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

Pin it for later!

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!

Pin it for later:

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

The post 9 Epic Experiences in Tel Aviv You Don’t Want to Miss appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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

Pin it for later:

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

Did you enjoy this post? Let me know in the comments or by sharing it with the social media links! I’d love to keep giving you travel tricks & tips so feel free to subscribe by e-mail in the big box below. Don’t forget you can follow me on facebook, twitter, instagram & bloglovin‘.

The post A Hidden Mediterranean Art Oasis in Akko (Acre) Israel appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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.

The post Is Golan Heights Safe to Visit? + Why I Was in This Controversial Region appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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

The post Graffiti in Tel Aviv: Leaving My Mark on the City, Literally appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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!

The post Visiting the Dead Sea (again), this time from Israel appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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

 Pin for Later:

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

The post Visiting Old City Jerusalem appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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.

Pin for later:

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

The post What it’s like visiting Jerusalem, Israel appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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.

Pin it for later:

The post Packing for Various Regions of Long-term Travel in One Suitcase appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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!

Pin it for later:

The post 20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Israel appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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.

Pin for later:

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.

Okay, I’m not saying I looked cute… but I did have some cute outfits because I am basically a professional shopper ;) haha! Jordan is an Arabic country with a Muslim culture and you have to be dressed appropriate, aka cover up a LOT, but it’s also a very hot desert state. Here are my tips on how to dress in Jordan and look half-way decent as well as a few packing tips for Jordan.

This post will be pretty short and sweet with mostly images because as they say, pictures speak louder than words!

How to Dress in Jordan

This outfit was from my first day in Amman. I actually put on jewelry. It only went downhill from here, lol. I tend to be so excited at first I actually try and even put on lipstick but by day 3 I’m struggling to give two shits! I can’t be the only one like this. But, this outfit was fun and perfect for the city. The silk pants are TIA (a shop I love in Goa) and are wrap around so I actually used the sewing kit (or swing kit as they had it labeled) at the hotel to makes stitches near the knees so they didn’t fly open. The top is a linen wrap top I had made here in Goa, which was a copy of a cute Urban Outfitters one I had. I have a crop top under it.

These sunnies are Sunday Somewhere and the shoes are Sol Sana. I am in love with these shoes by the way and put them in my top 5 items this year to travel with. They made the perfect sandal for this trip. They were dressy enough and nice leather that formed to my feet. Full disclosure: both the sandal and sunnies were gifted to me by the brands but I love them for real! The bag is from Bali and is a leather fringe bag… perfect size for this trip.

This outfit is from FARA, another Goa brand. You can buy FARA on Etsy and TIA on Etsy. The pants are silk harem pants and I love these because they are kind of fancy and I felt good I them. The top is a raw silk top that should not have been put in the washing machine but was so now these photos are what I have to remember it by…. RIP.

It’s so black on black it’s hard to tell, but I’m wearing black leggings, a black tank top, and a silk black kaftan that had slits to the thigh. This was my second favorite outfit here and was SO comfortable and easy.

A bit of a recycled outfit, this is the same FARA trousers with an urban outfitters top. Other than the black Sol Sana sandals and simple leather Reef flip flops, the only other shoes I took were Tom’s. I wore them for adventures like camel riding in Wadi Rum and even wore them trekking at Petra. It was fine.

This was a fun outfit too. These are green wrap around silk trousers from TIA as well but thicker than the ones in the first photo and I didn’t have to stitch them. The breeze on my legs was great in the hot desert. The kaftan, surprise surprise, is TIA as well and is cotton. It was perfect even at the airport on the way in with leggings. I wore a crop top under. It wasn’t see-through.

This is the same kaftan which I wore as a swimsuit cover up at the Dead Sea. You can dress how you like at the 5-star hotels. People were all in bikinis. I wore a one piece but it was lace-up so I mean… not exactly swim team material. I wore the Reef flip flops here and the Ma’in spa but they weren’t totally necessary and I could have skipped packing them.

This is a Top Shop silk dress which was spaghetti strap. I wore leggings under and this fringe sweater over. Not my cutest look, but did the trick.

This is us at Petra. I wore the silk harem pants with Toms and a black tank top with a kaftan over it. It’s Top Shop I think and had slit under the armpit for a breeze and I could take my arms out and have it be sleeveless. Not totally appropriate but people at Petra were in jeans shorts and mini dresses, so I was kinda like err eff it at some points…

So there we go. I was there more days than this but didn’t always take photos of my outfits, and also can’t remember what I wore!

I did pack another pair of legging which I didn’t need, Helen Jon pants for the plane one way, and leggings the other way, 4 T-shirts for the plane rides each way and sleeping, and a lungi (sarong) for the Dead Sea. I packed my leather jacket which I did wear at night in the forest areas. I only took the one purse.

I took a [easyazon_link identifier=”B005X1Y7I2″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]portable charger[/easyazon_link], laptop (thank god for movies!), [easyazon_link identifier=”B00OQVZDJM” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Kindle[/easyazon_link], no makeup this time, a few rings and necklaces, and my toiletries. I actually thought this packing one out the most because it was conservative and did pretty well!

You should plan your outfits exactly when you come here because it just makes it so much easier and you know you’ll have to cover up before you go so actually lay out what you will wear each day or you’ll end up taking stuff you don’t need. I hope this can help you know how to dress in Jordan!

I have SO many blog posts on Jordan – here are some that will get you started in planning

• Check out my list of 5 favorite things I did in Jordan
• Follow along with my 10-day itinerary and map. Cut out things to make it fit your time frame.
• Check out the best hotels in Jordan and book ahead.

Share how to dress in Jordan on Pinterest

The post How to Dress in Jordan & Look Cute appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Looking back at my trip in Jordan, I am in awe of how many cool things I got to do there! I was surprised that I enjoyed it so much as my favorite places are beaches, followed by cities, and then lastly, nature. Not that I don’t like nature, but it’s just not my top choice. Jordan has a unique history that blows your mind as you travel there and learn about it (not just Greeks and Romans, but all the way back to the Bible!). Here are my 5 favorite things to do in Jordan!

