My wife and I were on a week long tour of Israel for 7 days in July of 2010. The experience was really great and I thought I would write about it a bit.

We booked our tour through the site Israel a la Carte and the tour was specifically the Holyland Tour - 7 Nights (Sunday Arrival). Our email contact was someone from Diesenhaus, whom I am assuming is the parent company. When we arrived, we discovered that the tour operator was Rent A Guide.

Guide

The tour guide we had was Yossi Gelem. I found him to be an excellent guide. An Israeli, Jewish guide, he was very knowledgeable about the country and even history/politics in the rest of the world. He has a passion for the news and history and has had an interesting past that gives him some perspective as well. If he is running the tour, I would highly recommend him.

Yossi very much tried to give just the facts and non-biased information. He would also expand on it quite a bit if you wanted to get into it and ask more questions.

Pros

• Great guide
• Quick pace (this can be bad if you wanted to spend more time in some sites
• Price was way cheaper than anything else we could find on the internet.
• All the hotels were nice and worked just fine.
• Included breakfast and dinner every night.
• Buses had good air conditioning.
• We were a fairly small group so got to know everyone quite well and had lots of time to speak with the guide if we wanted.
• Good selection of site to see. 75% religious, 20% historical, and 5% other.

Cons

• Quick pace so you won't get a lot of time at each site if you were wanting it.
• A couple of the lunches were at "tourist trap" types of places. They drop you off but it is really the only option you have and the prices are high. Other times it was totally fine. Just carry some snacks with you so you don't have to worry about it.

Summary

Overall, I would recommend the tour. Especially for the price.

Itinerary

This is a just a copy and paste from the itinery on the site we booked through

Holyland Tour (7 Nights) Sunday Arrival

Language: English Tours - Israel

Sunday - Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, where you will be met by a Diesenhaus Unitours representative and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Monday -Caesarea / Megiddo / Haifa / Acre
Depart Tel Aviv and drive along the coastal plain to Caesarea, the capital of Judea under the Romans.Visit the excavations of the ancient city, the Roman theatre and aqueduct. Continue to Megiddo, identified as the site of Armageddon; Visit the archaeological excavations including the well-preserved water supply system. Drive to Haifa, view the Persian Gardens at the Bahai Temple. From Haifa, drive to Acre to visit the ancient city and harbor. Continue to Kibbutz Lavi for overnight stay.

Caesarea

Tuesday - Tiberias / Capernaum / Banias
After a short tour of Tiberias, we take a boat ride to Capernaum. Visit the remains of the 2nd century synagogue. Proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of fish and loaves, and visit the Church of Multiplication with its 4th century mosaic floor. Continue to Mount of Beatitudes, the place where Jesus delivered the sermon on the Mount. Drive to the Banias Springs and waterfalls and tour the Golan Heights. Return to Kibbutz Lavi for overnight.

Wednesday - Nazareth / Beit Shean
Drive to Nazareth via Cana of Galilee. Visit the Church of Annunciation, St. Joseph's workshop and Mary's Well.Drive to Yardenit, where the Jordan river lies, the Sea of Galilee, and Baptism place, Continue to Beit Shean, a newly excavated city, and visit the Roman theatre. Drive along the Jordan River to Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

Thursday - Jerusalem - Old City
Drive to Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city; visit the church of All Nations, King David's tomb and the room where the Last Supper took place on Mt. Zion. Enter within the walls of the city and visit the Cardo, Temple Mount (entrance to the mosques not included), Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, oriental Bazaar. Overnight in Jerusalem. Friday - Jerusalem - New City and Bethlehem Drive to Ein Karem to visit the Church of Visitation; proceed to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the holocaust; Visit the Israel museum, the shrine of the book, where the dead sea scrolls are housed, and the miniature model of Jerusalem as it was during the second temple period. Proceed to Bethlehem to visit the Church of Nativity. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Saturday - Dead Sea / Massada
Drive to Qumeran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls where found. Visit the ancient city of Qumeran and drive along the shore of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, to Massada, which was the last stronghold of the Jews after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. Ascend Mt. Massada by cable car and visit the food storeroom, water irrigation system and Herod's Palace. Return to Jerusalem . Overnight in Jerusalem.

Dead Sea

Sunday
Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure.

