Looking for advice on Israel

silvine

I am considering a trip to Israel this Easter. Has anyone been before? Any tips or recommendations? How much should it cost.

I'd like to go to Tel Aviv and/or Jerusalem for 4/5 nights. I understanding the're fairly close and Tel Aviv has a good night life.

Sefirah

Heya, if you're still looking for advice on Israel, I'd be more than happy to help- I worked there for 2 months and pretty much did every touristy thing under the sun. Anyways, feel free to PM!

Zebra3

You might wanna get your skates on to book flights for Easter to Israel at this late stage!!! :eek:

You can book with Air France to flt from Ireland to Tel Aviv via Paris or you can fly with Easyjet from London to T.A.

Nothing to see in T.A. but it's the really the only place there with some nightlife.

Places to visit of interest would be Acco (Acre), Haifa, and Jerusalem.

Highly recommend a trip to the West Bank. Have used this company before, very reputable. http://www.atg.ps/index.php

nickhilliard

Masada and the Dead Sea are worth going to see, as is the old town in Jerusalem. The Dome on the Rock and the Western Wall are also worth seeing. The Dome is just amazing. The Western Wall is amazing if you want to see serious crackhead religious fruitloopery and chauvinism in its unadorned glory.

The Negev desert is beautiful. If you can get to see any of the monasteries there, they are really quite amazing.

Israel is a fascinating country. You won't be stuck for things to do.

-n

Sefirah

Zebra3 wrote: »

Highly recommend a trip to the West Bank. Have used this company before, very reputable. http://www.atg.ps/index.php

However, if you have any women in your group, I don't advise it. I spent time in the West Bank and absolutely hated it- I was dressed VERY modestly but found the local men to be animals at best.

nickhilliard wrote: »

The Western Wall is amazing if you want to see serious crackhead religious fruitloopery and chauvinism in its unadorned glory.-n

Chauvanism? Just because they seperate men and women for prayer? They do or have done this in practically every religion out there- I didn't find it offputting at all

Zebra3

Sefirah wrote: »

However, if you have any women in your group, I don't advise it. I spent time in the West Bank and absolutely hated it- I was dressed VERY modestly but found the local men to be animals at best.

Plenty of women in the group when I was there and no problems at all.

silvine

I am looking to go for about four to five nights around Easter. There's four of us (guys) so we're looking for a bit of night life as well as culture. I was thinking of staying in Tel Aviv and doing a day trip to Jerusalem.

Is it expensive over there? What can we do in four nights. Who is best to fly with? I'm guessing Easter might be too busy/expensive.

Metar

Something to be aware of if you are planning on going at Easter is that it is going to be "Pesach" in Israel at the same time this year (Sunset of April 18 through nightfall of April 26). This is one of the biggest holidays in the Jewish calendar. The affect of this will be to push up prices for flights, and you will be there at a peak holiday season.

Fratton Fred

Israel isn't very big so if you are looking for night life, have you considered Eilat?

I stayed there and did a day trip to Jerusalem, via the dead sea and on to Bethlehem. You can also do day trips to Jordan from there as well as nip into Egypt to the casino.

I think BMI fly to Tel Aviv, or of course there is El Al from Heathrow.

Word of warning though, security on flights to Israel is like nothing you have ever seen and Israeli security has absolutely zero sense of humour.

Sefirah

Zebra3 wrote: »

Plenty of women in the group when I was there and no problems at all.

Lucky ladies- I was in Bethlehem and practically got molested-- so needless to say, I wouldn't be a big fan

silvine wrote: »

I am looking to go for about four to five nights around Easter. There's four of us (guys) so we're looking for a bit of night life as well as culture. I was thinking of staying in Tel Aviv and doing a day trip to Jerusalem.

Is it expensive over there? What can we do in four nights. Who is best to fly with? I'm guessing Easter might be too busy/expensive.

For sure base yourselves in Tel Aviv - I stayed in a really great hostel on Ben Yehuda called Momos - it was great craic and by far the best I encountered in terms of mixing with fellow travellers. The location is also brilliant, as it's just a short walk from the beach and very central to all kinds of shops and clubs.

For Jerusalem, I'd strongly advise not visiting on Shabbat (Friday evening to Saturday night) since public transport stops completely and taxis push up the rates, not to mention the fact that practically all shops and restaurants close too. Two things that are must-dos are a full day, if not two, dedicated to seeing the Old City and also a half day trip to Yad Vashem. I really wouldn't bother with the Herzl Museum, as it's not particularly thrilling unless you've got a particular interest in the history of Zionism and whatnot. Also, if you must go to East Jerusalem or the Mount of Olives, be extremely careful of being robbed, and, once again, for women in your group.