Before you go: You DO need a visa. You’ll get it on arrival and I think it was around $60. You will likely fly to Amman and start your travels from there. It’s a good hub. You will want around 10 days in Jordan to see everything. Here is my itinerary. DO get travel insurance for all the adventure activities. Here is a list of what is and isn’t covered by World Nomads so you can choose the right plan.

5 “Must Do” Things to do in Jordan

1. Hot Air Ballooning in Wadi Rum

This is my number one- even though while I was up there I felt sick- because it was beautiful, adventurous, and something I won’t forget. I always wonder what it would feel like being in a basket in the sky and let me tell you, it didn’t feel like I thought it would!

• Read more about my time in Wadi Rum
• If you want to do a hot air balloon and are coming here only for a night, then check out this tour on Viator which is $200 and includes transport there and back from Amman, hot air balloon ride, all meals, camping in desert, 4×4 Jeep ride, and other things. You can read up on it and book it on Viator with this link.

2. Exploring Petra

I guess this is a given! You can’t come here and NOT see Petra right? Definitely ride an animal here! The camels, donkeys, and horses are everywhere and make they day a little more adventurous. Petra was amazing. Because I was tired, hot, and sweaty I don’t know if in the moment I realized HOW amazing it was. I was so hot I had a hard time even listening to my guide. I recommend coming and resting up the day before so you’re really fresh and mentally prepared for a little trek in the heat!

• Essential tips for visiting Petra
• You can take a full day tour to Petra from Amman for $190. It’s definitely more expensive than going on your own, but I know some of you prefer tours. This is the highest ranked tour on one of the top tour sites, Get Your Guide. Read more and book it here.

3. Checking out Rainbow Street in Amman

Like I said, I really like the cities. I loved exploring this trendy little street, eating ice cream, and just people watching. You learn about places in the cities as much as the rural areas. I mean, Wadi Rum, Petra, and more were quite touristy. Cities are just people living! So, it was cool to see the architecture, the small shops, people on their way to work, the types of cars they drove… really just all the small details.

• Top things to do in Amman

4. Getting a Spa Treatment at Ma’in Hot Springs

I am such a sucker for massages! I literally am addicted because they are around $8 in India (and that’s when the masseuse comes to my house!) so I get them nearly weekly and actually feel stiff when I go too long without one… I know.. it’s ridiculous. But Ma’in is the best spa in Jordan based on many publications and the tourism board there, and I was NOT disappointed. Beyond that, the place and food were great and Ben LOVED being in the hot springs and natural waterfalls. Like a kid in a candy shop!

• More on Ma’in, prices, review, and photos

5. Floating in the Dead Sea

Of course this is on the list… Like Baloo in the Jungle Book, I floated around.. “forget about your worries and your strife.. I mean the bare necessities, old mother nature’s recipes, that bring the bare necessities of life!” The Kempinski Hotel is a masterpiece and I only wish I could have stayed longer. I love that you can use the mud from the pit and do a DIY spa treatment… plus there were 7 swimming pools.

• My top tips for visiting the Dead Sea and where to stay

So there we have it, my 5 favorite things to do in Jordan and the main memories I think of when I look back on my time in Jordan. I wrote SO many articles about it and you can see them all HERE.

Pin these fun things to do in Jordan for later:

The post My 5 Favorite Things to do in Jordan From Adventure to Spa Time appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Jordan was truly the trip of a lifetime! There are multiple places in Jordan that are on your bucket list. This Jordan itinerary could be done in 7-15 days but I put 10 just for ease of the title – as it’s really up to you how you want to travel. As you can see on the map below, all the ducks are in a row, so to speak. The airport is in Amman in the middle so you need to cover the North than the South or vice versa. I’ll help with that in the Jordan itinerary below.

Also below for most places I have a link to my blog post on tips for each place, so I won’t go into detail here.

Views from the road:

the countries’ flower, black iris

You may even choose to skip the North entirely, as most major sites are in the South and it would save a lot of time in the car. For reference, you can drive from the most Northern star on this map, Um Qais, to the most Southern, Aqaba, in 5-6 hours with no traffic if you take the main Highway. I suggest the Kings Highway for parts which are slower but shows the “Grand Canyon of Jordan” with fantastic views through winding hilly roads, in the photos just above.

Jordan Itinerary Sample: 10 Days

Amman

Amman International airport is where you will fly in therefore you have to be in Amman. It is worth seeing. The citadel and Roman theater and amazing ruins and I enjoyed seeing trendy Rainbow street. I stayed at one of the most famous luxury hotels, the Intercontinental.

Check out my blog post on things to do in Amman and see the best tour options as well.

From here if you want to take the time to go North, the spots to visit are Um Qais, Ajloun, and Jerash. You can read about these places and decide and if not skip ahead to the South starting at Amman to Karak Castle.

Um Qais

So what’s worth visiting here? More ruins! There are some amazing Greek ruins to explore. At the top, there is a delicious (seriously) restaurant Um Qais Resthouse, a Romero restaurant, which while we were there we saw the King’s Uncle eating at. Very cool. From the top when you look out you interestingly see both Isreal and Syria. Even cooler, you can see the “Sea of Galilee” where Jesus walked on water! I thought that was just amazing. It was my first time seeing biblical references (that I can remember).

Ajloun

Ajloun is a great place for nature lovers and is where you could stay the night after seeing Um Qais. We stayed at the Aljoun Eco Lodge which was peaceful, clean, and quiet. We heard animals all through the night. Food is served in the lodge buffet style. Here you can take hikes and although we only stayed the night you could spend time here bird-watching. There is a castle here as well.

Jerash (Jarash)

Jerash is one of the two places on this list I did not visit due to time. These are also famous ruins and if I could go back I would see them. In my opinion, if you’ve been to Athens and Rome, then you don’t need to see all the ruins in Jordan you can pick and choose. These are quite famous, though. The ruins had been covered because of an earthquake and were only found in 1806. In photos, the hippodrome and theater look impressive!