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My wife and I were recently in Rome and did a walking tour of Vatican City. It was basically just the Vatican museums, the Sistene Chapel, the catacombs, St. Peter's Basilica, and briefly around some of the outside.

My wife had done some research and read some reviews about 7 Hills Tours. They seemed to offer the same value of a tour for less price (though we didn't actually do another tour, so we don't know).

Booking

We made a reservation through the 7 Hills Tours website. We didn't have to pay ahead of time, just made a reservation and got a confirmation email. We showed up that day and had no problems finding our guide (they meet along an easy to find point of the Vatican wall).

FYI: We showed up early (they say you should be there at 8:45AM but the tour doesn't start until 9:15AM), so he takes you to a nice little cafe so you don't have to stand around and wait for everyone. Good chance for a capuccino and some breakfast if you want.

Experience

The guide was super-friendly and spoke excellent English. His name was Andrea. Great sense of humour and seemed genuinely concerned about giving us the best tour possible. For example, he ran ahead at one point to secure a demo location where we would be able to actually sit on a bench. He was also upset that a hall of statues was closed so got us to bend the rope a bit to peer around the corner and get a glimpse. He also didn't rush anything. Our tour was supposed to be 3 hours long, but we did get a good 4 hours worth.

It started with a brief intro outside the city walls and then you proceed through security and into the gift shop. If you are not in a group, there is a much longer line-up outside just to get in, by the way. Inside the gift shop he gets organized, collects the payment (was 39 euro/adult...I believe the actual entrance fee is around 15 euro so they are charging an extra 24 for the guide), and then issues headsets that made it very easy to hear him even if you aren't standing close.

St. Peter's Basilica

He also had a lot of tips for things outside the tour. For example, if you were planning on ascending to the top of the Dome on St. Peter's Basilica, he will tell you when the line will be smallest (i.e. late afternoon) and will answer all your questions.

We had a group of 18 and he told us they don't go over 25. Compared to the other groups we saw around the Vatican this was very good. Most groups were way bigger, which makes it a lot slower to move around.

Overall

The money was well worth it. We were not disappointed in the least. Andrea did an amazing job and if you want to get more out of your Vatican experience, I highly recommend you spend the money to avoid the lines and just learn a lot more. Bottom line, I would recommend 7 Hills Tours

Vatican and Fountains at Night

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I was recently on a tour of Israel and stayed for 4 nights at the Park Hotel Jerusalem. Our guide also referred to it as the "Jerusalem Park".

It was the base for our stay in the area as we did day trips to Old Jerusalem, other parts of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and even left from it the morning we caught our flight in Tel Aviv.

Pros

• Rooms were "fairly" modern and included fridges.
• Air conditioning that worked very well. We left it off most of the time as it was too cold.
• Meals were very good, but not as much variety as other hotels we had.
• There was free wireless internet in our room (we stayed on the 5th floor).
• Huge dining area and very spacious (they actually have two there).

Cons

• Location isn't the best. Being on a tour it didn't matter, but if you were backpacking on your own you would want to be closer to Old Jerusalem. That being said, there was a tram line that was there but not running yet. This could dramatically change the accessibility to other parts of the city, but I don't know where it will actually run to.
• Food was basically the same thing every day (mentioned in the pros as well).
• They were slow when you would call down and ask for stuff (i.e. new towels, didn't seem to understand we wanted extra towels for a trip to the Dead Sea, etc). This could have been due to it being super busy while we were there too.

New Metro Line Bridge Beside Park Hotel Jerusalem

Summary

Overall I would recommend this hotel, but maybe not for 4 days. A little far from Old Jerusalem if you are on your own and you may get sick of the food. 2 days would be perfect for me.

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I was on a recent tour of Israel and stayed at a hotel run by the community of Kibbutz Lavi so it was of course named the Lavi Kibbutz Hotel. If you are wondering what a kibbutz is, they are socialist communities in Israel that people can choose to join. Your work for the community. All money is shared and it is similar to living on a commune.

The whole experience was super interesting and I highly recommend it if you are in the area. It is very close to the Sea of Galilee as there are a lot of interesting sights in the area (Golan Heights).

