Thanks to a good deal on flights with Turkish Airlines, one of our members recently visited the country of Israel. We don’t see many trip reports about this part of the world, but it seems Israel is a destination rich in history, culture and even food.
Israel has always intrigued me as a travel destination. Both ancient and recent history, natural wonders such as the dead sea, the unstable political situation and numerous stories of over-the-top security have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. I missed out visiting on my last trip to the Middle East, and when a friend from Taiwan was sent there for work for a few months, this constituted the perfect opportunity for a quick trip, as well as ensuring a place to stay, and someone who knew at least a little bit about the place to show me around.
Our member was fortunate to be staying with a friend in Tel Aviv and spent the time sightseeing. Tel Aviv seems to be an interesting place and as well as the historical sights, there are even nice beaches to be found.
Tel Aviv is situated on a beautiful stretch of Mediterranean coastline, and the beach seemed to be packed with people no matter what day it was. There are restaurants and bars on the beach which provide seating, you can rent chairs and umbrellas from guys on the beach, or just bring a towel like we did.
There is a lot to see in Israel. As well as visiting Jerusalem, an important historical city, our member got to see Masada, an impressive mountain range overlooking the Dead Sea. In addition to the interesting history of the region, there were certainly some great views to be had there.
The view from the top is magnificent, and you can see quite a bit of the dead sea, all the way over to the Jordan side. The guide took us around and explained all the history and how/why everything was built, extremely interesting and definitely worth having a guide for that, as there would be a lot to miss if you didn’t understand exactly what happened and when.
The journey itself to Israel wasn’t entirely uneventful. Although Turkish Airlines was up to standard in the air, transiting in Istanbul can only be described as chaotic. And dealing with security and immigration on arrival and departure in Tel Aviv can also prove problematic for some, though in this case our member did not experience any major difficulties. How does our member recall the experience, and what tips are offered to other travellers?
Do you have an upcoming trip, or want to find out more about this fascinating country? Discover Israel from the perspective of an Australian traveller HERE.
