Best boutique hotels in Tel Aviv are not lacking, that’s for sure. There are so many options that it was hard narrowing this list down. I was personally at 6 of the 10 on this list and the other 4 were recommended and told about to me by friends who’ve stayed. There are a couple more I don’t know much about except they are top ranked: The Rothschild (super famous, but not sure if it’s “boutique”) and the Yam Hotel which is the #1 hotel in Tel Aviv but I didn’t get a chance to check it out (looks amazing though).

Best Boutique Hotels in Tel Aviv

1. The White Villa Hotel

 

A photo posted by White Villa Tel Aviv (@whitevillatelaviv) on Jun 28, 2016 at 10:26pm PDT

Rooms here are bright, white, and spacious. They have a contemporary design and are each unique. “Set in a 1940’s Le Corbusier inspired house, this thoughtfully restored White Villa has preserved its intimacy of the private residence it once was.” This is an architectural icon in Tel Aviv.

Rate: between $200-$300 USD

Address: 25 Ben Zion Bl 28607

Click here to book The White Villa Hotel

2. The Norman

 

A photo posted by The Norman Tel Aviv (@thenormantlv) on May 1, 2016 at 2:41am PDT

You can’t read about luxury travel in Tel Aviv without coming across The Norman. Even on my recent flight to Latvia, there was an article on Tel Aviv that mentioned it. The rooftop pool is pretty killer, but I also noticed how packed the restuarant was. It’s “in the very heart of the White City, a UNESCO World Heritage icon of buildings in the Bauhaus architectural style”.

Rate: between $450-$1500 USD, plus the penthouse for which you can inquire price

Address: Nakhmani St 23-25, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 6579441

Click here to book The Norman

3. The Poli House

photo via Matanya Tausig. 

 

A photo posted by The POLI HOUSE (@thepolihouse) on Dec 2, 2015 at 8:50am PST

these two photos via Matanya Tausig. 

That time we were all supposed to jump in, and Trish jumped IN. Glad those reactions were caught on camera! The Poli House is boutique but not in that “fancy schmachy” way and I really enjoyed it there. “Housed in a meticulously restored Bauhaus architecture-style building, The Poli House boasts 40 city-savvy rooms and suites created exclusively by world-renowned designer and starchitect Karim Rashid.” It’s colorful and futuristic.

Price: Between $200-$300

Address: Nahalat Binyamin St 1, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Click here to book The Poli House

4. Market House Hotel

This is an Atlas Hotel, who also are the owners of another on this list called Cinema Hotel (below). It contains the archeological remains of a Byzantine Chapel, and you can see this through the glass floor in the lobby. Influenced by Jaffa, it’s a work of art in itself. There are 44 rooms and many overlook the market.

Price: Around $250

Address: Beit Eshel St 5, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Click here to book Market House Hotel

5. Cinema Hotel

 

A photo posted by Úrsula Cabrera (@ursulain829) on Sep 23, 2016 at 7:02am PDT

The other Atlas Hotel on this list was another original Bauhaus style building and was an actual movie theatre, so they kept that theme with original projectors and movie posters. You can watch classic movies and eat popcorn in the lobby. The nostalgia makes this place pretty cool if you’re looking for something unique.

Price: Between $160-$240

Address: Zamenhoff Street 1, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 64373

Click here to book Cinema Hotel 

6. Cucu Hotel

The Cucu hotel was a very cool place to stay, and is the most affordable boutique hotel on this list. One reason being, I would imagine, is that the rooms are smaller than the other hotels. Their rooms are “Creative. Quirky. Unique. Individualized. They make you feel special when you go to bed, and put a smile on your face when you wake up.” There are little quirky touches everywhere, for example the elevator that is a photo booth. On a budget and want a cute hotel with an awesome cafe to chill at? This is your place.

Price: Around $150

Address:Dizengoff St 83, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Izraēla

Click here to book Cucu Hotel

7. 65 Hotel

photos from this party via Matanya Tausig

 

A photo posted by Bar Manor (@barrmanor) on Sep 5, 2016 at 7:53am PDT

A fellow Atlas hotel, we had our VIBE end of trip cocktail party here. The rooftop was awesome. It’s stylish, urban, just near the beach. The views from the rooms are awesome and it’s a really high building, so ask for a top room!

Price: Around $250

Address: Rothschild Blvd 65, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Click here to book Hotel 65

More Boutique hotel options (I didn’t have time to check out, but think you’ll want to know about!)

8. Brown Beach House

 

A photo posted by Mash (@mashazoref) on Aug 21, 2016 at 11:51pm PDT

This hotel just won an award for best designed hotel in Tel Aviv. It’s got a retro design and is on the beach, as you might have guessed. There aren’t many small hotels on the beach (mostly big chains). There are 40 rooms and suites that have private sundecks.

Price: Between $250-$600

Address:Ha-Yarkon St 64, Tel Aviv-Yaf

Click here to Brown Beach House

9. Diaghilev Live Art Boutique Hotel

 

A photo posted by The Diaghilev (@thediaghilev) on Dec 5, 2012 at 8:01am PST

The place is named after a famous Russian art critic: “Diaghilev has worked, inspired, supported and collaborated with an astonishing number of influential individuals from all fields of creation such as: Coco Chanel, Picasso, Matisse…” They have huge rooms, according to a friend of mine. There art is often changing at the hotel. In 2015 they got the top hotel in Israel award from TripAdvisor.

Price: Between $150-$250

Address: 56מזא”ה, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 6578906

Click here to book Diaghilev Hotel

10. Rothschild 22

 

A photo posted by ❥ Eden Uner (@edenunerrr) on Jul 9, 2016 at 1:36am PDT

This is a new boutique business hotel. “This hotel has been meticulously designed by Ari Shaltiel  – among the Israel’s leading designer – and seamlessly integrates a modern and elegant style with a pastoral boulevard” Israel is on their game when it comes to design!

Price: Around $150

Address:Rothschild Blvd 22, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Click here to book Rothschild 22

Not coming to Israel yet? Pin it for later!

I was in Israel hosted by Vibe Israel, a non profit, non political company. Thanks Vibe!

The post Ultimate List of Best Boutique Hotels in Tel Aviv appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I mentioned before how Israel is a home of innovation and has invented some of the best apps like Viber and Waze. While we were there, we got to meet with some startup tech teams (during a whiskey tasting, while epically hungover- in fact, one blogger didn’t make it out that morning!). They gave us their pitch and introduced what could very easily be the best new travel apps in 2017.

Here are some apps that you might want to have on your radar and will most likely see popping up this year in more cities, hopefully YOUR city.

photo via Matanya Tausig

Late night out, 10 am meeting with whiskey tasting = no one trying the whiskey. But the Milk and Honey Distillery was very cool and they gifted me a bottle of gin, which got handed on to Ben’s family since I rarely drink liquor these days.

Best New Travel Apps 2017

1. Cool Cousin

Cool Cousin is a really interesting app that I can see taking off fast. So you know when you are on TripAdvisor and someone reviews a restaurant saying “best steak I’ve EVER had” and for all you know it’s a 16-year-old girl who wouldn’t know a good steak from a mediocre one? Well, they want you to find recommendations by first finding a person you relate to, aka a cool cousin. They have cool cousins in the destinations available on their app who are vetted (seriously, and do professional photoshoots to show their style- many are bloggers). You can even message your cool cousin.