Pros

• It is located in a Kibbutz. The community itself it very interesting and you can just walk around any time of the day to get a feel for how they live.
• There is a pool facility both indoor and out plus a sauna.
• The buffet dinners and breakfasts were very good. Lots of options.
• The rooms were clean and had good air conditioning. Not super up to date, but apparently there is a range of this as one wing is recently updated.
• There was free wireless internet.
• We had a free information session from a local kibbutz member describing what is was like to live there and you could ask him questions. It was in the evening right after dinner time. The guy was actually from Baltimore (USA) and had been living there for 30 plus years.
• Ping-pong, bar, computers for internet (you have to pay for these).
• Close proximity to the Sea of Galilee.

Cons

• You are a bit isolated as you are on a kibbutz, so you basically have to eat at the hotel. Our package included breakfasts and dinner, so not sure if that is the only option they have when you book (half-board).
• Really busy with families and lots of kids when we were there, so your meals aren't the most peaceful experiences.

Summary

Overall I would recommend the hotel. We enjoyed our time there. The pros definitely out-weight the few cons.

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In July of 2010 I was in Israel on a tour for a week. Anyhow, I stayed at the Deborah Hotel in Tel Aviv for one night. I'll summarize my experience on it.

Overall it is a decent hotel in my opinion. The cost was hidden from me as I had paid an overall package tour price. Our guess was that it was around US$130 a night for the room.

Pros

• It was only a few minutes walking distance from the beach. The hotel provided towels for the beach as well.
• There was free, wireless internet that worked throughout the entire hotel (I was on the 11th floor!).
• There are dining facilities as well that served a decent buffet for both breakfast and dinner.
• The rooms were clean and had air conditioning.
• The street it is on has a bus that runs right in front of the hotel that will get you to the old town (Jaffa). I think it was bus #10.
• Across the street there is laundry facilities and just south half a block is a grocery store.
• Across the street to the south is a money exchange shop that doesn't take a commission. When comparing to other tour group members I definitely got the best rate as far as I could tell.

Cons

Not really much to complain about. The stairway to the dining room seemed rather dirty. We also had an unfriendly receptionist when we arrived at 3AM, but she continued to be unfriendly on future occasions as well.

Beach Only 5 Minutes Walk Away


View From Top Floor of Deborah Hotel

Summary

Overall I would recommend it and say you will be satisfied with staying there if you are looking for a cheap place with quick access to the beach. For reference, it is really close to the Sheraton which is right on the beach.

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This is what you freak out over just before you leave on the big holiday. Did you bring enough stuff? What happens if there is an emergency? The best thing to do is write your self a travel checklist a month or two in advance and keep it on hand all the time. Ask people who have been where you are going what you might need. If you are traveling with others, split the shareable items to lighten the load. Here is a travel checklist that you might find handy.

I got that idea for this post from 101 Great Posting Ideas That Will Make Your Blog Sizzle on I Help You Blog.

If you want to build your own, try using the following categories. My own list is farther down.

• Before You Leave
  Make sure everything is going to be okay at home while you are gone. Will Fido be taken care of?
• Documentation Essentials
  These can take the longest to be ready, so start early. You cannot even get on a plane nowadays if you do not have your passport on you.
• Clothing and Shoes
  You will not enjoy your trip if you don't have the proper outfit. Remember, some places you can buy what you need for less money than at home, if you have the time to do so.
• Toiletries
  Another biggie. If you need anything special and you are going somewhere it cannot be purchased, it can really ruin a trip.
• Medical Supplies
  Some people would lump this in with toiletries, but I like it in its own section. Typically things that would go in a red emergency kit.
• Essentials
  These are must haves that don't really fit into the other categories. I always take flat duct tape for fixing stuff. Sunglasses fit in here as well.
• Extras
  Same as Essentials except not as big a priority. Throw things in here that would be nice to pick up for the right price or a friend will let you borrow.
• Food
  That is right. It is good to take along some snacks, vitamins, and protein bars to help you through some days where you do not have the time to eat or what there is to eat is not very appealing.
• Photography Equipment
  This will appeal more to the photography crowd, but everyone will still take a camera. Make sure you do not have any down time with your camera because pictures is the biggest "souvenir" from your trip.

Keep in mind that this is never complete. If you have any suggestions, email them post a comment on this article. If I like them, I will add your suggestion and your url to the article. My checklist is for a lot of situations and you can scratch off anything you know you don't need.

