Crystal clear waters, whispering sea breezes, and waves gently lapping the sides of a traditional Turkish boat, where visitors sleep on the softly swaying deck under the stars.

But.
“The captain didn’t speak enough English!”
“The food was strange!”
And one of my favourites: “It was too hot!”

These were some of the comments from visitors in my ‘feedback book’ (read ‘complaints book’) from my time as a holiday rep in Turkey in my early twenties.
Twenty-one-year-old me just didn’t get it. How could these people not have an amazing time? They were in a new, gorgeous country to experience something totally different: an unfamiliar language, rich culture and history, and food and architecture, unlike anything they had experienced before.
But that was exactly it. It was all too unfamiliar. Back in the early 2000s, there wasn’t as much information on travel, so going to Turkiye meant throwing oneself into the unknown, and many people didn’t like where they landed.
So, every Sunday, I would head to the Gulet to have dinner with that week’s guests who had spent a week cruising the Turkish coastline.

Each week, I’d have to search for the right Gulet on the packed, noisy Marmaris harbour, wondering what kind of reception would await me when I found it.
I’d take my work-regulation court shoes off and pad up the gangplank barefoot to honour the Turkish tradition of not bringing shoes into a residence. We’d eat a traditional Turkish meal on the deck while the guests told me about their week.
Many guests loved the experience, but the ones who didn’t had one thing in common; they didn’t embrace the unknown. What I loved, they found overwhelming.
They kept comparing what they were experiencing to what they were used to, and without setting aside their expectations, they couldn’t truly connect with the magic of Turkiye.
On your next trip, no matter where it might be, I urge you to disconnect to connect. Let go of your expectations and embrace the unknown. It might be scary or even a little uncomfortable sometimes, but I guarantee you that you’ll return a more well-rounded person—and not just from all the delicious food.