r/travel • u/AutoModerator • Jul 30 '16
Advice Destination of the Week: Israel & the Palestinian Territories
Weekly topic thread, this week featuring Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Please contribute all and any questions / thoughts / suggestions / ideas / stories about this destination.
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5
u/nomii Aug 01 '16
If you are brown or Muslim, keep an extra 6-8 hour buffer in your schedule for border crossings. It's mostly boredom as you wait for them to do their checks, but you definitely want to schddu for that.
Had to wait about 8 hours sitting around waiting at the Amman-Jericho border with a US passport but Muslim background. Everyone else in the holding area was also Muslim background, while others were waved through.
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u/starrynightskyyy Apr 29 '22
Hi ! Did you fly into Israel or drive ? I’m a Canadian flying withCanadian passport with a paksitani background. How bad can I expect the wait?
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u/nomii Apr 29 '22
I came in by land border.
Expect anything upto 8 hours I guess. Watch some movies or listen to podcasts while they do their check
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u/starrynightskyyy Apr 29 '22
That’s crazy 8 hours :( what’s your background if you don’t mind me asking.
7
u/adamlutz Jul 31 '16
I was in Israel when the last war took place, so unfortunately I was unable to do a lot, but I do have some recommendations from my experience and from talking with my Israeli friends.
Hike Masada before the sun rises. Not only is the sunrise something amazing to see, but you are also hiking before it gets way too hot. The snake path is hard, but it's so worth it when you get to the top. The way down is much easier, however if you're not up for the hike down, you can go down on the gondola.
Go to Ben Yehuda Street. There are lots of cool shops and restaurants to explore.
Explore a street market. I went to one in Jerusalem and had a great time. I bought the best falafel I've ever had from a food stand there and also had some amazing homeade halvah.
Go to a Tel Aviv beach. The beach I went to was a bit crowded, but was absolutely amazing.
Try Aroma. The iced coffee is great, but even better is the iced cookies. It's only available at some stores (typically the larger ones) and only during the summer.
Go scuba diving or snorkeling in the Red Sea. The water is as clear as glass and the sea life is plentiful.
Go to the western wall. It is an extremely spiritual place. I went to both the gender separated portion and the gender inclusive portion where males and females can stand together. I really liked the section with both genders and got more out of visiting that area than I did the traditional area.
Explore the culture and cuisine. Israel is an extremely unique country. Eat lots of hummus, shwarma, falafel, and shakshuka (try Dr. Shakshuka in Jaffa).
These are just the things that came to mind. Feel free to ask me any questions you have :)
1
u/justhere4thejokes20 Jul 05 '23
Super agree w you about Masada! And it’s just amazing to explore the ruins up there as well
3
u/thatgeekinit United States- CO/DC Jul 30 '16
Hiking up Masada ramp at dawn is really worthwhile. Taking the 700 stairs down was a bit scary and hard on my knees. There is a gondola of some kind as an option.
Floating in the Dead Sea is a unique experience for just about anyone who is not an astronaut. Your skin may sting a bit but it will be super smooth for about 2 weeks after. I think if you sit through the Ahava (cosmetics made from the salty mud) sales presentation they get you a beach pass for free at a place where you can shower off after you swim.
Tel Aviv is a lot of fun but the city is a bit poorly designed and it gets very hot away from the water.
1
u/Kylesawesomereddit Canada 30 countries Jul 31 '16
Aw geez, not going into a designated spot with a shower after the dead sea was the worst. That oily salty feeling did not make for a fun two hour bus ride...
3
u/Xamius Jul 31 '16
I lived in Israel for a few months. Definitely worth visiting. You could spend weeks just exploring the old city. There is an awesome tunnel that is like pitch black with a foot or two of water that's fun to just walk through with a flashlight that I'll have to look up the name. New Jerusalem is awesome at the end of shabbat.
1
Aug 01 '16
I think I went to that tunnel as well and it was awesome! Like literally over an hour of just walking through this tiny hole, super cool.
1
3
u/byratino Aug 05 '16
Just finished a 10 day birthright trip to Israel! I usually don't like to go on tours and prefer to explore by myself but it was actually not so bad. Of course, in 10 days we only got a taste of the country and got a pretty one-sided view of the country but here are my favorite parts of our trip:
Hike down (you can go up too) mount Arbel. You get cool views, see caves Zelotes used to live in and the part near the top is almost like rock climbing with little ladder-things built into the rock.
