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Home » Israel » Introduction: A Week In Israel
IsraelTrip Reports

Introduction: A Week In Israel

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 22, 2020June 8, 2024 25 Comments

a city next to the water

Despite a lot of rain, my family and I had a good week in Israel. A great week actually. But I’m not sure how to write about it…

My Israel trip report will not be about flights, though I will talk about our EasyJet flights from Basel to Tel Aviv and back. It also won’t be about hotels, though I will talk about the guest houses we stayed at in Jerusalem and Nazareth (plus our splurge at The Jaffa in Tel Aviv, of course).

The week was spent seeing sites of historic and religious interest. Those included Christian, Jewish, and Muslim holy places in Jerusalem–itself an enigmatic discussion–and Christian sites in the Galilee.

We also spent a day in Bethlehem, enjoying not just the Church of the Nativity (which felt like a crowded Disneyland attraction) but an exploration of the political artwork (including the famous Banksy Art) along the Israeli West Bank barrier.

And of course we had plenty of good coffee and kanafeh along the way.

Since this blog tries to steer clear of overtly political and religious debate, I’m really on the fence as to how I will present this report.

I’m considering the following segments:

  • EuroAirport Skyview Lounge Review (BSL)
  • 8 Hours On EasyJet
  • Tel Aviv – Jerusalem High-Speed Train
  • A Regrettable Airbnb Experience in Israel
  • How I Spent 72 Hours In Jerusalem
  • Why I Wasn’t Moved By Holy Sites In The Holy Land
  • Great Coffee in Israel
  • How To Get From Jerusalem To Bethlehem Cheaply And Easily By Bus
  • Negotiating for Lunch in Bethlehem
  • Coffee And Politics At The Walled Off Hotel In Bethlehem
  • The Best Kanafeh In Israel
  • Driving In Israel
  • Very Friendly Waiters In Tel Aviv…
  • The Jaffa Tel Aviv Review
  • Traveling In Israel With A Young Child

But as I start to formulate this report, also wanted to leave it open to you, dear readers. What would you like to read in my report?

This will indeed be more of a destination report than a traditional miles/points trip report. We’ll see how it goes…

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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25 Comments

  1. MeanMeosh Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 5:45 pm

    Do you really need four separate coffee posts? Seems like you could combine those into one, “The Best Coffee in Israel”. I’m guessing a very small portion of your audience are enough of coffee snobs to appreciate four separate posts on the topic. Or maybe do one post about your food/coffee experience in Israel in general, something I’d find quite interesting.

    Maybe this is the gist of “How I Spent 72 Hours in Jerusalem”, but personally I’d enjoy a “just the facts” post about the history of what you visited, some details about your tour at the site, whether self-guided or professionally guided, photos, best time to visit, etc. Unfortunately, any trip report concerning Israel is going to bring the trolls out of the woodwork, so there’s probably no way to avoid that entirely.

    Perhaps you could also touch on what you would do differently in selecting an Airbnb next time, since I’m gathering from one of your post ideas that it didn’t go well.

  2. Richard Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    It is too politicised and contentious part of the world to not have politics be involved. And it’s too late to be apolitical now – unless you scrap the TR entirely – to write everything but nothing at all about the politics is in itself a political statement.

    I would recommend you write the report and then one editorial at the end.

    Whilst I understand the aim for High readership of the blog – If your comments on the politics of the region mean someone can’t read it anymore then it’s their loss And doesn’t change that how you see the truth of it is.

  3. Paolo Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    Don’t ask what your readers want ( particularly on this topic), just get on with it as you see fit, and if they don’t like it they’ll soon tell you, or they can eff off elsewhere.

    • Matthew Reply
      January 22, 2020 at 6:23 pm

      I’m not asking if they want me to go political or not, which will be my decision.

      Rather, I’m just asking if there is something they/you might want to read about that I have not listed above.

      • debit Reply
        January 22, 2020 at 8:49 pm

        You don’t censor comments. I respect that. Go on full crap. People need to learn to read stuff and ignore.

      • Jace Reply
        January 23, 2020 at 1:40 am

        I am just leaving Israel, been here for almost 2 weeks. I’m really interested in your opinion about the politics and the society here. I came in with some pre conceptions that were further reinforced, and saw some things that will require some more thought and discussion. The number of young military folk carrying machine guns everywhere is pretty surreal.

