Sam Spector is a staff writer at The Royal Tour. Please scroll down for an index of all of his articles here.
Sam Spector is the rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was born and raised in Seattle, Washington and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Cum Laude with a BA in Judaic Studies from the University of California, San Diego. While in college, Spector spent a summer abroad at the Rothberg International School at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Spector attended the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he spent over a year studying at the Jerusalem campus, and then continued his studies at the Los Angeles campus where he received his M.A. in Hebrew Letters and his rabbinic ordination. He began his career as the assistant and then associate rabbi of Temple Judea in Tarzana, CA. With his love of history and religion, he has traveled to more than 70 countries across five continents, many off the beaten track, with often an emphasis on culture, religion, and history. Some of his favorite destinations include: Laos, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Morocco, Zanzibar, Cuba, Peru, Georgia (the country), Oman, and Albania. He has led group trips to Israel and Central Europe that are focused on Jewish history and religion. In addition to English, he speaks conversational Spanish and Hebrew. Sam lives in Millcreek, Utah, with his wife and travel buddy, Jill, who works in the hotel industry, daughters Miriam, Esti, and Noa, bonus daughter from Afghanistan Yasamin, and his dogs, Nezek, a Brittany Spaniel, and Walter, a Chocolate Labrador Retriever. Sam’s family regularly joins him on his world adventures.
Africa
Maasai Mara and Nairobi, Kenya
Marrakesh: Morocco’s Tourist Hub
Asia
East and Southeast Asia
Why Luang Prabang Is My Favorite City
A Day Trip to Ayutthaya, Thailand
Slightly Disappointed By Seoul
Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East
How to Maximize Your Doha Layover
Exploring Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley
City of the Future: A Weekend in Dubai
Quba: Azerbaijan’s Red Village
A Day Tour in Northern Armenia
Muscat, Oman: The Legacy of Sultan Qaboos
Shahrisabz and Lake Aydarkul: Uzbekistan Side Trips
Europe
Western Europe
The Micro-Nation of San Marino
Portugal: Is This the Most Baby Friendly Country on Earth?
Sintra, Obidos, and Evora: Day Trips from Lisbon
The Monasteries of Central Portugal
Malaga and Spain’s Costa Del Sol
Eastern Europe
The Terezin Concentration Camp
Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park
Prague’s West Bank and Charles Bridge
Honoring Warsaw’s Jewish History
North America
USA and Canada
Orcas Island: A Jewel in the Northwest
Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake
Utah’s Bear Lake: The Caribbean of the Rockies
Exploring Alabama and the Civil Rights Movement
Mesa Verde and Southwestern Colorado
Atlanta, Georgia: Gem of the South
Monterey and California’s Big Sur
Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
Mexico City is a World Class Destination
Visiting the Dominican Republic
Panama City and the Canal Zone
South America
Eastern Peru Beyond Machu Picchu
Colombia’s Tayrona National Park and Santa Marta
Bogotá’s La Candelaria Neighborhood
Good Times in Cartagena, Colombia
General Travel
How Travel Saved My Paternity Leave