Help me plan my trip to Israel

[Pauline]

We are not going to do Petra on this trip. One reason is that the Movenpick was fully booked months ago for the time when we could do it. The other reason is that I did not want to cram too many things into this trip and I know we will be back.

I want to see Petra, but I would like to do it as follows:

• Park rental car by border in Eilat.
• Cross border and get a rental car in Jordan.
• Drive to Petra. Spend 2 nights at Movenpick.
• Drive back to border crossing at Eilat.

I am not sure this is the best plan though.

The plan from August got changed slightly and is now:

THE PLAN (updated)

Jerusalem, 10 nights vacation rental, in a modern building a few blocks from where we stayed before in the German Colony.
http://www.colonysuites.com/Colony.php
Pick up rental car 2 days before end of stay in Jerusalem because we want to drive to Herodiun and to a few places outside of Jerusalem. I booked directly with Hertz.co.il to make sure we have the correct insurances.

Ein Gedi, 2 nights, in the hotel on the kibbutz on the Dead Sea.
http://en.ein-gedi.co.il/

Arava Valley (south of Ein Gedi), 3 nights vacation rental in a farming community.
https://www.razulafaran.com/
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/8572911

Eilat, 3 nights vacation rental on the Red Sea.
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/22113931

Mitzpe Ramon, 1 night hotel (rooms have kitchens). Desert Home, booked through Booking.com.

Tel Aviv, 7 nights vacation rental apartment in the Neve Tzedek area of Tel Aviv. https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/751204

-------------------------
This plan lets us have a good amount of time in the Negev. The weather should be good in November. We are not going to northern Israel, but are hoping to do a return trip in the spring and spend more time in the north.

We leave in less than a month!

 

[ItalophileNJ]

That Neve Tzedek (Tel Aviv) apartment looks beautiful! And very convenient neighborhood. When I stayed in Tel Aviv May 2017 I hadn't stayed there for at least 20 years so didn't know the neighborhood. But I'd stay in Neve Tzedek if I were to visit TA again.

And now I see, the Colony Apartment in Jerusalem is actually a bit away from Emek Refaim, off Rachel Imenu which curves off to the right as you are going down the hill. I didn't realize they had apartments in so many buildings. Nice!

 

[Pauline]

That Neve Tzedek (Tel Aviv) apartment looks beautiful! And very convenient neighborhood. When I stayed in Tel Aviv May 2017 I hadn't stayed there for at least 20 years so didn't know the neighborhood. But I'd stay in Neve Tzedek if I were to visit TA again.

And now I see, the Colony Apartment in Jerusalem is actually a bit away from Emek Refaim, off Rachel Imenu which curves off to the right as you are going down the hill. I didn't realize they had apartments in so many buildings. Nice!

I posted on the Trip Advisor Israel forum for help choosing between 3 apartments. The Neve Tzedek one was the nicest but I wasn’t sure about the area. Several posters there thought this the best neighbourhood. We walked through this neighbourhood on our trip in March but it was at night and a brief visit.

They have another new apartment which looks very nice on that street with the movie theatre, but there is construction next door so I chose The Colony instead. It was good of them to tell me about the construction. It should be finished over the winter. It is bigger than we need anyway. The Wedgewood - http://www.colonysuites.com/mobile/Wedgewood.php

We walked by The Colony when we were there in March. It is on a nice street.

 

[Peabody]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a guide in Tel Aviv? Will be spending just a day there so would like to make the most of our time.

 

[Pauline]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a guide in Tel Aviv? Will be spending just a day there so would like to make the most of our time.

I have been using the Trip Advisor Israel forums for travel information and advice. It is a good forum and the people are helpful. You could search there and find recommendations:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g293977-i1733-Israel.html

One regular, Douglas Duckett, has written a 50+ page document about traveling in Israel. In it he says this about Tel Aviv guides: "I also love touring with Jonathan (Yonatan) Kohn, a former American based in Tel Aviv who is also licensed to drive tourists (tel. (054) 554-3448; jonskohn@hotmail.com)."

