CONTINUED: FROM THE GOLAN HEIGHTS TO EILAT. USEFUL ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE Izr
• Large water park Yamit-2000 in the suburbs of TLV Holon, 22 slides and covered areas. It is always open, only on Fri and Sat it closes earlier than usual, at 17:30 or 18:00. But there are several other water parks in Tel Aviv open from May to September! .
• Nahalat Binyamin Pedestrian Street, which turns into Israel's largest art fair on Tuesdays and Fridays, where local craftsmen sell their products. It's nice to just walk around and buy gifts.
• Homemade Food Fair: come hungry like a wolf! Thursday afternoon until evening at Dizengoff center shopping mall, Friday morning at Gan Hayir shopping center.
• Tel Aviv Port Farmers' Market on Friday mornings: fruits and vegetables sold with pride and love by the farmers who grow them. Not cheap and a lot of people, but the atmosphere and smells are awesome. From May also on Tuesday evenings.
• Azrieli Towers triangular (169m) and round (187m) towers - a shopping center with shops (160pcs) and cafes (25pcs) on the three lower floors, an observation deck on the 48th floor of the round tower, which offers a panoramic view of Tel Aviv, which every self respecting tourist should visit! Cool place!
• Jaffa - the beauty of Jaffa, which is impossible not to fall in love with, is one of the most ancient and photogenic cities in Israel. Here the Lebanese cedars were unloaded for the construction of the Temple of Solomon (Chr 2:15), from here the stubborn prophet Jonah went to Tarsis (Jon 1:3-17), here Peter stayed with the tanner Simon and on the roof of his house received a vision of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10:5), and also brought Tabitha back from the dead (Acts 9:36-42). As I wrote above, in order to appreciate Jaffa, it is best to visit it twice: in the afternoon with the port, lunch, shady streets, the famous view of the Tel Aviv skyscrapers and shopping at the flea market, so that you can return to Tel Aviv in the evening. Aviv walk along the promenade and see the panorama of skyscrapers in the lights and lights. Don't miss the chance to dine at the Aladdin Restaurant near Peter's Church on your way back from the church towards Tel Aviv. It is difficult not to notice it - a beautiful open-air terrace with views of the sea and the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv immediately catches your eye. I would still venture to recommend dining here. Frommers' guide frankly says, "The food here is average, but where else can you find a better view while dining? ": A 600-year-old building with a terrace overlooking the sea and Tel Aviv. Seats on the terrace are only for those who have lunch or dinner (for a drink and dessert you will only be allowed into the interior, which, by the way, is also quite interesting - the ancient Ottoman interior with carpets and metal and copper jugs and sabers is a former Turkish bath). And the second time, on the contrary, at sunset, move along the embankment towards Jaffa and take a leisurely walk there at dusk. I can't help but recommend a jewelry store in old Jaffa, where the owner is a native of Yemen and a jeweler in the eighth generation. Even from the street you will notice a mannequin in a Yemeni women's wedding dress inside the store - feel free to enter. Even if you don't buy anything, the original Yemeni jewelry is worth a look! My friend bought earrings made of opal in silver and another masterpiece: a silver necklace with a cloudy dark blue stone… when we read what it was, there was no doubt about the desire to buy a necklace - these are fragments of ancient Roman glass found in Jaffa during excavations. I will say this: if you are going to buy in Israel only one worthwhile piece of jewelry - let it be a Yemeni ring, or earrings, or a brooch with ancient Roman glass!
• The Jaffa flea market is worthy of special mention: you need to go there with money and without men : -) Everything that you met while traveling in Israel is here only at prices of 60% or even lower, moreover, it is very appropriate and bargain! Buy everything, it will come in handy: T-shirts with Maccabi inscriptions, Arabic jewelry, traditional cotton Arab clothes - jelabiya (galabiya) with trousers (sharvalis), boards for playing shesh-besh, Turkish coffee sets, teapots and Aladdin lamps, coins and antiques . In the shops next to the market, you can find a lot of decent new things and Judaica... and regret that menorahs, glasses and mezuzahs have already been bought in Jerusalem... I beg you, leave free space in your suitcases and a decent bill for the flea market in Jaffa! Nearby is the Abulafia bakery, where Tel Avivians specially come to stock up on pastries and pies, as well as the Doctor Shakshuka restaurant, which I wrote about in the “food” section.
• Intercity trips and outings from Tel Aviv are best done by train from Ha-Shalom Central Station or by bus from the nearby Terminal 2000 or Arlozorov bus station (everything is much simpler here than in the immense and chaotic central bus station).
A few words about our hotel in Tel Aviv - BELL ***.
