➤POPULATION: Israel is a country of immigrants. Its 8.8 million inhabitants. Today Jews comprise some 75.4% of the country’s population, while the country's non-Jewish citizens, mostly Arabs (20.5%), number about 24.6%.
➤LIFESTYLE: about 90% of Israel’s inhabitants live in some 200 urban centers
➤MAIN CITIES:
➢Jerusalem: Israel's capital where live about 800 000 inhabitants. It's the seat of the government and historical place.
➢ Tel Aviv-Yafo: one of the biggest and the most popular city in Israel with population about 400 000 inhabitants. Today the center of the country’s industrial, commercial, financial and cultural life.
➢Haifa: In Haifa live about 270 000 inhabitants. It's known coastal town. It's major Mediterranean port and the industrial anc commercial center of northern Israel.
➢Be'er Sheva: In city live about 200 000 inhabitants. It's largest urban center in the south of Israel.
It provides administrative, economic, health, education and
cultural services for the entire southern region.
➢Eilat: It's Israel's southernmost city (about 50 000inhabitants). It's a busy port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea. The city's beaches, coral reef, nightlife and desert landscapes make it popular destination for domestic and international tourism.
➤GEOGRAPHY: the country is about 470km in lenght and 135km in width at it's widest point. Approximately half of the country’s land area is semi-arid.
➤MONEY: official is Israel Shekel.(ILS). 1Euro=4,2 ILS / 1$=3,7 ILS/1PLN=1 ILS. The best way is take to Israel american dollars or euro and change it there.
First flight was from POZNAŃ to EILAT(Ovda) (ticket 138zł/about 32euro). Plane've started at 7:55 so 13:10 local time landed in Eilat(Ovda (It's +1hour comapre to Polish time).
Eilat has got two airports:1st-main airport(in the middle of Eilat city) with flights only inside of Israel and 2nd - international airport in Ovda. Ovda is a military air base and civilian airport in the Ovda region of southern Israel. It's about 60 km. I've landed in Ovda airport.
On the airport there is special control. They can check your passport stamps and ask you some question like: How long do you wanna stay there? Which places do you wanna visit? Do you know some locals? and so on. Of course if you've been before in countries that are in conflict with Israel they will give you more questions.
TRANSFER from Eilat (Ovda) airport:
➤ rent a car : I heard renting car is quite expensive in Israel but if you go bigger group maybe it's not that bad option)
➤ Public trasnport: (http://mobi.egged.co.il/). There is one problem! Public transport don't work at Shabbat time (Shabbat is a holiday there start for 5:00pm friday and finish 5:00pm saturday).
➤Private bus company: (https://eilatshuttle.com/). The bus from airport Ovda to Eilat centre cost 8dollars.
The way from airport is going by desert! When you are going to Eilar you can admire area!
The road is going next to border with Egypt. Unfortunatelly countries are in constant conflict.
According to the information, also a tourist visa for crossing borders is relatively expensive.
Finally arrivd to Eilat. As I said before It's
Israel's southernmost city (about 50 000inhabitants). Eilat is a busy port
and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea. The city's
beaches, coral reef, nightlife and desert landscapes make it popular
destination for domestic and international tourism.
In Eilat we've met with Israeli Ravid who lives in Eilat and which I met through by couchsurfing. He offered to show us the city. When we've arrived to bus station he was waiting us there. He took us and all together went for a beach. What is more he took a glasses and a diving tube , all stuff we needed to see underwater world!!!!
on the photo with my cousin Mateusz and Ravid |
After swimming we went to centre and than to the top view place where we could admire illuminated city at night.
At 19:30 we've got directly bus to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is about 300km from Eilat. We took a private bus comapny because it was friday evening (Shabbat time=no public buses).
We said Goodbye to Ravid and went in to the bus. It was long way by night.
The bus left Eilat with delay so we arrived at the place about 1a.m. and went straight to the hostel. Hostel looked a little bit worse than on website photos (like always 😀) but we planned stay there just one night (honstly just few hours). The positive side was localization next to old town Jerusalem and price (nne night in hostel 56zł/about 13euro).
On Saturday we woke up so early. The plan for day was crazy busy and so complicated. We wanted to visit Dead sea and than back to Jerusalem! What is more late evening we needed to take a train/ bus to Tel Aviv! Problems for the beginnings:
➢Shabbat (there weren't public transport to Dead sea)
➢The days before flood destroyed "road 90" (the only road which is going next to Dead sea!) and private bus companies cancelled tours
WHAT A BAD LUCK!
We knew one thing. We couldn't give up DEAD sea! It was top place on Israel map for me!
In front of hostel I've found some cardboard and wrote "DEAD SEA". Than we went to the outside of the city towards the Dead sea. On the way we could admire area , Jerusalem from Olive mountain, houses of inhabitants and real life above typical famous places for tourists.
In the beginning it ws a problem to find a place to stop. There was highway without byroad. Fortunatelly someone we asked about tips took us to the right place.
Few minutes later second driver stopped. He was a teacher in Israel. It seems to have fun for him when he took us. What is more he gave us also some croissant and tips for way further. We stopped on railway station. He told it's the best place to find another one driver directly to Dead sea.
One person who worked on railway station told the road to Dead sea is closed because of flood the days before. It's impossible to go there. We were resigned. We've lost time and we really wanted to go there. We sat for a moment to think what to do next. Than I asked TAXI driver about situation on theroad. He told the road to Kalia beach is ok! Kalia beach is the first beach in northern part of Dead sea! Hope was appeared! 😊 I asked one man about going there. He told they are going to another Dead sea beach more in south part but there is not a problem to stop in Kalia beach also. We were so lucky! The driver was a French and was traveling with work collegue from Thailand. They work in some charity organization.
