Taking a break at one of the cafes along Istiklal Street. It was pleasant to sit outdoors in a cool breeze.

HOLDING on to the control stick while doing my best impersonation of a calm and collected pilot, I swerved the plane from left to right, down and up while trying to aim for the runway.

"Push down", "Pull up", "More to the right", said the captain sitting next to me in the flight simulator.

Just as the runway loomed large before my eyes, I suddenly lost sight of it. A thick fog had blanketed the area.

"Mayday! Mayday!" flashed through my mind while the captain rattled off incomprehensible words in Turkish to the flight training manager Menderes Çakici behind us.

The flight screen went blank.

"Thank goodness I didn't crash the plane," I thought.

It was definitely a highlight of my familiarisation trip in Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines had arranged to let the participants fly a plane on its flight simulator and, to my delight, I had the first go at it.

I actually went into the simulator twice. My travel mates were the last to be invited onboard the simulator, and I tagged along again shamelessly, declaring that I might as well, since there was space for one more person.

The sixth-century Basilica Cistern has 336 columns that are 9m high and arranged in 12 rows of 28 each. It is now a venue for recitals and dance performances

"You again?" Mr Çakici said, laughing.

In the back alley

Another special moment in my Turkey trip was at Beyaz Restaurant at a fish market in Kumkapi.

Sipping Efes beer, a popular fruity Turkish beer, and lounging al fresco by the sea while the sun set was a memorable experience.

Before that, we had walked through a back alley and caught sight of an Istanbul that was starkly different from the glamorous mishmash of European and Asian architecture in the touristy areas of the bustling city.

Children played in back alleys, fruits and vegetables were displayed in colourful glory, Turkish men hung around socialising and drinking çay (tea in Turkish), and the houses alternated between the quaint and the ramshackle.

This was in sharp contrast to the luxurious Dolmabahçe Palace, modern Taksim Square and busy Istiklal Street which we had visited.

Istiklal Street, branching off from Taksim Square, is a 2.5km-long shopping belt dotted with open-air cafés and restaurants by day and a party venue by night.

Besides food, clothes and shoes, look out for the churches along the way and the music and audio equipment shops.

Dolmabahçe Palace

Fit for a king

We hunted down Dolmabahçe Palace in taxis and got there in time for the last guided tour in English at 4pm.

I paid 15 lira (S$16.35) in entrance fees and balked at paying another 6 lira to take my camera in.

The palace was built between 1843 and 1856 and has elements of Baroque, Rococo and Neo- Classic traditions blended with Ottoman traditional art and culture.

The opulently furnished 285 rooms and 44 halls are worth a visit.

Particularly stunning were the crystal staircase that caught the sunlight streaming in from the roof and Muayede (ceremonial) Hall that featured the palace's largest chandelier with 664 bulbs.

Cruise party

The guided segment of our trip climaxed with the Basilica Cistern and Bosphorus night cruise.

A modern belly dance performance delights the partygoers at a rooftop restaurant and bar 360istanbul on Istiklal Street.

I enjoyed the respite from the blazing afternoon sun when I walked down the stone stairs into the cool and dimly lit cistern, which was built in the sixth century to store up to 100,000 tonnes of water.

It was unused and left in disrepair sometime after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1453. Today, it has been restored and reopened for visitors and is used as a venue for recitals and dance performances.

It was awe-inspiring to walk on the platforms past the tall columns and watch the play of light and shadow on water.

It was also cool on the boat we boarded for the Bosphorus cruise later in the day.

The Bosphorus Strait separates the European and Asian sections of the city and connects the Black Sea to the north and the Sea of Marmara to the south.

Down below the deck, we feasted on a traditional Turkish dinner complete with bread, cheese, olives, lentil soup and chicken kebab.

After the meal that was accompanied by live music and some riotous dancing, we climbed back onto the deck to enjoy the chilly night breeze.

As the sun made way for the moon, the twinkling lights on the horizon seemed to whisper the mysteries of Istanbul, an ancient city of the East and West.

Sailing on the Bosphorus Strait that separates the European and Asian sections of Istanbul is an unforgettable experience, especially for the wonderful view as day turns to night.

Photos: Karon Ng

This trip was sponsored by Turkish Airlines and Deutsche Messe, a global fair organiser. For details, visit www.thy.com and www.messe.de

This article first appeared in The Straits Times Special, 'Holiday Escapades' on Oct 21, 2008. It is published by the Special Projects Unit, Marketing Division, SPH.