Israel - Palestine
Travel Guide
Israel Palestine Travel Guide, climate:
Best: Spring, Autumn, but ok most months
Worst: July/Aug. [excessive heat, esp. Eilat], Ramadan [Muslim fasting
month, Sept 24 - Oct 22 '06; Sept 13 - Oct 11 '07; Sept 1 - Sept 29 '08]
Length of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights/ border crossings: 4 days, just
Jerusalem
Recommended: 2 weeks
Main festivals in Israel - Palestine:
Eid al Fitr, end of Arab festival of Ramadan, 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
Israel - Palestine Activities Guide:
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.
Israel Star Guide:
Monuments ****
Landscape *
Wildlife *
Walkability ****
Value for money ***
Shopping and souvenirs **
Food quality and variety **
Beaches ***
Architecture **
Hotel prices and value **
Local people ***
Safety ***
Nightlife ***
Health problems ***
Museums ***
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.
Where to go in Israel - Palestine:
***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 of historical interest
but some excellent beaches and wild nightlife.
Biblical Sights that fail to impress: Jericho, Nazareth, Beersheba, Sodom,
Hebron, Ashod.