Turkey
Between two worlds: a journey through Turkey in September
You step off the plane and immediately smell the spices. Turkey feels like two countries at once: you notice it on every corner, in every conversation. Here, the European and Asian identities are equally important, and you feel it right down to your bones. September is not the tourist peak, so the cities still have room to breathe.
7 September 2026 · Wayloha editorial · 3 sources
Arriving above Istanbul
You stand on a rooftop somewhere in the centre and look out over the city. Domes and minarets rise up from the buildings, hundreds of them, all etched against the sky. This is the moment it clicks: you have truly landed in a country that bridges two continents.
Istanbul feels enormous. You see how the city stretches across two continents, with one side pulling towards Europe and the other towards Asia. History is not kept in museums here: it runs through the streets. Every neighbourhood has its own voice.
The Istanbul skyline reveals itself as an endless row of domes and minarets against the twilight.Turkey
Getting lost in the bazaar
You push your way through the gate and immediately the scents hit you in the face. Spices, leather, tea. Hundreds of sellers work in the bazaar, all shouting that they have the best. The first time feels chaotic. Then you let go, take it all in, and suddenly it becomes fun.
You walk between the stalls and see porcelain, carpets, beads. Everyone talks to you, wants to give you tea, invites you to look. It is not quiet, but it is not fake either. This is how people truly shop here.
The night rides eastwards
The seven o'clock bus costs three euros and is full of schoolchildren heading home. You drive away from the coast, the towns get smaller, and after a few hours the sky changes. The mountains of the Black Sea emerge from the mist: lush and green, not dry as you expected.
Everything is different here. The mist hangs low, the trees grow close together, and you hear water. There are fewer tourists and more trees. You can hike through untouched landscapes here.
Eating with other seekers
You sit at a table in an inn in the east and share bread with people from four different countries. The region has a distinct Middle Eastern flavour: the dishes are different from those in the west, spicier and fuller. The other travellers here are not twenty anymore; they are thirty, forty, and they speak calmly.
During the meal, you talk about why you are here. Everyone here is seeking something: adventure, authenticity, distance. The conversations go deeper than in other places. It is not a huge difference, but you feel it.
The coast and what lies beneath
You have returned to the sea, now on the south coast. Lycia and Pamphylia lie here: ancient places with ruins that seem to grow straight out of the water. Remains of temples, harbour walls, stone steps leading to nowhere. The sea is blue, the sand warm.
You can choose luxury here, with yachts and expensive sun loungers, but you can also travel much cheaper. A bus to the south costs little, as does an old guesthouse on the coast. The ruins wait for everyone. History does not feel dead here, not stuck in a museum. Those remains speak to you.