The night Graffiti Tour of Florentine quarter in Tel Aviv. It's a really lively part of town, with great art and a lot of it has deeper political meaning you'd never understand without the guide taking the time to explain it. I wish we could have stayed in the neighbourhood for lunch and drinks after that, it looks like there are a lot of cool places there :)
I'm still editing my videos from there if you're interested how such a trip looks like here :)
2
u/MarcusBrody96 Canada Jul 31 '16
Question: we never finished our conversation so I never got the why and I am really wondering why and if I should follow her advice: I was conversing with someone who goes back a forth between Canada and Israel quite often and she said that in Israel I should be at the airport at least 5 hours in advance because of security and how because I am a white woman traveling alone even on departure they will search your bags and question you and hold you until you almost miss your flight. I can understand being questioned on arrival and my bags checked for drugs or weapons (I have watched that border security tv show in Canada so obviously that makes me an expert) but do they do it on departure?
3
u/Kylesawesomereddit Canada 30 countries Jul 31 '16
Eh, me and my friend got hassled quite a bit in Tel Aviv. They searched our bags, made us wrap tape around them, and asked me a bunch of questions. Mostly happened after they saw the Jordan stamps and the short book on Islam I had. But it was quite a fast bit of hassling. We made our flight in time and everything and we had just arrived the standard 3 hours before.
3
u/RufusCornpone United States Aug 01 '16
I can't really speak to the times for Canadians, but as a US citizen, I generally get to TLV about 3 hours before my flight.
TLV isn't like other airports, in so many ways. If you show up too early, you can't get through security. I can't recall the exact time line, but don't get there too early.
Israel is very security conscience, but it seems haphazard at times. For example, it almost never takes me, or my groups, more than a few minutes to enter the country. Most of that time is at Passport Control. I've never been stopped by customs.
When you leave TLV, you will encounter security before you even arrive at the terminal. Most of the time, it's just a quick passport and ID check, but sometimes, depending on how you're arriving, you may get more scrutiny.
Once you arrive, you cannot proceed directly to ticketing. Instead, you do all your security before you get to the counter. In the past, this has been really difficult, but it seems to be moving a bit smoother. At least it was in April when I last left TLV.
Your first step is to have a preliminary screening with a security official. Generally, you'll talk to two different people. They will ask you questions about where you've been, who you met, and more. Don't lie, but don't volunteer anything. Certainly don't mention anyone's name. Period. That's especially true if you've traveled to the West Bank. You'll be asked, basically, the same questions by two people, though different enough to try to catch you in a lie or an omission.
Occasionally, they'll unpack your bags, but that's less frequent today.
I do not like flying El Al, because of there are additional layers of screening. I almost always fly a US or international carrier, so YMMV.
Here's what's important to remember: the security folks are, in my experience, very professional, very efficient, and normally very helpful. They're just doing their jobs. So, don't get frustrated, don't be stupid, and don't elaborate too much. Answer their questions and move along.
Of course, let me know if you have any questions.
Source: I run a travel company that leads pilgrimages to the Holy Land.
2
u/Kidp3 Cosplaying as a local Jul 31 '16
Yes, for security measures. For obvious reasons, they're quite serious about it.
Coming into the country the first time, I was held for about 3 hours, which is pretty good since I had stamps from Sudan in my passport. Coming in the 2nd time around was a lot faster at around 45 mins. Leaving, I was only questioned for maybe 5-10 minutes, then again for another 5-10 minutes by the securities supervisor. Of course, everyone is different.
1
u/nomii Aug 06 '16
Its very much a crapshoot - entering I had to wait 8 hours (yes, 8). Exiting it was like 20 minutes. Everyone has different stories.
2
u/ezmob Jul 31 '16
Rent a bycycle from a nearby (Tel-Ofan there are many automated rent-a-bike stands Inc an app to find the nearest one) and ride in Park Hayarkon, you can ride all the way to the beach or into the northern part of tel-aviv), nice ride which I do weekly with my 1 y/o. (2 hours)
1
u/neverthoughtidjoin Proud Tourist Aug 05 '16
Israel has, in my opinion, better Roman ruins than Italy does. At a minimum they are equivalent. Caesarea and Beit She'an are must-sees for anyone who has an interest in ancient history.
Jerusalem outside the Old City has some areas worth seeing, such as the Israel Museum and the Dead Sea Scrolls contained there.
Rehovot has a cool secret bullet factory used during the war of independence (my uncle lives there; it's probably not worth visiting the city just for that, but if you happen to be in town...)
Haifa is probably underrated.
1
u/BmoreBlueJay Jun 13 '23
Jerusalem vs Tel Aviv for five nights stay in Israel?