I find KLM to be the best value in terms of flights, and while you'd get quite cheap accommodation in Jerusalem (up to €15 per night in a dorm- I'd recommend the Citadel, as it's great value and the owners are quite pleasant), it can get fairly expensive in Tel Aviv, depending on where you stay

Sefirah

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Israel isn't very big so if you are looking for night life, have you considered Eilat?

I stayed there and did a day trip to Jerusalem, via the dead sea and on to Bethlehem. You can also do day trips to Jordan from there as well as nip into Egypt to the casino.

I think BMI fly to Tel Aviv, or of course there is El Al from Heathrow.

Word of warning though, security on flights to Israel is like nothing you have ever seen and Israeli security has absolutely zero sense of humour.

Lol! Agreed on the lack of sense of humour :P It's definitely not the time to make bomb jokes... They even were pretty wary of me because I'd recently gotten a new passport, and they wanted to see my old one (which I obviously didn't have) - but at the end of the day, you'll feel all the safer for it.
Also, El Al are a rip off, but BMI are definitely a good choice
And Eilat IS amazing- well worth a loook

irishconvert

Sefirah wrote: »

However, if you have any women in your group, I don't advise it. I spent time in the West Bank and absolutely hated it- I was dressed VERY modestly but found the local men to be animals at best.

Maybe they didn't like the fact you were a member of the Israeli army.

Fratton Fred

Our first night in Eilat was a bit disconcerting. It was a Thursday night and there was a party of about 12 young Israelis in the restaurant. Every single one of them was carrying a gun!

Sefirah

irishconvert wrote: »

Maybe they didn't like the fact you were a member of the Israeli army.

Firsly, I was never a 'member' of anything- there's a great deal of difference between being sworn into the army and volunteering on an army base.

Secondly, I was dressed in civilian clothing, during the weekend, being very much an ordinary Irish *tourist*. This is not a political statement, it is a fact that any disgusting male attention I received in Israel was from Arab men. And this happened on numerous occasions-- I was swimming in the sea and one grabbed me and put his hand down my bikini bottoms, an Arab taxi driver rubbed his hand on my thighs while he was driving, a group of Arab teenagers in East Jerusalem screamed 'nice tits' at me and in Bethlehem the shopkeeper came up behind me, ran his fingers through my hair telling me that he 'likes a white lady' and stood in the way of the shop exit when I tried to leave. On another occasion in Jerusalem I stayed in an Arab-owned hostel and was the only one sleeping in a dorm room when in the early hours of the morning the lights were turned on and 3 Arab men walked in and stood around my bed smiling at me. When I screamed at them to leave, they kept staring at me until I threatened to call the police. The next morning I went to complain them, only to realise that they were in fact the OWNERS of the hotel.

Politics aside, I would strongly warn any western woman against travelling in areas of heavy Arab presence, especially alone

irishconvert

Sefirah wrote: »

Firsly, I was never a 'member' of anything- there's a great deal of difference between being sworn into the army and volunteering on an army base.

Secondly, I was dressed in civilian clothing, during the weekend, being very much an ordinary Irish *tourist*. This is not a political statement, it is a fact that any disgusting male attention I received in Israel was from Arab men. And this happened on numerous occasions-- I was swimming in the sea and one grabbed me and put his hand down my bikini bottoms, an Arab taxi driver rubbed his hand on my thighs while he was driving, a group of Arab teenagers in East Jerusalem screamed 'nice tits' at me and in Bethlehem the shopkeeper came up behind me, ran his fingers through my hair telling me that he 'likes a white lady' and stood in the way of the shop exit when I tried to leave. On another occasion in Jerusalem I stayed in an Arab-owned hostel and was the only one sleeping in a dorm room when in the early hours of the morning the lights were turned on and 3 Arab men walked in and stood around my bed smiling at me. When I screamed at them to leave, they kept staring at me until I threatened to call the police. The next morning I went to complain them, only to realise that they were in fact the OWNERS of the hotel.

Politics aside, I would strongly warn any western woman against travelling in areas of heavy Arab presence, especially alone

Do you have anything positive to say about Arabs, Palestinians or Muslims?

Can you put your obvious hatred of Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims aside and give us some real travel advice?

Sefirah

irishconvert wrote: »

Do you have anything positive to say about Arabs, Palestinians or Muslims?

Can you put your obvious hatred of Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims aside and give us some real travel advice?