Now drive back down past Amman to the South.

Karak Castle (Kerak)

If you fancy seeing this castle, now would be a great time to do it. This is a larger crusader castle that was built in 1140. From wiki: Because of its position east of the Dead Sea, Karak was able to control Bedouin herders as well as the trade routes from Damascus to Egypt and Mecca. It is quite impressive, but unless you have a guide to tell stories (which is what makes it special) you may find it underwhelming. We ate lunch here and it was delicious!

Dana Nature Reserve

Dana is another nature-lovers’ place and we stayed at the Dana Rummana campsite. I’m in two minds about the place because the tents are not waterproof, nor is the dining area and we were there in a thunderstorm. I think on a sunny day if you like camping, then this is a beautiful option for you. I think if you are a hotel-type traveler you might want to just see Dana passing through – or if you’ve been to Ajloun, give it a skip. The views were stunning. We ended up asking to leave and go to their nearby guesthouse which was a good option, as that evening the remaining group of Italians there came in drenched around midnight- they had to leave their luggage behind and wait for someone to bring it separately as they woke up with flooded tents. Great idea of a place, but not perfectly executed. The staff was so nice though and the campfire and tea were lovely. The guesthouse, unfortunately, I don’t know the name was the same company and was very cozy! It has some reviews from people saying it was their favorite part of Jordan and others that had not so great experiences. Check them out in the link above and keep in mind tents are a little less than $100.

More photos from Dana:

Petra

Petra, one of the new wonders of the world and the #1 reason people visit Jordan. Obviously, you CANNOT miss Petra while you are here. I have written an extensive amount of tips which you can read here. We stayed at the awesome Movenpick which I highly suggest. It is literally at the doorsteps of the entrance to Petra and it has a pool. 5 stars in Jordan are relatively affordable.

Wadi Rum

Again, I have written all about Wadi Rum (the most popular desert destination). I did hot air ballooning here, stayed at a campsite I don’t recommend, and rode a camel! There’s a lot to do here but many people choose to stay just for the day. Please read up on my article on Wadi Rum for full advice on this.

Aqaba

The second and last town on this list that I did not get to visit while in Jordan was Aqaba which is the popular coastal vacation spot and where you can scuba dive in the famous Red Sea. Ben was really looking forward to going here but it just didn’t work out this time. I definitely would go here if I was given a second chance! I would actually skip seeing the North of Amman in exchange for going here. Wadi Rum, Petra, and Aqaba are sometimes called the tourists “Golden triangle”. Read all about it here.

Ma’in

Ma’in is the home of amazing hot springs (and I mean, HOT!) and huge waterfalls that drop the hot water on your back for a massage! We stayed at the fantastic Ma’in Resort. I wrote all about the resort and spa in a blog post of it’s own which you should check out – but definitely don’t skip Ma’in. It was Ben’s favorite other than Petra and he doesn’t even like spas.

Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is, after Petra, the next biggest tourist attraction for outsiders! I loved seeing it; it’s been on my bucket list since I can remember. I wrote all about it with SO many tips and a look at our hotel, the Kempinski, which was amazing.

Head back to Amman to fly home!

Some tips for booking your Jordan trip:

• I search kiwi.com first for flights.
• Make sure to get travel insurance. I use World Nomads.
• You can rent a car, hire a driver, or take a tour. I use rentalcars.com when I rent. Roads are great here.
• You will get your visa on arrival.
• You’ll want to pre-book hotels here. I have info on all the places I stayed in my articles on each city I went in Jordan.

The Top Tour Options to Cover a Similar Jordan Itinerary

It can seem like a lot to plan a trip like this from scratch and I had the help of the tourism board, who gave me a driver. You can rent a car and do the trip yourself (the roads are very good) or you can book a tour with a driver. I use Get Your Guide and Viator when I book day tours and tend to look at G Adventures for longer tours like this, but I compared them all. Keep in mind, G Adventures tours are run by them while the others are outsourced to anyone who wants to add a tour there – so that is why G Adventures is so mugh higher in price. I am going to link the highest rated tours here with the price and where to read more information and book it.

• 8-Day Highlight of Jordan tour from G Adventures. Book it here for $999. This tour covers all the big highlights (for real) and also goes down to Aqaba. You go by private car and hotels are included. It’s actually a really good price. You can look at their other tours as they have one focused on adventure in the same price range.
• 3-Night Jordan tour to Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea from Viator. Book it here for $456. This tour has the same inclusions for the most part but open them up and compare. It comes down to how much time you have and if you want to see everything or just these key places in the 3-day tour.

I hope that this Jordan itinerary can help you plan out your trip. Jordan was an incredible experience. Thank you to the Visit Jordan for facilitating the trip.

The post Perfect 10 Day Jordan Itinerary, Let the Adventure Begin! appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I tried out a few spa options during my time in Jordan like the luxury Intercontinental in Amman and Kempinski with the magical Dead Sea salt, but I think Ma’in Hot Springs is the ultimate spa experience in Jordan. and the famous hot springs at Ma’in (Hammamat Ma’in) are what make it the best spa in Jordan – or in other words, one you better not miss while you’re there!

Although I haven’t tried all the spa treatments Jordan can offer, I did try the ones with the best reputations. Beyond that, the other top spas in Jordan are in 5 star hotels. I’ve had signature massages at, for example, the Four Seasons in a few locations in the world and I can guess that they would be similar here as well – same goes with other top 5 star hotel spas in Jordan.

The Best Spa in Jordan

I was a guest of the tourism board in Jordan and I told them that I am massage-obsessed and they said I just had to try the spa at Ma’in and in their mind it was the very BEST the country could offer. I was like yeah, I’m in (obvi). So what makes Ma’in the best spa in Jordan?

-The mineral rich hot springs and natural waterfalls!

-It’s a Six Senses Spa.

Six senses is a brand of resorts and spas. To me, the most famous is the one in the Maldives which has won loads of recognitions. Not only was the spa amazing, but the Ma’in Resort itself was incredible. Ben could care less about spa stuff but was like “we’ve got to come back here!”

