Five times a day calls echo from the Mosque’s minarets calling the faithful to prayer, the Turkish city of Istanbul has the same effect. Calling travellers from across the globe to come and explore its antique streets and delve into the culture, a fascinating mixture of old meets new and east meets west. Istanbul, a city of contrasts provides the perfect place to escape from the daily routine and today it is the star of our blog.

Step back in time, to a place where there’s no cars and no traffic. The only sounds are the birds, the holidaymakers, and perhaps the occasional horse-and-cart trotting past. Open your eyes. Where are you? Surprisingly few people would have guessed the answer: the Princes’ Islands, Istanbul.

Our recommended apartment this week, the Kempinski 6 apartment, features cosy exposed-brick details, a breakfast bar, floods of natural light and comfortable beds to make it a real Turkish home for up to four people. It also offers you the priceless opportunity to wake up every morning and have breakfast in front of the view of the Bosphorus that the large windows offer, meaning you can both relax at home and be involved with the goings-on of the city at the same time.