Cruise Critic member in Israel, happy to answer questions

[happy trailer]

COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Although there are a number of born again Breslav Hassdim in Zefat(who are nothing like the real ones) who do use drugs. Ectasy is popular because they like to stay up all night singing. I had a downstairs neighor that was invovled with them.

 

If you are interested in Sefad because of the Artists' Colony, it is all but gone. The place has become an enclave of religious Jews, with a lot of born again (Jews) types. It has always historically been associated with Kabbalh, but for the past decade or two it has been associated with a much so-called-Kabbah which would have the ancient sages rolling in their graves.[/color]

Marian- Your constant need to showcase your antagonism toward religious Jews in Israel (in pretty much any thread on CC that gives you even the slightest opportunity :eek:) has led you to give out misinformation. I appeal to you to stick to the reason why I started this thread- as a way to give out helpful information to Cruise Critic members who seek help in planning their visits to Israel.

 

Mary- I apologize for the digression. Please see my previous post about Klil, and the ones to follow regarding Sefad and the rest of your initial post.

 

Ruth

[happy trailer]

 

I'm much more confused about the Haifa port. I don't want to spend time in Haifa. I want my kids to see Safad, and the Gallilee. Should we rent a car for that or get a guide?

 

While you certainly can visit both Sefad and the Gallilee on your own, if you really want your DIL to have the most meaningful (and enjoyable) visit possible, then I strongly suggest you hire a guide. A private guide will work with you to plan your trip around your needs, preferences, and pleasures, and will have the knowledge and background to ensure that all (and each) of you get the most out of every moment of your visit.

 

I also like the idea of Glil (?) where you can horseback ride. I have heard it's really lovely and a hippie throwback. They would love it, me too!

 

See my comments re Klil in my previous post. If you take my suggestion about a guide, they can make arrangements for horseback riding for you, and include it as part of your tour.

 

I need some guidance on how to break up the 2 days so it's fun & interesting. My kids are interested in religion (philosophically) and history and nature and fun. I love shopping and all the rest. Can you help us? I'm sorry, the answer may be here in the 420 or so posts, but I don't have time to get thru them all. Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on how to spend our time. Mary

 

The Gallilee region definitely has something for each of you! (You could even plan a 'foodie/wine tour' for part of your visit. Sefad will cover the religion, history, and shopping interests, and the Gallilee's natural beauty has plenty of opportunities to satisfy everything else.

 

As to how to break up the 2 days, why not devote one day to history/religion (and some shopping), and the other to exploring and enjoying nature (you could include a foodie tour on this day, too)? With those 2 really long, full days in Haifa, you could travel as far as the Sea of Gallilee - the Kinneret-(and beyond) one day, visiting Sefad, and maybe also Beit Shean.

 

If you chose to do your touring on your own, then check to see if there are any English language walking tours in Sefad the day you are visiting, as they will add to your visit. (CC rules prevent me from mentioning any specific tours, but you can find several by doing a google search for walking tours in Sefad.)

 

For your 'day in nature' you can choose horseback riding, jeep touring, ATV touring, or hiking. You can also go kayaking and zip lining. With some researching (again, google is your friend :)), and planning, you could also do this day on your own.

 

[One thing to keep in mind, if you decide to 'do it yourself' instead of hiring a guide, is that the car rental agencies in Haifa are not located at the port, and they tend to close around 4 or 5pm. You'll need to take a taxi or bus to and from the agencies, and you will have to cut your touring day short by several hours than your port time in order to return the car on time. Of course, you could spend those hours exploring Haifa. There are several interesting places to see in Haifa, especially if you are interested in modern day Israeli history. ]

 

I'm hoping that one of the tour guides who occasionally post here will chime in, as they will have excellent suggestions for how to time and plan your days.

 

 

 

Although there are a number of born again Breslav Hassdim in Zefat(who are nothing like the real ones) who do use drugs. Ectasy is popular because they like to stay up all night singing. I had a downstairs neighor that was invovled with them.

 

Oh, please, Marian!

 

 

If you are interested in Sefad because of the Artists' Colony, it is all but gone.

 

The many, many artists and gallery owners of present day Sefad would like to have a word with you about your claim, Marian. :rolleyes:

[Marian Paroo]

As you can see, we all have different persepectives about the country we live in!