The road was going by desert. We could admire area. There was also special point "SEA LEVEL". Every other places on our way were under sea level.
In the same place you could have tried riding on CAMEL (one person 20ILS)
Few minutes later we arrived to Kalia Beach. Mostly Dead sea beaches were paid. Kalia beach cost 59ILS. It's not bad price if you have got showers, toilets, bars, lifeguards and other stuffs.
DEAD sea :
➣The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth.
➢ Max. length 50 km
➢Max. width 15 km
➢Max. depth 298 m
➢With up to 32 % salt and extremely high mineral content
➢no plans or animals can live in the water
➢dead sea mud is good for your skin
➢there is the biggest SPA on earth
On the beach there is also black mud with full of minerals used in professional SPA salons.
We didn't forget also about drink beer in the lowest bar in the world!
Cardboard with an inscription for a back way to Jerusalem was done but finally it wasn't necessary. The colleagues from hitchhiking of first way asked If we wanna join them in a back way. It was better than we could imagine.Finally we has come in Jerusalem. Our hitchhiking friend were so nice and stopped next to the walls of the old city. We didn't waste time for transfer to centre.
That's map of the top places in Jerusalem !
➤ 1-WESTERN WALL
➤2-DOME OF THE ROCK
➤5- GOLDEN GATE
➤11-ZION GATE
➤13-TOWER of DAVID
➤14-JAFFA GATE
➤17-Damascus Gate
➤18-Via Dolorosa
➤19-market: According to the informations there is the biggest market but similar market is also in centre of old town. It's much closer and you can buy similar stuffs.
➤20-THE GARDEN TOMB
➤20-THE GARDEN TOMB
Finally we asked one kid and he showed us unofficial for tourists stairs for the roof of buildings. We could admire city at night from the top.😃
+ modern Jerusalem
In the Saturday evening we took a bus and went directly to Tel-Aviv. The next day evening we had got back flight to Poland and there was still third sea on our list!😃
In Tel Aviv we stayed in "OVERSTAY hostel". In the beginning there were plans to go out but when we arrived to hostel the only thing I dreamed was BED! The hostel we booked few minutes before arrive there becuase until the last moment we didn't know if we arrive to Tel Aviv in the evening or the next day morning. We paid about 68zł/about 15euro in 6beds room with 20% discount.
The last day in Israel has come! We left the hostel early becuase Tev Aviv offers also a lot of good places to visit. On this trip we were walking a lot of. Usually everyday about 25-30km. Of course we can use public transport but while we were walking we could explore area. I'm so interested in real life of locals, not just only typical touristic places.
On the way you can see a lot of street arts! This one show how look life in Israel-country of a lot of many religions and cultures.
First point for Sounday was Old Jaffa. It's the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel
You have got few options to go from TEL AVIV to airport BEN GURION:
➣TAXI (for 130 ILS at day)
➢ BUS
➢ TRAIN (It's the fastest way and cost 13,5 ILS. We chose that one. You can catch train on "HaHagana train station" and final station there is o Terminal 3. If you have got flight from Terminal 1 you can go by free bus. Bus station there is outside of Terminal 3
3 days - 3 seas - 3 cities!!!
CHALLENGE DONE! ✋
🐫🐫🐫🐫🐫 🐫🐫🐫🐫🐫 🐫🐫🐫🐫🐫 🐫🐫🐫🐫
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONS:
(1Euro=4,2ILS / 1$=3,7ILS / 1PLN=1ILS)
➤food and other products:
-water (1l or 1,5l) 6-7 ILS
-milk 5 ILS
-bread 11 ILS
-juice 1l 8ILS
-beer (in pub about 30 ILS / in supermarket usually 15 ILS)
-vodka 0,5 ( 100 ILS)
-cigarettes (28-30 ILS)
➤public and private transport
-petrol 1l (95) 5,7 ILS
-bus Eilat(Ovda) airport 8 ILS
-bus Eilat centre to Jerusalem 28 ILS
-train Tel-Aviv to airport (13,5 ILS)
-bus Jerusalem-Tel Aviv (16 ILS)
➤SHABBAT - is Judaism's day of rest and seventh day of the week. It start for 5:00p.m on friday until 5:00pm saturday. Public transport don't work, offices and many shops are closed (don't worry private bus companies are work all the time 😏)
➤ Complicated control on airport. You shouldn't be surprised if you will have go more complicated airport control. They will ask you probably How long you wanna stay in Israel? Do you know some locals there? (better say no. If you say yes they will ask more and more), Who did come with you? Which places you wanna visit there? They will check also your passport. I mean your visa stamp in passport. If you haven't got stamp they can ask if you made new passport? In a back way it's more complicated. They can also about souvenirs if did you got some souvenirs from locals? (better say I don't know anywone there and I bought that souvenir in centre myself)
➤ MOBILE BOARDING PASS: I wanted to use mobline borading pass in Tel Aviv but my Ryanair app showed information about print tickets. What is more I've got information to arrive ealier to the airport. (Normally if someone has got big luggage need to be 2hours before flight, in TelAviv 3hours). There are more Terminals on airport. My Ryanair flew from Terminal 1.
➤WATER: water in the tap is ok. I mean there isn't that problem like in Egypt or Morocco.
➤ENGLISH: Everyone speaks english very well
➤MONEY: take american dollars or Euro and change it it Israel
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