Beyond that, CN Traveler did a round-up of the “readers’ choice” top spas in the world and Ma’in is #2, granted it was a few years ago.

It’s at 264 meters below sea level and very close to the Jordan River and Dead Sea. I’ve shared about how the Dead Sea is full of minerals and mud that celebrities use to look young and some people even use to heal a variety of ailments. This is no different in that sense, although the water isn’t salty like the sea. It’s still mineral-rich with Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium.

These hot springs do have areas that are open to the public, pay per use. The ones in here are not open and there are two places you can use them the resort pool and the spa pool. The spa pool is a little walk away (enough that they offer a car). The spa pool is definitely the best of the two. The waterfalls come into the pools and you can stand under for a back massage. The water is 113 degrees (and higher) in the falls.

I had a mud wrap and an “oriental” massage. The mud wrap was of course Dead Sea mud and after it was put on, I had to get into a heated space blanket (like in Istanbul!) and then got a massage until it was too hot to take! After taking that off I had the second half of the treatment, which was basically a Balinese. I loved it! It was a two-hour treatment and absolute heaven.

The Ma’in Resort

The resort is a “wooden” theme I guess you’d say? Ha, it’s all natural looking. Even the pens at reception are wooden. I loved the decor and feel like I could live in a place decorated like this. The rooms were cozy with huge bathtubs and balconies. The food was also quite stellar.

The food was fantastic. We had big sandwiches for lunch with Caesar salad and the dinner buffet had.. wait for it…. make your own fajitas complete with gooey cheese sauce. This was our last night in Jordan so I felt okay having some Western food after eating Jordanian food all week. Although it was a buffet ha, I had a little of everything!

The morning that we left, we had about 30 minutes before check out and Ben was like, “I have to get in that waterfall one more time!” He swam and jumped and played… and I said Ben we have to go! He’s like Ohhh 5 more minutes! Ha, like a kid at the pool. He really loved it and I did too.

Historically, this area was frequented by the folks in the Bible! John the Baptist was killed here & King Herod used the waterfalls!

I highly recommend this resort & spa. You can book here!

Address: Six Senses Spa, Evason Ma’in Hot Springs, Madaba, Ma’In, Jordan. You can read more about visiting this area on Lonely Planet.

The post Do NOT go to Jordan without trying Ma’in Hot Springs Spa appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

When you think of Jordan, you wouldn’t be alone if you picture deserts first. Many people first think of the big empty deserts and the famous Indiana Jones site of Petra. While in Wadi Rum, which should definitely be on your itinerary,  you can camp at a traditional Bedouin site and relax or you can go looking for adventure. I choose adventure! Riding hot air balloons in Wadi Rum might be the most extravagant, and camel rides and jeep safaris are other great options for adventure in Jordan.

Wadi Rum: “the valley of the moon”

Nabateans left traces of their lives here as well as Petra and you can see it in rock carvings, temples, and graffiti. If you’re wondering where to stay for the best Martian experience, this is it! Guess what was just filmed here? The Martian!

Touring around Jordan tends to be more of a “tour” than just wandering around like you would in Europe. From what I saw, most foreigners were on tour groups. These can be pretty exhausting so just remember when the group does something you’re not into you can skip it. Just make sure you save energy for these fun things!

Hot air balloons in Wadi Rum… the greatest adventure in Jordan!

I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon! It was ever since I saw photos of Cappadocia, Turkey which is one of the most famous places in the world for riding in a hot air balloon. What makes it so famous are the amazing sandstone structures down below. I did not expect Wadi Rum to have the exact same looking structures! I thought it would be barren and I wasn’t sure what would make the view so spectacular. I was in awe when I saw the area we were going to fly above, the only thing I wish was different is if it were a little less hazy.

I suggest bringing a book along with you. You have to wake up early and drive out to the site but it takes about 30 or 45 minutes to get the hot air balloon all set up. Then again, after you have to wait for them to take it apart and pack it up.

Tip: If you are on a budget keep in mind on the way out you can ride in the back of the truck which is the same type of experience as a pricey desert jeep ride (although you aren’t going to any tourist sites). You could kill two birds with one stone.

Ta-da! It was ready and filling up with hot air. There’s a lot more to it than the Disney movie Up! makes it seem! I was riding next to the “driver” because I was a late booking. He warned me that his spot, and now mine, is the hottest in the balloon. The combo of that, no breakfast and not much to eat the day before, an early wake up, and a windy day made me feel a little light headed as we floated along higher and higher.

Here’s what my view looked like straight down:

Pretty fantastic right? I don’t recall exactly how high up we went, but it was really freakin’ high lol. Another girl also felt sick and we both actually sat down for about 10 minutes. It was about an hour ride. I love heights and adventure like bungee jumping, cliff jumping & canyoning, and hang-gliding, so I’m not sure what got me this time. But man were the views worth it!

Because it was so hot, he gave me an extra hat to wear. I am kind of leaning into the passenger side in this pic while we were on land but in the air, I had to stand all the way to the left and got blasted by heat. I didn’t look at the hat until we landed. I saw it was MICHIGAN and about died laughing. Michigan was my rival in University.

I told the owner that but there was a misunderstanding and he thought I was saying I went to Michigan so he gave me the hat. I didn’t want to say no and be rude, so thanked him. I left it in the back of his truck though so he could keep it. I sent a photo to my family and was immediately labeled a traitor haha!

contact: website: rumballoon.com (this is via their business card, but the URL is down now) email: rumballoon@yahoo.com. You absolutely need to book at least two weeks ahead of time! 10 days was not enough and I had to cross my fingers for a cancellation. 

If you want to book a tour in Jordan, I suggest checking out this tour from G Adventures, an 8-Day Highlight of Jordan. Book it here for $999. This tour covers all the big highlights and includes a hot air balloon ride and other fun activities. You go by private car and hotels are included. It’s actually a really good price. You can look at their other tours as they have one focused on adventure in the same price range.

Sunset camel ride in Wadi Rum

I am no stranger to a camel ride in the desert, but this time I didn’t drink a giant lassi filled with marijuana ahead of time. I’ve grown up, ya know?

