Character and charisma of Tel Aviv – ISRAEL

Ohh Tel Aviv, you have stolen a piece of my heart! I believe if you’re in Tel Aviv, you’re in Tel Aviv to make the most of the beaches and of course the two main ports - the Jaffa and Tel Aviv Port.

If you have a love for beaches, then you’ll love the approximately 7 km stretch of beach, which extends from Jaffa Port to Tel Aviv Port. Along the way between the two ports, you will find the Frishman, Atzmout and Hilton beaches, just to name a few, as there are many along the coastline. The beaches have been named according to the streets or hotels they are nearest to. With such a long stretch, the best way to explore and discover more, is to hire a Tel-O-Fun bike. These bike stations can be found situated all over the city and accessible on any day at any time, simply with a credit card. A hassle-free and convenient way to see more (Website: https://www.tel-o-fun.co.il/en/)

Sun, sand, sea, swim and surf - Stepping onto the beach you’ll notice the soft golden powder-like sand under your feet, which feels like a heavenly earth massage, marvellous and divine. The waters of the Mediterranean sea is cool, clean and clear perfect for a plunge in the searing heat of day. Stretching along the seaside, there are various restaurant’s with beach chairs and umbrella’s right on the soft sand to make your relaxation beach stay comfortable.

Tel Aviv beach coast

 

 

Tel-O-Fun bikes

On a Shabbat day - a Jewish day of rest, when most places are closed from sunset on Friday and all day Saturday, Jaffa Port, however, is an exception. On a Saturday, you will find the area buzzing and scattered with many wandering people, market stores, street musicians and artists adorning the precinct, bringing colour and liveliness into a day that is usually quiet and resting.

 

Be sure to explore and walk around the whole of Jaffa Port as well as the Old City, as you’ll be surprised when you stumbled upon more of what the Old Port has to offer. What gives this area an edge, to a place already full of allure and charm is the street art and canvases that can be found hanging on warehouses and sheds, with even the old run down looking shacks transformed into tastefully trendy restaurants and bars, giving them a uniqueness, that only the Jaffa port could provide.
 

Jaffa Port markets

 

Jaffa Port market against a backdrop of art

 

Jaffa Port waterfront

 

Feeling famished and craving something to revive your journey around Jaffa Port - Rokach Yam Food & Wine Bar is nothing short of satisfying, where you can seat yourself around the bar and watch the chef's skills at work, or order for take-away their marvellous calamari and chips – nothing like a food fuel boost - you’ll find Rokach Yam in the Jaffa Port Market at Booth 1.
 

Rokach Yam Food & Wine Bar

 

Another area absolutely worthy of a visit, is the Tel Aviv Port, also vibrant and alive. Here you’ll find numerous people sitting at the port, soaking up the sun’s rays with an ice-cream in hand or sitting in one of the abundant restaurants in the area, wining and dining. You’ll also come across shops and stores that sell the modern day things, but why waste your time on that when you can get it anywhere else – while on this land enjoy the outdoors, sun and sea.
 



Towards the Tel Aviv Port area

Tel Aviv Port

To sum it all up, from one point of the coast to the other, there is a subtle transformation. At one end you have Jaffa Port, which is also the Old Town with run down port sheds, mesh mashed with contemporary features and art, giving the area character and charisma. Then as you travel along the coast towards Tel Aviv Port, the buildings get taller and the look and feel becomes more present. Although different in style, they share one thing in common and that’s the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and the golden sand that connects them.
 

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Trips to Qumran, Masada, the Dead Sea and Bethlehem – ISRAEL

While there are many things to do and see within Jerusalem, taking the journey out to see more of Israel can easily be done. Qumran, Masada and the Dead Sea can all be seen and enjoyed in one day.

With a private taxi hired for the day – the first stop was Qumran. This is an area where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, being thousands of years old, these are the earliest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible. The Dead Sea scroll tour starts with a short screening about its history. Afterwards, there's a short stroll, following through to the displays of ceramic pottery and pieces of the scrolls, before heading outside to continue on a trail around the ruins. The area is not excessively large and the tour will take all of about 30 minutes in total, it’s not an overly appealing place to visit, but if you have the time why not make the brief stop.

