Help Plan Fox's Trip to Israel

sped

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 2:50 am

alittlebirdie wrote:

What about Eilat? I heard it's when all the religious pple go. Nice and relaxing. Iif u want fun they have snorkling and beautiful underwater museum.

I think the religious go on Chanuka when it is cooler and ppl are hopefully more dressed. That's when I saw them.

amother

Wine

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 3:04 am

If you're not renting a car, Hoffman tours has some great trips, check out their website.

EBY

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 4:19 am

I know an awesome, very reasonable private tour guide for the whole country. I would recommend hiring a private guide for a day or two, especially if you are interested in making the most of your time. Feel free to PM me if you want the contact info.

alittlebirdie

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 4:27 am

If you are renting a caar priceline has good deals 6$ a day for Stickshift and 10 for automatic. For small 4-5 seater

lech lecha08

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 7:42 am

Didn't read everything yet so it may have already been mentioned but the Churva Synagogue should go on your list

JMM-uc

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 7:45 am

You MUST get ice coffee at froyo (aka katzefet) so yummy and addicting.

alittlebirdie

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 7:46 am

Better coffee at cofix. Cheeper too!!

JMM-uc

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 7:56 am

alittlebirdie wrote:

Better coffee at cofix. Cheeper too!!

No no no no no! ICE coffee

alittlebirdie

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 8:10 am

That's what I ment. Ice coffee in cofix! It's only 5 sheks!

JMM-uc

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 8:17 am

alittlebirdie wrote:

That's what I ment. Ice coffee in cofix! It's only 5 sheks!

It's not nearly as good!

alittlebirdie

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 9:57 am

It's a bit tastier and creamier but 3 times the price.

amother

Lemon

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 10:41 am

The Underground Bullet Factory in Rechovot is really cool! It's called the Ayalon Institute.

achayl

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 10:57 am

I just did this with my DH and no kids!
We went for a family simcha and used our other free days to tour around.
We spent a day in Nahariya/Tzfat, Shabbos in Kibbut Lavi(highly recommended!!), J'lem for two days - souther wall excavations were amazing, wandrered Geula, Meah Shearim, walked tons!! We did a Segway tour of the Old City- That was actually amazingly fun!!!! (it's near the '1st Train Station'), Kever Rochel, Kotel and Old City. Then we were up in the Golan (Naot Mordechai - to the Naot factory, Ein Zivan and the De Karina chocolate factory, Har Bental) We spent a day at the beach too.
My family who had more time than us also went to the Dead Sea and places around RBS.

It's was fun. We were up late or up very early (neitz at the Kotel was quite incredible ... and there's free danishes and coffee for anyone who goes at that time!)

Plan it well so your trip goes smoothly!!

We also rented a car, if you keep the little paper they give you at the passport control, you can use it to no pay taxes on your car rental and any hotel you stay at. that helped save a bundle. It proves your a tourist.

Have fun planning and going!!!

tichellady

Sun, Jul 12 2015, 9:36 pm

I like the zichron Yakov area. Can do wine tasting there and not too far from Haifa or caesaria

amother

Blush

Mon, Jul 13 2015, 12:20 am

alittlebirdie wrote:

It's a bit tastier and creamier but 3 times the price.

Forget both. Try Cafe cafe's ice coffee . Especially in Mamila. BEST !

JMM-uc

Mon, Jul 13 2015, 12:22 am

amother wrote:

Forget both. Try Cafe cafe's ice coffee . Especially in Mamila. BEST !

grrr

Ice coffee war!!

Bring it on, I'll do the tasting Smile

Tehila1

Mon, Jul 13 2015, 12:36 am

JMM-uc wrote:

You MUST get ice coffee at froyo (aka katzefet) so yummy and addicting.

THIS!!!!!

Fox

Mon, Jul 13 2015, 10:55 am

Thanks so much for all these great ideas, everyone! Some of these places are completely new to me and some of your ideas will be really helpful in making a familiar place more interesting.

OOTBubby, thanks for the walking advice. I'm probably older than you think -- I had my kids late, which tends to make people think I'm younger than I am but have just aged badly. Doesn't help that DH looks *younger* than he is. A choshuve rav recently thought he was my son -- thus becoming significantly less choshuve in my eyes, lol! But I digress.

I do need to be realistic about walking, because I'm just recovering from seven years of fairly severe anemia. I finally found a hemotologist who was able to help me, but I became terribly out-of-shape during the interim. I'm getting physical therapy and exercising, but you can't undo seven years of lethargy overnight!

Tehila1, JMM-uc, et. al. -- I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a coffee drinker. Not even a social coffee drinker. My sons are both coffee drinkers and regularly lobby for the purchase of a Keurig, whatever *that* is. No, I know what it is -- I just can't imagine anyone wanting or buying one! Diet Coke, on the other hand? An obvious medical necessity!

Karnash, the idea of a guide for the shuk is brilliant! Everyone in my family considers the Machane Yehuda shuk to be one of the best things in Israel (which probably doesn't reflect too well on our spirituality!) but you're 100 percent right: if you're an infrequent visitor, you're going to miss the most interesting places.

Achayl, I love the idea of the Segway tour. Of course, with my family's history, the Kineret Boat Owners' Association may have already submitted our names to the Segway people. They'll probably tell me, "Geveret, perhaps you and your husband should have a seat and a nice snack at an outdoor cafe in The Rova rather than potentially colliding with a group of Japanese tourists and causing an international incident."

I'll check in with everyone closer to departure to arrange some meets. I can safely leave DH behind, since I have Yusef to keep an eye on him!

my80

Mon, Aug 24 2015, 10:14 am

alittlebirdie wrote:

Blind and deaf museum. Chocolate, bamba, wine factory. Monkey park. Biblical zoo. Kineret awiming and boating, chesed- packing for yad eliezer. 39 meachot at beit meir. Ein Yael. Ohel avraham. Moshav beit chilkiyya. Kivrei tzadikim. Dear park. Chafetz chayim kibbutz. More? I have tons of ideas

ooh I love these ideas, care to elaborate please.
esp on the chocolate, bamba factories.
what is the monkey park; 39 meachot at beit meir;Ein Yael. Ohel avraham.;Dear park?

Thanks!

etky

Mon, Aug 24 2015, 10:43 am

Fox wrote:

Great ideas, everyone -- too bad I can only stay 10 days!

Is the blind/deaf museum the program offered at the Israel Children's Museum in Holon?

Yes, and now they have a new program about aging called דיאלוג עם הזמן
We were there a few weeks ago and then went ice skating at היכל הקרח right across the street.
We had dinner (and some shopping...) at Ikea in Rishon which is like 7 minutes away.
I actually think that Ikea is fascinating in and of itself from a social perspective. It is a microcosm of all sectors of Israeli society as very, very few places in this country are.