You could also consider "self touring" or going with a group. We hired a private guide in Jerusalem because I was overwhelmed by the trip planning and could not figure out how to explore the Old City, but in hind sight I would have done just as well to go on a group tour for a few hours I think. Our guide was informative but we ended up at a carpet shop where (I think) we were expected to buy something (we didn't) and I really hate that kind of thing. This was our first experience ever hiring a private tour guide.

 

[Peabody]

Thanks Pauline. I looked at the forum and found some good recommendations. How do I find the Douglas Duckett document? He has tons of postings but in scanning through I could not locate the document you mention?

 

[Pauline]

... How do I find the Douglas Duckett document? ...

He asks you to email him and ask for it, then he sends it in a reply email. I don't want to post his email here so will send you a PM with it.

 

[ItalophileNJ]

He asks you to email him and ask for it, then he sends it in a reply email. I don't want to post his email here so will send you a PM with it.

Of the guides mentioned on Trip Advisor —-I haven’t used a guide in Tel Aviv, but I have used Oreet, who I think lives near Jerusalem and is quite good. I’ve met Amos, who recently completed his licensing credentials and he seems great. Not sure where he lives but it’s somewhere central.

Pauline, I’m surprised to hear that about Madeleine; although I’ve not met her she is well respected. I’ve used Richard Wolff (originally a Brit) in the north and he’s terrific but he lives in Rosh Pina.

Funny about the TA forums; the Israel Forum is great and I’ve gotten to know many of the regulars. The Florence Forum: You take your life in your hands when you ask a question.
Enjoy Tel Aviv, Peabody.

 

[Pauline]

Funny about the TA forums; the Israel Forum is great and I’ve gotten to know many of the regulars. The Florence Forum: You take your life in your hands when you ask a question.

I have heard that from other people, some forums are great, some are not. I've only used the Israel forum and it has been very useful in my trip planning.

 

[Pauline]

We fly a week from Thursday. The weather looks good - warmer and sunnier than in Dorset. Low 70sF in Jerusalem, 80s in the Negev. I've confirmed all my bookings and am making up lists of things I want to do in each location.

One mistake that I made was flying on Thursday, which is the day before the weekend. Once I had booked in Premium Economy I went to book seats and all the 2 seat rows were full, so we are on one side of a row of 4. Not ideal because we need to avoid being next to someone who wears perfume. But maybe I'll meet someone interesting.

The flying on Thursday helped my second mistake. I wanted two Shabbots in Jerusalem (Friday night to Saturday night) just because it is so nice to be there at that time. Everyone goes out shopping Friday morning, challah bread is sold everywhere, then the city slowly closes down by the evening. But, we are picking up our rental car two days before we leave, so that we can drive out to some sites, and that means we don't really experience the second Shabbot and outside the city will be crowded because it is a weekend. Maybe I will change the car reservation to pickup on Sunday, the day we leave, and use buses to get out to the countryside. A nice person on Trip Advisor sent me notes on a hike where we can take a bus to a town near Abu Ghosh west of Jerusalem and hike to another town and get a bus back. We can decide this when we are there.

 

[ItalophileNJ]

Re premium economy ----- It's been my experience, at least flying transatlantic on United, that Premium Economy seats often turn up at check in time. People who have been waitlisted for Business or First move up from Premium Economy at that time.

I saw the post about the hike on TA (I am never away from the TA Israel forum for more than a couple of days). Looks good, but IF you are thinking of doing that on Shabbat remember that the buses won't be running and you would have to take a taxi. Or maybe I am misunderstanding and you would be taking that hike on Thursday or Friday, which would be fine at least until sometime Friday afternoon.

I'm getting excited for your trip!

 

[Pauline]

I did not get many answers about hiking on TA but I did some searching and found a few good articles. I don't know why I didn't search first - before asking! I started reading about the Israel National Trail, which has a side branch through Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Trail. I found a book on amazon.co.uk and ordered it. We may be able to walk parts of it in Jerusalem and when we go south into the Negev.

One of the TA regulars did send me a detailed description of a good hike in the hills west of Jerusalem where I can take a bus to the start of the hike.

These are the articles I found. Lots to choose from here.

Israel 21c - 10 top hikes in the Jerusalem area
https://www.israel21c.org/10-top-hikes-in-the-jerusalem-area/
Trails of all sorts – from easy walks to challenging rock scrambles – are just a short drive from the center of Israel’s capital city.

