TRAVEL | PHOTOGRAPHY

Singapore to Türkiye Trip, 2026

From an Emirates to Kebab in Aksaray

Bosphorus view — Istanbul, Türkiye, June 2026. Photo by author.

Our journey started at midnight in Singapore.

We boarded an Emirates flight to Dubai. After about an hour or two in the air, the cabin crew came by to offer a welcome drink. After that, another cabin crew member came and delivered the in-flight menu card.

I love this service, but waking up several times during the middle of the night made me dizzy.

The food was surprisingly good, with a complete in-flight meal set, including a main course, snack, dessert, fruit, salad, and a drink. I think the dizziness of being woken up repeatedly was offset by the delicious taste of the food.

When I opened my eyes, the cabin ceiling had been designed to resemble a star in the night sky. That’s awesome; people said that Emirates has a good reputation for flight entertainment.

I like to enjoy my food on the plane while watching a movie. It’s a unique satisfaction. Fortunately, this plane provides quite up-to-date entertainment.

In flight meal Singapore — Dubai and beautiful cabin ceiling. Photo by author.

Six hours in the air may sound boring, but I got a unique toy on this flight. I could see three types of live cameras installed on the fuselage.

From the live camera setup, I had three visions. I had a forward-facing view, similar to a pilot. I had a wing view, allowing me to look sideways. I had a view from below the aircraft, allowing me to see the city from above.

Dubai with Emirates

We landed in Dubai and faced a five-hour transit. It was early morning when we arrived there.

The airport is quite large. However, in terms of interiors, I feel Changi still has the edge.

After moving to the transit area, I went to the toilet to freshen up. Feeling a bit dizzy, we tried to find breakfast, even though my body wasn’t really craving it.

My watch showed noon in Singapore, but Dubai indicated that the routine was just beginning in the morning. Then I understood that time behaves differently. It moves slowly, then suddenly rushes ahead when the boarding information appears.

To pass the time, we explored the airport. I saw many perfume shops offering huge discounts. I was a little tempted, but then realized I still had to continue my journey to my next flight.

For the connecting journey, we boarded what seemed to be the largest Emirates aircraft I had ever entered. I thought it might have been an Airbus A380, although at that moment I was not completely certain.

The cabin felt spacious, and the aircraft itself seemed enormous compared with an ordinary plane.

I saw two large turbo engines located on the wings of the plane. When I entered the plane, there were stairs leading to the 2nd floor… Ah, I just realized this is a plane with two floors. No wonder the machine is so big, and the body is big.

After several hours we got in flight meal. I felt like there were more passengers than on my previous flight. Almost every seat was full.

In flight menu Dubai — Istanbul. Photo by author

The meal this time was quite filling compared to the Singapore to Dubai flight. This was because our departure was in the afternoon, so we ordered the set lunch menu.

Another thing I noticed was that the menu was Mediterranean-themed, which was quite challenging for my Asian palate like lamb kofta.

But the desserts were delicious. It was kunafa cake with a refreshing lemon flavor. The cake had the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. The fresh lemon flavor made it light and refreshing.

İstanbul in My Eyes

Istanbul Airport delighted me with its stamp sticker. It was a simple detail, but I was happy to receive it.

Changi Airport in Singapore and some international airports in Indonesia have implemented an autogate system, meaning stamps are no longer required.

The adventure begins. We search for the airport bus heading to the city. We went down to the ground floor to try to find the location of the bus. I saw many travelers had queue either for waiting for bus or buying the ticket.

This service was convenient, especially for exhausted travelers who carrying suitcases and trying to navigate an unfamiliar transportation system.

The view form Havaist bus — Istanbul, Türkiye June 2026. Photo by author.

As the bus left the airport, it was our first glimpse of the city beyond the photos I had studied. We drove along the toll road until we finally entered the city and residential areas.

My husband was busy checking the map on his phone, hoping we would get off at our planned destination.

Then we heard the driver mention Eminönü, and we got off there.

That afternoon, the weather was a bit hot, but the breeze from the Bosphorus Strait cooled our bodies. It was a stunning view of the blue sea with some seagulls flying above it.

From Eminönü, we continued our journey to Aksaray, where I would be staying for the next week.

The Blue Card

The first thing we had to do was buy an Istanbulkart, a card used as a means of payment for transportation in Turkey.

Around us, I saw many locals. But actually, I can’t distinguish which one is local or tourist. It seems they are pretty similar.

The station terminal is also right in front of us. I think the Istanbulkart ticket counters are also located near the station. We found the Istanbulkart ticket counter, which turned out to be self-service.

As tourists, we stood in front of the ticket machine and tried to work everything out. We had heard that tourists should purchase the red İstanbulkart. Somehow, despite knowing this, we came away with a blue card instead.

Aksray tram station — Türkiye June 2026. Photo by author.

It stated that the blue card is an unlimited pass within one week. The red Istanbul card allowed 5 people to use it, but it has a limitation regarding the top-up. So, we assumed that the blue card might be cheaper than the red card for two people.

My first trial failed. After my husband enter to station, the card couldn’t be used for other people. So, we looked at other places to find the red Istanbul card as a comparison.

After holding the red Istanbul card, our journey continued to Aksaray using the tram.

Kebab in Aksaray

By the time we checked into the hotel, rest was probably our top priority. Hunger disagreed.

We left the hotel and wandered the streets in search of dinner. It was our first night in Istanbul, although after an overnight flight and a layover in Dubai, the days were starting to fade.

We were surprised to find it was still bright even though it was already 7:00 PM. Life seemed to be just beginning. People were milling about carrying their briefcases.

I think Singapore gets a bit dark around 7:00 PM.

After wandering around, I realized Aksaray was a small city filled with vendors and hotels. I found many restaurants, street food, residential areas, and mosques.

I was impressed by the city’s architecture and building design. I’m always interested in the culture behind buildings.

Left: Adana Kebab and Right: Aksaray city — Aksaray, Türkiye, June 2026. Photo by author.

Kebab was the first food I wanted to try in Türkiye. Several travelers had mentioned that we should try Adana Kebab.

Honestly, there are many types of kebab, but after researching, I learned that Adana kebab is one of the traditional kebabs and a must-to try from Türkiye.

Not many people spoke English. So we chose a menu and used sign language. The dishes we chose were Adana Kebab and Kunafe.

Adana Kebab is made from minced lamb with a variety of spices, salt, and pepper. One adana kebab costs 300 Turkish Lira and is served wrapped in thin Turkish bread with fresh vegetables. I loved the natural flavors of the meat and fresh vegetables.

The kunafe was sweet, and a small plate costs 250 Turkish Lira. The kunafe tasted different from the ones I’ve had in Singapore. It was a bit dry, with a sweet and smoky flavor dominating.

This trip was indeed tiring, but the first day alone made me happy.

New people, places, and cultures are an effective remedy for relieving the stress of daily routines.

Is your first day in a new place always smooth?

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