India

Before traveling to India, paneer butter masala was one of those enigmatic dishes that I always thought I could never replicate at home.

The spices and flavors just seemed too rich and complex to get exactly right. In fact, most Indian food feels that way to me- I love to eat it in restaurants, but every time I try to make it at home something is just not the same.

So, when we finally made it to India, I knew we had to take a cooking class and uncover the mysteries of Indian food, particularly of paneer butter masala – one of the very first dishes we had in India after crossing over to Varanasi.

Read morePaneer Butter Masala Recipe – Straight From India

When exploring the backwaters of Kerala, India, renting a house boat is often the preferred activity.  These large floating boats can include every amenity you'd expect from home, and unfortunately come with the price tag to match.

We knew going into our backwater tour of Alleppey that the house boats would be far outside our budget.  Instead, we looked towards the more intimate tours on smaller boats that get into the narrow channels these floating houses could never dream of reaching.

Our mode of transportation for this journey? Kayaks. 

Armed with our paddles and a trusty guide, we began to explore the backwaters to see what life is truly like in this part of the world in a way not many visitors get to experience.

Read moreKerala Backwaters – Don't Miss the Kayak Tour!

The Kolukkumalai Tea Estate outside of Munnar, India is the highest organic tea plantation in the world. 

With plants growing at elevations of over 8,000 feet, it should be no surprise when we say it is not the easiest of places to visit.

After a rather lackluster government run tour in Munnar the day before, we decided to hire a private Jeep to take us to this incredibly remote facility as the views were supposed to be some of the best. 

Even with the poorly run tour, we already knew that the region topped the Boh Tea Plantation in the Cameron Highlands, and going even higher for more beauty was something we couldn't begin to comprehend.

With blue skies above and none of Munnar's famous view-impeding mists in sight, our journey put us on the path to vistas we never thought possible.

Read moreDo Not Miss the Kolukkumalai Tea Plantation in Munnar, India

One of my favorite things about visiting the forts, palaces, and temples in India is discovering the geometric patterns that are found in every corner.   No matter where you go, these patterns appear and are a beautiful reminder of an age long since past.

The best part about these geometric patterns?  They all seem to be different!   It has been an exciting journey discovering these gems, and we went on a quest to take photos of some of the best.  Since we have dozens of these, we cannot help but share a large collection of our favorites here!

Read moreLoving Geometric Indian Patterns – A Massive Photo Collection