We came to Wadi Rum directly from Petra and I was exhausted. The camel ride was only 1 hour which I was actually really appreciative of. I did a two-day one in Rajasthan in the past and it was rough. Camel rides actually hurt and it’s not uncommon to hear of tourists falling of their camels.

I couldn’t really believe Ben got on one. But then, I also never thought I’d see him on a donkey and that happened. One hour was the perfect amount of time but sadly there was no sunset. It was just really hazy while we were there. We climbed up some rocks half way through to take a few photos.

If you haven’t been on a camel, I don’t really have any tips… you kind of have to just get on one to see what it’s like. They sort of bow down and you get on and when they go up, they go up fast and awkward. They go back down awkward as well and this is when you need to not be too stiff and just go with it. Hold on tight!

If you want to laugh your ass off watch how camels run in this video. When I rode in India my camel helper boy kept making mine run while I was on it. It’s terrifying. 

I must give Ben credit for this photo.. because he said so.

Jeep ride to Lawrence of Arabia site

If you aren’t up for camel rides or just want another option, then take a jeep safari. We went after breakfast and did it kind of quickly because we had a car ride ahead of us. You should have about 2 hours for this. There are some attractions that all the Jeep safaris go to which I’ll share below.

Here you can see some of the carvings (just barely over the rock in the middle). I can’t seem to find my picture that I took once I climbed up. I am also looking very camouflaged in this picture! It’s hot and sandy on these rides so definitely bring sunglasses.

This was next to the ancient carvings and no one actually said if this legitimately was a table or if it’s just a coincidence. I think it’s just a coincidence? But we did the tourist shot because, why not?

You can see some Bedouin people in this picture. They are considered nomads and used to ride only by Arabian horse, but these days have 4×4 trucks and more permanent homes. They earn through mostly tourism. They still have that nomad spirit though and know the desert better than anyone!

This was one last stop we made. Look at that view! Just incredible. So, the jeep ride was short and sweet but totally worth it. We also saw the site where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed. I haven’t seen the movie, so it wasn’t that special of a moment for me. I definitely want to see it. Sometimes movies help you get a look at a culture so it’d be cool to see a story about Wadi Rum back in the day. Below are the carvings from the Lawrence of Arabia site, of him.

Where to stay in Wadi Rum…

This is a tricky one. I’m not going to mention my place because I don’t highly recommend it. In fact, from what I’ve heard more people say the group camping sites are mostly the same. I would say either look into a private camping site or stay outside Wadi Rum at a hotel instead of camping.

It’s not that I don’t like camping, but there were 200 people there. They were college-aged kids, drinking, and partying. You can imagine in a Muslim country there isn’t a lot of that allowed in the city, so they really let loose in the desert with no authorities around. There were a few “tourists” and we all kind of went to bed early. They set up a proper DJ with disco lights and everything…

We didn’t see a single star.

I was pretty bummed by this and so was Ben. Also, imagine 200 people in line for a buffet at dinner time. The cottages were okay but you need to bring your own towels and I recommend bringing a sheet too. I guess I just had different expectations. When we arrived there were only 10 people sitting around and we thought we might even sleep in sleeping bags out by the campfire but that was impossible we realized once we came back from our camel ride in the evening and saw all the other people arriving. I think the music went off around midnight. I had to be up for sunset for the hot air balloon ride, so it wasn’t ideal.

Overall, Wadi Rum is an amazing place in the world and I think you’d be crazy to go to Jordan and not check out the desert. If you go through a tour company just mention that you do not want a group campsite and would to be somewhere peaceful and small. So there we go, some adventurous things to do in Jordan! I think hot air balloons in Wadi Rum is a great option if you can choose only one adventure thing to splurge out on.

Read more: 10 day itinerary for Jordan & how to dress in Jordan

Pin Wadi Rum Hot Air Balloon Ride, Camel Riding, and tips for later:

The post Camel Rides & Hot Air Balloons in Wadi Rum appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

You’ve probably heard of Petra, one of the new wonders of the World and the filming site of many movies (like Indiana Jones)! But a lot of people don’t know what it involves to tour Petra. I wanted to put together some essential tips for visiting Petra so you’re well prepared. The more prepared you are the better the experience will be.

These huge sandstone carvings in Wadi Musa are on every traveler’s bucket list. The walkway in called the Siq, is over 660 feet high and keeps you shaded and cool as you walk toward the main sights.

My Essential Tips for Visiting Petra!

1. Absolutely do a Petra Tour

For many places, I think that exploring on your own is fun and you can read signs as you go through, but at Petra, the Rose City, there were very few signs explaining the history. Without a guide, you won’t know what you’re even looking at. The stories behind the sculptures and carvings are what made it such a special day. Guides can be very inexpensive and if you split the costs with your travel buddies, it’s very well worth it. Have you heard of the Nabataean dynasty? No? Then take a tour for sure! I do recommend reading up on it a little before because you’ll appreciate it even more. Here are a few quick facts:

• Nabateans made this place is 312 BC
• UNESCO heritage site
• Was unknown to the West until 1812! Bedouin tribes kept it secret because they feared people would come treasure hunting in their home.
• Trade of things like frankincense and myrrh happening here and people passing by had to pay a fee.
• One of the new 7 wonders of the world (see the rest here)
• No one actually knows what the treasury was for.
• Moses’ brother Aaron is buried around here at the tip-top of the mountain.

These are the first sights you’ll see as you walk into the Siq:

2. Travel to Petra – Amman to Petra, getting there

You will want to ask your driver to take the “Kings Highway” which isn’t as fast but is a scenic route that some locals call Jordan’s Grand Canyon. The sights were great and we stopped at a few lookout points for photos so add in about 30 minutes. You can also stop at Karak Castle if you go this way. I’ll be posting an itinerary soon! This route is very windy and hilly so don’t take if you get car sick.

