Travel guides
FootprintI bought the Footprint Handbook which I thought was very good. It has more then 700 pages of very detailed info and also includes a section on the Palestinian territories and Sinai. Recommended. Their accommodation section is much bigger then the LP's, especially for the middle and upper class hotels.
Edition January 1998.
Order the Footprint Handbook Israel now for only 15.37 US$ Lonely PlanetHas good info too, edition november 1996, so I would wait for their next edition available in August 1999.
Order the Lonely Planet Israel now for only 14.36 US$They also have a Jerusalem guidebook edition 10/99
Order the Lonely Planet Jerusalem now for only 11.99 US$If you plan to visit more countries in the Middle East, the LP on the Middle East is propbably a more economical (and less heavy) option. It has info on Turkey, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Yemen. It has 912 pages, edition 1/2000.
Order the Lonely Planet Middle East now for only 19.96 US$Rough GuidesI didn't read it, but the series is generally very good.
Edition 9/98
Order the Rough Guide Israel now for only 15.96 US$Let's GoAlso very popular, but I didn't read it.
Edition 12/99
Order the Let's Go Israel & Egypt now for only 14.39 US$Other books
If you can't make up your mind, click on the
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Hotels
Accomodation is available from cheap dormitories at 15 NIS pp to the very expensive 5-stars at 350 US$. It is definitely more expensive then in other Middle Eastern countries.
We stayed in a kibbutz once in the North. They have middle class accomodation, i.e. a room with TV, bathroom and there was a small kitchen. Price was 50 US$.
You could of course also opt to spend a couple of months at a kibbutz as a volunteer. In this case check out this website
http://www.forum.nu/travel/kibbutz/John Carson has written a book about his experience as a kibbutz volunteer. You can read excerpts of this book on
his site.
Sightseeing
Again the same story: entrance fees are quite high. The average fee is around 15 NIS, but some sights or museums charge around 25 NIS. On the other hand, the sights are very well presented with nice leaflets explanation in English, accessibility for wheelchairs etc...
An ISIC card gives you reductions ranging from 25 to 50%.
It's worth checking out whether a "Green Card" is a good option. This card costs 60 NIS (10/98) and gives you free access to a lot of sights. Once you visit 4 or more of them, you're doing some profit. However, there are still a lot of sights who don't take part in the green card, and I had the impression that you'll often find a site giving you free access with the Card, and few kilometer next to it there's another one which will charge (f.i. Nimrod is free with the card, but Banyias will charge Ein Avdat is free but Mitzpe Ramon will charge etc..). Here's a an excerpt of the list of 44 sites from North to South:
- Nimrod, Hamat Tiberias, Belvoir, Bet Shean, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Caesarea, Samaria, Qumran, Masada, Ben Gurion's burial place, Ein Avdat, Avdat, Ein Gedi antiquities.
- Important places which do not participate are several sites in Jerusalem (Temple Mount, Tower of David, Jerusalem Walls although it's mentioned on the card), all parks around Eilat, Banyias, Ein Gedi natural springs.
Medical matters
Nothing special, have a look at the Jordan site for info.
Weather
We had marvellous wheather at the end of October, only Jerusalem and Negev were quite hot.
Telephone
To phone home, it's best to buy a telephone card, 20 or 50 units. Unlike other countries where prices are fixed, they vary in Israel. On Jaffa gate we paid 20 NIS for a 20 units, but later I saw you could get it for 15 NIS. So shop a bit before buying.
To phone home, you first need to choose which company you'll take. Ask the man who sells you the card, he has a pricelist and will tell you which company is the cheapest for your country. Then start the number with 012 or 013 or 014 according to the company, then the country code, then the area code and then the number.
It's much cheaper to phone home after 10 pm and before 8 am or during weekends.
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