2. Eatwith

 

Tammy is a food engineer by day and and a chef by night. Check out her posh loft in downtown LA and enjoy a trio of appetizers, braised chicken with quinoa pilaf, lemon chocolate tart and more. Book it here: http://bit.ly/EatWithLA411 ‪#EatWithTammy #LAeats #communaltable #eatingtogether #foodie #food #loft #yummy #delish

A photo posted by EatWith (@eatwith) on Apr 11, 2016 at 6:56pm PDT

You’ve probably heard of Eatwith. I might have even mentioned it on here before. It’s an app to eat dinner at a local’s home while you travel. They have to do “practice” meals first and be good cooks. They have to have a unique home and be cool people. They are also vetted, and you pay them rather than going to a restaurant. There are a lot of new apps like this, but Eatwith was the original and is growing like crazy. You can book by cuisine and read reviews. Some hosts are really popular and are hard to book!

3. Sidekix

Sidekix fixes an obvious problem, which is that Google walking maps aren’t always the best and lead you in places that aren’t really somewhere you’d want to walk. If you have to go from point A to point B and there are multiple routes, this app tells you what’s on each one. Maybe route 1 passes a few shops you want to check out, maybe route 2 goes by a scenic bridge. They actually used my post best boutiques in Istanbul where I manually mapped them out as an example. As local bloggers add their recommendations, this will end up being very cool! Each recommendation is in a set and put up by someone who is vetted to have good judgment in that area. It’s only on iPhone for now.

4. Givingway

 

Beach lovers!! Check out some of the volunteers working hard to protect the turtles through the Yepez Foundation. As a volunteer, you will patrol the 43 km long beach (by foot or by quad bike) to help protect the female turtles that come to lay their eggs on the beach.  #mexico #centralamerica #volunteerwork #volunteerabroad #gapyear #ngo #charity #volunteering

A photo posted by GivingWay (@givingway) on Aug 1, 2016 at 1:17am PDT

Since I heard about Givingway, I have already sent it to readers who want to volunteer when they travel. I am so weary of voluntourism and it’s negative effects on the people, plus the money grabbing companies who make you pay to volunteer and never give that money to the ones who need it! Want to volunteer and NOT pay an agent? Givingway is the answer, with reviews TripAdvisor-style from people who have volunteered at places before. You DO sometimes have to pay the place you are staying for accommodation, etc, but read reviews to make sure it’s legit. I do not know the vetting process for who can get listed on Givingway.

Interviewed by Tel Aviv newspaper

While in Tel Aviv, a newspaper wanted to do an article on the “influencers” (as they called us) that were in town. They wanted photos of us on our phones hence the photos below. The article came out if you’re interested. You can use the translate option to read it since it’s in Hebrew. I hope that you like these new travel apps for 2017 and let’s see if they take off! If they do you can say you knew about it first ;)

photo via Matanya Tausig

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I was in Israel hosted by Vibe Israel, a non profit, non political company. Thanks Vibe!

The post Best New Travel Apps 2017 – Tel Aviv Edition appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Tel Aviv blew me away. I don’t think I’ve ever gone to a city and just immediately felt so attached to it and alive! Instead of writing on and on about how I felt, I want to tell you what experiences in Tel Aviv made me feel this way. These are the experiences in Tel Aviv that you do NOT want to miss out on when you visit, and if you aren’t planning a trip- these are the reasons you should be.

FYI most of these photos (all the ones I am in) were taken by Matanya Tausig.

9 Experiences in Tel Aviv You’ll Love

1. Surf Vibes and Tan Lines

Maybe you didn’t know, but this is a surfer’s city. There is also SUP and kitesurfing around. I love the switch from office to beach here because the beach is right up in the city. The vibe all across Tel Aviv is laid back. I knew Israelis in Goa were laid-back, but overall Tel Aviv had that chilled out vibe. There was an opportunity to surf but I could NOT get out of bed. I was so tired each night I couldn’t bring myself to set my alarm even earlier than I already had to get up. FYI beer on the beach is a fortune.

#BeforeIDie I want to spend a day at the beach in Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean Sea! ☀️ @vibeisrael #vibetravel Tag somebody that you want to go with! Video: @mindythelion @hippieinheelsblog @lensflare

A video posted by Before I Die (@beforeidie) on Sep 18, 2016 at 6:12am PDT

2. Sharing a Shabbat Dinner with a Sweet Local Family

Thinking that I just got to do this because I was on a blogging trip? Actually, you will be surprised to find that you will be invited into nearly every Israeli you meet’s home. They love to host! If you mention to someone you want to try a Shabbat dinner, chances are they’ll invite you to one. This family wasn’t super religious but does this is as a tradition. I think it was cool to see that there are so many types of Jewish people who focus on religion in different ways or are Jewish but not actually religious.

3. Doing Graffiti + Exploring Art in Tel Aviv

I loved this tour and wrote a whole article about graffiti in Tel Aviv because it was that cool. There are many companies who do graffiti tours, and I suggest you reach out to them if you want to understand the art you’re seeing. If you just want to check it out casually, you can just walk the streets yourself. There are loads of cool cafes and shops in this area, which is Florentine and in the South parts of Tel Aviv. 

4. Staying in affordable boutique hotels

There are an unlimited amount of cool boutique hotels in Tel Aviv. Prices here, in general, are high, so you’ll be shocked to know hostels can cost up to $70. If you are sharing a room and happy to spend a little extra, check out this list of boutique hotels in Tel Aviv. Some start as low as $150 a night.

PS: If you are looking for a boutique/luxury planned out tour I met a woman who runs them in Israel called Tova who you can check out!

5. The Epic Tel Aviv Nightlife

Can’t beat a good party and Tel Aviv knows how to throw one. In fact, at all times someone was trying to put a drink in my hand and when I resisted for days I became the “sober” girl who they called me in Hebrew. Finally, I gave in on our big night out and had some drinks. Here are the places we hit up:

• Port Said (Har Sinai Street 5) where you need a reservation for sure! Drinks were great and food was better.
• met with mixologists and learned a bit about it at French 57 (Brenner Street 2).
  My drink was bourbon based of course! This bar has a New Orleans vibe.
• Next up SpeakEasy (Rothschild 24). This is a cool rooftop bar to chill out and actually have some conversations (you won’t remember).
• Jimmy Who was kind of connected to SpeakEasy, or just right outside. You cannot bring your drink from one to the other and if you try, as I did, you will get yelled at haha!
• Sputnik (Allenby 122), for end of night clubbing. My night ended here, but next up was Breakfast Club. I knew my early morning wake up (this WAS a work trip after all) would make me regret pulling an all-nighter, so I went home at 3 AM. Breakfast Club is open til at least 9 AM. While I didn’t go out, my friend Trish did. She’s a party animal. She gave even more tips on her nightlife guide to Tel Aviv.

6. Renting Bicycles to Tour Tel Aviv

We used the cities green bicycles to get around for an early afternoon. Tel Aviv is pretty huge, at least it felt that way to me. I hadn’t ridden a bike in forever but turns out the saying is right, you can’t forget. It was one of my favorite things to do in Tel Aviv!