3. Consider Petra by Night

… but don’t plan your trip around it. Petra by Night is a “performance” at Petra, at night, go figure! Although it was neat to see the lights, we were very tired from our trip and maybe could have given this a skip. So many people loved this experience, like Ashley & Jessica, so definitely do some research before deciding. The performance was good and they pass around tea. I would have preferred to check out Petra town, shop, and eat some street food after dinner and just wait to see Petra in the morning. We went a little late so had no mats to sit on which made it not so fun, but we also had the walk through the lit up Siq all to ourselves. If you want some images, check out the posts linked above because I have no clue how to take night photos!

4. Where to stay in Petra

The two great 5 star hotels are the Movenpick & Marriott although the Movenpick is the most famous of the two. It’s just outside the entrance of the site and has a pool! We stayed there and it was cool to know that Ben’s dad also stayed there years ago!

For a great but more affordable option, check out Petra Guesthouse. It’s got a more boutique feel and many like that more than a 5 star! If you want something budget, stay at the famous (and cheap) Al Rashid Hotel. DO book ahead for any hotel in Jordan. Don’t just show up.

5. Petra is not just the treasury!

The treasury is what you see on all the photos and what you probably have heard of but the Monastery which is a huge walk away is much larger and more impressive. I heard the same thing from others who have been there which is that guides imply it’s not worth going to, which might be because they don’t want to make the walk up.

I am here to say it IS worth going to. I wouldn’t have if Ben didn’t want to. He was determined so I went along with it and am so happy we did. The monastery did not use to be open to the public, so it’s great that we are now able to see it.

Here is what you’ll see BEYOND the treasury!

Colosseum 

map via ZigZag

6. Get there early

We got there about 9 AM which was a decent time but earlier is more preferable. We saw some people rocking up at 2 PM and felt so bad for them being out in the hot sun. You need 7 hours to walk to the monastery and back. We did it in 5 but we SERIOUSLY speed walked and we took a donkey part of the way up to the monastery (I’ll get to that later). It starts to get really hot around 1 pm so the earlier you go the better, plus there will be fewer people around.

this kid above was hilarious. I had my guide ask for a photo of him and we gave him some candy in exchange. For the photo, he chugged his juice box then slammed it to the ground with this huge attitude haha theatrical. 

7. Take a donkey up to the monastery… but not like I did

I am a huge animal lover but really did feel like this was an okay thing to do. It gives money to the people working there and donkeys are really strong animals that, from what I understand, can walk these steps without issue. The monastery is at the top of 822 very steep and uneven steps. Many people wore hiking shoes and brought a walking stick. I wore silk trousers and my favorite

Then, I nearly fell off! I was wearing a tank top with a sweater over it and went braless because I knew it’d be all hot and sweaty out there. I didn’t know I’d be on a bumpy camel ride. As soon as I let go with one hand to hold my chest (because the donkey had started trotting) my silk pants failed me and I started to slip to the left…

I just knew I was going down!

I yelled out and my left leg sort of tripped the donkey. I couldn’t balance out and was feeling like a bitch for tripping an innocent donkey but the guy who was walking with us (he owned them) pushed me back up and Monica, my dear donkey friend, kept on walking like nothing happened. I think she winked at me like girl, don’t worry, no one saw. But let’s be honest, people saw.

We paid 5 dinars each for the ride up ($15 USD all together) which was offered to us as we walked by, not negotiated. I did see others pay 10 dinars each for a ride.

8. Save the camel ride for Wadi Rum (unless you aren’t going there)

There are camels rides which you could take from the bottom of the monastery back toward the treasury (and you could ride a horse or chariot back from there). If you’re going to Wadi Rum on a camel safari I suggest saving your money and waiting to have this experience in the desert instead of a crowded historic site.

The chariot is great if you have difficulty walking and is about $40 dinar each way. Not cheap!

9. Buy the two-day pass

Chances are you will go there two days, not just one – after all, you’ve flown all this way! The one-day pass is $70 USD and the two-day is $77 USD. You can read more about the passes here. Tickets come with a free horse ride which is about a 5-minute ride but it’s not actually free because you need to tip 5 dinars (about $7 USD). It looked like fun, but I passed on this. Petra by night is an additional $25 bucks.

10. What to wear in Petra

Wear comfortable walking shoes! I was fine in Tom’s really and Ben was in flip-flops so this isn’t as major as everyone makes it out to be but yes, of course, hiking shoes would make it easier.

This is a Middle Eastern country (duh) and although not as strict as somewhere like Saudi, there are customs you should follow. I wore silk Ali baba pants which were breezy and comfortable. I wore a tank with a long sleeve kaftan (sort of) over it. It had slits in the armpit where you could get a breeze and also take your arms out and make it a tank top kaftan. It was hot, but you should cover up here. I saw girls in mini dresses and jean shorts, so to each their own. Most of what I wore was from the brand Tia.

Do NOT forget sunscreen! I am obsessed with Sun Bum… lifesaver!

11. Bring money

You can shop as a few places. There are food and tea stalls (and even free WiFi). I bought my mom a seriously overpriced pice of jewelry because it was that cute. I can’t say what because I haven’t given it to her yet! Ben got an overpriced coin that may or may not be from ancient times. I try not to be cynical though! We also paid for water, tea, and our donkey rides. Kids are selling post cards as well.

this is the famous Rosemary spice shop, definitely make a stop by! You can’t miss it.

12. What I would do differently…

Of all my tips for visiting Petra, this is the one I think is most important. As I mentioned I would skip Petra by Night to explore the town. Unfortunately with just 2 or 3 days you end up going from the hotel to Petra and entering the blocked off UNESCO site. There IS a whole town there where people live and work. I wish I could have explored outside the tourist attraction and next time would do so. There was one place outside that we did try, which is my next point.

13. Eat at Qantara

This is a popular restaurant owned by the self-proclaimed Arab Al Pacino (lol) and it was very tasty! This was the only thing we did outside of Petra site and the hotel due to time constraints and I loved this meal.