[chloe kitty]

Does anyone know if there is a kibbutz (excuse my spelling) near Haifa? We would love to see one.

 

Thank you

[Marian Paroo]

Does anyone know if there is a kibbutz (excuse my spelling) near Haifa? We would love to see one.

 

Thank you

 

Quite a few in that part of the country.

 

Although with all the privitization, kibbutzim aren't what they used to me.

 

If you aren't going to be in Jerusalem and want to go to a Holocaust museum, there is a kibbutz due north of Haifa, between Acre and Nahariya (which is south of Rosh Hanikra). It's Lochemi Haghettaot (Ghetto fighters kibbutz) so if you go there you can see a museum and a kibbutz at once. They are also the people that make Tivol, a soy product that is sold in the USA.

 

Are you interested in any particular kibbutz movement? There are religious kibbutzim (dati) , center left kibbutzim (Ihud)and further left kibbutzim.(Hashomer) . The names in the () are the umbella groups, not names of kibbutzim of course.

 

I think the kibbutz movements have a united visitors site. Gimme a little time I gotta leave for hair nails face inf a few minutes. - I fly to Venice tomorrow.

[Marian Paroo]

Couldn't find a site on the 'net for visitor services on kibbutzim (kibbutz-singular, kibbutzim-plural), but there seems to be plenty discussion on the subject at Trip Advisor.

[chloe kitty]

Couldn't find a site on the 'net for visitor services on kibbutzim (kibbutz-singular, kibbutzim-plural), but there seems to be plenty discussion on the subject at Trip Advisor.

 

Thanks for your info. I had no idea that there is a variety of Kibbutz types. My husband has some relatives on a Kibbutz near Jeruselem, but we don't have time or the inclination to see them.

Enjoy your trip to Venice.

[Marian Paroo]

Thanks for your info. I had no idea that there is a variety of Kibbutz types. My husband has some relatives on a Kibbutz near Jeruselem, but we don't have time or the inclination to see them.

Enjoy your trip to Venice.

 

There are actually two more groups, but they were very small and I think have since affiliated with the major groups closest to them: an orthodox socialist group (well, all kibbutzim are socialist by nature) and a communist (as opposed to socialist) group.

[lahore]

Hi, I wonder if you might give me some ideas. We are coming to Israel next year on Oceania Nautica. We arrive Ashdod on May 10th at 6:00 am and depart Ashdod on May 11th at 8:00 pm so it's quite a long stay (for a cruise). I note that the 11th is a Friday by the way. We then arrive May 12th at Haifa, 7:00 am to 5pm.

 

We are ultra-extremely independent travellers, wouldn't dream of going on a ship's tour. We have lived in Muslim countries and neither of us are religious - I mention this because although history interests us we are not zealots of any persuasion and have seen a lot of mosques. I know next to nothing about Judaism and care little for Christianity. My partner was a choir boy and is not an agnostic! So he can teach me something about Christianity - again I know very little.

 

I would never be entirely bored by any historical site, but I don't want to spend two days looking at things about JC. We would however like to see the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock (him, probably more than me). I am most keen to see the Dead Sea and do the float thing.

 

I don't mind at all taking public transport (e.g., trains, did that all over Asia and China so are relatively adventurous). Also don't mind paying good money for privacy but loath guides who have agendas to push and commission to seek.

 

Given the above information, can you good folk who live there make any suggestions? Unusual places that we might not know about would also be cool to know about.

 

Oh, and we love food, trying local food that is - not those GHASTLY tour buffets.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited May 11, 2011 by lahore

[trishs]

Hi, I wonder if you might give me some ideas. We are coming to Israel next year on Oceania Nautica. We arrive Ashdod on May 10th at 6:00 am and depart Ashdod on May 11th at 8:00 pm so it's quite a long stay (for a cruise). I note that the 11th is a Friday by the way. We then arrive May 12th at Haifa, 7:00 am to 5pm.

 

We are ultra-extremely independent travellers, wouldn't dream of going on a ship's tour. We have lived in Muslim countries and neither of us are religious - I mention this because although history interests us we are not zealots of any persuasion and have seen a lot of mosques. I know next to nothing about Judaism and care little for Christianity. My partner was a choir boy and is not an agnostic! So he can teach me something about Christianity - again I know very little.