7. It’s a Cafe Culture

Do Tel Avivians work? Apparently, yet at all times the cafe are full on young awesomely dressed people chilling out, having a beer, and eating some of the best food I’ve ever tried. Isreal food isn’t just veggie salad as is on most international menus, but it’s Mediterranean style food, which means lots of great seafood. You don’t have to eat Israeli though. There are pizza places, pub food, burgers, you name it. Long late lunches are necessary.

8. Shop ‘Til You Drop, Tel Aviv Style

That means you need Tel Aviv money, which I don’t have! I’ve always thought Israelis had a great laid-back bohemian style, based on the girls I see in Goa. Their clothes aren’t from India, so I know they must be getting them back home. I was really excited to find their shops! Mindy, another girl on the trip, had Israeli friends and was always keen to emulate their style. I have to say I was a little let down. The road we were on shopping near the beach (near CUCU hotel) had overpriced low-quality clothing.

During our graffiti tour I saw the shop Shir Gershovitz and was obsessed with her clothes. I couldn’t afford them though. From there, every shop I saw was the cutest. These clothes were all so expensive for me though. If you have money to blow, you will love shopping here in the Neve Tzedek area. I did also find some jewelry that was affordable and super cute called Feathers Art & Heart.

Definitely check out the Jaffa flea market too.

9. Dining in the Dark

There are only 10 blackout restaurants in the world and one is Na Lagaat in Tel Aviv. In the photo below, we are walking in about to be totally surprised as none of us knew we would be trying this, funnily enough, we are almost all wearing black.The experience started with us learning about the projects this place does, for example putting on shows done by deaf/blind people who take years to get ready. The chefs and waiters in the restaurant are all blind. We did a test to see how we could communicate blind and epicly  failed.

As we walked in, they kept saying don’t be nervous. I thought, well I’m not. It’s just the dark. But once we got inside it was totally blacked out. You had to sit down and then you stay put. You have to figure out how to pour your water, dip your bread in sauce, and of course, eat with your hands.

Our waiter told us his story and it brought tears to one in the group. We were all quite moved by it. This is an experience I won’t forget. Although, I could do without Vaughan making a sneezing noise and flicking water to make it seem like he sneezed on us LOL such a funny guy!

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I was in Israel hosted by Vibe Israel, a non profit, non political company. Thanks Vibe!

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If you know geography well, then you might picture the Israeli seaside looking this stunning. If you think of Israel as in the Middle East and forget about this part of it, like I did, this will surprise you like it did me. I thought I’d be at a beachside town, done and dusted. I did not expect the art oasis in Akko that we got introduced to by our guide.

Why there is an art oasis in Akko

Tour guide and story-teller Abdu Matta met us outside our hotel to take us on a tour. You can click that link to get ahold of him if you go and make a booking.

Akko is kind of forgotten by foreign tourists and hasn’t been picked up yet as a hotspot (I bet it will soon!) so the local people want to change that. The local government is giving money to houses to get fixed up- but not in any way, but with unique art.

They hope that then tourists will want to visit and even go inside the locals’ homes to meet them and have lunch with them! The locals are excited about it and it’s a win-win for everyone.

Our guide was energetic, but even though I always kept up with him somehow I was still always missed the best stories! I was too distracted looking around and not listening at the same time.

As we started walking down the streets, we saw that the art wasn’t just in the houses but was all over the place on walls and in alleys. This is a mostly Arab town and you’ll hear the calming call to prayer and see people covered up more than most places, but it is still Israel not a place that makes you cover up, especially on a beach town.

It might surprise you that there are mostly Arab towns in Israel, but it is the case here. The call to prayer was so beautiful with this background as you don’t picture it in a place like this!

• Read more: Why I Was in Israel and What to Expect

We had a videographer and photographer with us from Vibe. The photos that I’m in plus a couple of others were taken by the talented Matanya Tausig. I took so many photos here. It was hard not to. The tiny cobblestone alleys, the rooftop views, the mosques, the art, and of course the sea!

We stopped for a seafood lunch at the best restaurant in town, Uri Buri. It was delicious and I highly recommend it. Our server was also a rockstar lol and once he told us his bands’ name we later saw it graffitied on the wall in Tel Aviv!

Their homemade ice cream was SO good. I’m all about mint chocolate chip and this is the BEST mint ice cream I’ve ever had- and it didn’t even had chocolate chips in it! It was so fresh. There were a huge variety of flavors and we got them all.

If you want a spa experience, the Ghattas Bath Turkish bath is meant to be excellent although we didn’t have time to try it. The woman who owns it got it as a gift from her husband. I took a peek in since I love trying out spas when I travel and it looks luxe.

Inside the Akko Homes

We went to a local woman’s house for a snack (because all we do is eat) and to see an example of one of the homes that has been redecorated. I want to live in this house. Can you imagine this insanely beautiful little town with all the houses looking like this inside? It’s almost not real.

Look at that ceiling!!

Every little detail was thought out. The place was stunning. I could easily move into it. I love the buildings here which are so Middle Eastern looking but in this artsy vibe with the sea right here.

Kite surfers actually come here and one that I met showed me a video of him jumping off a cliff here.

We had rooftop champagne at our hotel, Efendi Hotel. The hotel in itself was a piece of art and it’s included on tours of the town since it’s so magical! Check it out for yourself in these photos.

Museli in Israel is the BEST. The granola is so good! Nothing like India’s yogurt as well. Sigh* I miss it.

As you can see, this place is epic and if you’re coming to Israel you have to visit Akko. Of all the places I visited, this is my favorite for sure. In fact, I think that just this town is so cool that it should be added to everyone’s bucket list!

What I Wore

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I visited Akko (Acre) as a guest of Vibe Israel. All opinions are my own. Thanks for hosting me in Israel, Vibe!

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While in Isreal with Vibe Isreal, part of our itinerary was to visit Golan Heights Winery. We had a great day and the local people showed us around this unique part of the country. Think picnics, champagne, and 4×4 rides. I’ll share a bit about this region, what I’ve learned, and answer ‘is Golan Heights safe to travel’ and why you might want to.

When researching this area on the Syrian border, I saw this listed as “occupied land” by Israel. I didn’t know the full backstory as some people consider all of Israel occupied land, and I didn’t think it would be any different than another area there. Keep in mind, I am no political genius, to travel is to learn, and I am just sharing what I’ve learned and my experiences.

I was there Sept 15th, and on Sept 17th the Iron Dome (protects Israel from missiles) intercepted two missiles fired from Syria over Golan Heights. These were considered “accidental”.

Then just a couple weeks ago, they did it on purpose– this time ISIS. ISIS bombed an abandoned UN building Israel was using. They also opened fire with machine guns and mortars. Israel fought back with an air strike on a machine-gun armed car killing four ISIS guys inside.

So, with this news it seems like I need to address this before I tell people to go here and visit a winery.

So, now I’ll start with my journey there and what it was like at it’s moment of peace during my visit.

We took some 4×4’s on a drive through the region to see this part of Israel. Obviously, at this time, no missiles had been aimed toward Israel in years from Syria.

It is a place that is listed as a “don’t visit” from the US (and most) governments, but sometimes even Jerusalem gets this warning.

I travel India alone, so have always taken State Department warnings with a grain of salt since there are dozens warning girls not to travel alone in India.

I have loved the country (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Akko), and am here to share my story about visiting this region of it.