I wasn't asked to write The Life and History of Arabs, I'm simply giving a warning to other women who choose to travel around Israel that I myself have encountered many problems which have all without exception been perpetrated by Arab men (both Christian and Muslim), and it's worth being cautious. Like all people, Arabs and Muslims come with the good and the bad- and since you asked, I'm reading a book by Israeli Arab Muslim Ishmael Khaldi at this time, and have great respect for the late Benazir Bhutto.

I'm not anti-Arab or anti-Muslim, I'm anti-dudes who stick their hands down my bikini bottoms when I'm going for a swim in Tel Aviv

silvine

Was quoted flights for around 400 for the week after Easter. Is that about right? Also is it expensive over there?

JustinDee

silvine wrote: »

Was quoted flights for around 400 for the week after Easter. Is that about right? Also is it expensive over there?

Thats a peak-time holiday flight. Doesn't seem that bad to me.

Some things in Israel are relatively expensive such as fuel for car or certain imported goods. You can eat cheaply at food stands for example. Certain Israeli produce cheap in supermarkets such as fruit etc.
Tours will be expensive during the time you're there, given that its peak season for tourism.

Zebra3

Sefirah wrote: »

And Eilat IS amazing- well worth a loook

It's not. It's a crap resort.

The only reason for going to Eilat is if you are on your way to Petra in Jordan.

Sefirah

I thought Eilat was brilliant, but then again, it depends on who you do with- it's very much a place for partying and water sports and whatnot, so you need a good group with you

silvine

Which is better for nightlife Eilat or Tel Aviv? Is Eilat near Jerusalem. There's four of us going for about five nights. It'd be a shame to go all the way over and not make it to Jerusalem.

Between flights and accommodation, it's looking like EUR700. Does anyone know if there's packages that are cheaper?

Also are the beaches etc nice. I kind of want to get away from the whole city thing too.

Pythia

silvine wrote: »

Which is better for nightlife Eilat or Tel Aviv? Is Eilat near Jerusalem. There's four of us going for about five nights. It'd be a shame to go all the way over and not make it to Jerusalem.

Between flights and accommodation, it's looking like EUR700. Does anyone know if there's packages that are cheaper?

Also are the beaches etc nice. I kind of want to get away from the whole city thing too.

Eilat is on the Red Sea. Don't you have google maps?

silvine

Indeed I do. I see it now. Flights are coming in at EUR1,000+. I don't think I'll be going to Eilat unless I can find a package, which kind of defeats the point of travelling up to Jerusalem for a night or two.

Fratton Fred

silvine wrote: »

Which is better for nightlife Eilat or Tel Aviv? Is Eilat near Jerusalem. There's four of us going for about five nights. It'd be a shame to go all the way over and not make it to Jerusalem.

Between flights and accommodation, it's looking like EUR700. Does anyone know if there's packages that are cheaper?

Also are the beaches etc nice. I kind of want to get away from the whole city thing too.

There is a small beach in Eilat itself, but there is a massive beach ten minutes by bus down the coast. The coral reef there is up to the waters edge, so you can't actually swim off the beach, you have to walk along a 50 pontoon. Amazing snorkelling along there by the way.

We did a day trip to Jerusalem quite easily from Eilat, which included a flight back from tel aviv.

We flew heathrow to Ovda, which was about a 45 minute drive from Eilat, or there is an airport right in middle of town.

We went with Longwood travel who fly from gatwick.

AngryLips

Have you considered an alternative holiday destination that doesn't involve supporting an apartheid regime? :pac:

Also, you'd want to watch your passport around those custom officials

Fratton Fred

AngryLips wrote: »

Have you considered an alternative holiday destination that doesn't involve supporting an apartheid regime? :pac:

Also, you'd want to watch your passport around those custom officials

Have you been to Israel?

JustinDee

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Have you been to Israel?

Obviously not.

Sefirah

Yet Irish people see no problem in going to other Middle Eastern countries where, unlike Israel, women are treated like scum and the prosecuting of gays, in many cases with the death penalty, is common practice.

Interesting.

irishconvert

Sefirah wrote: »

Yet Irish people see no problem in going to other Middle Eastern countries where, unlike Israel, women are treated like scum and the prosecuting of gays, in many cases with the death penalty, is common practice.

Interesting.

So it's ok going to a place where arabs are treated like second class citizens because some arab countries treat women as second class citizens? Makes perfect sense :rolleyes:

Pythia

irishconvert wrote: »

So it's ok going to a place where arabs are treated like second class citizens because some arab countries treat women as second class citizens? Makes perfect sense :rolleyes:

I don't think this thread is the place for this sort of argument.

RandolphEsq

irishconvert wrote: »

So it's ok going to a place where arabs are treated like second class citizens because some arab countries treat women as second class citizens? Makes perfect sense :rolleyes:

lol:rolleyes: