TRY: Eminonu-Buyukada Ferry

Eminonu-Buyukada (1h 35m)          Buyukada-Eminonu (1h 40m)

ETD: 10.00am (GMT + 3)                ETD: 5.35pm (GMT + 3)

ETA: 11.35am (GMT + 3)                 ETA: 7.15pm (GMT + 3)

Princes' Islands are a cluster of nine islands located to the southeast of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. I told my sister that my BFF and I'd like to go to the largest island called Buyukada for a day of trekking, and it turned out that she hadn't been there herself.

It was a rather gloomy morning with a slight drizzle, but that didn't dampen our spirits at all. A one-way journey from Eminonu to Buyukada by ferry run by Sehir Hatlari costs ₺5.20 (~S$1.20) with Istanbulkart or ₺7.00 (~S$1.65) without the contactless card.

Can you resist the aroma of warm simit (Turkish bread encrusted with sesame seeds)?

Behind our smiles, we were hoping that the rest of the day would be clear.

I recall there are about 15 departures in a day. Below are a few photos of the interior of the ferry.

Light bites and drinks are available for purchase onboard.

We decided to sit in the open-air area on the upper deck.

Not many people sat outside since the winds were strong and chilly.

Leaving the European side of Istanbul~

We witnessed lots and lots of seagulls throughout the journey.

Haydarpasa railway station is currently undergoing major renovation.

Take a look at the two video clips below of seagulls galore.

The ferry stopped at Kadikoy in the Asian side of Istanbul for a short while.

Enroute to Princes' Islands!

I've never tried my hands at sailing before.

A seagull caller?

Quite a number of people tried to feed the seagulls with bread. Here's a video of a lady and her attempt.

The first island that the ferry docked at is Kinaliada. It literally means 'Henna Island' as the land has a reddish colour from iron and copper that has been mined there.

It's the least forested of all the Princes' Islands.

I managed to capture what I feel is a really beautiful shot. What do you think?

My hands were kinda freezing, so I decided to pay ₺2.00 (~S$0.45) for a cup of hot unsweetened tea.

Subsequently, the ferry stopped at Burgazada, the third largest island.

Historically, the island has been inhabited by the Greek minority and the Jews.

Heybeliada, the second largest island, is the last stop for the ferry before Buyukada.

The large Naval Cadet School overlooks the jetty.

We couldn't wait to set our feet on Buyukada.

Anyone wants to retire there?

We reached the jetty 10 minutes behind schedule at 11.45am.

After a fun-filled day at the island, we took the 5.35pm ferry to go back to Istanbul.

Maiden's Tower can be seen from far.

If you're on a day trip to Buyukada, don't forget to check the ferry timings to go back to Istanbul, so that you can plan ahead. I believe the last ferry departs at 10.15pm.