I am not writing this to persuade you of anything political but to simply share if it is safe, what issues I saw, and why you might want to visit this region, or not.

tank in the distance, below you can see barded wire boundaries. We were told these were just for show but in the articles from the recent ISIS attack it looks like they are in use.

The first thing you can’t help but notice is there are mine warnings everywhere.

I mean everywhere.

You need to stay on the path because they are just all over this entire region. That was interesting but not shocking I guess. As we drove on, we saw a tank and anti-tank trenches as well as barbed wire. Again, Israel is known to be a place that defends it’s borders, so it wasn’t something to make you feel unsafe but rather safer.

UN vehicle approaching above, and UN building and Syria border below

Eventually we reached the UN building which was on the (now closed) border to Syria. Obviously Syria’s civil war has made things even more difficult and complex in this region. The UN protect this “purple line” as the peacekeeping force they are but had to close the borders because of issues in the past.

I actually wasn’t surprised by this at all. With Israel’s history and neighbors not exactly getting along, I was not surprised to see the borders with defensive guards.

taking a photo of a soldiers hiding place (bunker?)

So, as I understand it this land is “occupied” by Israel, and internationally considered Syrian land. Israel claims this land was needed to help keep them safe from unsafe borders. Arabs, Jews, and Druze live here. Druze used to be able to cross back and forth but now no one can except I *think* the UN.

Of course people have huge differences in opinion on this. Some will condemn me for even visiting occupied land. The question is, is THIS “occupied land” different than the whole of Israel – and the answer is yes.

Israel is accepted as a country by the UN, and most of the worlds’ countries.

Obama and the US government, as well as the UN do not agree with the Golan Heights being Israel’s land though. That is what makes this area different. It’s not internationally accepted as Israel’s land by anyone. They annexed it after the Six-day war of 1967.

Technically Syria and Israel are still at war. For many years after Israel annexed this land, nothing had happened here until 2011. That is when stray mortars started falling on the Israeli side.

This was a non-political trip, so I did not get to hear the Israeli side of it, or any side of it. We were there to see the 3rd biggest winery in Israel which I know sounds odd out of the moment but I’ll explain more. I did read their side of it, and I think it’s a very interesting issue that I can imagine is tricky for everyone involved.

While on the top of a hill, we set up a picnic and had a wine tasting. We were overlooking the Syrian border. It was a surreal experience as I started to realize that these mines, tanks, and trenches, were not anything to the Israeli people who had grown up with this.

They were all in the military.

Their life was defending Israel and standing up for their country. Once they served their military time (as they are made to do) they are done and life goes on. So being around this isn’t unusual.

They have families, party, and drink wine- Israel is full of LIFE and it can’t be define by the conflict.

One building we passed for example that was falling apart, used to be an government building and now has had young people throwing raves in it.

the building mentioned

Our driver talked about how over the last 5 years they could see and hear missiles falling on the Syrian side from the Syrian civil war every other day including just days before we were there (nothing to do with Israel). It’s terrible what is happening in Syria and that’s another issue so I won’t get into that in this post.

Sometimes mortar shells would accidentally fall on the Israeli side, where we were, and you could see blackened grass. No missiles were intentionally shot at Israel up until the point I was there.

He mentioned the “rebels” who “hide out in the houses” we were looking out over on the Syrian side. The town looked half-demolished.

He pointed to one and said Al-Qaeda occupied it. Not ISIS, Al-Qaeda.

To me: surreal, to them: just conversation over a glass of wine.

I suppose I have never lived next to a civil war, in a country that has always have complex issues so I couldn’t possibly understand. Of course, I don’t know this guy from Adam and he could have been totally bullshitting me, but I don’t think he was.

What I do know is that Israelis were kind, generous, and enjoying their lives regardless of the situation they have always been in militarily.

I know that to them, this is Israeli land like ALL of Israel is. As one Israeli said to me (paraphrased) “we know we have done things that are bad, but in war you do bad things. We don’t want to be at war but we will defend ourselves because we have to”. 

If you are one who thinks that Golan Heights should belong to Israel, then you would think of this as a unique area of Israel to visit in terms of terrain and culture.

So, I think I’ve shared enough about the controversy of this region. People live here in Golan Heights and go about their lives.

Israel has many elevations. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, while the Golan Heights is elevated. The terrain changes drastically as you travel. The Golan Heights winery has many vineyards across Israel and because of the altitude here, the grapes are much different than other areas. Because of this, it is a very unique winery with a huge variety of wines on offer.

We had a dinner with a very famous chef who taught us to cook. It ended up being a really nice evening. We drove down away from the border- it is a big region and you don’t need to go so close to Syria.

The winery was fantastic. We ended the night going to a big party that people came from even Tel Aviv to visit. It played trance music, had wine and food, and people of all ages enjoying the vibes. From here down, the images are from the talented photographer Matanya Tausig.

So if you were wondering ‘is Golan Heights safe to visit’? I would say not right now but hopefully soon. An Israeli would probably say yes of course it is. Me personally? I’d go back and not be afraid, but I don’t feel comfortable encouraging others to (in the same way I would go back to Istanbul now, but find it irresponsible to recommend you do the same).

Israel has held this land for years and this is not war here. Syria’s war is unrelated but happens to be next door. This ISIS attack on the Golan Heights only happened a couple weeks ago, so only time will tell where that will lead.

When I was in Jordan, we also went to a popular town that was on the Syrian border. I think if you visit this region in the Middle East, it’s not entirely avoidable if you want to see it all.

• Wikipedia says it’s safe if you don’t go over any fences and avoid mines.
• UK govt says “take care” as there are “increased number of incidents of accidental or deliberate artillery, rocket or mortar fire from Syria into the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights” but to be fair if you read that whole article you’ll be scared to come to Israel, it’s kind of intense.
• After I visited, US embassy in Israel posted this message: “Due to multiple mortar rounds launched from Syria and landing in the northern Golan Heights in recent days, we urge U.S. citizens to carefully consider and possibly defer travel to that area until the situation stabilizes.” US government employees are prohibited to go to this area because of this. They have not updated since the ISIS attack.
• In general, if you do go to the Golan you shouldn’t pass East of highway 98.

Of course, you can visit the winery and not do the 4×4 tour. I think if you ask any Isreali if it’s safe, they wouldn’t hesitate to say yes and actually would think we are dramatic for asking. If you’re not sure then you don’t have to come to this area of Israel. There are many other places in this stunning country to visit! Here are some photos to get you pumped to visit Israel!

I want to make it clear that I LOVED Israel. I also love India even though some shit goes down here that is bad – I still live here and travel here. No one said the situation in Israel is perfect. It’s not anywhere. It’s my second favorite country in the world and I highly suggest you visit this intensely cultural place. 

I visited Israel with Vibe Israel, a non-political charitable organization and all opinions are my own.

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You cannot miss the graffiti in Tel Aviv… that is, if you go to the cool areas! We did a tour with a local graffiti artist, which was a special tour thanks to Vibe Israel. Unfortunately, I don’t think he typically does tours or lets people graffiti themselves, but if you’re really keen, it can’t hurt to ask him on his Instagram: @orenfischer.

We hit up an art gallery first and got to understand what journalism is like in Israel. Every country is different in how they allow journalists/bloggers/news to have “freedom of speech”, some countries better than others. It was awesome to meet with some local writers who write about politics in their country and don’t hold back.

