Are the Princes' Islands (Büyükada) near Istanbul worth visiting, and when should you go?

Some travelers find the islands a bit boring — aside from the sea and distant coastline, there isn't much scenery to see.

Don't schedule an island trip for your last day in Istanbul — if the weather turns or the ferry is delayed, you risk missing your flight.

Visitors tend to be a calmer, more upscale crowd — there's typically just one tourist ferry per day, so there's no full-blown tourist infrastructure on the islands.

The island's famous old statues are quite rusted and barely held together by rebar, but the hotels are kept in very good condition.