and preparation. Also please change the title of this video.
Taxi scams are the worst in Istanbul - The city official must do better, this is taking away from potential tourists visits. So short sighted. gaining a few bucks loosing 100s in Hotel and Shopping expenditures. This is why Turkey still not considered a real European country.
@@AdventuresFactory I love comments like I have been to Istanbul and it's better than any US or Canadian cities. Go pound sand that's my reply. Never in my life living in NYC or now in San Diego ever had to argue about cab fare ever. White washing these blatant issues is not helping the city. As I visit Istanbul at least once a year.
@AdventuresFactory , the VISA booth is right on your right as you enter the airport. Buying the visa online is EXPENSIVE but in the airport is $30 for 6 months.
The prices of everything have increased. Since that was a good and big breakfast with a view of the Bosphorus, I'd say 650TL is the normal price, and can even be considered reasonable (£16 or so). I am sure it used to be half the price, in pounds or dollars too, but as they say, that was then and this is now.
Agia Sophia was an Eastern Orthodox Church. Like the Vatican is to Roman Catholic. Erdogan recently converted it from a museum to a mosque. He just converted an orthodox monastery to a mosque too. No tolerance for other religions. Sad
Not right was a mosque officially bought from christian church from Mohamed Fatih sultan which is the opposite in Andalusia Spain when Europe conquer Andalusia they forced every Muslim family to be converted or immigrate or be killed and punished And every mosque either demolished or converted to a church Europe has no single mosque in old times no Mercy to other religions despite Muslim word full of churchs , temples for other religions
Worst video ever seen everything is so negative NO GOOD VIBES gave me a headache.🤯 NOTHING POSITIVE SMH SORRY I HAD A GREAT TIME,FOOD WAS AMAZING, PEOPLE & Where I stayed it was amazing 5 star 🤩 on the water🩵
Istanbul local taxi, restaurants, are so aggressive towards tourists. They see you as a dollar bill. Tourists are so dehumanised it doesn’t make sense to visit ever again! They even charge tourists extra for a simple SIM card.
Men I like your style u are very funny and interesting I just came back from Istanbul vac u explained everything as it is I am waiting for your Greece now thanks.
I already posted one video about Greece. I'm just dealing with a lot now, but I'll get working on videos again. Thank you for taking the time to watch the videos. Your words are encouraging.
Ok. I'm at minute 3:48. I have 2 comments and I won't watch the rest, because 2 strikes in first few minutes is too much. If you have vape and smoke it you won't get in trouble. I often see people smoking it at the street. However producing and importing it is banned. If you are over 18 you can bring it with you for personal use. You may or may not know it beforehand but imo it would be nice to cover all aspects if you are making this kind of video. As for the bar, omg why are you following strange a guy to a shady place. There are a lot of pubs/ bars in İstanbul, especially around İstiklal caddesi. You can buy a 0,5 liter beer bottle for less then 50 liras from grocery store. Why are you following a weird guy to pay triple to price?
I mentioned that in the video. And as for the shady person, you can call it curiosity. 😆.. I wanted to know why he's very persistent, and I wanted to know what I'm going to warn anyone who's going to Istanbul about. This scam is very new to me.
It’s unfortunate, but I’ve been through something eerily similar myself, so I completely understand how unsettling it can be. In my case, it was early afternoon when an older, sophisticated man approached me on the street. He struck up a friendly conversation and then insisted I join him for tea at his coffee shop to experience "Turkish hospitality." Despite my initial refusals and the excuse that I had friends waiting (which wasn’t true, but I wanted an exit strategy), I eventually agreed to a single cup of tea. Once inside, the place felt off-like something out of a low-budget movie. The tea they served was in a ridiculously small cup, and before I knew it, some older women joined our table, along with the man who claimed the place was his. I tried to leave after about 30 minutes, but suddenly a group of intimidating men appeared, demanding I pay for my tea, the man’s tea, and the drinks of the women-people I didn’t even know. When I protested, they became aggressive. Realizing something was seriously wrong, I decided to just pay to get out of there. But the bill was outrageous, demanding thousands of liras. As I began to argue, I started feeling incredibly ill-blurry vision, nausea, chills, weakness. I knew something was very wrong. I threw whatever cash I had at them and got out as quickly as I could, heading straight back to my hotel. The next 48 hours were hell-I was violently sick, trying to purge whatever drug they’d given me by vomiting and drinking lots of water. That experience completely ruined what should have been a wonderful stay in the beautiful city of Istanbul. But despite this bad experience, I want to emphasize that Istanbul is an incredibly beautiful place, rich in history and culture, and absolutely worth visiting. In fact, despite what happened, I’m actually planning to return soon-this will be my first time back since that unfortunate incident. I’m determined not to let one bad experience overshadow the beauty and allure of the city.
That's actually terrible. You never know. It's a small price in comparison to waking up in a tub full of ice and a piece of paper with the emergency number asking you to not move before they come. I don't know if it's a thing in Turkey, but I remember that was the hype in East Asia when I used to live there.
I’m surprised you got scammed by so many ppl… I’m a foreigner and was there for around two weeks and never got harassed or scammed by anyone… well I guess I did get harassed a little on the Fatih side by the Syrian street beggars… but that’s minor :)
I only spoke about my personal experience in Istanbul. I didn't mention the rest of Turkey. I'm sure it's the most touristic place in the country. And I know a lot of other places in Turkey should be less hectic. The city is brilliant, I just had to watch my back 24hrs. I didn't feel like that in the Asian side of the city.
@@AdventuresFactory I'm sorry to hear that you were treated like that. But I promise you, we the real Turks do not tolerate that kind. And believe me they are delt with, when we are notified.
I didn't plan to stay too long. Istanbul was on my way to the Czech Republic. Which was my destination, but I ended up going to other countries and not Czech Republic. Lol
In China. Straight from the airport some drivers will approach and wont go away keep follow you. Just make sure they would leave you. And find a legit taxi egere drivers are waiting in the car or book a airport drop off service
It's cheap and in the heart of Istiklal st. You can get a room for $40 bucks. The guys in there spoke better English than the airport staff, too. Very nice, guys.