After meeting in the gallery at Romano House (Beit Romano), we were off to see Oren’s graffiti. He’s actually really well-known in Tel Aviv (or at least his art is). Another well-known guy has a tag which is a band-aid (tags are like graffiti artist signatures- you might know this but if my mom and dad are reading they probably didn’t lol). See if you can find the band-aid below!

Graffiti in Tel Aviv

Couldn’t resist having a photo taken with the graffiti background. It didn’t hurt that we had a photographer traveling with us (Or Kaplan @oktlv) who did some awesome shots of all of us for our social media!

PS how cute is my new camera? It’s the

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I was excited to go to the Dead Sea but not jumping up and down excited as I had been before in Jordan just in February. It was a unique experience as you just kind of fall back into the water and float. You can’t sink if you try! You also can’t get this water in your eyes since the salt content is so high it’ll burn.

I wrote some tips previously that I suggest you check out if you are going to the Dead Sea regardless of which country you to it from.

• Tips for the Dead Sea

So one of the tips I gave before is that the mud can stain, especially on white so you’ll want to wear a dark swimsuit. I wore a one piece just because I didn’t know what the crows would be like (if there would be a crowd) and how the Isreali girls would be dressed.

Bikinis were okay so it wouldn’t have mattered either way.

We actually ended up there on the worst day we could have since it was Eid, a Muslim holiday and the beach was full of families making it very very crowded. For example, when you got out and wanted to shower off it would be a little bit of a wait to get to your turn at the outdoor shower to rinse, and even then someone might take your turn meaning I had to be a little pushy.

The two photos above were taken by Matanya Tausig. 

While to the left, it was clear and empty, to the right you can see it was packed to the brim. You couldn’t go too far left though as there were actually signs for possible mines. Definitely not worth going for a wander! Although there were guards there stopping us from going to far left as well.

So, this was definitely a different experience that the Kempinski and I have to say I preferred the less crowded previous one (not too surprisingly). Our guide, Abraham Hostel, said they’d never seen it so crowded so it was surely because of the holiday. Chances are when you come it won’t be so crowded.

Here are some things I recommend if you visit the Dead Sea from a public beach instead of a private hotel beach

• Bring a towel (they are not provided)
• If you plan to have a real shower in the locker room, then bring a second towel, bar of soap, and maybe a wash cloth as the mud is really oily and hard to get off.
• Bring a blanket to sit on and to sit your stuff on.
• I only had a smart phone camera my first time to the Dead Sea. This time I had a camera. I only took it out right on arrival and then put it back away before touching anything. The salt can mess up your camera and you might not notice until weeks later.

I was in Israel hosted by Vibe Israel, a non profit, non political company. Thanks Vibe!

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While wandering around the Downtown area was really a highlight for me in Jerusalem, it’s not exactly the reason people travel from all over the world to this city. They come because it’s full of history and I’m going to share that with you, most of which is in Old City Jerusalem.

“The Old City is home to several sites of key religious importance: the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, the Temple Mount and Western Wall for Jews and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site List in 1981.”

Mount Olives, Jerusalem

I took a tour with Abraham Hostels who is one of the top hostels in the world and run unique tours around the city. We started at Mount Olives for the first view-point, which is named after the Olive trees that covered this area. This is a grave site for 3,000 years and there are over 150,000 graves. While it is important to Jews, this is also the place Jesus supposedly ascended to heaven so for Christians this is an important site too.

There is a lot of information in this city as you can imagine. I recommend a tour, because without the information you won’t understand what makes these sites so important. Often, the stories are what make you feel you are somewhere special more than the sites themselves. There’s a lot to see in Jerusalem.

According to the bible (Zechariah 14:4) when the messiah comes, he will first start at this gravesite and resurrect people. So I guess you can see why so many want to be buried here. Back in the 40’s this was owned by Jordan and Jews weren’t even allowed to visit as they couldn’t go to Jordan at that time. Hotels were built, graves were destroyed. Now this is Israel’s land and they can again visit this sacred place.

This was our group!photo via Matanya Tausig

Old City Jerusalem

From here we hopped back on the bus to go way into the Old City to the Armenian and Jewish quarters. We had lunch in the Muslim quarter’s market. So, it might seem odd and I probably can’t explain it well but the inside is really divided by religion or original nationality, if you’d rather put it that way as the arabs stay in one part, Christians in one, Jews in another. They of course are getting along and mingling in the markets. There’s a Moroccan Quarter too!

You cannot just wander everywhere here as this is home to many and there are guards who won’t let you pass certain areas, as it’s people’s apartments.

There are shops throughout, mostly overpriced and set up for tourists. I didn’t buy anything at all in Israel actually as most of what I saw was Indian or Chinese made.

People were dressed totally casually here and not covering shoulders and head while walking around. Like most religious areas, you need to cover once you go into a church or holy place like the Western Wall so bring a scarf with you and wear longer (looser) trousers.

Couldn’t help getting a sneaky shot of this Orthodox Jew as he walked down the alley. Maybe you’re from NYC and see this a lot, but I’m from middle of farm land Ohio and we didn’t have any Orthodox Jews in my hometown so I will admit I was very curious about their lifestyle and asked a hundred and one questions!

For example, why do I see so many cats and no dogs? Well, Muslims don’t love dogs most times because in their scriptures it says dogs are unclean. Jew and Christians do love dogs and so wouldn’t want to leave one on the street. You won’t see strays here.

Above is an example of an actual house here we walked past while wandering. Can you imagine living here? For one it would suck to have tourists always in your business. But on the positive, these are religious people who wouldn’t want to be any other place – plus look how cute the homes are!

Everything is just ancient here (5,000 years old) and the photo opportunities were endless. Things are mostly peaceful here, but they are kind of divided. You’ll see people who are walking together and chanting while dragging a cross. You’ll see the Ethiopian Quarters where they are dressed completely different.

The photo below and above are from the Ethiopian Quarter, outside the Ethiopian church.

You can see this sign says “JEWISH QUARTER”, there were quarters for all the other religions too.

In the Muslim Quarter, you can get lamb kebabs and these are apparently the most famous. While walking down the Arab market you can’t miss it because the line is very long and people are all wanting to eat here. It was served simple with just tomato, onion, and yogurt.

The coffees and teas here were delicious and made the Old School way. Fresh Orange juice and pomegranate juice were so flavorful. We had dessert and ordered kanafeh which is an Arab classic.

While this is a favorite all over Israel you won’t find this at a Jewish Shabbat dinner… which is another example of how things are a little divided.

While it felt totally peaceful while we were there, there actually was an attack in the Old City (6 all together in Israel while we were there) where an angry man stabbed a couple Israeli military who were stationed here as guards.

When there are times of tension (before holidays for example) it’s best to avoid the Old City. 

These crosses are actually for rent (pictured above) and people do rent one in groups then walk around singing and chanting. To be honest, I am not sure why.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

A highlight of the Old City is visiting The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is where Jesus is meant to have been crucified on the cross. They have the stone the cross was standing on and people weep at the stone and pray.

He was washed before being buried and they have that stone too where people kneel and pray. Is it the real stone? I don’t think anyone knows but people certainly believe it. After being washed, he was put in a tomb (on Good Friday), which you can also stand in line to see. This is the tomb he arose on Easter Sunday, 3 days later.

photo via Matanya Tausig

Here you can see the stone he was washed on before burial. 

