If you read any guidebook in India, you’ll read that visiting the Taj Mahal at sunrise is a must-see. The grounds will be much quieter than in the afternoon (certainly less so than at sunset) and you’ll beat all the day trippers from Delhi by a few hours. Because of this, your shots will include …

Note: This is an archived post from 2011 back in the early heyday of travel blogging. I’m happy to be hosting Round 11 of Photo Roulette. See below for details on the contest (it’s easy I swear…otherwise I wouldn’t be participating!) and to check out the submissions. The previous round was hosted by Ken Kaminesky, …

When I was in Israel last summer (which quickly became autumn, too), I received more than a handful of travel recommendations. While I now have my own travel itinerary suggestions for anyone’s trip to Israel, the one I heard the most was “take a trip down to Masada.” And, being the slacker that I am …

Everyone knows the Taj Mahal, but in Aurangabad further south, you can find the “poor man’s Taj” – a sad, little monument mimicking its big brother up in Agra. The Bibi Ka Maqbara was built in the 17th century by the son of the Emperor Aurangzeb in honor of his mother. The Taj, of course, …

I’ve had this vegetarian dish, Malai Kofta, a handful of times across India, and just about every time I’ve enjoyed it. It’s one of those things I never saw (or maybe just didn’t notice) on an Indian restaurant menu in America, but here, it’s everywhere. Delicious and tasty, it’s one of my favorite Indian meals. …

This book is on nearly everyone’s to-read list, before, after or during a trip to India. Rightly so, because it’s a good book. Maybe if I’d read it before I arrived I’d have a different opinion of the book, but reading it on the beaches of Goa, I didn’t take to it so warmly. Yes …

About the border crossing Israel is notorious for tight security. Especially at their borders. So even though I was leaving rather than entering Israel, I was understandably on edge. Not to mention that my Israeli tourist visa was expired by 5 days. My flight to India was from Amman, Jordan but I was currently staying …

Almost every city around the world has a Holocaust memorial or Holocaust museum. Israel is no different and with lots of history museums in Israel, Jerusalem is a prime location for a Holocaust museum & memorial. Because much of western Jerusalem is very Jewish, you’d expect something bigger and better here. Jerusalem doesn’t disappoint. Yad …

Jerusalem‘s got it all. Jerusalem is special to a lot of people for a lot of reasons. It’s a city which has and holds so much—history, culture, people—and that’s one of the many reasons why I love it. It’s even got a forest—perfect for an afternoon of easy (and enjoyable) hiking and picnicking. The Jerusalem …

Note: this was originally written in 2010 and I’m not sure what the region is like anymore. At the very northern tip of Israel, on the border with Lebanon, is a strange geologic formation. Rosh Hanikra (“head of the grottoes”) is an area where white chalk cliffs meet the Mediterranean Sea. Many grottoes (or caverns) …