Joe Benning Photography

Travel & Photo Blog

  •   Reston, VA

On the Road to Jaipur, India

On the Road to Jaipur April 22, 2023 We got up and boarded the coach to Jaipur fairly early. There was no lack of cows on the main road, for which the other vehicles made way.  Along the way we stopped at a rural village named Abhaneri to see its historic step well.  Stepwells were […]

Read More »

Fort Agra — India

April 12, 2023 The Agra Fort After visiting the Taj Mahal in the morning we made our way over to the Agra Fort, about 2.5 kilometers away. Also known as Agra’s Red Fort, it was built by Mughai Emperor Akbar. Construction commenced in 1565 and was completed in 1573. (They didn’t have the EPA to […]

Read More »

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal in Agra India, is widely thought to be one of the most beautiful buildings ever created. Made of marble, it was built by King Shah Jahan, who took control of the Mughal Empire in 1628. The mausoleum is dedicated to the King’s enduring love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in […]

Read More »

India — Overall Impressions

India – there aren’t enough words to describe it.  Some impressions.   In the course of 6 days in India, we saw only a small part of this country, and yet enough to fascinate us and make us want to see more.  Since there are not enough words to adequately describe our experience, and we […]

Read More »

Visiting Goa India

A Short Visit to a Tiny Indian State April 18, 2023 We began 6 days in India on April 10, 2023 with a short trip to the state of Goa. It is India’s wealthiest state with a GDP per capita ($7,300) about 2.5 times that of the rest of the country. Among other places, we […]

Read More »

A Resort in the Maldives

A Day in the Maldives April 9, 2023 Happy Easter Everyone! We spent Saturday—Holy Saturday actually—in the Maldives at the Cinnamon Dhonveli Resort in Kanuharaa. Tourism is a very important part of the Maldives economy. The  Cinnamon Dhonveli Resort where we went is a rather tony upscale affair. The physical location is gorgeous; the establishment […]

Read More »

Short Day in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka April 6, 2023 We spent a short day in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the way to the Maldives. Colombo is the capital. Among other things we visited the National Museum, the Samudra Hotel and the Gangaramaya Temple. We saw native dancers at the port and believe it or not, several snake charmers.  Formerly […]

Read More »

Visiting Thailand

April 4, 2023 We visited diverse areas of Thailand over the course of several days. The visits included time spent in an outdoor museum that replicates part of Bangkok called the Ancient City; a training camp for monkeys where they learn to collect coconuts for processing, a giant Buddha and the island of Phuket. What […]

Read More »

Visiting Penang, Malaysia

Penang, Malaysia April 1, 2023 During a visit to Penang, Malaysia we spent some time in the city of Georgetown, the capital. Georgetown is a city established about 150 years ago by British colonizers. It is home to many different ethnicities including Chinese, Indian, Arabian, Burmese and Malay people as well as expats from Eurasia, […]

Read More »