Here you can see a box, inside in the stone the cross stood on

Inside this church it is divided by religion. There are Greek Orthodox, Catholics, and more who each have their own area within the church. It’s all VERY organized. You can see services happening and it’s a large area. This is an example of a place you need to cover up at, as well as the next place I’ll mention: the Western Wall.

Western Wall AKA Wailing Wall & Mount Temple

This is a small part of what was once a much larger wall built by Herod the Great around the Temple Mount as part of an expansion and encasement of the Second Jewish Temple. While it’s Temple Mount to Jews, it is called Haram esh-Sharif by Muslims.

This is the holiest place for Jews and is meant to be where they can feel God’s presence the most. This is where God gathered dust to create the first human, Adam. In the Hebrew bible, it was once referred to as Mount Zion.

This is also a sacred place to Muslims, and is considered their third most sacred place after Mecca and Medina. The al-Ḥaram al-Šarīf is in Mount Temple as well as the Dome of the Rock. It was discussed in the Quran. They believe this is where Muhammad ascended to heaven.

“Jewish prayer on Temple Mount is completely forbidden. Jews may enter only to visit the place, and only at limited times. Muslims are free to pray on Temple Mount, however, Christians and Jews may only visit the site as tourists. They are forbidden from singing, praying, or making any kind of “religious displays”.

You can see it’s very complicated and being there a day doesn’t mean I understand it any more than you might. I was told that it’s to do with Isrealis keeping the peace which Isrealis enforce the no- Jewish prayer rule on Mount Temple.

Because Jews can’t pray at Mount Temple, the Western Wall or “wailing wall” is the holiest place they can pray as it’s the closest to it. It’s the wall West of Mount temple, so that is why the name. The “wailing” comes from people crying here over destruction of temples and isn’t used by everyone. Jews have pilgrimaged here since 16th century and at times in history were banned from the Western Wall.

photo via Matanya Tausig

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I was in Israel hosted by Vibe Israel, a non profit, non political company. Thanks Vibe!

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Jerusalem was my first place to explore in Israel and I’m glad of that. It’s much easier to navigate than huge Tel Aviv and has a smaller town vibe making it a place you can ease into Israel.

Visiting Jerusalem Israel

For me there wasn’t much to ease into. A guide asked what I thought of some of the more run down areas and I said they look great to me, after all I live in India where the idea of run down is a lot different unfortunately. I also have traveled in Jordan which has similar terrain and food. Seeing different cultures mingle is the norm in India where people are Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and more.

In Jerusalem I did expect mostly Orthodox Jews, and it is a more Orthodox city than Tel Aviv, but actually it was much more of a mix than I thought and most Orthodox Jews I saw were in the Old Town. People dressed how they pleased.

You might notice small things like the McDonalds (yes, I had one!) was kosher here meaning that the dairy and meat can’t be mixed (no cheeseburgers for you) and it is okay’ed by a Jewish Rabbi. I was told that in Tel Aviv this isn’t the case and you can have non-kosher restaurants, even the chain ones.

So as a whole, Jerusalem is a holy city and the vibe is a little more Orthodox, but really only in the Old Town do you need to think about how you dress. The nightlife here is booming and in the last 10 years bars have popped up all over. The people here LOVE to party and it seems like at all times an Israeli was putting a beer, shot, or glass of wine in my hand.

photo via Matanya Tausig

As for neighborhoods, we stayed in the Downtown Triangle, which was full of life with cafes, bars, and shops all around. It is just 10 minutes walking from the Mahane Yehuda Market. This market sells fruit and veg, bread, and snacks in the day but at night-time comes alive when the stalls pull down their metal gates (which are covered in graffiti) and the bars start blasting music. It’s the perfect place to bar hop and have dinner.

This area has lots of little shops but I did find the clothes here very expensive and not top quality (think overpriced Charlotte Russe). Bit of a shame because Israelis have the cutest clothes, so I obviously wasn’t finding the best shops here.

For style, they dress very laid back. I didn’t see girls out with heels on and little dress, but more like tennis shoes, boots, skinny jeans, flowy or crop tops, and hippy dresses. Most of the guys have very long curly hair with highlights in it from the sun and also dress super laid back. It’s definitely a hipster vibe all over this country.

Although Israeli food is delicious, you can eat anything here and we ended up at a delicious pizza place on our second night out. We were meant to eat at the famous Yudale restaurant but it was packed.

There is a tapas bar across the restaurant which was really lively. I never had a bad meal in Israel so I imagine you could pop in anywhere and you’d be happy. Most places had lots of locals in them so you know it’s good.

So other than eat and drink what is there to do in Jerusalem?

Seeing the Old Town.

This is the historical bit of Jerusalem and hosts all of the major attractions including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was crucified, put in a tomb, and later arose. I am going to share about this in another post because there is a lot to show and tell.

Where to stay when visiting Jerusalem Israel

I’ll share where I stayed and a couple other options you can consider based on budget. I stayed at the Herbet Samuel Hotel. It’s more boutique, middle-range, and about $150 per night. This is right on the “Downtown Triangle” and the ideal location for where to stay in Jerusalem.

We did go to the Abraham Hostel for rooftop beers and to meet up for our day’s tour to the Old Town. It was packed with backpackers and even families. They do have private rooms. This hostel is one of the top 10 in the world (recently voted by hostelworld) and a great place to mingle and explore the city while staying on a budget.

photo via Matanya Tausig

If you want to splurge out, the Mamilla Hotel is a super luxurious boutique option that goes for about $450 a night.

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I was in Israel hosted by Vibe Israel, a non-profit, non political company. Thanks Vibe!

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In one month I was in Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Africa. That’s a lot to pack all in one rolling suitcase especially since I didn’t want to take a large one, and decided on a medium. Add in blogging gear, and I’m pretty limited on space/weight allowance. Here is my itemized list for packing for various regions of long-term travel in one suitcase which is what I did on my most recent trip.

Packing for Various Regions of Long-term Travel in One Suitcase

I started packing thinking of where I’d be first: Israel. Israel is pretty laid back so I didn’t think of it as “Middle East” like I did when I packed for Jordan. It was going to be hot though, while my next destination would be cold: England. From there I’d head to Latvia early October which would be even colder I imaged. BUT then I would head to Morocco, which is Muslim and more conservative, while also hot.

It sounds like a challenge but it’s actually not that hard if you think about layers. That is key!

So, I start with pants/trousers. I packed:

• 1 pair of jean shorts / 1 pair of suede lace up shorts
• 2 leather skirts
• 3 pairs of Topshop Jamie jeans (blue/black ripped/green)

Once I had it laid out, I decided I didn’t need the pink skirt and took it out. Normally I wouldn’t travel with more than 1 pair of jeans, but thought with England and Latvia being cold I might need them so I don’t have to keep wearing the same pair. I always thought the green ones would layer well under kaftans in Morocco.

Next I go to the tops.

I packed for tops:

• 3 black tanks, 1 white tank, 1 grey, 1 red
• 1 dressy crop top
• 2 cute tees
• 2 casual tees for travel days
• 3 long sleeve layering tops that I always travel with

So the next step is to put pants in one packing cube and tops in another! I can then look and see what I’ve got and then work out how many dresses/rompers I should take. Normally, I actually think about my outfits but on a trip this big you can’t really think that way. It’s more about mixing and matching and layering to make new outfits.