Hike Israel
https://hike-israel.com/hikes/hikes-around-jerusalem/
Self-guided hikes where you pay them for the hike maps ($5 - digital). Hike text is free so you could manage without the maps.

GO Jerusalem - Jerusalem-area hikes accessible by public bus
http://www.gojerusalem.com/article/751/Jerusalem-area-hikes-accessible-by-public-bus/
Overview of hiking areas reached by bus. No hike details.

Shalom Israel Tours - 5 Awesome Half-Day Hikes in the Jerusalem Area
https://shalomisraeltours.com/5-awesome-half-day-hikes-jerusalem-area/

Blog - Attractions in Israel
Several hike descriptions for different areas.
http://www.attractions-in-israel.com/category/jerusalem-area/jerusalem-hikes/

Jerusalem Post article
https://www.jpost.com//Travel/Around-Israel/All-out-Adventure-Bike-or-hike-the-Burma-Road
All out Adventure: Bike or hike the Burma Road
The Burma Road is an incredibly accessible trail, perfect for anyone looking for a half day escape from J'lem or TA.

 

[Pauline]

... I saw the post about the hike on TA (I am never away from the TA Israel forum for more than a couple of days). Looks good, but IF you are thinking of doing that on Shabbat remember that the buses won't be running and you would have to take a taxi. Or maybe I am misunderstanding and you would be taking that hike on Thursday or Friday, which would be fine at least until sometime Friday afternoon.

We will do a couple of hikes using buses during the week. We pick up the rental car on a Friday morning, so will use the car for Friday and Saturday to drive out of town and hike.

I have pounded it into my head that buses won't run starting Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. I plan to get our Rav Kav cards (for buses) in the airport when we arrive but we will only be able to use them the first morning - we arrive Thursday evening. On our last trip we did not use the buses because by the time I figured out where to get the Rav Kav cards we were at the end of our week there. We walked or used the Gett app for taxis.

Leaving in a week! We've had magnificent weather here and have been out hiking in the sun most days, but it is set to change this weekend, to turn colder. Today it was in the mid 60sF and sunny! It will be warmer in Jerusalem, but not too hot. Looks like low 70sF.

 

[Pauline]

All right, two trips to Israel planned and executed. Now I am planning March 2019 for 4 weeks. And I already booked flights (using miles) for November 2019 for 4 weeks. We are making up for lost time with these visits. We should have started traveling to Israel years ago. Plus the weather there works well with our weather in the UK. It is too hot in Israel in the summer but going in March and November gives us a sunny and warm break when we need it.

Trip Plan - March 2019

Fly Heathrow to Tel Aviv, arrive around 3pm, pickup rental car at airport and drive 1hr15min north to Zikron Ya'akov, a small town near the coast south of Haifa. Spend 1 night at Hotel Beit Maimon. Sunset is at 5:40pm. If all goes well we will arrive before 6pm.

Description copied from somewhere: "Zichron Yaakov is one of the first ‘modern’ settlements in Israel. Located upon Mount Carmel, with magnificent views across the Coastal Plain to the Mediterranean, the town was founded in 1882 by 100 Jewish pioneers, returning to their Biblical homeland from Romania. Today, the town is a big tourist center – its quaint main shopping street is lined with cafes which sit alongside historic buildings, whilst the town is also famous for the Carmel Winery, one of Israel’s top vineyards which is located here."

Amy told me last year that we would like this town.

Haifa - 1 week in the apartment we rented last March - Carmel Home Mount Seaview, 2bed/2bath with a nice terrace and parking. This time I booked directly with the owner (because I have his phone number) instead of through Booking.com.

On our earlier trip we spent 4 nights in Haifa and we did not fall in love with the city. We want to give it another chance. We will explore the city, find the good falafel stands in the Arab section, hike on Mount Carmel, and do day trips up and down the coast. We had a car in Haifa on the last trip and it was not that bad driving in and out of the city.

Amirim (Galilee) - 1 week in an apartment that is the top floor of a house in this village near Safed and Rosh Pina. I booked through AirBnb - The Terrace, 1 bed/1bath apartment with large terrace. Amirim is a vegetarian village - no meat allowed - which is fine by me!