Travel Checklist

Before You Go
Cancel subscriptions Redirect mail or arrange for someone to get it Leave copies of documents and itinerary with someone Arrangements for house/yard care Thermostat settings Lock windows, doors, garage Turn off water to toilet tanks and washer/dryers
Documentation Essentials
travel visa's for destination countries passport copy of passport drivers license copy of drivers license health card airlinetickets copy of tickets insurance phone numbers emergency phone numbers money belt American cash Mastercard, Visa, American Express copy of cards and phone numbers bank card copy of bank card small purse diving certification diving log book travel rewards cards (Aeroplan, Airmiles, etc)
Clothing
Pants, zip-off Sleeping pants/shorts long sleeve sweat shirt long sleeve t-shirt short sleeve t-shirts tank tops underwear black socks tall socks rain/windbreaker jacket, rollup/stuffable bathing suit knitted hat/tuque hair bandana brimmed hat fake wedding rigs (if theft is a concern) Women Specific skirt thin material bras (1 sports, 1 regular)
Shoes
runners sandals, sport sandals/birkenstock style) flip-flops, thin
Toiletries
toothbrush, travel size/childrens toothpaste, travel size brush ups (optional) brush/comb combination mini deodorant/anti-perspirant (1) birth control/condoms cream (face/body) nail clippers malaria pills razor Q-tips dental floss, travel size shampoo-conditioner, travel size tweezers bath gel/soap, travel size cloth detergent/dry soap packets plastic grocery bags contact lenses contact lens solution, travel size glasses/case visine/eye drops afterbite mini mirror hand sanitizer sani wipes Women Specific tampons (?) feminine cleaning wipes panty liners (?) hair elastics ( ) bobby pins nail file
Tenting
sleeping bag, appropriate rating pillow, mini/stuffable
Medical
band aids butterfly strips polysporin or equivalent penicillin Tylenol 3 syringes diarrhea pills pepto bismol Gravol or equivalent Throat lozenges Dimetapp or equivalent motion sickness wrist bands
Essentials
flat duck tape alarm clock/watch sunscreen ear plugs safety pins lip balm (with spf) sun glasses flashlight/LED headlamp extra batteries bug spray (deep wood brand?) power plug adapters power converter (if 110V and 220V discrepancies) toilet paper in a ziplock bag microfiber towel (pack towel) matches cinch cords elastic clothes line sink plug mesh travel bag or just big ziplock bag for all clothing blue and red pens, mechanical pencil notebook
Extras
mini photo album (10 pictures) umbrella clothes pegs deck of cards tea light candle lice comb calculator reading matierials handheld electronics and chargers (iPod, video games, etc)
Photo Equipment
camera backup camera (an old film canon elph works great) memory cards/film spare batteries battery charger lenses USB or connection cords flash tripod/beanbag film bag (for airport x-ray machines) digital backup device
Food
vitamins, daily packs granola bars fruit bars protein bars/Vector bars (don't have to be the expensive ones) sesame seed bars fruit snacks tea bags juice crystals (individual size for bottled water) nescafe (individual size)

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In case you were wondering, I am traveling right in southern Asia. Currently in Sri Lanka actually. It has been a blast and I'll be back to blogging soon. Not that I have written many articles lately anyways.

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I was recently on vacation in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. I was given a handy tip by someone while I was there to find one of the locations for Lost. It is the survivors camp along the ocean. Funny thing is that just 30 yards away is a residential community, yet on the show it seems like it is in total seclusion.

It is on the north side of the island just to the east of the town of Haleiwa. Basically, just as you get out of town you along the Kamehameha Highway you will see a bus stop on the north side of the road just before a horse farm on the right hand side. There is a road that goes north to access the houses along the ocean.

If you drive along it, there will be a little parking spot and a narrow alley that is the public access to the beach. Simply go down to the beach, turn left and follow the beach for a couple hundred yards. You will see the orange plastic fence they have erected to keep people out of the set and there will be a security guard standing there.

Here is a map of the location I did on Google maps.

View Larger Map

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Well. I am finally back home in Canada. I will promptly get back to posting here and updating this blog.

Trip was excellent and I have a ton of photos that I will post.

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Well, my blog has still very few updates. I will be gone until the end of July. Right now I am sitting in an internet cafe at my hotel in Petra, Jordan.

If you want to read more, go check out neilgalloway.com where I am updating more often with postings for friends and family.

I will, of course, write some more extensive articles on my travel experiences over here when I get back.

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