The post Essential Tips for Visiting Petra | Exploring a World Wonder! appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Visiting the Dead Sea is something I’ve always wanted to do and I was lucky to visit this dream destination on my recent trip to Jordan. You can also visit this Sea from Isreal. There were a few things I didn’t know ahead of time so wanted to share some tips for the Dead Sea in Jordan so you can enjoy it to the fullest.

Hey, Ash… are there any fish in the dead sea? (me to my tour guide)

–(his reply) umm.. no, that’s why it’s called the dead sea.. everything dies. 

Right, that makes sense… my bad.

I should have Wikipedia’d this place before! lol I knew it was so salty you could float but that’s about it. As I started traveling in Jordan people were talking about the magical mud from the Dead Sea. This didn’t come as a huge surprise because since I can remember there have been Israelis/Jordanians/Palestinians selling Dead Sea Products in the middle of the malls of America in Kiosks. I have tried those products and did like them but never thought that much about it. I also was excited to see what it felt like to float. So, here are my tips for visiting the Dead Sea in Jordan.

Tips for the Dead Sea in Jordan

Visit SOON before it’s too late

Sadly, this sea (which is really a lake) has shrunk by 30% and scientists say we may only have 50 years to float in these healing waters. The water comes from the Jordan River which is also used as drinking water for everyone around. There so far is no solution in sight.

Choose the perfect hotel

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people. There are dozens of great hotels to choose from but if you can budget out $280 a night you’ll be sleeping in one of the best hotels in the world: the Kempinski Ishtar. Kempinski is one of the most high-end hotel brands in the world and you don’t often find such an incredible hotel at these prices (even in India it’s more at the Leela Kempinski Goa). To put it into perspective, a room like this in Waikiki usually goes for about $700.

I wouldn’t suggest splurging out like this on your whole trip to Jordan. Most people visit so many desert and forest places that don’t have luxury options, that this would be your one-time splurge… one that is well worth it!

Definitely book ahead for the spa

If you stay at the Kempinski, which many people do (it’s HUGE), you need to book ahead for a spa treatment as they fill up. They were voted the best spa in Jordan and for good reason. You can get “Dead Sea mud treatments” all over this region, but here you’re actually at the Dead Sea getting it straight from the source.

You actually can just go to the sea and use the mud free of charge, but a treatment would be a heated mud wrap, olive oil or mud facial, and a massage.

You luckily can buy this mud at Macy’s, Nordstrom or [easyazon_link identifier=”B004UQH4CW” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]online here[/easyazon_link]! AHAVA is the best brand!

This wonderful skin-perfecting mud stains!

You should wear either an old swimsuit or a black swimsuit. The mud does stain some light-colored fabrics. I wore my TIA one piece bikini because it’s my darkest one. You can wear a bikini, though, it doesn’t have to be a one-piece. Once you’re in a 5-star hotel in Jordan you can dress a little less covered up if you really feel like it and you can drink booze!

Most of the hotels are set up along the Dead Sea, so this doesn’t just go for where I stayed, the Kempinski. You can expect that the hotel will provide towels, an outdoor shower, and a little container of mud to dig into.

You can’t actually dig down and get the mud yourself because you can’t get this water in your eyes… which leads me to my next point.

This water will BURN your eyes and open cuts

In fact, you should not even shave the few days before you get in the Dead Sea. Razor burn would be MISERABLE! After about 10 minutes, I started to feel a tingle on my skin so I got out. You shouldn’t stay in more than 15 minutes.

The routine for your skin was told to us as: Get in and float 10 minutes. Get out and apply mud. Let the mud dry. Get in for another 10 minutes. Rinse off in the shower.

The rinsing off in the shower is the most important bit! The mud actually sticks on so once you back to your room you should wash up again.

This mud is well-known to help your skin look like a lasered celebrities skin and is highly recommended.

You can’t actually swim as the water is so thick with salt you are forced to float. Make sure you fall backward into it and not onto your face.

The Dead Sea has healing properties… loads of them!

People didn’t start coming here because they could float. People came because the water was magical. It’s said to heal all kinds of problems like psoriasis and osteoporosis. There is not only a lot of salt in the water but many other minerals. Along with soaking in mineral rich water, you are very far below sea level (in fact, the lowest point on earth!) so that you aren’t getting the sun rays that will burn you. For that reason it’s a safe place to lay in the sun and let the mud and salt water work their magic. People come from all over the world on medical trips to help their health, while looking for alternative cures.

Make time for the River Jordan

We really tried but didn’t get the time. I hadn’t realized until I got there that it was where Jesus was baptized. I really wanted to get our friend (and dogsitter) Ryance some water from the river, as well as my brother and his wife. It’s only 20 minutes from the hotel area, plus a 20 minutes shuttle but with their timings (9 AM- 4PM as we were told) it never worked out to make it on time. Later, we found tiny bottles in a shop with water from the River Jordan and bought it, although I have a sneaky suspicion the used similar sales tactics to the man who sold Ben the RayBans Tom Cruise wore in Risky Business ;)

Here are a few links to similar pieces that I wore here!

The post Tips for the Dead Sea in Jordan… a cool & crazy experience! appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Before going to Amman I didn’t have many expectations. I hadn’t done a lot of research and the city really blew me away and is unlike anywhere I have been in the past. I want to share some things to do in Amman Jordan. With only two days there, I covered a lot of ground but I would guess you need more like 4 days to explore it more in-depth. You can get more information on Visit Jordan, which is the Jordan tourism board.

The Amman airport is located outside the main parts of the city as you can see below and you can either get a cab there or rent a car. The roads are very good, traffic isn’t bad, and they drive on the right side of the road. There are many automatic cars so renting is a very good option here. I use rentalcars.com because they compare all the major sites.

Jordan Travel Guide

• How to dress in Jordan and Look Cute
• 10-day Itinerary for Jordan
• Best Luxury Hotels in Jordan
• 5 Best Things to do in Jordan
  • Camels and Hot Air Balloons in Wadi Rum Desert
  • Where to stay at the Dead Sea

Amman Jordan is usually people’s starting off point before they go to the hotspots of Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea but I hope you take at least a couple of days to explore what the city has to offer. Amman weather varies and can be quite hot (this is the middle east!) but you still need to stay covered up while exploring. Although I didn’t prepare much for my itinerary, I DID prepare my outfits lol! You guys know I like to be stylish no matter where I travel. Here are tips for what to wear in Jordan.