How the Dead Sea scrolls were found in Qumran

A piece of the scroll

Trail around the Qumran ruins

Second stop of the day – Masada. This is a popular tourist attraction, where you can hike from the ground up (approximately 30 minutes) or take the easier option of a cable car ride, that takes a short 2-3 minutes to arrive upon the cliff tops.

Masada in Hebrew means 'fortress,’ which was built by King Herod. This is an interesting place and if you can use your imagination to piece together what its existence would have been like thousands of years ago, it would have looked something sort of amazing and impressive.

This place also once had the most dramatic historical backdrops, when the Romans invaded the Jewish and instead of surrendering to their enemies, they committed mass suicide. This place is worth the visit, not only for the historical worth, but the amazing views of the desert, Dead Sea and across to Jordan. If you’re planning your time, a typical visit would last around 2 hours. Website: http://www.masada.org.il/

Cable car up to the Masada cliff top

View from the top of Masada

Masada ruins

Last stop for the day – the Dead Sea. The weather at the Dead Sea is generally constant all year round, being sunny and hot, with any rainfall being very rare. The Dead Sea is located at minus 417 meters below sea level, and although some say the UVB rays are weaker here, it's still recommended to slip slop slap on some sunscreen.

There are numerous locations to go for a Dead Sea experience from Ein Bokek, where there are a string of hotels or Mineral Beach (for a fee) or Ein Gedi Beach, a free public beach.

Mineral Beach was our floating destination - the entrance fee was 55 shekels (≈€11 / ≈$USD16) and equipped with all the facilities you would require – a shop, café, beach bar, chairs, umbrellas, kids freshwater pool, hot sulphur pool, mud station, showers/changing rooms/toilets and of course, access to the Dead Sea. If you’ve planned to come to the Dead Sea then you would have come prepared, but if something’s been forgotten, then towels/robes or shampoo can be purchased as an additional option at the entrance and lockers too.

The Dead Sea is truly something, the water feels slightly slimy and is extremely salty, so the rule is no splashing or the consequence will be horribly painful eyeballs! Attempting to taste the water can be a huge mistake, your tongue won’t know what’s hit it! Get in the water, sit your bottom down and you’ll naturally float and bob around like a cork, it’s just way too much fun!

With a mud station on hand, get yourself all covered up from tip-to-toe. After rinsing the mud off your skin, you will feel glorious and supple from therapeutic qualities within the mud. What more can I say, after over 4 hours spent enjoying the Dead Sea and adoring the breath-taking desert views, it’s really one of a kind – Nowhere else in the world.

View of Mineral Beach from the cafe

If you have time on your hands and it’s something you must do, Bethlehem is a half-day trip (from 8:30am-1:00pm) with an organised tour group. Have your passport handy, as you may need it at the checkpoint into the Palestine region.

Bethlehem is located about 10km from Jerusalem. The area is run-down and there is not much else to do and see besides from the Church of Nativity, which was built around the cave where Jesus was born and then put to lay in his manger.

With the many tour groups visiting this place, it means extensive waiting times. So if waiting around for an hour or so, to see the birthplace for all of about 20 minutes, is something you’re willing and must do, then go for it. Otherwise it could be missed and not regretted - but I guess it’s a good to see, once in your life.

Church of Nativity

Entrance down into the cave where Jesus was born



Inside the cave

Walls around the Palestine district

In short summary, Israel is a place of historical wealth and wonders. The Dead Sea in particular should not be missed – make your journey count and explore.

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Zuni Restaurant Café – Jerusalem ISRAEL

Beginning every Friday before sunset and all day Saturday in Jerusalem is Shabbat, which is the ‘Jewish day of rest.’ Therefore, during these times searching for a great restaurant can be somewhat of a mission, with many restaurants and stores closed. Nevertheless, in the City Center of Jerusalem, you can be sure to find Zuni Restaurant Café - open every day and open 24 hours (Address: 15 Yoel Moshe Solomon Street, Jerusalem).