 

I would never be entirely bored by any historical site, but I don't want to spend two days looking at things about JC. We would however like to see the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock (him, probably more than me). I am most keen to see the Dead Sea and do the float thing.

 

I don't mind at all taking public transport (e.g., trains, did that all over Asia and China so are relatively adventurous). Also don't mind paying good money for privacy but loath guides who have agendas to push and commission to seek.

 

Given the above information, can you good folk who live there make any suggestions? Unusual places that we might not know about would also be cool to know about.

 

Oh, and we love food, trying local food that is - not those GHASTLY tour buffets.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

We just got back from a cruise and had Moti Barness as our private guide. He was amazing. He knowledgeable in every area. He gives you the information when you are in an area that is about Judaism, Christianity, Muslim, etc.

 

He took us off road in many places and one I thought was amazing is where a monk lives you can only get there by 4 wheel drive. It was indescribable. I could go on for hours.

 

But there was no agenda, well maybe one "peace" but I liked that agenda.

 

We had stopped along side a road in the hill were we had amazing local food. There is a story of history here too but won't go into it. All hand made with wraps that had goat cheese olive oil that was from their trees.

 

We loved floating in the dead sea.

 

He will take you where ever you want to go, and not take you where you do not want to go. Again he made it the best ever.

[lahore]

Hi trishs. How much did he charge please?

[lahore]

Beware: dumb question ahead.

What side of the road do you drive on in Israel?

[OreetS]

No such thing as a dumb question - I see you are from Australia - in which case we drive on the "wrong" side of the road for you.

 

In Israel we drive on the right.

 

I don't agree that driving in Israel is not for the faint of heart - except for the crowded cities, driving here is not much different than anywhere else. You can do very well without a car when in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, etc. You really do need a car when in the northern areas, the south, near the Dead Sea. While there is public transportation it does not run that frequently and there are places that are more cumbersome to get to.

[Marian Paroo]

No such thing as a dumb question - I see you are from Australia - in which case we drive on the "wrong" side of the road for you.

 

In Israel we drive on the right.

 

I don't agree that driving in Israel is not for the faint of heart - except for the crowded cities, driving here is not much different than anywhere else. You can do very well without a car when in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, etc. You really do need a car when in the northern areas, the south, near the Dead Sea. While there is public transportation it does not run that frequently and there are places that are more cumbersome to get to.

 

Watch out for Route 6 (our only toll road), esp. on Friday night when in becomes a drag strip.

 

Actually, driving in stop and go traffic is the safest -- it slows the machos down.

[lahore]

Ah, thanks folks. If you folk drive on the opposite side of the road to us then we won't be hiring a car - we tried that in USA and it was a farce :o. I can't tell left from right at the best of times. I wasn't so worried about traffic because we currently live in Malaysia and driving in South East Asia generally would not be called organised, or rule-bound, but the shift to the other side of the road, particularly when turning, is a nightmare.

 

So...is there ANY chance of catching a public bus from our cruise ports to places of interest please? We have an overnighter in Ashdod and want to see the Dead Sea and a couple of places of interest in Jerusalem (Western Wall, Dome of the Rock). Any suggestions and, even better, details of how to catch public transport would be great. BTW, we are used to this style of travel, we love slow travel (hence the cruise) but hate the entire concept of group travel. On other cruises, including in places as varied as Japan and India, we have used public transport and had a ball.

[OreetS]

Actually, renting a car from Ashdod is not as convenient as it sounds, so your decision to forego a car is a good one.

 

Ashdod is a closed port. If you choose to skip the ship tours then you will need to have different arrangements for leaving the port. You will usually find that the ship has arranged for a free shuttle bus that will take you from the dock to the Central Bus Station in Ashdod. You can easily catch a bus from there to Jerusalem (the express is #448, the route with more stops is #438) - you can check schedules, etc. at http://www.egged.co.il/eng

 

If the shuttle is not convenient or is not running early or late enough then you can take a taxi from the dock to the bus station. There will be taxis waiting on the dock. (Make sure you get a contact number as there is only one company that has clearance for their taxis to enter the port).

 

To visit the Old City of Jerusalem, etc. you would take the bus to Jerusalem and then either take a cab or a city bus to your destination.

