Kosher Travel finds at KosherFest 09

Last week I was fortunate enough to have attended KosherFest 2009. This was my second year in row at the convention, and I learned from my mistakes last year: don’t eat too much or you’ll get majorly nauseous, and only eat meat in the last 3 hours of your day otherwise you’ll miss out on some great dairy food.

While at KosherFest I was discussing the production of our upcoming program: Jewish Travel TV, I was also able to find 3 unique products that are worth mentioning for kosher travelers.

• 1) Luck Chen – a prepackaged bowl of steamed noodles, that just needs water and 2 minutes in the microwave. It requires no refrigeration and comes in 5 flavors: Spicy Kung Pao, Soy Ginger, Sweet & Sour, Sesame Teriyaki, and Spicy Szechwan. What makes this product different from “Tradition’s” noodle soups is that Luck Chen is a noodle meal AND it has Zero MSG, no articial colors or preservatives, and is low in sodium – much healthier than those chemical noodle soups.

  All 5 flavors are Pareve, comes in easy to carry plastic bowls, and are certified by the OU. You can check them out at LuckChen.com.

• 2) La Briute – kosher travel meals that heat themselves. I know this is not a new product. It’s been on the market for a few years, and has endured mixed results, but for the kosher traveler it is worth mentioning.

  I used La Briute meals when traveling to Iceland last year. Iceland has no Jews, thus no kosher food, so these meals came in handy. However, the meals themselves are a mixed bag. One of the meals I had was tasty – not 100% filling, but tasty, the other meal was less so and left me seeking something from a Reykjavik style 7-11.

  The self heating mechanism is definitely unique and comes in handy when you’re without a microwave or hot water, but they do need to improve their flavors. One warning is that when you heat up the meal, smoke does emit from the packaging. Do not be alarmed by this, but use discretion when heating up your La Briute meals, I.e. Not on public transportation.

  People have complained that the meals do not look like the packaging, and for the most part I agree, that it is a bit deceptive.

• 3) HolyCow Kosher – a fun brand that produces a line of kosher beef jerky. The great thing about this product for travelers is that beef jerky doesn’t go bad for a long time. It doesn’t need refrigeration and HolyCow has included a zip lock plastic bag to keep the meat fresh in it’s original packaging.

  The meat is quite good and comes in 4 flavors: Original, Hickory, Sweet & Spicy, and Teriyaki.
  You can read more about HolyCow Kosher and see wheat stores in the USA carry them at: HolyCowKosher.com.

• Both HolyCow Kosher and La Briute products are sold online at Kosher.com. Luck Chen is too new of a product and isn’t sold online yet.

If you have comments to add about Luck Chen, La Briute, or HolyCow Kosher please use the comments sections below. If you know about other “kosher travel” products that you think I should feature here, please comment below so I can look into it.

Take care and happy travels.
~Dani

Tags: beef jerky, holycow kosher, Jewish, jewish travel, Kosher, kosher meals, kosher noodles, kosher travel meals, kosher.com, kosherfest, la briute, luck chen, self heating, travel

TRAVEL TIPS: Top 10 tips for Backpackers

This is a re-post from CheapOair’s blog: http://cheapoair.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/ten-tips-for-backpackers/

Traveling abroad excites most of us, but it can be difficult to read situations in another country, with its different languages and customs. So, whether you’re a young traveler or a retiree, there are a few more things apart from passport, tickets and packing your bags, you should do to make your trip as enjoyable and hassle-free as possible.

1. Research your destination: Before you depart, it’s a good idea to do some research on your destination and make sure you have the necessary documentation and items you need. Collect all the necessary information on the safety and security situation of your destination.

2. Travel light: For reliability and ease, a backpack is still a budget traveler’s best friend. But don’t pack what you don’t need. There is nothing worse than lugging around a cumbersome pack while trying to find a place to stay. Whatever you think you’re missing, you’ll certainly be able to buy it on the road.

3. Beat up your pack: This might sound a little crazy, but if your backpack looks as though it has been around the block a few times, would-be thieves are more likely to avoid it. They’re bound to go for the brand spanking new pack next to yours which they’ll think contains lots of expensive high-tech gizmos.

4. Don’t over-plan: The basic rule for backpacking is to be as flexible as possible. You’re bound to meet new friends on the road, so don’t plan your route too far in advance. That said, booking a hostel bed for the first few nights in a new city is a good idea. As for the rest, be spontaneous and have fun!

