Personal Journey to Israel: A Gem of The Middle East June 11, 2015 – Posted in: Blog

It lies 6,620 miles away from my home, is located on the Mediterranean Sea and is one of the most highly contested pieces of land on Earth.

This was our second visit to the Land of Milk and Honey. On our first visit we ported during a Holland America Mediterranean cruise in Haifa, a city in the North of Israel. That day we visited Jerusalem as well as Bethlehem in Palestine (West Bank). It certainly wasn’t enough time to experience this beautiful country so deeply rooted in history, conflict and most importantly, a deep passion for preserving peace and prosperity for generations to come to the Promised Land.

This time we visited Tel Aviv for a family wedding. This international melting pot ushers in travelers from every corner of the planet to take in its pulsating nightlife, sparkling Mediterranean beach and marketplaces (shuks) that transport us thousands of years back in time. Hebrew mixed with English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian are the unofficial languages of this welcoming gem nestled by the sea.

My cousin has lived here for five years and invited friends and family from countries around the world…a perfect representation of her cosmopolitan city.
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Whether you have contemplated a trip to Israel prior to reading this blog post or are now contemplating one, I’ve listed details below from my personal experience of this amazing trip to make your life a little easier:

HOW TO GET TO TEL AVIV

If you are flying from the US you will most likely be stopping in Newark, Philadelphia, Washington Dulles or Atlanta. (I’m raising my hand for a direct Miami –> Tel Aviv flight to begin, please!)

There are plenty of flights that connect in Europe prior to landing in Tel Aviv as well.

We book everything on Expedia. We have never been able to master flying the same airline for everything. If we did, I’m pretty sure we’d be flying in sleep pods with turndown service by now. If you have miles, depending on what airline I’ve heard it’s is almost 100,000 miles each way – simply check with your credit card company.

TIME CHANGE

Israel is +7 hours from the East Coast. Click here to see what time it is in Israel right now.

CURRENCY

The form of currency used in Israel is the Shekel. Check here for the current exchange rate.

 

 

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE NOT EXPECTING (HIGH SECURITY)

Israel is an oasis in the desert of the Middle East with a thriving culture, an immense amount of history and actually a place where Israeli Arabs, Jews and Christians are living their daily life peacefully. That being said it’s important to know that there are areas of Israel that are simply off limits to travelers (and even some Israeli citizens).

I highly recommend either traveling with a guide or someone who is more than familiar with the region before taking it on yourself. While most signs are written in Hebrew, Arabic and English, it’s not worth it to make a wrong turn.

I also would urge you to familiarize yourself with the current events of the region. Conflict is something that has gone on for thousands of years in this region and keeping yourself safe while traveling should be your number one priority. The U.S. Department of State website here is a great resource to reference prior to travel.

Even after traveling around the world I was still taken aback at the amount of high security when we arrived to the gate at Newark Airport. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.

Military style security zones are blocked off for passengers of the flight and multiple security checks are imperative. While it made me uncomfortable at first, I quickly realized that this should actually be something that provides comfort. Israel makes safety and security it’s top priority for visitors as well as residents.

Speaking of military…

You will quickly see upon arrival to the airport as well as all throughout Israel, young men and women holding large weapons. Every Israeli citizen must serve its country at the age of 18. There is a strong military presence which I happily encourage. Again, it’s another measure that Israel takes to protect its people and visitors. Oh, and those drones that you see? They’re also keeping watch for the military.

As if I had to tell you, never take gifts from strangers falls into the category of:

“Don’t take candy from a guy following you in a van.”

WHERE TO STAY

There are a plethora of options when it comes to hotels or private apartments for rent. We have used airbnb in San Diego, Los Angeles, Lisbon and Paris with great success so that’s another option as well. We chose Sea Executive Suites located across the street from Jerusalem Beach. The first room was boutique style small with a window to the sea but we dealt with some construction issues for the first few days (a large portion of the city is being turned into posh modern condos so there was quite a but of noise). We were eventually upgraded (yay!) to a business suite because of the inconvenience. Below are a few photos from the business suite.