@@istanbulportrait that's according to your Quran not me as a prophet. Go read your Quran and you'll know that it clearly states Muslims prayers will NOT be heard in a CHURCH. Now SICK DEER
Without watching the whole video i don't get why he went to the bar when he was invited. that scam is well known. Guy should do his due diligence. Unfortunately in some places scams are more common.
Bro you are a nice Human being but always remember when we travel at most of tourist places all they want from you is money and that is the harsh reality of this world
thankyou for this amazing video, it almost felt like a documentary. i watched every single minute with full of suspense not like a tour video to just enjoy.
There is so many other ways to get around Istanbul besides a taxi. Buses, trams, metro, dolmus, ferry boats. Asian side is more where locals live so better prices. And there are some beautiful places on the Asian side as well. You always fill the gas when you drop the car back off at a rental car place we do that in the United States too. Dude you look like you are asking for trouble everywhere you went. Why you giving strangers money seriously?
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A beautiful city ruined by scammers. Wouldn't go again.
This video is all about blackmailing. Almost every restaurant serves Turkish breakfast. No-one approaches me when I am on the street, if they ask for something say " Sorry have no time" simple. Go always where locals go. Every taxi-cab has a meter, installed in the front mirror. They have a starting fare about 70p. Don't negotiate the price, but make sure they turn it on. Taxi fares are very affordable. You don't need Uber. There are yellow buttons on the lamp posts. They will be there in 1-3 mins. If you are looking for scams the streets of Paris offer greater variety. Enjoy.
Thank you for the advice. Can you explain the yellow button?
ım from turkey even same things happend to me in 1996
ı vent this pub to watch basketbol game(efes pilsen) cause says front door that
they show the game ı order my beer but just after 5 minutes 3/4 girls sit on may table
and waiter ask them if girls want drink and ı realise straith away sayin no no
and ı left place immeditly.
taxi will take you for long route even if you show them the right way on google they will take the closest highway where you can not get out of the car and will overcharge you
@@tanerkorkmaz3343 ım not from turkey but I'm from Turkey or Turkiye. In 1996, AKP or Erdoğan was not a president and inflation was %500, women were not allowed to cover their head with headscarf, have higher education and work at hospital as nurses, doctors or become engineers. I wasn't allowed to wear short and mini skirts than unlike, now.
05/2024, stil the same scamming. Trip with taxi 500 lira and normal price 164lira. You ask a trip with meter, 2 blocks later he says many traffic its 500 lira. 4 times today i stoped the driver en get off the taxi. Not all drivers, a honnest driver gets a good tip and respect for those who are descent en honnest. Beautifull city but for me was the last time.
Everyone’s experience are unique. My wife’s cousin worked in Egypt for a few months and absolutely hated the place. Cairo, according to him, was full of scammers and very crowded He said that Istanbul was far more pleasant place to visit. As for my recent trip to Istanbul, my wife and I were there to visit the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Ayup Sultan’s Mosque and tomb. We had no interest in Taksim or Istiklal Street. We stayed in an excellent little hotel across from Sultanahmet Park. The Turkish breakfast buffet was included with the room. The hotel arranged airport transfers. The only scammers we encountered were the annoying people trying to sell us carpets or leather jackets and the people trying to get people to enter shops or restaurants. A rule of thumb is to avoid shops and restaurants that use people to lure customers. We shopped only in places where the merchant wasn’t aggressive or obnoxious. We ate in places that were full of locals. We enjoyed Istanbul more than any American or Western European city we’ve visited. We definitely intend to return to Istanbul and visit of destinations in Turkey.
That sounds reasonable.
So you did not take a Taxi? Even Turkish non or Istanbul residents always complain about their scams. Please do not white wash it, it's a common practice in Istanbul.
I’ve been scammed and drugged in taksseem street, I still haven’t listened to your story yet, but it brought back some bad memories…the state should definitely do something to stop them.
It's the same, but with liquor.
I was a single female traveller to Turkey. A guy came up to me in Taksim square, invited me to his carpet shop , gave me tea and coffee when I got there then tried selling me a carpet. I bought a cheapish one. Afterwards he invited me to smoke hookah with him and his friends...anyway around 9pm I tried getting a taxi. Had the same problem with the taxi couldn't get one...the guy took me back to my hotel on his motorbike then said goodnight and drove off.
Damn I kinda get a shiver down my spine when I think how brave I was back then 😅
Dude you are from egypt and you talk about scams in istanbul? Lol
I'm not from Egypt.
All the comments saying he should be prepared about different things prove his point honestly. I loved Istanbul, but I stand with every person whose experience wasn't ideal because he got scammed in one of a thousand ways you can get scammed in Istanbul. Let's not normalize this for places intended for Tourism. It is not normal to have to research the place extensively in order for your holidays to not be ruined by a scammer.
My buddy - ALL these scams have been well documented. You just have to do your homework and be prepared and then you will be fine. I went to Istanbul solo for 8-9 days in December of 2022 and I saw most of these scams coming at me from a mile away and i just kept chugging along. I would love to go to Istanbul again. You go unprepared, you will obviously leave with a bad taste in your mouth.
I'm sure that's the case. oh no.. next time, I know. honestly, I could care less for all the scammers, but the Taxis Ubers left me a sour taste every day. Next time I go I'll rent a car from the airport and go to other cities and towns.
Public transport is very affordable, there is no reason why you should rent a car or take taxi@@AdventuresFactory
He's just doing it for the video views and who knows if he's even telling the truth about the club scam. The taxi skeem happens in every country
That club scam is right. Even they scam locals sometimes if u r so hunger for women
@@AdventuresFactory My friend, if you come to Turkey next time, I will be happy to give you recommendations for places to visit. I am sure you will return very happy. I can give you directions via message. All you have to do is tell me the cities you want to visit and your areas of interest.
Man went to a country without doing his due diligence. Not surprising
He is the tourist. He should be treated with respect. He didn't have to visit.
