hello everybody
I am back from Israel and I thought to share a couple of information which might be useful for others.
For travelling between Israel and Egypt please read my previous post.
Accomodation
- Jlem: Abraham Hostel definitely. I won't repeat what has already been said, but it's the best hostel I stayed in Israel so far.
- Haifa: we stayed at the Port Inn. Dorms a bit crowded and no free breakfast (price is 30 per person, don't know if it is worth it). Nice staff if you manage to avoid the not-so-friendly girl who is sometimes at the check in.
- Tel Aviv: since most hostels were full, we booked bed in dorms at the Bnei Dan Youth Hostel (Israel Youth Hostels Association). Apart from the location (you need to take the service/bus n5), we didn't like the staff (unfriendly, not helpful, spoke little English). It's basically an impersonal hotel. The only strong points are breakfast and cleanliness. No wonder Birthright groups like them so much. I had the same feeling this summer in the hostels in Ein Gedi and Masada.... bottom line is to avoid the official IYHA hostels unless you have no other option.
Food
My advice is to do a bit of research, see which places are crowded with locals, follow your nose and ask around! Do not limit yourself to hummus, felafel and shawarma just because they are cheap. Be prepared to wait for tables at very popular places (Cafe Qadosh, Mizhrai Coffeshop, Ha-Marakia in Jlem, Puaa Cafe in Jaffa, Sonia Gatzel Cafe in Tel Aviv, Batya also in TLV which is open on Shabbat by the way).
I cannot recall many places not mentioned by the LP book, except for Ima, restaurant doing mostly Sephardi food home-cooking style - the name means "Mum". Really popular with families. It is at the end of Agripas Street going towards the Bus Station. They also have the Kibbeh Bar in Mahane Ben Yahouda.
I am not saying much on what to see/do because that really depends on the interests of the traveller. I just mention that for me the day trips to Akko, Tsfat and Bethlem were worth the time and I found Akko and Tsfat really fascinating.
Also, for me fashion shopping in Tel Aviv was a bit disappointing (though I did not spend a lot of time there), while I found good cheap items in Jerusalem in the area of Ben Yehuda / Jaffa road (Shesh in Hillel Street especially). And of course, if you shop for souvenirs, do it far from the Old City. We got just one souvenir, paying it 1/3 of the price Old City vendors asked, by buying it in the Mahane Yehouda area.