We are doing a five night stay in Israel, probably sightseeing one or two days in Jerusalem and the rest in and around Tel Aviv. We are looking at hotels in both cities (we prefer not to switch mid-trip), but I can’t decide if it’s better to base out of Jerusalem and be in the heart of the old city or base out of Tel Aviv and have a better walking and restaurant scene. Hotel costs are similar but probably more expensive in Jerusalem. Any thoughts on this? Benefits to either city for our “down time”? Any opinion on which is better for a first time visitor (some of us are first timers)?
2
u/anatshk Jun 23 '23
Do your five nights include Friday or Saturday?
If so, I would suggest spending those at Tel Aviv as in Jerusalem there are more chances for restaurants to be closed on the Shabbat (sunset Friday until sunset Saturday) due to religious custom. Tel Aviv is much more secular so much more is open.
This doubles if you intend to use public transportation. Other than taxis with a higher rate, there is no public transportation in Israel on weekends. Tel Aviv has some workarounds for that - free bus lines (sponsored by activists) and is also much easier to walk around.
However, I may be mistaken, depending on the area of Jerusalem you'd be staying at, this may be a good question to ask the hotel staff before booking ("I heard some places in Israel close on the weekends, what is the situation around the hotel / what won't be open on those dates").
(Source: am Israeli, live in Tel Aviv)
1
u/BmoreBlueJay Jun 14 '23
Is there Uber in Israel?
1
u/anatshk Jun 23 '23
No, we have the Gett app which orders taxis, but no private people driving you in their car like Uber or Lyft.
Uber may be available as an app but it will order you a taxi.
16
u/RufusCornpone United States Aug 01 '16
I lead pilgrimages to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, generally three to four times a year. I have plenty to add, but mostly want to address some of the concerns that people have about visiting Palestine.
First, visit Palestine. Or the West Bank. Or whatever you want to call it. Just go there.
Many people visit Israel and totally avoid Palestine because they’ve heard about terrorism, or they use a tour company that won’t guide there, or any number of other reasons. But, you’re really missing an important part of the experience.
So, you’re worried about security. That’s reasonable. But, the violence and terrorism in the West Bank is much more nuanced than Western media and officials will have you believe. Terrorism and violence generally targets Israeli soft targets inside Israel. Not in the West Bank. People avoid public transport and some cafes and locations inside Israel out of concern for terrorism. I get that, but I take public transport when I’m there and don’t really spend much time thinking about terrorism. Inside the West Bank, terrorism is rare and generally targets IDF personnel. Israeli citizens are not allowed to enter the West Bank, so there are few reasons for there to be violence and terror attacks.
The only place around Bethlehem that concerns me a bit is the area around Aida Camp, a refugee camp that is just off the Hebron road, behind the Jacir Palace Hotel. Violence outside the camp isn’t rare, but it’s also not a daily occurrence. Generally, avoid that part of the Hebron Road after prayers on Friday. You can also check with any local and see how the situation is. Normally, if the IDF is operating in the camp, or if they’ve set up checkpoints or other limitations on movement, there will be conflict. I’ve been into the camp, during the day, and never felt too nervous, though I had a local guide and we were moving in a large group. I would not go there without having a resident guiding me, nor would I go after dark. Situational awareness is key.
I also highly recommend using the pedestrian checkpoints to enter the West Bank. If you’re in a tour group, they generally take you through the vehicle entrance at Checkpoint 300, the main checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. That’s normally an easy way into the West Bank, though occasionally the IDF and border guards close the checkpoint, or severely limit the traffic. When I lead groups, however, I always take them across the checkpoint on foot. I think it is important for visitors to understand the experience of people who travel between the West Bank and Israel. That doesn’t always work great: I’ve been stuck in the checkpoint for hours before because there were no guards to unlock the gates or because...who knows...just because.
The tours I lead are generally focused on exposing people to daily life in Palestine and on the Christian religious history, so not the usual tourist things. I’m happy to add more info, if people are interested, but mostly wanted to give you some first hand insight into the security in Palestine. My only plug/recommendation is to stop by the Bedouin Store, on Manger Street, by the Paradise Hotel. The owner is one of the most interesting and welcoming people you’ll meet anywhere in the world. Madji, the owner, is a Palestinian Muslim who has worked as a guide, interpreter, and fixer for the UN and a number of other organizations. He speaks...hell, almost any language you can throw at him and will invite you in to talk about politics, or religion, or current events, or whatever. He also makes a great cup of tea or Arabic coffee. And, there’s never any pressure to buy anything.