Why Travel to Israel - Palestine?
With
huge religious and historical associations, Israel is a living legend,
a promised land packed with landmarks of divine significance and
a magnet for pious peoples all over the world, though Muslims won't
find much of a welcome.
Agnostic travellers will find the country of interest too, with
a fascinating capital city that has a constant flow of varied and
colourful devotees, a barely hidden civil war, some unique sights
and guarenteed sunshine.
Downside:
- This is no longer a land flowing with milk and honey, nor even
with the milk of human kindness.
- Much of Jerusalem is noisy, crowded, modern and unattractive.
- The countryside is generally dry, rocky and dull.
- Many of the biblical sights are disappointingly unimpressive or
uncared for. Nazareth, huh!
- The nervous, heavily armed soldiers, the peremptory checkpoints
and the general oppression of the Muslim 15% minority may depress
you.
- Check the current safety situation.
Israel Travel Guide [Palestine], climate
Best:
Spring, Autumn, but ok most months.
Worst: July/Aug. [excessive heat, esp. Eilat], Ramadan [Muslim fasting month, Sept 1 -
Sept 29 2008; August 22 - September 21, 2009; August 11- September 10, 2010. There's always a lively feast day, Idd al-Fitr, at the end of Ramadan]
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights/ border crossings: 4
days, just Jerusalem
Recommended: 2 weeks
Israel - Palestine main attractions:
***Jerusalem. The Old City is where you'll find most of the
sights - and they're stunning - including the prime Muslim/ Jewish
/Christian targets of the Temple Mount/ the Wailing Wall/ the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre. Nothing much happens there after dark so
it's a hike to the New City for restaurants and a suprisingly lively
night life.
***Dead Sea. Have a mud bath, then
a pleasant float in the mineral rich therapeutic seawaters. Nearby
Ein Gedi is a lush oasis and Masada, the ancient Jewish
mountain-top fort, has excellent views and a great story.
**Tiberias/Galilee. A pretty town
and lake with hot springs and Roman excavations. A pleasant day's
drive around the lake, including the sad River Jordan and the Golan
Heights is possible.
*Eilat. Good for Red Sea diving and
guarenteed sunshine but slightly ropey beaches and total style failure.
Bethlehem. Very crowded and unsightly,
though not far from Jerusalem.
**Tel Aviv. A funky, modern beachside
city with little historical interest but some excellent beaches
and wild nightlife.
Biblical Sights that fail to impress:
Jericho, Nazareth, Beersheba, Sodom, Hebron, Ashod.
Israel
- Palestine Activities:
Driving: a relaxing and convenient
way to travel out of Jerusalem and see the Dead Sea or Galilee areas.
You may also be able to drive into Jordan to see Petra and Wadi
Rum, but check the current political situation first.
Riding: Galilee and Tel Aviv have horses
for rent.
Hiking: Golan, Wadi Qelt, and Negev
Desert.
Diving: Try diving onto Herod's drowned
city at Caesarea, or in the Red Sea for coral classics.
Health Spas: the Dead Sea offers mineral
baths, mud packs and sunshine galore.
Beach Life: Tel Aviv and Eilat, though
not of the palm fringed, coral sand, tropical beach type.
Main
Festivals:
Eid al Fitr, end of Arab festival of a couple of days of
feasting. Date
varies.
March, Purim.
Jewish.
April, Passover/Easter. Jewish/Christian
For
some precise dates, more suggestions and information see:
Exotic Festivals
An
email from Bethany, 22 November '06:
I
just wanted to say, your depiction of Israel is less than admirable.
You supposedly promote tours, but in your list of "downsides"
you basically contradict that. I visited Israel in March of 2006,
and I have to say it was absolutely AMAZING. The countryside was
breaktaking and VERY fruitful with huge variation across the country,
the people (ALL people) were incredibly warm and welcoming, the
armed forces were friendly & unabrasive, and all the Biblical
sites we visited were magnificent!! Really, I don't understand your
"downsides" at all! In fact, Israel is probably the most
exciting, gorgeous place I have EVER been (and I have traveled many
places). I truly think you're misconstruing everything about this
beautiful country. I strongly suggest that you remove the list of
"downsides" from your web-page. Thanks for hearing me
out!
Bethany
If
you plan to travel in Israel Travel Guide you may also be interested
in:
Egypt
Travel Guide | Jordan
Travel Guide | Syria
Travel Guide | Morocco
Guide
Turkey
Guide | Oman
Guide | Israel-Palestine
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