I was going to pack two jackets but in the end went just for my leather jacket and am glad I did! I could have used the other just for some change, but it wasn’t necessary.

• [easyazon_link identifier=”B00RET3VUG” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]UGG high top tennies[/easyazon_link] (obsessed with these)
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B00IUM7YK4″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Black Lucky Brand boots[/easyazon_link] I always travel with
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B015ZU9EUQ” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Black Sol Sana sandals[/easyazon_link] I always take
• Brown sandals

In the end this was fine although I could have fit regular flip-flops in and they would have come in handy at pools and beaches. I just went barefoot so it wasn’t an issue but I guess not everyone likes going barefoot! ;)

Swimsuits were next! I am swimwear crazy and actually wanted to take more than these 3. I brought a 1 piece because it’s good for the Dead Sea (more conservative) and it’s black which is good because the mud there stains.

• [easyazon_link identifier=”B00N8PGEKE” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Vitamin A bikini[/easyazon_link] This is the perfect fitting bikini!
• [easyazon_link keywords=”Maaji bikini” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Maaji colorful bikini[/easyazon_link] These are all the coolest prints and colors.
• 1 piece from L*Space I love the way this swimsuit fits.

Toiletries are the easiest bit since you know what you need! Just go through your nighttime and shower routine in your head and make sure you pack all the things you use. When I’m going long-term I just do the smaller bottles of shampoo and conditioner and buy more as I go to save weight.

Here are some things I really love though and never go without:

• [easyazon_link identifier=”B00OAYFGRY” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Clinique Moisture Surge face lotion[/easyazon_link] (it’s my favorite!)
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B004PBU4EC” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]It’s a 10 miracle conditioner[/easyazon_link]
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B000BIXP5I” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Surf Spray[/easyazon_link] (I use Bumble & Bumble or Sun Bum)
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B00161DDJM” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Smashbox under eye highlighter[/easyazon_link]

I packed:

• 1 suede black dress for parties
• long green silk romper (on sale!)
• short cargo style romper
• 2 Free People dresses
• 2 wedding dress options because I couldn’t decide.

As I was fitting it in I remembered undies, bras, and a swimsuit coverup! It was never-ending haha! I added in

• 3 Urban bras (these kind are so tiny and comfy) & 1 of this style
• Melissa Odabash swim coverup

Lastly, time to get the purse and carry-on sorted. I used a backpack as a carry-on as I didn’t want to have to roll 2 things on public transport in Europe. It’s a pain at rush hour.

I packed a large purse for my new camera/lens as they take up a lot of space and a smaller (new) black Fossil purse which I love traveling with.

Electronics for me aren’t TOO over the top… I take my computer & charger, phone & charger, Kindle, camera, lens, extra battery, camera charging set, external hard-drive & cord, SkyRoam WiFi dongle & cord (first time using and loved it except it didn’t work in Morocco), portable charger and cord. I threw in my sunnies, a few pieces of jewelry, and headphones. I guess it does sound like a lot! But it’s not too heavy.

• [easyazon_link identifier=”B01JGMPM4G” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Panasonic camera[/easyazon_link] and
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B0028Y5GKK” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]extra wide-angle lens[/easyazon_link] (I used to do only phone pics but just got this from from my Israel posts onward you’ll see a better quality photos!) This is a top ranked camera and I chose it after a LOT of research, plus it’s damn cute with it’s tan leather hipster look hah!

Ta-da! That’s it. You can see I still have some space for shopping and lucky for me, after London I could give Ben my heels and a few dresses to take back to Goa for me.

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Israel has officially made it to the top of my favorite countries list (not the tip-top because that belongs to India). I loved my time there, as short as it was. Not sure what to expect in Israel? Here’s 20 photos to inspire you to visit Israel.

Float in the salty dead sea. Surf and party in Tel Aviv. Walk through the holy city of Israel. Check out the thriving art scene. Wander through the tiny ancient alleys in Akko. Ride Jeeps through the Golan Heights region. This is just a small part of Israel! I didn’t even make it South, or get in the Red Sea.

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Israel

Akko

Jerusalem

Tel Aviv

Golan Heights

Tel Aviv

Dead Sea

Akko

Tel Aviv

Golan Heights

Jerusalem

Golan Heights

Tel Aviv

Dead Sea

Akko

Jerusalem

Tel Aviv

Dead Sea

Jerusalem

Tel Aviv

Golan Heights

Want more information on these locations in Israel? I have lots of blog posts coming soon that will have detailed information about these places!

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I am lucky that I get to travel a lot. I get to see a lot of places, some that I love and some that I just like. When I got invited to Israel from Vibe Israel, I immediately said yes. I have always been interested in visiting Israel and want to share why I was there and my Israel itinerary.

So, who are Vibe and why did I go? Vibe Israel are a non-profit non-political company that are working to change perspectives on Israel from people who are on the outside and haven’t visited. It’s often seen as dangerous and too conflicted to visit. Many people don’t have it on their bucket list.

A group of 5 “influencers” were invited on this boutique tourism press trip. I was luckily one, along with another two travel bloggers Trisha from PS I’m On My Way and Vaughan from Travel Manuel who I met in Istanbul back in February. There was one journalist from NYC, Mo, and two Instagram influencers: Before I Die and Mindy the Lion, who are dating and from Vancouver. They hope that we can share our experiences whether positive or negative in Israel with our readers (you guys!).

Read More: 20 Photos to Inspire You To Travel To Israel

photo via Matanya Tausig

It was a work trip and the itinerary was nothing that we had a say in- like most media/press trips. Here was our itinerary: Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Akko, Golan Heights, Tel Aviv. Before going, I had read a lot of blog posts about how Israel really inspired people and made them see the world differently.

I had been to the Dead Sea previously, and thought that Tel Aviv was going to be like any other city so I wasn’t expecting too much when I went into this trip. Maybe that’s why it blew me away as much as it did. 

I didn’t meet a single person I didn’t like (and I met a LOT of people)… and the people there are what made Israel a place that I can say right now is my new favorite country. 

Arrival in Israel / What to Expect

Straight from the Tel Aviv airport on arrival, I headed to Jerusalem. It was the middle of the night and I fell asleep in the back of the taxi, waking up at my hotel. I didn’t see anything until I opened my windows in the morning.

I didn’t know what it was going to be like and immediately popped out of bed to explore (with my new camera!) and take in all the sights. The first thing I noticed, I think because I live in India, is how girls are “allowed” to dress (I am using allowed as in this is how girls are meant to feel). Here, they were wearing anything from short jean shorts and tanks to little skirts. Traditional Jewish people who dress in all black with hats and hair covers mingle in and it’s like a melting pot of cultures.

Another thing I noticed which I was naive to is that it’s not all Jewish here, it’s Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Muslim, and all kinds of religions.

I thought it would be strict, maybe no booze. Definitely no couples showing PDA. But turns out Tel Aviv is one of the top party cities in the world. In fact, Tel Aviv is considered a global gay capital with a huge gay pride parade tens of thousands of foreigners come here for. It’s a tolerant thriving multicultural country from what I’ve seen.