If you want to head to the Dead Sea you would need to take another inter-city bus from Jerusalem - again check schedules at the same web-site above.

 

Keep in mind that visiting hours for non-Moslems to the Temple Mount are limited (7:30-10:30 in the mornings and 1:30 to 2:30 in the afternoon - no visits on Friday or Saturday).

 

Will you be staying in Jerusalem overnight? You may want to consider that, otherwise you will be spending a lot of time on buses back and forth. The bus from Ashdod station to Jerusalem is close to 2 hours, as is the return.

[Marian Paroo]

Actually, renting a car from Ashdod is not as convenient as it sounds, so your decision to forego a car is a good one.

 

Ashdod is a closed port. If you choose to skip the ship tours then you will need to have different arrangements for leaving the port. You will usually find that the ship has arranged for a free shuttle bus that will take you from the dock to the Central Bus Station in Ashdod. You can easily catch a bus from there to Jerusalem (the express is #448, the route with more stops is #438) - you can check schedules, etc. at http://www.egged.co.il/eng

 

If the shuttle is not convenient or is not running early or late enough then you can take a taxi from the dock to the bus station. There will be taxis waiting on the dock. (Make sure you get a contact number as there is only one company that has clearance for their taxis to enter the port).

 

To visit the Old City of Jerusalem, etc. you would take the bus to Jerusalem and then either take a cab or a city bus to your destination.

If you want to head to the Dead Sea you would need to take another inter-city bus from Jerusalem - again check schedules at the same web-site above.

 

Keep in mind that visiting hours for non-Moslems to the Temple Mount are limited (7:30-10:30 in the mornings and 1:30 to 2:30 in the afternoon - no visits on Friday or Saturday).

 

Will you be staying in Jerusalem overnight? You may want to consider that, otherwise you will be spending a lot of time on buses back and forth. The bus from Ashdod station to Jerusalem is close to 2 hours, as is the return.

 

The gal is giving good advice!

Edited May 27, 2011 by Marian Paroo

[deserttraveler]

When I visited Israel some years ago, a highlight was a visit to the galleries and studios of Ein Hod, and then a memorable meal at a family-run restaurant in the upper town (spectacular views of the Mediterranean). An Israeli friend told me that the fires last year had pretty much destroyed Ein Hod, and I'm wondering if the town (lower, upper, both) has been able to come back enough from the fires to host visitors.

[Marian Paroo]

When I visited Israel some years ago, a highlight was a visit to the galleries and studios of Ein Hod, and then a memorable meal at a family-run restaurant in the upper town (spectacular views of the Mediterranean). An Israeli friend told me that the fires last year had pretty much destroyed Ein Hod, and I'm wondering if the town (lower, upper, both) has been able to come back enough from the fires to host visitors.

 

Looks like they are getting back on their feet!

 

 

http://ein-hod.info/

 

[deserttraveler]

Thanks so much. Wow! It's great that they escaped the fire. I hope the upper town did also. I hope to pay a visit in July.

C.

[salseros2003]

We need some advise about our next visit to Israel next August with Celebrity.

We have an overnigth in Ashod and we have already planned a tour to Masada the first day. The next day, August 15th is full for Jerusalem. So far we are trying to get a private tour but we are wondering if feasible to do it by ourself. We are used to do it during our holidays ut not sure if feasible for this stage.

So no restriction sbout timing because we have an overnight and the ship will leave late in the evening around 10pm. So we can leave very early in the morning and no specific restriction in caming back.

 

So some questions if we can.

Can we get a taxi right off the ship? How much does it cost the trip to Jerusalem? Can we find easily a tsxi back to the ship? Which currency we can pay? Euro or dollar? Or credit card?

In Jerusalem we want for sure to visit all Christian place starting from the Holy Sepulcrer... Due to the crowded people we could find do we have to start from here? Any restriction in the opening time?

So as plan we want to visit all the main sites...any suggestion as route to follow? No problem in walking.

 

Thanks

[epixx]

We need some advise about our next visit to Israel next August with Celebrity.

We have an overnigth in Ashod and we have already planned a tour to Masada the first day. The next day, August 15th is full for Jerusalem. So far we are trying to get a private tour but we are wondering if feasible to do it by ourself. We are used to do it during our holidays ut not sure if feasible for this stage.