Everything mentioned in pinned on this interactive map below. Just click the zoom in button so you can see it more clearly.

Top Things to do in Amman

1. Check into the city’s oldest 5-star hotel

There are many options for Amman hotels, but the Intercontinental has a rich history and fantastic location. You are only about 10 minutes from the very cool “rainbow street” which I’ll share about later. The spa is great (I had a signature massage), there are two pools which once you feel the heat of Jordan, you will really appreciate, and there are 6 restaurants. The buffet lunch was delicious. We tried the Cinco de Mayo Mexican (because we can’t get Mexican food in India) and it was actually REALLY good. Keep in mind the alcohol in 5 stars in Jordan is really expensive because you can’t get it in a lot of places.

Because it’s an older hotel and rates are less here than say, Europe, you will be shocked how good of a deal you can get! Read more reviews and book here.

2. Eat the best falafel and humus in Amman

Hashem Falafel is renowned for being the best place for your falafel lunch. Honestly, it’s the best hummus I’ve had in my life and I didn’t have any better while I was in Jordan. The olive oil on it was SO freaking good I wish I could have bought 10 bottles! There are so many restaurants in Amman as you walk around but while you’re downtown, take the time to search this place out. We had to wait about 5 minutes for a table. Try the mint tea too!

3. Grab a snack at the most famous local shop

Habibah Knafeh on Al-Hazzar St is very famous as well for their khunafa. It’s a traditional dessert which is a layered desert: goat cheese, some crusty bits (I don’t know what!), and pistachios on top plus a sugary sweet syrup. I love goat cheese but this was a little sweet for me- but most sweets are. You’ve got to give it a try though! It’s very near to Hashem so you can do these back to back no problem.

4. Rainbow Street

This is a little trendy road that has so many restaurants and shops along it. I loved looking at the Ottoman architecture and taking photos of the colorful graffiti. I cannot get over how many ice cream shops there were! Seriously, every 3 shops were ice cream. We went itothe first one we saw and I have never seen anything like it… all shops should do ice cream this way! They had gelato and sorbet ON A STICK! THEN you choose a melted flavored chocolate to dip it in… THEN, before it dries you choose a candy to ROLL IT IN! then it dries and is the perfect layered customized popsicle! I also loved the old Mercedes everywhere; it seems everyone drives one!

5. Al-Balad

This is considered the heart of Amman and really a place you must explore. It’s just below the Citadel and is the old downtown- so old it’s from the Neolithic period! There are a lot of shops around here, but in Jordan most shops are closed on Fridays. The Habibah shop mentioned above is in this area. Check out the famous Arab Bank, buy some roasted peanuts, Souk Bukharia (market), and more! This all connects through to the Citadel & Roman theatre I’ll mention further down.

We visited a souvenir shop which has won awards by the tourism board, and I agree. As someone who thoroughly enjoys shopping in India and other places I visit, this shop was amazing. They were so friendly so I want to give you their information: Qusaybate Shop, St Al Hashme, Amman.

6. King Abdullah Mosque

One place I didn’t have time to make on this list. I wasn’t that bummed since I was just in Istanbul at the Blue Mosque but photos of this place look really cool and if this is your first time seeing a Mosque, you should take the time to visit. I would have if I had more time!

7. Grab a Shawarma

There was a VERY popular little place just near us at the Intercontinental that had a HUGE line. I’ve pinned it on the map “Shawarma Reem”. Shawarma is a don’t miss while here.

8. Citadel

Once called Philadelphia… wait, what!? Yes, which means “brotherly love” in Greek. The whole of Amman was called Phili which is definitely a fact I didn’t know! It was very cool wondering these ruins especially since Ben hadn’t seen them before. It was neat to learn about which designs were Roman and which were Greek ruins as they took their turns running this town. This is where you’ll get some of the best views in town. I highly recommend taking a tour so you can learn the history while you’re here.

PS If you want even more tips on where I shop for stylish clothes, check here

9. Theatre

We continued on from the Citadel to the Roman theatre down a back way with a lot of stairs, thank goodness going downhill! But you can google maps this to make sure you take a best route. Definitely a very cool ruin to see. It always makes me sad at theatres to learn about the fights that went on for entertainment. Here, you can see in the middle a slight slope and drain… for the blood. You can see as well there are a few different entrances, as the highest classes wouldn’t use the same as the “peasants” or “commoners” or whatever they called lower-class people back then.

10. Smoke shisha

Ben was sick so we didn’t go out and check out the nightlife. Luckily, Loren lives there and wrote a few great places to go. You can smoke shisha all over Jordan, but Amman would have been a really cool place to do so and see what the scene is like once the sun has gone down.

Tips for Visiting Amman

• You will want a cheap flight. I search kiwi.com first. They are literally the best.
• Get travel insurance, especially if you are riding camels and such. Check rates on my preferred company, World Nomads. They are who Lonely Planet and most top bloggers say to use and I have for years.
• Probably a rental car unless you plan on doing a tour or hiring a driver through a travel agency. I use rentalcars.com.
• You’ll want to pre-book hotels here. I have info on all the places I stayed in my articles on each city I went in Jordan.
• You do need a visa and you get it on arrival at the airport.

Day tour options to try in Amman are a great idea! I had a guide with me who was from the tourism board as I was there for work – but you can get a guide on Get Your Guide GYG) or Viator, my two favorite sites.

• A 2-hour dinner experience with a local family for $34 per person. Read reviews and book on GYG.
• City tour of Amman for 2 hours with a guide and driver. Read reviews and book on GYG.
• Add in Jerash and you can do a full day of Amman and Jerash for $143. This tour has a lot of 5-star reviews. Book it on Viator.

Pin things to do in Amman Jordan for later:

The post 10 Top Things to do in Amman, Jordan appeared first on Hippie In Heels.