Wikipedia: "Early attempts by Jewish immigrants from Morocco to establish a settlement in the 1950s were not successful. The original name was Shefa Bet. In 1958, a group of people of various backgrounds banded together to create a moshav based on a vegetarian, vegan, and organic lifestyle and ideology. Among them were numerous Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist families under the leadership of Ben and Lois Roden. The founders of Amirim were among the pioneers of the vegetarian movement in Israel. The Rodens established "The Branch Organic Agricultural Association," one of the first organizations to encourage organic gardening in Israel, which produces an abundance of crops for the area and for Europe."

Okay, the Branch Davidians were the Waco guys (David Koresh and the 1993 siege)! Israel never fails to be interesting. I discovered this just now, writing this post. I really need to up my researching skills.

From Amirim we plan to do some hiking in the Galilee, visit Safed, Tiberias and Nazareth, drive around the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret), go to the Hula Valley (but not further north because we will stay up there next).

Galilee Panhandle - 2 nights in a hotel in northern Galilee, near the Golan Heights. I have booked the Pastoral Hotel at Kibbutz Kfar Blum but may change that booking (hotel is too expensive).

In this area we will hike in the Banias and see some of the other sights up there near the borders of Lebanon and Syria. (The Israeli military recently destroyed tunnels that Hezbollah had built from Lebanon into this area for a planned attack on the Galilee.)

Jerusalem - 11 nights. We've stayed in Jerusalem on both our previous trips, but there is still much to see. I booked an apartment in the German Colony, where we stayed both times before, but in a different apartment this time, through AirBnb - Modern flat in the Moshava, 2bed/2bath, small terrace, no elevator, up two flights of stairs. The people who own or manage this have several other apartments in Jerusalem, all on AirBnb.

Purim starts on Wednesday March 20, but starts on Thursday March 21 in Jerusalem because it is a walled city. I only learned about this holiday after booking, and had to change our booking so we arrived before the holiday, but it is supposed to be more of a "party" holiday so it will be fun to be there for it.

We will have our rental car in Jerusalem and will use it to drive out of the city and do some hiking, like we did on our last trip. We can also drive ourselves to the airport at the end of our stay.

That is it! This combined with our recent trip takes us to most areas in Israel. Then we can decide which parts we like best.

 

[kcalnyc]

Wow! I'm glad to hear you like it so much.

I stayed at the Carmel Forest Spa once and we went to the Gottesman Print Center and had dinner at Adelina at Kibbutz Cabri. The restaurant was terrific and the print center was very cool. The views were terrific from there. If you feel like a bit of culture when you are in that general area I recommend it.

I have heard that Akko (Acre) is really interesting but I haven't been. Maybe next year. Uri Buri is there - he cooked at NYU this year and his fish was delicious.

 

[joe]

We will explore the city, find the good falafel stands

The two popular falafel stands in The Wadi street (a narrow road that is the heart of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood, and has the market and small shops) are Falafel Michel (pronounced "Meeshel", like in French) and Falafel HaZkenim ("the old guys"). Both are very good, located opposite each other, and in eternal competition. So you can split up and order one in each, or come back every day until you decide which one's the best...
March is a good time for seasonal vegetarian dishes, as wild thistle ("Akuv" in Arabic) and mallow ("Hubeiza" in Hebrew) are collected and used in dishes. So if you eat out, you might want to try this. There are some good eating places in Haifa, I'm sure you'll find recommendations.

The deli to go to is Suidan, in the same neighborhood. This isn't the Quadrilatero of Bologna, and a bit expensive, but there's a pretty good representation of local foods, spices, etc., and worth a visit just to see a nice range of products. For something unusual, look for black cumin tahini (Nigella), grape syrup ("deebs" in Arabic), or ground Hulinjan root (somewhat similar to ginger). But these can also be found in some of the better health food and spice shops in the country. On your way to Amirim, for example, you might like to stop at Beit Lehem HaGleelit , an interesting moshav with lovely Templar buildings, and a good spice shop. There are also some nice trails in the neighboring Alona Reserve.
A couple of good places in the same street in Wadi Nisnas to buy the local pastries, such as baklavah and knaffeh, but can't remember the names. Suidan probably sells some too.