Located on the second floor of a two storey stone building, Zuni’s entrance can be found down a side alleyway - make it to the top and you’ll be greeted by welcoming and pleasant staff. With its non-stop service hours, it’s certain that you’ll get the breakfast, lunch, dinner or late night snack you’ve been searching for.

If you’re spoilt for choice and can’t make up your mind, the waiter/waitress can certainly make a recommendation, which won’t disappoint. The food is delicious and every dish was enjoyed, especially the French toast with salted cured salmon, spinach and hollandaise sauce, which our helpful waitress had proposed from their specials.

On the whole, you can rely on Zuni Restaurant Café, no matter what time of day, coupled with quality food and service with a smile.

Website: http://www.zuni.rest-e.co.il/

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Adom Restaurant & Wine Bar – Jerusalem ISRAEL

If you’ve had a wonderful fulfilling day exploring Jerusalem, and the only thing you need to top it all off, is by supplying your stomach with an appetising meal, then head to Adom Restaurant & Wine Bar. You can find Adom located in the German Colony district of Jerusalem at the ‘First Station,’ formerly an old train station converted into a fashionably stylish eating/drinking mecca, amongst other things (Address: 4 David Remez, First Station, Jerusalem).

The restaurant and bar has three sections - firstly you have the casual outdoor area (which I assume would have been the old train station platform), where you can sit undercover and enjoy the liveliness happening around you. Inside you have a more sophisticated restaurant dining feel, where there are two seating areas, the dining room and the wine bar room, which is split by floor to ceiling dark wooden frames containing see-through glass, stretching almost the entire room. The interior gives a mix of old-time and modern day swanky feel, with its dark wood, leather interior and peculiar hanging lights.

The food stirs phenomenal flavours in your mouth and is nothing but pleasing. The cuisine is a fusion of modern Italian and French. Starting with one of the specials for the day, the salmon tartar was a knockout winner with a punch of citrus, only leaving you wanting more with every bite. The Crab Ravioli with vongoli clams in a sage butter and roquefort mousse, was rich and creamy with perfect pockets of crab filled pasta, ideal coupled up with a crisp side salad to freshen the tongue and surprise it all over again with another fork full of ravioli - To find out what’s on their menu for the season go to the website link below.

Overall, the food was fab, but that’s not all you’ll get from Adom, even the service was quite something too. None of that sterile fancy smancy service you would think you’d get at a place like this, but you'll be greeted and serviced like a friend, like someone you’ve known for years and haven’t seen in a while. Well done Adam, you’ve got a good thing going on.

Website: www.firststation.co.il/en/category/adom

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Walking the Holy Land – Jerusalem ISRAEL

Jerusalem is a fascinating city with a blend of old and new, the old offering an abundance of history and the new presenting stylish chic venues. The Spring months in Jerusalem is perfect, with the sun out in full array and pleasant day temperatures, making it perfect for walks through the Old City, Mamilla Avenue, the city centre, many markets, German Colony and day trips to Qumran, Masada, the Dead Sea and Bethlehem.

The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by high stone walls, where you can find many attractions, markets and museums. The Old City has a total of 11 gates with only 7 of them open - these being the Jaffa, Zion, Dung, Lions, Herods, New and Damascus gates (main entrance is Jaffa).

The Old City is approximately 1km² and surrounded by walls stretching nearly 4km around, making it a large district to explore. You could easily get lost and spend all day discovering the gems of the four different quarters, being the - Christian, Muslim, Armenian and Jewish quarters. The best way is to head straight down the middle from Jaffa gate (through David Street) where you’ll find the Arab market (the Souk) selling souvenirs, jewellery and handmade items, amongst countless other items.

The outside of the Old City Walls (Jaffa Gate)

The Arab Market in the Old City

Towards the end of David Street and turning right, you’ll come across the entrance to the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall.  The wall is split into gender for prayers, where the left side of the wall is for men and the right for women. Here you'll find people against the wall, deep in prayer. If you manage to get close enough to the wall, you’ll find little pieces of paper stuffed into the cracks, which are hand-written prayers that people have left.

