Arriving in perhaps the most famous piece of real estate in the world is a journey of pure ecstasy in its own right. Israel is a land you have heard so much about and probably in the news as we speak for all manner of reasons. While there are so many things to do and enjoy, definitely there are those that you should dare not try. Even as you plan not to fall for an overrated Tel Aviv hotel, there are more things you cannot do in Israel.
Hiking up Masada’s Snake Path
If you decide not to use the cable car to go to the mountaintop fortress of Masada by hiking all the way in soaring summer temperatures, do not forget to carry as much drinking water as you can. Masada was the last stand of the Jewish Zealots in their resistance against the Romans around three years after the fall of Jerusalem in 73 A.D.
Image by Mark H. Anbinder via Flickr
Image by Jack Zalium via Flickr
Do not expect noise at the Wailing Wall
The last thing to expect at Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall is a huge number of mourners with raising groans, cries and noises. It is a quiet place where Jews stick their handwritten prayers in between stones.
Image by marsmettnn tallahassee via Flickr
Don’t believe people too much in matters hotel
It is possible you have heard of hotels in Israel that are a must, some really new and if you questioned those referring them to you chances are they probably haven’t been there themselves. Most travel writers that must have convinced you to trey out the hotel mostly get paid to make you do that, proclaiming a hotel many have never heard about is the new must. You should part with your shekels in a hotel where everything is provided as you expected. For example, some of the trendy hotels around Tel Aviv are pricey, yet really small with awful features here and there.
Image by Adam Groffman via Flickr
There’s something else beyond falafel and hummus
You will find lots of falafel and hummus joints across Israel with great offerings but the feast goes way beyond that. There are so many things to enjoy in lots of restaurants across Jerusalem including some of the hottest tables in Tel Aviv with cuisines you probably haven’t heard about.
Don’t feel guilt you watched less in 7 days
Most people who have used their Flight tickets to Tel Aviv and Israel as a whole might feel guilty that in a week they were not able to cover all the culinary, cultural and historical pleasures of Israel. The best thing to do when you arrive is to focus on certain areas and ensure you have seen all you can there. For example, as the Mediterranean metropolis of Israel, Tel Aviv has a lot to offer, a bristling nightlife and enticing beach. You could start there. Those who believe holy sites and history is everything can begin their Israel visit in Jerusalem while the ambitious can always try out some of the top sights across Israel in a single week.
Image by Ron Shoshani via Flickr
Be wary of prices
If you find yourself in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market or the Shuk HaCarmel Tel Aviv market, do not agree to the first offered price; this is where you need to forget Wal-Mart and do the opposite. As two famous marketplaces full of tourists your bargaining power and wit need to come to play.
Mahane Yehuda Market
Image by Lina Nagano via Flickr
Shuk HaCarmel, Tel Aviv
Image by Hadar Naim via Flickr