.

 

[Kim]

Just want to say I am jealous!

 

[ItalophileNJ]

The two popular falafel stands in The Wadi street (a narrow road that is the heart of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood, and has the market and small shops) are Falafel Michel (pronounced "Meeshel", like in French) and Falafel HaZkenim ("the old guys"). Both are very good, located opposite each other, and in eternal competition. So you can split up and order one in each, or come back every day until you decide which one's the best...
March is a good time for seasonal vegetarian dishes, as wild thistle ("Akuv" in Arabic) and mallow ("Hubeiza" in Hebrew) are collected and used in dishes. So if you eat out, you might want to try this. There are some good eating places in Haifa, I'm sure you'll find recommendations.

The deli to go to is Suidan, in the same neighborhood. This isn't the Quadrilatero of Bologna, and a bit expensive, but there's a pretty good representation of local foods, spices, etc., and worth a visit just to see a nice range of products. For something unusual, look for black cumin tahini (Nigella), grape syrup ("deebs" in Arabic), or ground Hulinjan root (somewhat similar to ginger). But these can also be found in some of the better health food and spice shops in the country. On your way to Amirim, for example, you might like to stop at Beit Lehem HaGleelit , an interesting moshav with lovely Templar buildings, and a good spice shop. There are also some nice trails in the neighboring Alona Reserve.
A couple of good places in the same street in Wadi Nisnas to buy the local pastries, such as baklavah and knaffeh, but can't remember the names. Suidan probably sells some too.

.

Wow! I'm glad to hear you like it so much.

I stayed at the Carmel Forest Spa once and we went to the Gottesman Print Center and had dinner at Adelina at Kibbutz Cabri. The restaurant was terrific and the print center was very cool. The views were terrific from there. If you feel like a bit of culture when you are in that general area I recommend it.

I have heard that Akko (Acre) is really interesting but I haven't been. Maybe next year. Uri Buri is there - he cooked at NYU this year and his fish was delicious.

Wow, great plans.

Zichron Ya’akov —— I visited only once but the town made a memorable impression on me. You MUST visit Beit Aaronson, which is an incredibly moving little museum of the early modern history of Israel. It’s connected with the Nili movement ——- an acronym from the Biblical Book of Samuel. Tragic end to the movement.
Actually, I have some acquaintances who recently bought a residence there; there’s a very amazing youngish liberal rabbi there who I think has attracted people.

For some reason I have never been a fan of Haifa, but that’s probably just me. I know it’s not your kind of thing but you might consider getting in touch with Avigail from TA if it can work out. She’s a young woman, originally a Brit, who teaches music at the University. She works with all kinds of people. And she fixed my iPhone for me when she was still living in Baka’a in Jerusalem.

In the north I stayed in HaGoshrim for a few nights. I think it’s a bit cheaper than Kfar Blum. I had no car, and found the buffet, um, daunting. But two nights I had a light supper from the lobby bar, which was fine. (I was spending my days driving around with Richard Woolf. )

Wow, nice trip planned!

 

[milgreen2]

"party holiday" is an understatement for Purim. There's a lot of drinking on Erev Purim, and lots of Adloyada parades, as in Ad Lo Yada, or until one doesn't know the difference between Mordechai and Haman. Kind of puts the Purim costume parades we had in Hebrew school to shame :~).

Sounds like a fabulous trip! We too wish we had started travel to Israel many years ago. If it were up to me, I would spend at least a month there every year, if I could. A fun video to watch is In Search of Israeli Cuisine, on Netflix.

p.s. I too planned my trip last year with lots of help from the TA forum, and spent a few days touring the North with Richard Woolf.

 

[Pauline]

p.s. I too planned my trip last year with lots of help from the TA forum, and spent a few days touring the North with Richard Woolf.

Where did you go in the north? We are spending a week in Amirim and I am trying to plan what we will see.

Our current plan is to spend a month or two in Israel each year, to make up for lost time. After our March trip we will have seen more and will hopefully come up with a favourite area or two that we can return to.