The best hotel if you want to save money and the lack of an elevator, a hall and relatively small rooms are not important for you. There were no other downsides. An old building in the Yemenite quarter, completely restored, good repair in the rooms, good furniture, a kettle and tea leaves, TV in all languages - about 300 channels (about 10 Russian). The location - you can't imagine better - by the sea, next to the Carmel Market, next to the busy Allenby Street, in the center of Tel Aviv, that is, you can walk to Jaffa to the south or north to the Tel Aviv port. The breakfasts are good, it is quite possible to eat and even overeat, there is only pastries (but it is in different variations - in pastry shops near the hotel and in the Carmel market). Near the hotel there is a supermarket, cafes with fast food - hamburgers and falafel. This is a family hotel in an old building, where members of the same family work everywhere. Very friendly staff: we left things until the evening before leaving for the airport and drank tea before departure - there is a cooler and various tea leaves in the kitchen and, in principle, this can be used during the day, only leaving a tip in a special glass. If I go to Tel Aviv again, I will definitely stay there!
The most beautiful place, where, compared to other cities and resorts in Israel, there is a completely different atmosphere of complete relaxation, some inexplicable happiness and non-stop fiesta! Before getting to Eilat, I was in Sharm el-Sheikh and, to be honest, I expected something similar to it. Nothing like that: yes, the same sea, the same mountains, but - two different planets in terms of attitude, comfort and infrastructure.
To quickly find out where it is better to book a hotel, you need to decide why you are going. If for water sports and snorkeling, then book the Ambassador and Spa Club, which are located on the famous Coral Beach, where absolutely fantastic fish swim next to you, and then you will get to the restaurants and clubs of Eilat by taxi. And if you prefer ordinary swimming, then you can live in any hotel near the northern beach, you can even not on the first line - at the same time you save money on the hotel and every day you can relax on different beaches: the beach opposite the Dan Hotel is considered the most beautiful - we go there walked every day. You pay 15sh per day, but it's still cheaper than a hotel on the first line with free sunbeds. In addition, I observed the following picture: at 8:30, by the opening of the beach, tourists had already pulled up to Dan Beach and occupied sunbeds, which are located right by the sea. By 11 in the morning, having slept, a French woman came with 2 girls, who lives in this hotel, and made a scandal to the beechman that she, they say, also wants to lie on the first line, to which the beechman shrugged his hands and said: “Madam, what can I do ? You see, Russian tourists have been here since the very morning! ”
Things to do in Eilat:
• Go to Coral Beach for the whole day: spend the first half of the day at the Underwater Observatory, ordering all the additional options (submarine with glass walls, 3D cinema, 124sh for everything), and then take a taxi to Coral Beach, rent masks ( 25sh) and dive or just swim side by side with wonderful fish. Children simply squeal with delight, surfers and divers scurry back and forth, and you lie on your sunbeds and see Jordan mountains opposite! And when the beach is slowly closed, move to a nearby beach cafe, sit under a straw fungus, order food or drinks (by the way, not at all expensive! ), breathe in the salty air and watch the sun set in the waters of the Gulf of Aqaba... You will remember this day for a long time !
• If you are traveling with children, it would probably be nice to visit Dolphin Beach.
• On one of the days at any tour desk, book a boat trip at sunset on the yacht L'Amie or Atlantis (from 15 to 18) - we also enjoyed the boat itself (there is a jacuzzi on the deck, and when the boat makes a stop on the open sea , you can slide down from an inflatable slide, inexpensive (! ) Food and drinks on board), and from landscapes (first, the ship sails to the border with Jordan, and then with Egypt, where tourists will have a half-hour stop), and then return to the port of Eilat to incendiary songs in the setting sun, when both the sea and the mountains around change their appearance every 10 minutes and you can take a lot of beautiful photos!
• Excursion to Timna, a national park with interesting desert and stone Martian landscapes - King Solomon's Mines. Make sure it's not too hot and take plenty of water.
• If you are aiming to purchase Eilat stone, please do not take a single free tour with a visit to the factory: on the one hand, everything is many times more expensive than in ordinary stores, and we didn’t find anything especially beautiful there, but on the other hand , your guides will stand above your soul, who receive interest on the purchase, which allow them to take you on excursions for free. If you refuse to buy, the friendly mood towards you will immediately evaporate. We took a taxi on our own, so meeting at the door, having learned that we were alone, without an "accompanying", we were even taken aback and did not know whether to let us through or not : -) Therefore, no one was offended by us that we left without shopping. . . In other words, go around the local shopping malls first and if you don't find anything, then you'll stop by this factory last. For example, we saw the most beautiful jewelry made of Eilat stone and at a price lower than the "factory" in the Underwater Observatory!
• In Eilat itself, in addition to beach recreation and sports - shopping, shopping and more shopping! 1) a market on the waterfront (I have never seen such a variety of sea-themed souvenirs and jewelry in any resort! ), 2) shops on the waterfront - as I wrote above, swimwear, as well as felafel, open-air cafes and restaurants, 3 ) two shopping malls with clothes, cosmetics and jewelry 4) get tired of hotel and restaurant food - take a taxi, say the magic word "Hyperne'to" - and the taxi driver will take you "on an excursion" to a large supermarket outside the resort area (in Eilat itself under the word supermarket hides a small shop with drinks, chocolates and swim rings! ). Here you can buy wines, fruits, sweets, yoghurts and puddings and take the highly respected hummus, pitas, cheeses, sausages for your "dinner on the balcony" and dear one, who never dreamed of such yummy, such a choice and such natural meat! )
A few words about our hotel in Eilat - AMERICANA***
This, of course, is not the kind of hotel where they go to splurge or spend a chic honeymoon. But I can't name a single downside either. This is the most decent 3* hotel in Eilat. There were six of us - we loved it!
Eilat is such a great place that you really only have to spend the night in a hotel, so for those who want to save a little, I highly recommend it! 10 minutes to the beach at a slow pace past a beautiful lagoon or shops (I advise you to go to the beach next to the Dan hotel - this is the most beautiful beach in the northern part), the rooms are rather big, simple, comfortable. The breakfasts are very good, for 5 days they are not at all tired, a wide variety of dishes. We did not order dinner, but it was clear that people eat a lot and with pleasure! Towels for the sea / pool every morning can be taken until the evening on a special card. A large swimming pool, and around it are sunbeds and tables with chairs, where it is pleasant to sit in the evening and drink wine. Contingent: couples, couples with teenage children, Germans, French, no one yells at night : -) Ah! The most important thing! The hotel is away from the airport, and therefore not a single sound of a plane taking off or landing could reach us. Many who lived in hotels near the airport complained. By the way, next to Americana is the best supermarket in terms of assortment that we saw there, and a tour desk with Russian employees, so you can buy all excursions on your own on the first day on the spot. Also nearby is a very good meat restaurant Pasador, where even those who live in hotels near the sea come. When I am in Eilat, I will definitely choose this hotel again. For those who travel for the sake of the sea and wonderful excursions - there is nothing to complain about!
THE DEAD SEA
Unless you are going for a purposeful treatment, 3 days and 2 nights is the best time to get acquainted with the Dead Sea, and maybe even that is too much! Take a thick book, lie on the beach and breathe in the healing air. Swimming in the sea is still not recommended for more than 20 minutes 3 times a day (and this is if you are healthy! ), I tried more and more - it really starts to feel nauseous, and my head is spinning. In general, the doctors are right. And since the entire resort of Ein Bokek is a line of hotels and 2 shopping centers with cosmetics and swimwear, then on the 3rd day you will howl with longing. If you are traveling for a long time for treatment, excursions (Massada, Qumran, Jerusalem), or a rented car can be the only salvation. A cheaper option is to take trips to Jerusalem on regular buses: there is definitely something to do there for many days!
For longer stays on the MM, don't miss the open-air audiovisual performance in Massada, recreating the history of 2000 years ago (March-August, Tue and Thu at 21:00, September-October, Tue and Thu at 20:00). When ordering an excursion, please inform that you will need headphones with simultaneous translation into Russian.
A few words about our hotel in Ein Bokek -DANIEL *****
A chic hotel, and live it makes more impression than in the photographs. Solid 5 stars. Minus one - if you are not restrained in food, then all the treatment at the Dead Sea will go down the drain, since the choice of dishes for breakfast and dinner is very huge! Very nice rooms, antique mosaic bathrooms. Private beach, which can be reached on foot in 5 minutes, but which is regularly visited by a funny jalopy. Everything is very beautiful and worthy. If you choose this hotel, you will be very satisfied!
Return flight:
Tax-free refund for Dead Sea cosmetics must be issued immediately at the entrance to the airport hall, the rest - after passport control inside in the waiting area and shops.
Tax-free refund in the most visible place of the waiting room is a private bank that takes a large commission for the return. Try first to visit that tax free refund, which is located near the synagogue.
Ben Gurion Airport has the largest and cheapest Duty Free in the region with a huge selection of perfumes and sweets, as well as everything else that you usually buy.
I wish you an exciting journey, happiness and success in the Holy Land and anywhere on our small planet Earth, united by its spiritual center - the city of Jerusalem!