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The location was ideal for us as we wanted to be close to the beach but still have proximity to our relatives staying in nearby apartments on the very popular Dizengoff St. Large hotels like Sheraton, Dan Tel Aviv Hotel, Renaissance and more line the ocean.

TRAVELING AROUND ISRAEL

Tel Aviv is the perfect hub for day trips (remember that Israel is similar to the size of the state of New Jersey, so it’s easy to visit different points of interest and return the same day.

During our week long stay we visited Jaffa/Yafo (30 minutes walking distance from our hotel), Jerusalem for the day (about an hour away with traffic), as well as Masada and the Dead Sea (2 hours straight drive unless picking up other passengers in Jerusalem…a common tour stop).

Scroll through the details and photos below for information on these day trips:

JERUSALEM

We opted to do a second tour, this time a smaller private tour to Jerusalem. While we visited some of the same highlights as we did the first time, there were some new points of interest including a tour through the tunnels which are located under The Western Wall.

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If you are traveling with a man, be prepared to visit separate sides of the wall since men and women are not allowed to pray together at this site. You may see bar mitzvahs and other religious celebrations happening during your visit here as well.

CBJ GEM: Bring bottled water, sunscreen and a hat to walk around the city. The sun is extremely strong. Another important note is preparing an outfit accordingly. While it’s tempting to wear clothes that reflect the temperature, Jerusalem is the height of a religious city. To enter churches, synogagues or other religious sites women must cover their shoulders and cover legs to at least the knees.

CBJ GEM: If you are not familiar with Jerusalem it’s important to know that Arabs, Christians and Jews do all coexist here. There are different quarters: The Armenian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Christian Quarter. Each area provides a unique experience for visitors. It can be a sensory overload from the sights, the sounds, the smells and beyond. Prepare for an exciting day!

Men can wear shorts and polos/t-shirts without any issue and prepare to take any hats off when entering religious sites. It’s fine to wear them while walking around town. When entering the Western Wall tunnels every man should pick up a kippot to place on top of his head for the duration of the tour and when visiting the Western Wall.

My go-to was a lightweight open tunic style cover up that I wore belted over a skirt and tank top. This way I could still catch the breeze while still dressing modestly. There was even a woman wearing short sleeves who was scolded for not having her arms more covered, so she borrowed another woman’s pashmina scarf.

CBJ GEM: A couple pashmina scarves for a trip to the Middle East will go a long way. This way you’ll have many more options on what to wear and a go-to after the sun sets and the nights have a little chill in the air. They are as important to me while traveling as a passport!

MASADA

I’ll be honest, I knew absolutely nothing about the history of Masada. While I’ll save that for you for your tour, I highly encourage a visit because it is unlike anything else I’ve seen around the world. The views are as incredible as the story behind it.

Make sure you bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat. You’re in the desert in the Middle East – those three items will save you. This tour took us up by cable car but there’s also the option to hike the Snake Path. This winding path is not for the faint of heart but I’ve been told it’s amazing, especially at sunrise.

Our tour didn’t allot enough time to hike and coincidentally because of the heat the path was closed by 10am. Yes, it’s hot in June in the Judean Desert.

THE DEAD SEA

We elected to take a tour that would take us to both Masada and the The Dead Sea. The site of The Dead Sea is something that really took my breath away. The expansive cerulean body of water glistens against the Judean Mountains.

Looking down the cliffs to the shoreline as the waves lap against the desert is something you must see in person to appreciate. Across the way is Jordan and all around are cavernous cliffs and sinkholes. Yes, sinkholes. Upon arrival to Ein Gedi Spa we headed to the locker rooms to change into bathing suits.

We were picked up by something resembling a tractor pulling hayride-like carts since sadly The Dead Sea is truly disappearing. While this wasn’t a glamorous part of the trip, it was quick and easy to change and get going.

This hotel which once sat right in front of the water now has a 3 kilometer rocky desert path to reach the shoreline. Due to so many companies extracting the salt for cosmetic products, this ultra-special highlight of Israel may one day in just a few decades…not exist. Things like this make me grateful to see the world how it is since we are never promised tomorrow. I would highly encourage a visit.