For me Istanbul is amazing, going for the 5th time next month. I have stayed in the European part each time. Unfortunate you got scammed but as a traveler you should have researched the scams/transport. The trams/ferrys/buses are amazing and cheap to get to A-Z.
I think it is unfair for people to blame the creator for being subjected to scams. A nation should strive for their country to be safer for everyone.
I was born in İstanbul and I don’t go those places and you could perfectly use the public transportation, taksim is super well connected with metro&bus&tram. No need to hire a car, traffic is terrible.
As a local I don’t even use taxi and I do negotiate before, also I call the number 153 to complain.
This “bar scam”, known as “pavyon”, is a shitty place, you might end up very badly so you should be really grateful that it didn’t happen. Anywhere in the work I wouldn’t go to a bar calling me for a beer or whatsoever 😊
As I understand from your trip you were in like shittiest places ever. Next time consider stay in Beşiktaş or Kadıköy.
You can try a Meyhane next time, with mezes for example if you want to experience a local thing. Eat kokoreç from Reks (Kadikoy), mussels with beer, try islak hamburger on Kizilkayalar, go to Kumkapı for meyhanes, go to breakfast street in Beşiktaş etc etc…
And buy from supermarkets like Bim, Migros so that they cannot charge you extra.
Just avoid istiklal and taksim… please please
Also don’t compare İstanbul with Egypt, for gods sake! Different cultures
I appreciate the advice. I'll definitely try it. I hope it's good.
Bravo 👏🏻❤️
@@AdventuresFactorymake sure you follow their advice for anywhere you travel 8n the world. It’s common sense.
Thank you for your comments! I'm Turkish too...please don't compare Cairo to Istanbul even if Cairo is a great place to visit…please don't 😡
It was an exaggerated video. I leave the taxi issue out. The taxi issue is also a big problem for the locals. The government could solve this problem tomorrow if it wanted to, but for some reason it doesn't. Use public transport. Both fast and cheap. I have been travelling to Turkey since 2016. Turkey is one of the most beautiful and vibrant countries in the world. The people are extremely helpful and friendly. It is one of my favourite countries with its places to visit, holiday resorts, beaches, nature and food.
That's what I've been hearing from everyone, but I just simply didn't have the same experience. I'm still planning to go back to a different city. Maybe Ankara or something. I hear it's calm and beautiful there.
That bar scam is in many cities abroad, even in Japan. How could you fall for this?
istanbul is definitly not a place you just willy nilly go anywhere you like . there are certain things you should avoid for sure. like that bar scam. thats famous .
every place has its ups and downs . im iranian been to Istanbul 2 times . its a really beautiful city . lots of great food and great weather. price is also cheap compared to other major cities . all in all its a great place to visit , but you have to know where not to go. it can get dangerous in certain areas . and you should never trust random people who come up to you same as in with most cities
For sure
Exactly. This is true for any city or country you visit in the world. There’s no excuse for falling into scams when a simple Google search will help you learn what to watch out for. Plus use your head. A lot of it is common sense. He continually exposed himself and knew he was doing it.
It is mind-boggling that you did not try to use trams/ferries/buses because it is amazing and cheap to get around for $0.85 a trip
I'm from Toronto. Our transportation system is not the greatest. I usually would rather walk than take the TTC. Lol 😆. It's mostly psychological. 😅.. it's an old system, very loud, too much goes on and too many issues and delays.
i am a turk studying in istanbul and once i was alone a man who was probably syrian or afghan ( i couldnt understand but it was farsi or arabic )thought i was a tourist and tried to scam me . I got so angry thinking that he probably scammed all day long so many tourists , i saw a police officer and runned to him but he left in a few seconds and run away . Everytime i see such people ruinning someones trip i feel so agressive and im really so sorry for you . Istanbuls population was 9 million in the year 2000 and now it is almost 20 million with the illegal immigrants and refugees and the migration from anatolia and eastern turkey. The main population ( my relatives too) have leaved the city cause it was impossible to live cheerful there. And they get replaced with turks from the east and other immigrants doing illegal things all the time. We cant walk in eminönü anymore without getting in trouble . My grandparents are getting very emotional when we are travelling to istanbul and they see what they did to their hometown.
" Don't let my experience discourage you from going to Istanbul" then names video " Don't go to Istanbul" lol it's a little extreme don't you think?
Here is my advice, you can definitely point out the negative sides and warn people of scams etc but these things happen literally almost everywhere. That doesn't mean that you cannot also look at the positive things and let's be honest, the city provides a lot of beautiful and memorable things to experience as well.
It does indeed! I loved the architecture and all, but if you can't take a taxi to go to the next spot to make beautiful memories, how would you have a good experience?
@@AdventuresFactory use public transport or rent a car.
@@emregomecoglu I ended up renting a car
i don't think so , this is an honest and straight forward video . the guy record everything as simple as that .
In Canada, you are stabbed and mugged in broad daylight. You cannot walk outside at night or use public transport in some dangerous areas. Eating out is not a daily occurrence in Canada because it is very expensive, and the quality of food you get in stabul for 400 lira is comparable to 5 star restaurants in Canada for much more money. Also, the Canadian transport system is terrible, yet he expects Istanbul to be completely problem-free? I recently returned from spending 15 great days in Istanbul, and sure, I experienced a lot of what he described in the video in some regions of Istanbul, but I also experienced the same in Latin America, Thailand, and Egypt. That's the price tag that comes with travelling and he did not do his homework.
egyptian who pretends to be canadian.😂 genius promo
I'm not Egyptian. I wish. That was my first trip to Egypt. But yes my mom was born there, but she only lived there briefly before she had to go back to South Arabia, which is now united in one country called Yemen. But even then, they moved to the UK, then UAE before going back. And I lived briefly too in Malaysia. I don't like saying that I'm from Yemen because Canada has always been my real mother. She adopted me, raised me, gave me education, and a better chance in life. She, too, is not high on ideology or substances. Only canada deserves in my perspective all my love and admiration. So, no, I'm not Egyptian. I don't carry any papers that are Egyptian. But I find egypt to be the other mother in that part of the world and probably the only one that gave home to many people that lost their home. It did so to the Syrians, yemenis, Sudanese now and it did so a long time ago to the Greeks and other Europeans. Even when you read about anciant Egyptians "far away from biblical mythology," they also were generous in giving home to anyone coming from outside of Egypt. If what you're asking is why I have a soft spot for Egypt, that is why.
