Konya, Turkey

April 27th – 28th, 2025

We arrived in Konya that afternoon, hopeful and hungry, only to be met with a wave of disappointment as we checked into our hotel. From the outside, the place had a certain old-world charm, and the lobby gave off a traditional vibe. But that was where the charm ended. Despite being the most expensive hotel in town, it felt like we had stepped back in time in the worst way possible. The Wi-Fi barely worked, the room amenities were underwhelming, and overall, it just did not live up to the standards we are used to. Still, it was only for one night. We figured we could manage.

With our stomachs growling, we wandered into the nearest restaurant we could find. It was late in the afternoon, and the place was nearly empty. The owner greeted us with a smile and handed us a menu, but it quickly became clear that communication was going to be a challenge. He spoke no English, and each item we pointed to was met with either a confused yes or a firm no.

Eventually, after a lot of awkward pointing and guessing, he took the menu away and simply said, “Best Turkish food.” At that point, we just nodded and hoped for the best.

Surprisingly, he was right. The food was delicious, the most authentic we had tasted so far, and incredibly affordable. It was the best kebab we had all trip, which says a lot considering we had been eating kebabs nearly every day. The flatbread that came with it was also the best we tasted anywhere in Turkey. But it also ended up being the most wasteful dinner of our trip. We were served more dishes than we could ever finish. Still, the experience was one we will remember. It was a chaotic but oddly charming introduction to Konya.

Hmmm, the food was so good that we forgot to take pictures. So here are the only pictures from the dinner. On the right is the breakfast the very next morning.

After the very early dinner, we walked around town, bought the exact same adapter that was 2000 lira in Istanbul, but only 240 lira in Konya. Thank god I didn’t get scammed. Here’s the view of the town, it’s okay.

Then went to Whirling Dervishes, the religious ceremony where people kept on spinning. I had no feeling when watching a show as per usual, honestly always fighting the urge of falling a sleep. But supposedly, my mom felt the spiritual connection. Ya, right.. She just connects to everything. But the dance does have amazing implications.

Let me add some more pictures here: