ShareMany visitors to the Land of Israel come for reasons other than just to tour. Businessman, scientists, academics…the list is indeed a long one, find themselves very busy one day and, rather than face a hotel room alone in a foreign country, elect to get out and see some sites. These blogs are for them. […]

Many visitors to the Land of Israel come for reasons other than just to tour. Businessman, scientists, academics…the list is indeed a long one, find themselves very busy one day and, rather than face a hotel room alone in a foreign country, elect to get out and see some sites.

These blogs are for them.

I recommended a day in the Old City of Jerusalem and a day in the Judean Desert visiting Masada National Park and the Dead Sea.

What about the North?

I would like to suggest three sites: Caesarea, Haifa and Akko (Acre).

Caesarea National Park is first and foremost, a truly beautiful spot. The Mediterranean Sea rolls up against a Roman city in majesty. Built by King Herod the great in the first century B.C.E., it was the world’s first artificial port. Later fortified by the Crusaders, it hosted such personalities as St. Paul, Rabbi Akkiba, Saladin, Louis the IX of France, and Edmond de Rothschild among others (whom you can also meet at the site), the National Parks Authority have gone to considerable lengths to make your stay a pleasant and educational one. Don’t miss the films shown at both north and south entrances.

Next stop on our trip north is the city of Haifa: specifically, the Baha’i Gardens there.

One of the world’s newest religions, Haifa was close the where the prophet of the new religion, the Baha’u’llah was imprisoned. His followers purchased part of the Carmel mountain and a century later would build a tomb to the Bab, Siyyid `Alí Mu?ammad Shírází, one of the three central figures of the new faith who was martyred in Iran in 1850. His golden-domed tomb adorns the side of the mountain in Haifa with its eighteen terraces.

Be sure to enter the central garden to visit the tomb and then drive to the top for a magnificent view of Haifa Bay.

The third stop, Akko, deserves its own blog.
Till then.

    ShareMust Do’s: Number Two – Masada and the Dead Sea In my last blog entry, I recommended what to visit if you only have one day in Israel. Say you have two days? The first day should be spent in the Old City of Jerusalem. The second day should be spent at Masada National Park […]

    Must Do’s: Number Two – Masada and the Dead Sea

    In my last blog entry, I recommended what to visit if you only have one day in Israel.

    Say you have two days? The first day should be spent in the Old City of Jerusalem. The second day should be spent at Masada National Park followed by a swim in the Dead Sea.

    Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, is a Dominican priest and head of the World Famous Ecole Biblique et Archeologique Francaise in Jerusalem and author of the best archaeological guide book for the Holy Land, “The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide.” Rightly so, Murphy-O’Connor says, “Masada is the most spectacular site in the country and scene of one of the most dramatic episodes in its history.”

    If you have an Irish priest telling you that the most awesome site to visit in Israel is in the Judean Desert and has nothing to do with Jesus and Christianity, it really must be something – and it is!

    I recommend rising very early to climb Masada and witness the sunrise from the summit. Since most visitors arrive by car from Jerusalem (about an hour and twenty minute ride), visitors should start their climb about fifty minutes before sunrise at the latest. The box office at the entrance opens an hour before dawn, but be sure to bring plenty of water for the hike up and a flashlight. The length of the trail is about two kilometers and is moderately strenuous.

    This is an especially good idea most of the year because of the heat. A lot of you take visits to Israel in the summer. The average temperature at Masada is over 105 F.

    However, if you are visiting Masada without a guide, an audio guide is available for hire at the visitors’ center which opens at 8 am. There is also an excellent museum on site.

    As for the Dead Sea, let’s leave that for the next blog.

      ShareIsrael’s Must Do’s. Though roughly only the size of the state of New Jersey (or Wales for you non-North Americans), it boasts more tourist sites per square foot (or meter) than almost anywhere on earth. As a private tour guide in Israel, many visitors ask: “If I have only a day or two, where do […]

      Israel’s Must Do’s.

      Though roughly only the size of the state of New Jersey (or Wales for you non-North Americans), it boasts more tourist sites per square foot (or meter) than almost anywhere on earth.

      As a private tour guide in Israel, many visitors ask: “If I have only a day or two, where do you recommend I go?” This is both a ridiculously easy question and, at the same time, very difficult one to answer.

      Easy because one must go and visit Jerusalem. When one hears the name Jerusalem, different images are conjured up: the Western (Wailing) Wall; the Via Dolorosa and Calvary, the ancient walls and years of conflict.

      However, Jerusalem is one of the easiest cities in the world to tour in due to the fact that most of the main tourist sites lie either in the Old City of Jerusalem itself, or just outside its walls.

      Jerusalem today is the capital of the modern State of Israel. It is also Israel’s largest city with a population of more than eight hundred thousand. Jerusalem is big in size, too. At almost 50 square miles, Jerusalem well outweighs Tel Aviv (which can boast only 20 square miles and half the population).

      So when visiting Jerusalem, start with a tour of the Old City.

      Walls built by the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the fifteenth century today surround the Old City of Jerusalem. It took him more than four years to complete the job in 1541 CE. The wall still is roughly the same in Crusader times, which was about the same as in the Byzantine era.

      Begin your tour at Jaffa Gate. If you have a car, there are two underground parking lots situated on Yitshak Kariv Street. The new light rail will take you to Zahal Square, and Jaffa Gate is just a short stroll south on the walls.

      If possible, plan the tour for any day but Saturday, as many important sites are closed that day and photography and mobile phone use is not allowed at the Western Wall Plaza.

      I’ll have more “Must Do’s” in following blogs.

        ShareI like, no…I love hummus. I think when traveling to a foreign country, a special part of any tour should be sampling the local cuisine. One of my favorite things I say to my clients is: “This is a Jewish country. You’re going to eat well.” Most of the Jewish population of Israel arrived within […]

        I like, no…I love hummus.

        I think when traveling to a foreign country, a special part of any tour should be sampling the local cuisine.

        One of my favorite things I say to my clients is: “This is a Jewish country. You’re going to eat well.”

        Most of the Jewish population of Israel arrived within the last hundred and fifty years (believe it or not, a small number of Jews never left to the diaspora. They stayed, adopting the local lifestyle, speaking Arabic on a day-to-day basis). With them they brought the foods of the countries they came from.

        Half of these people came from North Africa and the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, etc.) and so the wonderful foods from there countries were given a Kosher label and today we can enjoy hummus, falafel, malau’ach, kuba and other tasty treats in restaurants all over the country.

        However, one of the most popular dishes is local. Hummus (a paste made mainly from chick peas) and pita bread is one of my special favorites.

        The question is: where is the best hummus in Israel. The answer is: Akko.

        That’s right. Akko (sometimes spelled Acre or Acco) has not one, not two, but lots of really good hummus joints!

        The most famous of these is Hummus Said (pronounced Sayyid). For about $6, you get a meal of hummus, fresh-baked pita bread, olives and pickles, and a small plate of fresh sliced tomatoes and onion. Located in the market of the Old City, just ask directions how to get there. The locals will give you a knowing smile and direct you to the main street of the market.

        But Said isn’t the only place to get great hummus. Just down the lane is Shamsiya’s. A little hole-in-wall, but clean and well-lit, you can order their wonderful hummus and also falafel, Israeli salad and schwarma.

        I can go on and on about the hummus in Akko, but the truth is that you are going to have to try it on your own.