I have been there 5 times, it's amazing. The problem you have like most travellers you don't do your research before going.
What is it with you people, live life and enjoy
he wants to get scammed for clickbait
Istanbul is one of our favorite cities in the world! Such a fascinating place.
it is, actually. I wish they could control the scams and regulate the taxi prices.
Just a very racist and nationalistic country but sure
There are scams everywhere. It's on you to be careful
Istanbul was the worst for me. I did not like it.
I didn’t like İstanbul either too crowded not developed very old gothic you’ll be bored after a day
Just 2 things you have to be careful about are 1- don't go anywhere by taxi (just use public transportations) 2- don't eat anything at where menu isn't avaible. Just be smart, scammmers are everywhere in the world.
Missing nothing in this country. I'm with you. The people make the country. Lot of chaos for a little joy.
Thanks for this inside experience.
I went to Istanbul 4 times and not a single problem 🤷♀️
Thanks for this video. It is so true that if you start checking other Yutube videos, everybody says how amazing Istanbul is, how great the transportation is, how delicious is the cuisine and that you should go watch Hagia Sophia and go to those trendy neighborhoods, full of small cafes.
But the truth is that from the moment you step out of the airport every person you will be facing as a tourist will most probably try to scam you. Taxi drivers, shop owners, cafes, the hotel you booked and even the official tourist attractions.
Taxi drivers are telling you about the extra charges for the roads. Shop owners will give you random extra high prices, because you are a foreigner. Hotels will tell that your room is already gone and there was a mistake and you have to pay extra or take another room. And even the officials put damn 25€ per person to enter the cathedral only because you are a foreigner and if you want to avoid the line, the price in the official website will double to 50€ pp (!). WTF?
Everyone who says that the part of the tourism to avoid the traps and scams can stay without my money. No thanks. Tourism is about me coming, bringing my money to your place in order to enjoy it and not to pass the damn quest, the squid game of how not step on a mine of yet another scammer on my way to see the damn mosque.
If that’s the famous Turkish hospitality, then enjoy your heritage yourself. In the end, it is really not that special and not that attractive, let’s be honest. Istanbul looks bad, it is badly kept, dirty and chaotic. Yes, the transport is frequent, but the whole infrastructure is bad and for all of that - it is way too expensive and unpleasant.
And if someone says “well, you were unlucky not to meet the real Turkish people and culture” or "You should have known where you go", "You should have done your research first". Piss off! That’s not how things work. People come for a few days to your country and they are not supposed to go searching those proper experiences kept hidden from everyone like a treasure. Normal attitude should be accessible simply in those places where people go. But instead, Istanbul tolerates scammers and encourages them. Well, if you don’t want to welcome people, but rip them off, enjoy your shithole yourself.
I went there many years ago in the late 90s. I loved it. Interested to go again and see what it’s like now. I was there in winter so I guess it wasn’t quite so busy. Sucks to be scammed though and it is so unfortunate that a minority of people can leave a bad taste in your mouth when in reality the majority are wonderful. Doesn’t matter where. You should try some other cities and towns in Turkey. I found the country people to be very friendly and trustworthy and hospitable.
Yes I heard that's the case in the majority of the country. I'll probably give it another visit with a local this time.
I am from Turkey and went to Egypt a week ago and searched for traps and scams even if I went with a tour an experienced tour guide...this doesn't mean I would never go country again...I have been scammed in Italy by a taxi driver for the Milano Isaloni design fair...
I didn't complain about Turkey. I shared my experience at the European part of Istanbul, which is a city in Turkey.
You seem like you went to Istanbul just to say negative things. I don’t think you wanted to enjoy the city even for a second. I have an advice for you, please don’t go to Turkey again if you hate that much. I understand most Arabs hate Turkey just like you, but that doesn’t mean you have to say stuff which is not real. Good luck you in Egypt, and please stay there.
Why would anyone hate a country? Someone could have a bad experience in a city. But hating a country just sounds like an exaggeration. Watch the video again and see if I mentioned anything about turkish people or turkey. If anything, I said they are nice even though they seem rough around the edges. I also mentioned that it's hard to find English speaking people. I also said, I'll go the next time to another part of Turkey that's a lot calmer. I said too that the country is gorgeous. Watch the video, then come back and tell me if I said anything about turkey. I also didn't mention anything about Arabs. I mentioned a little segment on my experience in Egypt as a tourist. If you notice too, my cousins are the ones that recommended me to visit turkey. Do you think they don't like it? 🤔 you're funny 😄. All love and respect to the beautiful turkish people and all people from the world. I'm Canadian, by the way. We don't generalize because it's not logical. Love and respect to you too.
Yo Wael this content is EXCELLENT! 🏆
And Those taxi prices are ridiculous, this is important info to know prior to traveling there.
Also How easy was it to communicate in english there?
Thanks, Qutz. It wasn't easy, actually. Not even in the airport. It was much easier to find people who spoke English in Egypt. The kids in the area I was staying all spoke English.
Use Google translate. It’ll even speak for you. Simple.
Why didn't you take the bus/tram/subway/ferry? Istanbul has an excellent public transportation system; it's reliable, cheap, and good. I highly recommend you take at least a ferry ride to somewhere further away from where you were. (The public ferry, please, and not the Bosphorus Tour ferry.)
Please do not forget that Istanbul is a city of 20 million people and be objective. In addition, Türkiye is the 4th country visited by the most tourists in the world. 50-60 million people visit this magnificent country every year. It is a world-historical country with its rich culture, history and unique food. 2 of the 7 wonders of the world are in this country. In addition, Istanbul is the only city in the world that was the capital of the Byzantine, Eastern Roman and Ottoman empires, that is, the 3 largest empires..