We first entered the sea in flip flops since the bottom is hardened salt and can definitely be sharp at points. It feels like you’re literally walking on a salt lamp if you’ve ever experienced that texture. I eventually took my flip flops off because letting my feet slide around felt amazing…and of course so did feeling weightless.

From the water we headed back to the salty shore to lather each other in the mineral-rich mud. I was determined to cover every spot of me. The properties of The Dead Sea and the mud are said to cure a large span of skin disorders and I wanted the whole experience. It was the texture of clay and felt amazing.

We headed back to float in the water, allowed our skin to absorb the benefits, took the obligatory floating pics and at the end showered off the salt and mud in the showers located right by the water.

For more benefits of saltwater, I encourage you to check out “Get Salted” by Emily Dudding in the May 2015 issue of Harper’s Bazaar which I coincidentally read on my flight back from Israel.

CBJ Gem: Masada is amazing and so is The Dead Sea. If you can, find a tour that offers more than 1 hour at The Dead Sea or that doesn’t have additional stops in Jerusalem if you’re going from Tel Aviv. This really cut down on our time at The Dead Sea since we had to switch buses and wait for other people. We could have definitely spent at least two hours mud lathering and floating. For any future visit planning I would stay at least a day or two at one of the spas.

Since moving to a barrier island, I can attest to the fact that negative ions emitted from saltwater have a calming effect on the body and mind. There was no question that on our second trip we’d make it to The Dead Sea. No regrets!

JAFFA/YAFO

This walkable journey (depending on where you’re staying in Tel Aviv) was about a 30 minute walk from our hotel. This 5,000 year old Biblical city is a a beautiful area to walk around with jewelry, art and ceramic artisans hidden in galleries throughout the stone walls.

It’s built in a fortress style so the views to the Mediterranean and a panoramic view of Tel Aviv can be seen at various points. For more history on the walled city of Jaffa, check out the article here.

CULINARY TRAVELS

If it isn’t obvious in the languages and the faces that Tel Aviv is a melting pot or a mixing bowl, it’s evident in its diverse culinary options. Israeli food is similar to other Middle Eastern staples ranging in hummus and labna to falafels and shwarma. There are an array of options around the city from Thai, Mexican, Ashkenazi-Israeli food and more.

The sky is the limit and luckily there is the opportunity to walk it off (or at least a portion of it)…unless you’re there for a family event. In our case, two wedding dinners and celebrations filled with Arabic dancing and Tunisian – inspired pastries baked by my cousin’s grandmother had me questioning whose clothes I brought on vacation.

A mezze of pita bread or anything french bread-like is always available as well as olive oil for dipping. It’s carboloading at its finest. Be advised that once you get the taste of coarse sea salt in your mouth, you’ll be throwing your standard sea salt grinder in the garbage.

Important note: There are juice stands on almost every corner. Freshly blended pomegranate, oranges, kiwi, watermelon and more are available at anyone’s beckoned call. On our last day we walked to the Shuk Ha’Carmel and enjoyed a cocktail of cold medicine and fresh juices until dinner that night. Please also be advised that fresh watermelon juice is beyond underrated. I’m stepping up my juice game immediately upon arriving back to Sparkle Island.

NIGHTLIFE

There are bars and clubs all around the city. They range from low key bars to blood pumping House music from DJ’s around the globe. From a glass of wine to bottle service, any taste is met here.

SHOPPING

There are countless shops and boutiques throughout Tel Aviv. Modern art galleries are sandwiched between jewelry shops and clothing boutiques. Dizengoff St. is a very popular area where you can find anything from beaded evening gowns fit for a state dinner to chachkis for all ages.

We also visited the Shuk Ha’Carmel which is an experience in overstimulation and delight. Every fruit, vegetable, chachki and spice can be found amongst the mixed shouting in Hebrew, Arabic, English and other mother tongues. It truly transported us into another time where this was the commonplace for merchants and buyers. It’s definitely worth it to explore. We went on a Friday when everyone was buying their components for Shabbat Dinner. It’s definitely an international hot spot for tourists and locals alike.

We had an amazing time with family as well as new friends in Israel. Hopefully this blog post has given you some inspiration to plan your very own trip to the Land of Milk and Honey.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts below! Did this blog post inspire you to travel? Any other hot spots in Israel to share?

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