I think because of the complex wars that have happened and still happen on the borders of Israel, I assumed it would be all Jewish people in Israel. It’s not! You might have already known that though and I’m just behind the times ;)

Flying El Al Israel

I flew with the Isreali airline from Mumbai. They are very extreme in their security. If you know anything about the issues Israel goes through then you can probably understand why. As I travel a lot and carry two passports, I was questioned heavily before getting my boarding pass by the security team. They are trained psychological interrogators according to reports I’ve read. While it was difficult to be questioned so heavily, to still be denied boarding at the departure gate – only to be questioned again once the gate had closed (was let on only just before departure), you sure do feel safe on these flights. They actually have defense missiles built in, and always have two air marshalls on board, who are usually in plain clothing. They watch people at the gate prior to boarding as well. So, this is something to keep in mind as not all airlines can fly in and out of Israel. If you are flying El Al, and are a single woman especially, then I suggest that you arrive an extra hour ahead of time at the airport as it’s not their problem if you miss your flight.

Leaving I flew easyJet and was barely questioned. I did have a VIP service at arrival and exit from Israel through immigration, thanks to Vibe. They gave me security clearance letters, personal invitations, and copies of itineraries. All together I had 6 documents, one in Hebrew to show immigration and it was fine. Traveling alone, I am not sure if this will be the same for everyone.

Do they stamp your passport?

This is a biggie for some. They do NOT stamp your passport anymore when you fly in and out. They give you a paper you need to keep in your passport as an entry stamp, then a paper as an exit stamp you need until you reach your next destination (outside Isreal). Then you can ditch these, as I did in UK.

You may know that if you have an Isreali stamp in your passport you cannot travel to some Middle Eastern countries at all, and others make it more difficult. With these papers, there is no evidence you have traveled to these places.

When you cross by car/foot at the borders, they do sometimes stamp your passport.

Let’s talk about safety & conflict…

So of course, I need to make a mention of safety as there are often alerts or State Department warnings to avoid certain places in Israel. While the Gaza Strip and West Bank are listed as not to be visited in any circumstances as a tourist, it can also be noted that Golan Heights are not recommended and even Jerusalem when it is at times of tension.

We did visit Golan Heights, which borders Syria and I will share more about that in another post. They told us of missiles you can watch falling over Syria from the place we were standing, and you could see black burn marks on the ground from mortar shells which landed on the Israel side accidentally.

We couldn’t walk around openly here as everywhere was covered in signs for mines which were buried here by Israelis in order to keep the land. There were anti-tank trenches, tanks stationed and abandoned, and other signs of conflict. Our driver actually pointed out a house on the Syrian side and claimed it is currently occupied by Al-Qaida while the other houses were full of rebels in hiding, which “Assad is bombing every other day for the last 5.5 years”.

The border is now closed there, but the UN is still stationed, as we saw when we drove past. We weren’t there to see war of course, it was to go to a winery. Yes, a winery. Because Israel is still a country no matter what is happening with their neighbors and on their borders. People have kids, go to school, get married, have parties, and live their lives to the fullest. I however didn’t grow up in Israel and don’t know this conflict well, so it was definitely a moment of eyes wide open, taking in everything, and a lot of “wow” thoughts.

While in Israel, it seemed clear that Golan Heights is part of Israel, then I see an article that says the U.S. does not consider Golan Heights a part of Israel. It’s complicated.

I’m not the type to worry, and in this case didn’t think about safety even once. The vibe in the air was so upbeat and happy you didn’t feel like you were in place which had tension- although it does. While there, the news reported 6 attacks in just 4 days. There was a stabbing in Jerusalem’s old town. Apparently, this hasn’t happened in about a year but there was a “surge” of sorts.

While we saw it in the papers, it wasn’t something you can “feel” in the air. I think that people in Israel live in a state of conflict their whole lives, with 18 year olds both male and female being made to serve in the military (unless married, Orthodox, Muslim, or a few other reasons), and having to go into a bomb shelter being nothing shocking to them (although saddening). Because of that, this is why I think the city still feels safe and life goes on like normal when attacks do happen.

Obviously, it affects their lives long-term as they are constantly living in a state of conflict with their neighbors and short-term if someone they know is injured or killed. I think people picture those in Israel always on edge, always worried, but my point is to share that you don’t feel the tension even if it’s there behind the scenes.

It’s up to you to make decisions on where you should travel. There are times when Jerusalem is considered risky and you should in this case trust the judgement of the State Department or travel advisories of your country.

I’m not going to go into who is right and wrong in terms of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, any of their other enemies, or who should have territory. It’s too complex and being there a week doesn’t give me the insight I would need to fully understanding the issues involved. There are SO many different moving parts and so much history involved. The reason Vibe Israel doesn’t talk politics is because they want to show that Israel is more than that, and they believe that it is difficult to explain a situation without having at least a little bias from either side.

Israel Itinerary

I’m going to be writing blog posts about where we went and what we did (once I sort through 1000 photos).

We were in Jerusalem first which was just a 40 minute drive from the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. We spend a couple days here and I arrived a night early so I had a day to explore before the trip started.

Next we took a tour to the Old Town of Jerusalem and to the Dead Sea, this was a day trip and we stayed in our same hotel in Jerusalem.

photo via Matanya Tausig

Next we went to Golan Heights which is NE and the area that borders Syria.

Akko (Ako, Acre) was our next destination which is full Mediterranean vibes and probably my favorite place on the trip.

We ended in Tel Aviv exploring the different areas of the city which is now my favorite city in the world! I had so much fun and can’t wait to share about what a kickass city Tel Aviv is.

Map for Israel Itinerary: 

Why Visit Israel?

Because of the tension and conflict, you might ask why risk visiting when there are other places in the world to visit. That’s fair enough. I felt truly sad when I left Israel and wished I had more time, which is not always my feeling after a press trip (they are work even if it doesn’t look like it).

Isrealis are people who have had struggle in their lives in the past and continue to live in a state of defensiveness. They have used that determination and struggle to become incredible successful entrepreneurs. Did you know that second to Silicon Valley, Tel Aviv has the most startups? Intel and Celeron chips are developed and made here, the first mobile phone, and they are the best in the world at recycling water (a technique they are currently selling to California). A lot of apps come out of Israel and we met many app creators while here. A couple you may have heard of are Waze (sold to Google) and Viber.

I loved the people, the food, the vibes. It’s 5,000 years old and the history dating from Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, and Napoleon makes for incredible stories.

This is a land that many people want to claim, and it’s as small as New Jersey. Because of the history, the monuments, the things that have happened here make this a holy and sacred place to many religions.

This is where Jesus was believed to be crucified on the cross and buried, only to rise again (at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre), it’s where he walked on water at the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea is accessible from here. The seaside cities have surfer vibes and Tel Aviv is referred to as the Mediterranean Berlin because of it’s edgy laid back vibe and party scene.

I hope that one day there can be peace in Israel and all the religions and neighboring countries all come to agreements but in the world we live in, it’s not something I can imagine.

You will see peeks into my trip over the next month on the blog (or two) and I hope that it inspires you to visit. Israel is definitely my new favorite country. I’m not the best writer which you probably already know if you read my blog regularly so I hope I can do this place justice and try to explain how it made me feel because it really was the most incredible trip.

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I was in Israel hosted by Vibe Israel, a non profit, non political company. Thanks Vibe!

The post Why I Was in Israel + My Israel Itinerary appeared first on Hippie In Heels.