No one is denying that. I'm just speaking of my experience in Istanbul. I haven't been elsewhere in Turkey yet.
I respect you, I am commenting as someone who visits Turkey every year. The only thing that attracts your attention is that you have a prejudiced approach. Yes, you are right, fraud is a very bad experience, but rest assured, I have experienced this in New York, Paris and Rome, but I never said not to go there. The title of the video seems terrible because it gives the impression that you are criticizing the whole country and the Turkish people because you made a video saying "don't go to Istanbul". If I were you, I would change the title to a more positive one.
@fidel7498 I appreciate your input. The title is simply what I thought would bring attention. But in the video, I try to be fair. I mentioned it a lot that the country is beautiful. I also mentioned that the Asian side of Istanbul is a lot more calm than the European part. I also tell people not to let my experience discourage them from visiting it. It's merely an advice to avoid having a bad experience. I myself want to visit other parts of Turkey because I think they look amazing. But next time, before even leaving the airport, I'll just rent a car and will enjoy my trip. Also New York and other cities do have scams, but Uber or taxi is always your ticket out of a bad situation. Not in Istanbul. In there, you're stuck. Also, the Turkish people I know in Canada are the reason why I wanted to visit Turkey. My Turkish friends here are amazing. Some of the people I met even in the European part are fantastic. The hotel concierge, for instance, was really nice. I never said anything bad about the people. They're just as any other population. They wake up, go to work, eat food, sleep, and wake up to work the next day. I'm talking about the scammers in particular that I interacted with.
I just watched your video cause my friend was telling me about Istanbul scamming that she just experienced. Your production quality is amazing and then I checked out your other videos than saw you are into fishing. I love fishing, I live in NYC, if you ever come to NYC we should go fishing 🎣
Absolutely, that would be amazing. Thanks for the encouragement.
You've obviously not been scammed in Soho in London yet. By the way I think it says MUG on your forehead.
😄 I think so.
In Istanbul, the scammers search for middle eastern singles guys as fair game. No offense but many Arabic men come to İstanbul for certain reasons and get scammed easily…
@@AdventuresFactory let alone if he goes to Naples 😆🤣
gitmeyin abi istanbul a gelmeeeyinnnn, hele ortadogudan hic gelmeyin
Nobody mentioned about the breakfast price so i wanna say it’s not a scam actually. The currency is not stable. Turkish Lira is losing value every single day. That means the restaurant is also spending more money on everything from electricity to their rent, workers salary, the product they buy and other everything. Thats why they increase the prices. But just because the money is losing value, at the end paying 250 TL few years or months ago and paying 650 now might be the same amount in Dollar or Euro. Its just inflation. But you could find better breakfast much more cheaper in different areas. So instead of checking prices in TL, better to ask your cousin how much did it cost in Dollar the day she/he visit that restaurant 😊
That's a reasonable suggestion. That's why I didn't talk much about the restaurant. I was just not happy because I saw other people next to me pay less.
How are you an experienced traveler but so dumb to get scammed so easily. For one you should do your research before hand . Regardless of doing research it's common sense with the taxis and the club scam
That's not normal, though, after Uber changed the game. Taxi drivers in North America lost all their power. Even if one wants to scam you, they can add a little extra to your bill, but not charge you 10 times the price. That's just a little too much. I wouldn't care if they charged me a tourist's price, but in Istanbul, it was some astronomical numbers that stopped making sense. Also they kept canceling one after the other. They all use the uber app, but none of them follow the uber rules. I used uber in Egypt and it was so good, I paid them all the maximum tip. About the bar, that was curiosity to be honest. I just wanted to see. I didn't expect an entire bar still open up to become a scam rather than a regular bar.
@@AdventuresFactory crazy because i always wanted To go to Egypt but after seeing so many videos about scammers in Egypt. İ took it off my list. İ went to İstanbul three years in a row. This year I'ma pass because it got boring the last time. But i never got i scammed. Just the first time I was there when i bought a hookah set to bring back to America. But i watched some videos beforehand and everyone says avoid taking taxis
The Most Famous Scammers Country is Egypt
Maybe, but based on my experience so far, I'd take getting scammed in Egypt any day. The scam average is about $0.20-5. If you consider people asking you for tips or financial help a scam. You get a lot of that at the pyramids and maybe Khan El Khalili. Other than that, I never really experienced anything else.
Yeah, not sure im visiting Turkey anytime soon lol, those prices & scammers would ruin it for me
You probably could enjoy it if you go to other towns and cities. The country is very beautiful. Just try to hire a guide or bring a turkish friend. It was prettier than Athens by miles. There's a place called Princess Island that's crazy beautiful.
Istanbul is not Turkey! Stay away from major cities and that goes for every major city in the world. If you go outside of these cities you will get to experience the real country and the people. Turkey is famous for being very visitor friendly!
Everyone always gives me a hard time for eating at burger king when I went to Istanbuls tourist area. But honestly what's the benefit of eating at those ripoff restaurants.
I went there and it was good.
every mistake possible never take a cab..never go to a bar..never rent a car..hotel never taxim...public transport takes you everywhere for pennies..all the tourist places are close..you messed up..just finishing 2 weeks in Istanbul spent mabey 25 per day food and transport
I have heard a lot about those scams, but I have never encountered it being a full week in Istanbul alone.
I find it actually quite weird how you say; "The place looked so scammy, everything js fake, and they asked me to buy a drink for the lady and I said 'no problem'."
Why would you do that in a shady, fake-looking bar, in the first place.
Secondly, you said it's 750 lira, which is about 50$, then on day 2 you say that 600 Lira is about 22$. Even the math isn't correct.
I find this video to be more shady than the city of Istanbul in my honest opinion.
Oh, edit: I think taxidrivers are horrible people in every country, so those don't count. You should avoid them anyway, in any country. I took busses and metro's all around Turkey, they rarely cost more than 70ct (euro) per ride. The intercity busses (2+h drives) obviously cost more, but they are cheap as well. I paid 350 lira (€9,95) for a 7 hour drive.