So no restriction sbout timing because we have an overnight and the ship will leave late in the evening around 10pm. So we can leave very early in the morning and no specific restriction in caming back.

 

So some questions if we can.

Can we get a taxi right off the ship? How much does it cost the trip to Jerusalem? Can we find easily a tsxi back to the ship? Which currency we can pay? Euro or dollar? Or credit card?

In Jerusalem we want for sure to visit all Christian place starting from the Holy Sepulcrer... Due to the crowded people we could find do we have to start from here? Any restriction in the opening time?

So as plan we want to visit all the main sites...any suggestion as route to follow? No problem in walking.

 

Thanks

 

Hi Massimo:

I can't help you from experience, but I have been researching the same topic, as we are also planning our own excursion from Ashdod to Jerusalem. The taxis come right to the ship. The trip costs 220 NIS (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293977-i1733-k4525720-Taxi_fare_from_Ashdod_port_to_Jerusalem-Israel.html), but I don't know whether the drivers take euros, dollars, or credit cards. The problem with the return trip is that only one taxi company has a permit to enter the secure port area, and passengers are not allowed to walk. Thus, the options for the return are to (1) arrange with the original taxi driver a time and place for pickup, (2) call the taxi company that is permitted to enter the port when you are ready to leave, (3) take any taxi from Jerusalem to the port entrance and then take another (permitted) taxi from the port entrance to the ship, (4) take any taxi from Jerusalem to the port entrance and then take the Celebrity shuttle from port entrance to ship. The problem with the last option is that the shuttle might not run late in the evening, and it's rather costly (either $5.00 or $10.00 per person, according to a Celebrity representative). For your itinerary, you might want to consider taking a taxi to Jerusalem and hiring a private walking guide for a few hours. Alternatively, perhaps consider the free Jerusalem walking tours which leave every day at 1100 (http://www.newjerusalemtours.com/). Have a great trip.

[motib]

We need some advise about our next visit to Israel next August with Celebrity.

We have an overnigth in Ashod and we have already planned a tour to Masada the first day. The next day, August 15th is full for Jerusalem. So far we are trying to get a private tour but we are wondering if feasible to do it by ourself. We are used to do it during our holidays ut not sure if feasible for this stage.

So no restriction sbout timing because we have an overnight and the ship will leave late in the evening around 10pm. So we can leave very early in the morning and no specific restriction in caming back.

 

So some questions if we can.

Can we get a taxi right off the ship? Yes you have a taxi service on the pier in Ashdod. How much does it cost the trip to Jerusalem? On the pier you'll see a sign with a prices table. The prices are quoted for a tour including waiting hours. The price of only a ride to Jerusalem should be around 240NIS according to the official tariff (around 70$) Can we find easily a tsxi back to the ship? Yes and no... Yes it will be easy to find a taxi that will take you back to Ashdod for your money... and no because this taxi will be able to take you only to the port gate. only authorizes taxi can take you into the port and you won't find one in Jerusalem. Which currency we can pay? Euro or dollar? Or credit card? In God we trust and plastic and Euro too... for the taxi $ or Euro will be accepted. Every place you'll be able to use credit card. in a lot of places you'll be able to pay in $ or Euro too.

In Jerusalem we want for sure to visit all Christian place starting from the Holy Sepulcrer... Due to the crowded people we could find do we have to start from here? Any restriction in the opening time? The Holy Sepulture will always be crowded, don't bother to do too much planning regarding to this place.

So as plan we want to visit all the main sites...any suggestion as route to follow? No problem in walking. Every place you'll visit in the Old City will involve walking, no cars in the Old City.

 

Thanks

 

Hope I helped

[OreetS]

Additionally, there is no way you can see ALL the Christian sites in Jerusalem in one day. The Holy Sepulchre is open straight through the day, almost all other churches close for 2-3 hours in the afternoon.

 

If you plan on actually entering the Edicula (the Sepulchre itself) you will have to wait on line for anywhere between one to three hours. Plan ahead of time and consider if you want to allocate time for that.

[salseros2003]

Than you so much to all of you.

 

So I see we can manage a full city tour by walking, all main attractions are within walking distance? From maps it seems so.

 

About Holy Sepulcher we can guess to have less to wait if we arrive early in the morning?

Edited June 5, 2011 by salseros2003