Western Wall

There's one exhibition within the Old City that is nice to see, if you're not into visiting all the many museums, and that's the ‘The Night Spectacular’ exhibition. The show is inside the Tower of David (located just after the Jaffa gates to the right), a beautiful and well fashioned sound and light spectacle, utilising the stone walls of the tower, covering one immense side, to tell a story of Jerusalem in bright moving colours. It takes place outdoors, under the dark skies in the Citadel courtyard. The experience lasts for approximately 45 minutes, which includes a walk along the magical footpaths to the main seating area, the show itself lasts a short 30 minutes.

Citadel Courtyard within the Tower of David

Along the footpath of 'The Night Spectacular' exhibition

If you’ve taken in all that the Old City has to offer, and looking for something more modern, a very short walk across from the Jaffa gates you’ll stumble on Mamilla Avenue. A busy shopping district with all the regular stores that you’ll find anywhere else in the world. Here you’ll also find some cafes and restaurants, but eating here is not something I’d recommend as there are many great restaurants about a 5-10 minute walk from Jaffa gate towards the City Center (via Yafo Street also known as Jaffa Street).

They say the best kept secrets are always hidden and here it stays true. Off to the left of Yafo Street is Rivlin Street and other small connecting side streets, with various restaurants and bars. The restaurants in this area are open every day and even during Sabbath (the Jewish day of rest), which begins on Friday, before sunset and all day Saturday, which is when many restaurants and stores are closed.

Mamilla Avenue shopping

A little further up Yafo Street (about another 5 minute walk) and again off to the left, you’ll find Mahane Yehuda Street, where your senses will hit overdrive with sounds, sights and smells of the Mahane Yehunda Jerusalem Market. The atmosphere is energetic and full of life, with many locals here to buy spices, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood and where you’ll also find the tunes of street musicians, artists and hip bars/cafes, in the midst of all the lively commotion of the fresh produce stores. Sit back, have a drink and relax - take in the entirety that’s buzzing on around you.

Mahane Yahunda Jerusalem Market

Another popular district in Jerusalem is in the German Colony, where ‘The First Station’ is situated. This area was formerly an old train station, that has been converted into a popular indoor/outdoor place to eat, drink and chill out.

Besides the wining and dining here at First Station, you can also walk the market stalls, displaying items different to those you’ll find in the Old City markets, or glance in the art gallery, displaying modern uncanny artistic pieces. You can check out what’s happening in the area on their website: http://www.firststation.co.il/en/



First Station Markets

First Station Art

Staying in Jerusalem, doesn’t mean only exploring Jerusalem, as there are numerous destinations nearby that deserve the visit and can be done through a number of options – public transport (egged bus), an organised tour group, hiring a taxi driver for the day ($USD300 about 1,200 shekels for around 6-7 hours) or a private driver for the day ($USD500) – these prices are as of April 2014. Having experienced both the organised tour group and having a taxi driver, I would have to go with having your own taxi driver for the day and here are some of the reasons why:
- The taxi driver will take you anywhere and wait for you (multiple destinations allowed)
- Travelling to Qumran, Masada and the Dead sea with the organised tour group cost $USD100 per person, whereas the taxi driver for the day cost $USD300 per vehicle. If you’re a party of two (which we were) that means paying a bit extra, but it’s all well worth it to eliminate all the waiting time you’d be doing on an organised tour group.
- Here’s an example of waiting times with an organised tour group (my experience): Bethlehem is about 10km from Jerusalem (not that far). By the time the bus picked everyone up and arrived in Bethlehem, 2 hours had gone by (you can jog 10km in half that time…). Which is a wasting of precious time, especially when the tour lasts shorter than the actual commute...

On the whole, Jerusalem is a remarkable place full of significance and times gone by. Walking the streets from place to place, within the city feels safe and in addition, the locals are approachable and friendly, with almost everyone speaking perfect English, so you won’t have any communication issues here.

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