Many people that visited Istanbul recently say that it's not worth it anymore.
Taxi scams, restaurant scams, street scams. Everyone wants extra money.
Taxi drivers there are some of the most rude people ever.
I find this very disappointing because I loved Istanbul when I visited back in February 2019.
Every city in the world has its bad sides. When you visit a country or a city, you should focus on the good things rather than the bad things. Bad attracts bad.
After watching your video carefully, I believe that you wanted to get scammed and now you’re complaining like an old woman. it’s your fault because just look at you the way you talk ,the way you act , you asking to be scammed.
you can avoid 90% of scams in istanbul if you dont ever get in a taxi. avoid it. use metro, havas, whatever.
I'll probably do that next time
Guy’s born with a target on the back of his head😂
😆😆😆.. I guess.
Once been there and will never go again. Unfortunately, fraud, scam and theft are very common.
Great video I had no idea turkey was full of scammers and rude people too😢 we need to go to South America and Asia brother ❤️
They're not rude. It's just when they don't speak the language, they tend to seem rough. Like for example, Slavic cultures. If you're not familiar with them, you'd think they're mad at you, as they talk, when in reality they're not really mad, but it's just the way they talk because of literal translation. They won't say "hi, how are you?" For example, because to them, it sounds fake. They'll just say hi. And when you say it to a stranger, they'll think you're a phony. Because you don't even know them, why ask about their life. But to us, it's just a matter of being warm and polite. Just different cultures.
Full racists and nationalists sadly too
@@AdventuresFactoryTheir friendliness is fake, the only thing that counts for them is money, and it happens from time to time that they become violent towards tourists. As a Turk, I don't go to Turkey myself! The people themselves are of no quality there, so you don't have to expect that the vacation will be good.
@@RodiBeatzIt depends on who. They behave very racist towards Arabs but towards Europeans they would sell all their honor to make themselves popular. I wouldn't call them "nationalists" either, there are Germans who have lived there for 20 years and get recognition without learning a word of Turkish! On the contrary, the Turks, i.e. the locals there, adapt to the foreigners and learn German to show that they are "Europeans"........real nationalists would never act like that! I have traveled to many countries and don't know any other people who make such a fool of them in their own country! Many tourists from Europe only go there because it's cheap, they lie on the beach all week and don't see anything of Turkish culture! Those who like quality go somewhere else!
I heard it's not very safe for Egyptians to be in Turkey. There's no reason why period's probably because of my great migrant people from Egypt to Turkey who knows??
If there's too much scamming in a city or country to visit, then it's not worth visiting and this year. In a legit tourism company with the group of people and economists interpreter and all that that becomes included. But it seems like a stressful period same as visiting Egypt. I watched all the videos of the hagglers, the hassle. And I don't know what else just to look at the pyramids. It's not worth it. The same as visiting brazil that's what i've been observing many videos
I enjoyed the content👍🏽
Thank you! ❤️
True,rude peoples,toxic like uae
As a Turk, taxi drivers have been on our agenda for about a year or two (maybe longer). This is happening because of our government's senseless hatred of uber and shared taxis. They do the same tricks not only to you but also to a Turkish tourist going to Istanbul because tourists don't know the way. People trying to sell things around will not harm you. It is best to ignore them and walk past them. Istanbul is a great city but it has been ruined by the influx of immigration and refugees from the east of our country.
thank you for the video, what is the difference between Istanbul vs Cairo and which one do you like more and why? i want to go with my wife to one of the destinations.
I would say it's harder to get alcohol in Egypt, Even though it's available, it costs an arm and a leg. You'll never get wasted at a bar in Egypt. But you can always bring 2 L with you and get it delivered to the Airbnb. Egyptian scammers were much nicer to me. At least they smiled and made me feel good. Egypt has desert beauty, yet turkey has infrastructure beauty. Egyptians spoke English everywhere, yet Turkey seemed impossible to find english speakers. In both places, avoid staying in tourist areas. Take an airbnb in expad areas and visit the tourist places, otherwise you'll have a bad time. Expad areas in Egypt are an experience, in turkey, it just looks like your average neighborhood. Egypt is much cheaper, even if they give you a tourist's price. Your money will feel larger than life in Egypt. People in general feel more grumpy in Turkey. Food is good in both places, but my stomach was less happy in Egypt. Ancient Egyptian history is much more interesting than abrahamic history. There are a lot more characters, gods, things out of the ordinary to see, stories, buildings, etc. To be honest, in my opinion, I would choose Greece first, then Egypt, then Turkey. All of them have a similar ticket price from North America, but Greece offers all the pluses and more. I didn't feel like leaving Egypt, but I ran away from Istanbul. I've seen many places in Turkey on TH-cam that look stunning, but you can always get that in Greece. People in Greece are larger than life. They're welcoming, generous, polite, and they go out of their way to speak to you, help you out, etc. Food is not that fancy in Greece, but the ingredients taste amazing. A 1 L bottle of wine costs 3-4 Euros at any corner store. Their history is fascinating. People speak English everywhere. It's one of my favorite countries.
@@AdventuresFactory Thank you so so so much. I will check your vid on greece.
Appreciate the content
I appreciate you. thank you for the support. really! 🙏
If you ever come back, just go to Kadıköy you’ll have a great time
Yeah I heard it's gorgeous. I'll go for sure.
Not trying to sound like a hater but were you really that naive to fall for the bar scam and at 10:49 €20 for all those that you have in the table does sound expensive at all. Seems like a fair price. Anyway appart from these two I like the style of your vlog. Keep it up!
No.. I usually tip, especially when I use my camera. My tip alone is $20. But why does the table next to me pay $10 and I pay more? I tipped people left right and center in Egypt. But they didn't try to change me extra except at the pyramids or museums because they have a foreign price and a local for the attractions. A restaurant is not an attraction. Had they charged me the same price as everyone else, I would have tipped them 50% to 70%. Even the Ubers, I never received a message from any uber driver asking me to change the price. But in Istanbul 9 out of 10 times they sent me a message asking me for astronomical prices. $40 US up to $80 for a 10-minute ride. Why? Say Uber says $20 on the app, but the driver will request $60. Simply because you're at the European area. Or sometimes they take you, and before he drops you, he tells you, "You have to pay $40" on top of the $20 that's already coming out of your credit card. I don't care, if I know that's the price for everyone, but I have a problem with price discrimination. Especially if they think you're from the Gulf or hear that you're from the west. They don't do it nice either. They get in your face to tell it to you with an aggressive tone.
