Israel itinerary and visiting Egypt

If you want to dive, cross into Egypt and go to Dahab. Don't waste your time in Eilat, it's boring, expensive and the reef has been damaged.

Worth noting that Jerusalem is the heart and soul of both Israel and the Palestinian territory. You will quickly discover that while West Jerusalem is Israeli, East Jerusalem is Palestinian. The city has a foot in both worlds, with each side having its own language and its own culture. That's one of the reasons why the place is so fascinating: you can change country just by crossing a street.

The only place where both worlds merge is the Old City, which has been divived into several quarters depending on religion for centuries: Jews, Christians, Muslims, Armenians. There's even a tiny African quarter where you will find the descendants of Subsaharan pilgrims and merchants who decided to stay in Jerusalem.

The divide between in Jerusalem and West Jeruslam only existed betwen 1948 adn 1967. Prior to 1948, Jerusalem was a united city

This thread will self destruct in 3, 2, 1...

Actually, the reefs all along the Sinai coast have all been damaged due to human activity, tourism and the building blitz on the Sinai coast.
A proper diving excursion will take you out on a yacht of some sort, so it gives no advantage to either Eilat or Dahab...

it has been a oh so long timke since I was in the Sinai, back when Dahab was not much more than a Bedouin fishing village

As far as I know, only Aqua Sport offers boat diving (Saturdays) to Japanese Garden, eventually again Manta Dive Center does. I did the dive two years ago with Aqua Sport. It was interesting but the guide didn't show us the animals. When you have the occasion to dive in the nature reserve (only for experienced divers) it's not absolutely necessary to dive at Japanese Garden.
Behind the Satil wreck you have a place called Coral Garden, it's worth seeing because of the colored corals.
I like also night dives, there you see different starfishes, anemones, cuttlefishes, octopus, lion fishes, shrimps and slugs. If you want I can send you pictures.
Normaly I dive with Shulamit and she points out the most interesting animals. As she does research on sea slugs she has an enormous knowledge about the reef. Usualy her groups are very small, so it's very individual.
Arad: I've been there, after seeing Masada. I absolutely not recomend the city as base for Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. Believe me, you will regret!

Ok guys, Arad was a bad idea, I get it. Can we stop going on about it now please? The accomodation is already booked and paid for, so there really isn't much to be done about it now. How about some constructive ideas on how to make the best of it instead? I'm sure there are going to be some+ buses going from Arad to the Dead Sea and Ein Gedi, +right? How much is a taxi to these places going to cost?

I do have a driver's license, I just haven't driven a car in almost 20 years and I'm starting to consider taking some driving lessons again... I don't expect there are going to be many cars with automatic transmission for rent in Israel/Arad? Also, is a German driving license going to be fine or would I need an international one?

Any other good advice for stuff to do in and around Arad and how to get around? Someone mentioned hiking, I like hiking, so advice on that would be appreciated. Also, on the off chance that anyone has any good ideas on how to spend some quality romantic relax time in the area, advice on that would be appreciated as well. You know, nice spas, good restaurants, romantic getaways, that sort of thing.

There are three buses a day (Sunday to Thursday) from Arad to Ein Gedi, at approximately (they come from elsewhere) 10:25, 13:00 and 15:45, journey time 1 hour and 25 minutes. On Fridays at 10:45 and 13:35, and none on Saturdays. Not exactly frequent or terribly useful...

A taxi from Arad to Ein Gedi is 273 shekels on weekdays and 326 shekels on Shabbat.

I can't help on the driving licence questions, sorry.

For some ideas, see here:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Arad_(Israel)

If you decide to rent a car, which might make a lot of sense, there are vehicles with automatic transmission available. Otherwise, Arad is just a bedroom community.

Hiking:
A network of trails has been marked in the desert around the town. Trails begin in the town and range from 1 hour to a full day. I haven't found a map in English but contact the info station at 972(0)8-9954160 or Dov Ponyo at 972(0)52-4666056 for more info and an English version.
http://www.arad.muni.il/fileadmin/images/tayarut/sevilim_hotf_arad/sviv<u>arad</u>-_map.pdf
You can also try to contact Musa abu Ayad at +972(0)524310162. He's a Bedouin who lives near the Bedouin school by the little airstrip just south of town. Not sure if he speaks English. Maybe you can visit his campsite and also arrange for someone to show you around.

Most rental cars in Israel have automatic transmission. BTW, I'm sure some if not all of the Arad hotels have a shuttle to the Dead Sea, whether free or not.
Also, have a look at this place, located between Arad and Masada: http://www.hanokdim.com/