5. Wear comfy shoes: Comfortable shoes are a must! But they’re bulky and awkward to carry, so limit what you take — perhaps just a good pair of lace-up boots or trainers for hiking and a casual pair of sandals. And don’t forget your flip-flops — they’re a must-have for public showers.

6. Don’t carry too much cash: Never carry huge amounts of cash. Beside the possibility that you could be robbed, you may simply lose it. So if possible only carry a couple of days’ worth of money, kept in small denominations. Take a variety of money options such as credit card, some cash and perhaps some travelers’ cheques. And whatever you do, don’t keep all your money in the one place.

7. Sleep on it: Money belts are great for concealing your cash and passport. But if you’re worried about someone swiping it while you sleep (or even if you’re not), keep it in your sleeping bag or tuck it in your pillow case. It’s unlikely any thief would be brave enough to look for it there!

8. Keep a travel journal: Unfortunately, memories fade with time. So keeping a travel journal is a wonderful way of recording your activities, storing photos and mementos and collecting information to share with others when you get home.

9. Take a guide: While a guidebook certainly shouldn’t be considered the “Bible”, they do give extensive rundowns on accommodation, transport and sightseeing and also offer heaps of information to help make backpacking easy. If nothing else, reading your guide will help pass the time while you wait for the next bus.

10. Get connected: With Internet cafes sprouting up like mushrooms in almost every city and backwater town around the world, it has never been easier to stay in touch. Not only is it vital to have a few regular contacts at home who can keep tabs on you, but they’re great places to meet fellow travelers.

Tags: backpacking, hiking, travel

Las Vegas, NV

Contributed by: Mark Medetsky | Last Date of Travel: May 2008

Kosher Info: The lights, the nightlife, the attractions, the casinos. For a person who has never been to this region of the U.S., it is very easy to get lost while taking everything in. Where to start? Where to go with families? Shabbat accommodations?

I’ll start with the “strip” itself. The main strip in Las Vegas is where majority of all the casinos and hotels are located; so you will not find any kosher food on this strip. It is best that you hail a cab and take a few minute drive to Adar Kosher Pizza located at 318 West Sahara Ave. 702-385-0006, good pizza, large menu and has a lot of different things that would interest kids such as baked ziti, lasagna, etc. Prices are reasonable.

If your in the mood for meat, one of my favorites is a Middle Eastern place called Sababa. It’s a 15 minute drive but well worth it. The best falafel outside of Israel hands down!!! And they do deliver to the hotels (as does the pizza store). Sababa is located at 3220 S Durango Dr. 702-547-5556.

If you find yourself staying in Las Vegas over Shabbat you can order food from a local kosher restaurant or I recommend ordering your food from a local supermarket that carries kosher food. One of them is Albertsons: they have a kosher take-out section with all salads, appetizing, roasted chickens, challah, wine, etc. Buy all your Shabbat needs here. Ask them to double wrap it, and when you get back to the hotel room service can pick it up and heat it at any designated time and bring it to your room when you are ready to eat! Albertsons is located at 2550 S Fort Apache Rd. 702-242-1138.

Tourist Info: Go up and down “the strip”. Enjoy the evening rush, the pirate show which is showcased by Treasure Island, which usually runs every hour or so in the evenings only.
Walk from there to the Venetian which is located across the street. Here you can see the beautiful artwork in the hotel. You can go on a gondola ride or check out the hot nightclub called Tao located inside the Venetian. All along the strip each hotel has its own unique theme. Take your time to see each one.

Besides for these themes which can take a entire night to go through, you can enjoy a nice show. Treasure Island offers Cirque de Soleil playing most nights. Tickets are available inside the hotel or you can find cheap tickets at the mall across from Treasure Island. Other hotels offer magic shows or comedy acts for your entertainment. If none of these satisfies your need for entertainment you can always sit down by the roulette table and let it all ride on 18!

Jewish Info: If your staying on the strip you aren’t going to find any synagogues there. If you want to go away for a Shabbos and get a feel for the Las Vegas Jewish community you can try the Young Israel of Las Vegas located at 9590 W Sahara Ave. 702-360-8909. There are approximately 19 synagogues of various denominations in Las Vegas.

Tags: casinos, gambling, jewish travel, kosher travel, travel