1-Never and ever believe a man who promises a good club that you can find nice ladies :).
2-Taxi scammers have been a huge problem not only for tourists and also for us local citizens. There could be some solutions but even these solutions are not enough.
3- Dining in a restaurant in bosphorus area always is most expensive. İ had one kalamari and one sea trout and two cokes the bill is 250 lira in 2018 on that time 1 dollar was around 5-6 liras so the bill was 50 dollars in a fish restaurant in Beykoz. İ am a local, it was not a scam but beware of boshorus restaurants(cafes and clubs also), if you don't want to overpay.
Not İstanbul, its Taksim. Do NOT GO to the Taksim or Eminönü
My wife and I almost got stabbed in the beyoglu district, the city has still many rough areas, the poverty level is still high, keep in mind you're not going to an European destination.
i've been 3 times there and I was scammed EVERY time. You can't really avoid it, unless you're risking entering a fight... :(
It's tough
5000 lira is £128 uk pounds
You seem to be a novice traveler. Before travelling you need to do a little bit of research and preparation. Also please change the title of this video.
Yes, turkey was not planned. I just went without looking up any info. But Greece too was not planned, bulgharia and amsterdam too.
Taxi scams are the worst in Istanbul - The city official must do better, this is taking away from potential tourists visits. So short sighted. gaining a few bucks loosing 100s in Hotel and Shopping expenditures. This is why Turkey still not considered a real European country.
That's my point. The city is amazing and people will go regardless of what anyone would say.
@@AdventuresFactory I love comments like I have been to Istanbul and it's better than any US or Canadian cities. Go pound sand that's my reply. Never in my life living in NYC or now in San Diego ever had to argue about cab fare ever. White washing these blatant issues is not helping the city. As I visit Istanbul at least once a year.
That is not possible with this mayor; he would rather travel all over Turkey than stay in Istanbul and solve the problems.
I paid $30 for VISA ON ARRIVAL, and Took the HAVAIST bus to TAKSIM for around $6..
With what passport? What country?
@AdventuresFactory UNITED STATES 🇺🇸. I paid $30 for Visa on arrival for 6 months at Istanbul airport
@djglass69 Oh wow, that's pretty good.
@AdventuresFactory , the VISA booth is right on your right as you enter the airport. Buying the visa online is EXPENSIVE but in the airport is $30 for 6 months.
@djglass69 Yeah, we can only do that in some airports there.
Why didn't you take the metro?
The prices of everything have increased. Since that was a good and big breakfast with a view of the Bosphorus, I'd say 650TL is the normal price, and can even be considered reasonable (£16 or so). I am sure it used to be half the price, in pounds or dollars too, but as they say, that was then and this is now.
I was in turkey 2 times and each time was very awful due to scammers(taxists, sellers). The worst country in the world for tourist.
Agia Sophia was an Eastern Orthodox Church. Like the Vatican is to Roman Catholic. Erdogan recently converted it from a museum to a mosque. He just converted an orthodox monastery to a mosque too. No tolerance for other religions. Sad
Not right was a mosque officially bought from christian church from Mohamed Fatih sultan which is the opposite in Andalusia Spain when Europe conquer Andalusia they forced every Muslim family to be converted or immigrate or be killed and punished
And every mosque either demolished or converted to a church
Europe has no single mosque in old times no Mercy to other religions despite Muslim word full of churchs , temples for other religions
Worst video ever seen everything is so negative NO GOOD VIBES gave me a headache.🤯 NOTHING POSITIVE SMH SORRY I HAD A GREAT TIME,FOOD WAS AMAZING, PEOPLE & Where I stayed it was amazing 5 star 🤩 on the water🩵
Istanbul local taxi, restaurants, are so aggressive towards tourists. They see you as a dollar bill. Tourists are so dehumanised it doesn’t make sense to visit ever again! They even charge tourists extra for a simple SIM card.
You are right Istanbul is very expensive. But i hope you know ervery Metropolian Cities on the world are expensive.
It's not expensive, but rather overpriced for tourists. The Asian side was a lot cheaper.
You Are Right ✅️
Happy to watch.
Thank you
Men I like your style u are very funny and interesting I just came back from Istanbul vac u explained everything as it is I am waiting for your Greece now thanks.
I already posted one video about Greece. I'm just dealing with a lot now, but I'll get working on videos again. Thank you for taking the time to watch the videos. Your words are encouraging.
I planing to travel Istanbul but the crowd I don’t like , maybe try altınoluk places near beach
Try Cappadocia. That place looks like it's out of this planet.
New subbie. I loved your authentic content
I appreciate it. Thank you!
you clearly didnt do your home work/due diligence.
Of course not. I was heading to different countries, and turkey was one of them. I was told it was nice and I went with that.
Ok. I'm at minute 3:48. I have 2 comments and I won't watch the rest, because 2 strikes in first few minutes is too much. If you have vape and smoke it you won't get in trouble. I often see people smoking it at the street. However producing and importing it is banned. If you are over 18 you can bring it with you for personal use. You may or may not know it beforehand but imo it would be nice to cover all aspects if you are making this kind of video. As for the bar, omg why are you following strange a guy to a shady place. There are a lot of pubs/ bars in İstanbul, especially around İstiklal caddesi. You can buy a 0,5 liter beer bottle for less then 50 liras from grocery store. Why are you following a weird guy to pay triple to price?
I mentioned that in the video. And as for the shady person, you can call it curiosity. 😆.. I wanted to know why he's very persistent, and I wanted to know what I'm going to warn anyone who's going to Istanbul about. This scam is very new to me.
I appreciate your comment BTW.
It’s unfortunate, but I’ve been through something eerily similar myself, so I completely understand how unsettling it can be. In my case, it was early afternoon when an older, sophisticated man approached me on the street. He struck up a friendly conversation and then insisted I join him for tea at his coffee shop to experience "Turkish hospitality." Despite my initial refusals and the excuse that I had friends waiting (which wasn’t true, but I wanted an exit strategy), I eventually agreed to a single cup of tea.
Once inside, the place felt off-like something out of a low-budget movie. The tea they served was in a ridiculously small cup, and before I knew it, some older women joined our table, along with the man who claimed the place was his. I tried to leave after about 30 minutes, but suddenly a group of intimidating men appeared, demanding I pay for my tea, the man’s tea, and the drinks of the women-people I didn’t even know. When I protested, they became aggressive. Realizing something was seriously wrong, I decided to just pay to get out of there. But the bill was outrageous, demanding thousands of liras.
As I began to argue, I started feeling incredibly ill-blurry vision, nausea, chills, weakness. I knew something was very wrong. I threw whatever cash I had at them and got out as quickly as I could, heading straight back to my hotel. The next 48 hours were hell-I was violently sick, trying to purge whatever drug they’d given me by vomiting and drinking lots of water.
That experience completely ruined what should have been a wonderful stay in the beautiful city of Istanbul. But despite this bad experience, I want to emphasize that Istanbul is an incredibly beautiful place, rich in history and culture, and absolutely worth visiting. In fact, despite what happened, I’m actually planning to return soon-this will be my first time back since that unfortunate incident. I’m determined not to let one bad experience overshadow the beauty and allure of the city.
That's actually terrible. You never know. It's a small price in comparison to waking up in a tub full of ice and a piece of paper with the emergency number asking you to not move before they come. I don't know if it's a thing in Turkey, but I remember that was the hype in East Asia when I used to live there.
Are u able to share the details of the restaurant where you pick your own meat please
It's in the video. Very nice place and staff are amazing. It's called Afiyet et.
@@AdventuresFactory thank you Broski
My eyes are sending a virtual high-five.💞💞💞💟💟❣
I’m surprised you got scammed by so many ppl… I’m a foreigner and was there for around two weeks and never got harassed or scammed by anyone… well I guess I did get harassed a little on the Fatih side by the Syrian street beggars… but that’s minor :)
I'm cool with beggars. I only have a problem with being seen as a walking ATM.
Buying a drink for a stranger, you deserve to be scammed. You were a willing participant. Say no and keep walking.
They don't give you an option. In Canada it's normal to buy drinks for strangers.
That first scam is a well known one. As an experienced traveller you should have done your research and you could have easily avoided it!
Not happy about you putting my country down.
We are NOT all scammers!!!
Its the same one way or another in any city
I only spoke about my personal experience in Istanbul. I didn't mention the rest of Turkey. I'm sure it's the most touristic place in the country. And I know a lot of other places in Turkey should be less hectic. The city is brilliant, I just had to watch my back 24hrs. I didn't feel like that in the Asian side of the city.
@@AdventuresFactory
I'm sorry to hear that you were treated like that.
But I promise you, we the real Turks do not tolerate that kind.
And believe me they are delt with, when we are notified.
I'm just curious why didn't you use some Google translate? Learning a few phrases wouldn't hurt as well.
I didn't plan to stay too long. Istanbul was on my way to the Czech Republic. Which was my destination, but I ended up going to other countries and not Czech Republic. Lol
How much that man suffered in Turkiye. His whole adventure was a nightmare.!!!
i agree with you this is really 100% true , i will never visit again .
In China. Straight from the airport some drivers will approach and wont go away keep follow you. Just make sure they would leave you. And find a legit taxi egere drivers are waiting in the car or book a airport drop off service
How was mitani suites im looking for 10 days is it cheap
It's cheap and in the heart of Istiklal st. You can get a room for $40 bucks. The guys in there spoke better English than the airport staff, too. Very nice, guys.
@@AdventuresFactory oh okay fine ill surely book
@@user-kw9cr5rn3b did you end up going?
@@AdventuresFactory babe i went to turkie but stay at different property
@@user-kw9cr5rn3b that's good. I hope it was fun.
FYI, Hagia Sophia used to be a church
Yes, 571 years ago 😁😂 and it has been a treasure belonging to the Turks for 571 years.
@@istanbulportraityour prayers will never be heard in a church.
@@anniewho315 Are you a prophet? or god? How do you know this?
@@istanbulportrait that's according to your Quran not me as a prophet. Go read your Quran and you'll know that it clearly states Muslims prayers will NOT be heard in a CHURCH. Now SICK DEER
@@anniewho315 God hears everyone's prayers.
45:45 what that guy did was not cool. When I went there, I mostly stayed in the Asian area. It was nicer.
Yeah, that's smart. to stay in the Asian side and visit the European.
bosporous tour is also scammy. costs 4 euros and they try to sell you for 25
Yeah that happened to me and my boy last year around Taksim square
The bar scam?
@AdventuresFactory yeah bro
Maybe because hagia sofita is a church. And build as a church
Probably.. I saw a church. Later, when I was editing, I was confused. Lol
Without watching the whole video i don't get why he went to the bar when he was invited. that scam is well known. Guy should do his due diligence. Unfortunately in some places scams are more common.
Bro you are a nice Human being but always remember when we travel at most of tourist places all they want from you is money and that is the harsh reality of this world
Yes, but there are ways to make money and give you a good time and other ways to try to take money against your will.
thankyou for this amazing video, it almost felt like a documentary. i watched every single minute with full of suspense not like a tour video to just enjoy.
Thank you for the spirit-lifting comment. Really! ❤️
There is so many other ways to get around Istanbul besides a taxi. Buses, trams, metro, dolmus, ferry boats. Asian side is more where locals live so better prices. And there are some beautiful places on the Asian side as well. You always fill the gas when you drop the car back off at a rental car place we do that in the United States too. Dude you look like you are asking for trouble everywhere you went. Why you giving strangers money seriously?