  4. derek Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    I was wondering when there would be something about the Israel trip. I traveled between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by bus. When I got secondary screening at the airport, they asked me so many questions in rapid fire, one of them being which bus I took and details about the bus. If I were lying, it would have showed.

  5. Jerry Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 8:31 pm

    This is political only from the standpoint of a European, N American, or Arab reader. Visiting places like Baku or Yerevan, Kupang or Dili, Amritsar or Lahore, let alone Africa’s numerous conflicts misunderstood in the West are no less ‘political’ from someone vested in the fights in those places.

    The Arab-Israeli conflict is indeed a conflict, but it’s not the only conflict. If a reader can’t enjoy a travel report about a visit to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv and the surrounding areas, perhaps they should consider broadening their worldview.

    I’m looking forward to the series, but I agree with @MeanMeosh that four posts on coffee is a bit much.

  6. YoniPDX Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    The Jaffa – incredible boutique hotel – like staying at a cross between an art gallery and a museum .

    The custom fragrance that wafts thru the new construction hotel and in the hotel miniatures (just cracked open and took a whiff). My all time favorite.

    We were upgraded to a $1K/n suite with view of the Mediterranean – got some wonderful sunset and full moon shots.

    Its amazing what they have created in addition to landscaping and lighting as well as what they have preserved.

    We spent 18.days this past March going from Eliat in the south to the Golan in the North, we had the national parks pass that allowed into about 25-30 NP. Stayed at Nof Ginosuar Kibbutz in the Galilee over a weekend. Visted the copper mines and Solomon pillars at Timminah, masada, floated in the dead sea, visited Qumran and En gedi, Shiloh, etc and so many other archeological and historical sites.

    With regards to Coffee, Israel and Australia are the only two countries that SBUX has failed.

    Dec/Jan Israel’s winter, not the ideal time to visit.

  7. Rachel Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 10:13 pm

    Why no content on the flights? I’m super interested in those!

    • Matthew Reply
      January 22, 2020 at 10:51 pm

      You mean my flights to/from LAX? I flew United from LAX-LHR and BA from LHR-FRA. Have done trip reports on both flights numerous times.

      For return, I flew TAP Portugal, which I’ll write about as well.

  8. Ben S Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 11:16 pm

    The last thing I care about is the coffee. Is there a need for four posts on coffee? I question a need for a single one. Also traveling with a child means nothing to me. Everything else interests me. Get as detailed as you like and I’ll keep reading.

    • AL Reply
      January 24, 2020 at 4:09 pm

      I am contemplating a trip to Israel with my soon-to-be-five year old. I would really appreciate your insights on traveling in Israel with a young child (e.g., easy of schelpping around, locals tolerance for kids at religious and cultural sites and restaurants in the evening, any highlights to check out with kids).

      Agree on the coffee points. Even as someone who seeks out good coffee when traveling, I think one post is sufficient.

  9. Joe Reply
    January 22, 2020 at 11:33 pm

    Your link to “penandpassport.com” in About the Author doesn’t seem to be correct…unless you’re selling insurance.

    • Kyle Stewart Reply
      January 23, 2020 at 3:39 pm

      It’s down for extended maintenance.

  10. GT Traveller Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 12:55 am

    I wish you would have flown El Al! Looking forward to your Israel trip report, focus on whatever you want, your blog, your post, do it the Mathew way! 🙂 Israel is simply AMAZING!

  11. JB Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 1:16 am

    All looks good to me! Wanted to travel to Israel for a long time, this will help with my trip planning!

  12. Aaron Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 3:35 am

    I agree with the people saying 4 separate posts about coffee to 3 too many.

  13. Paolo Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 4:17 am

    4 posts on coffee is fine. He always puts coffee in a cultural and/or food context, so there’s something for everyone, not just addicts..
    I don’t expect reviews of Vegan BBQ joints, but like the coffee ones. Never Starbucks is a plus.

  14. CP Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 4:42 am

    I’m heading to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with a friend in a few months and it’ll be our first time in Israel so it would be great to hear your thoughts on ‘must see’s/do’s/eats/drinks’.

  15. 121Pilot Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 5:52 am

    I’d be interested in reading about the sites you visited and your impressions of them. Places you visited and found perhaps not worth it and/or places you didn’t make it to but wish you had. A report that what help someone who hasn’t been to Israel themselves plan their own visit.

  16. Greg Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 8:44 am

    Tell the story that *you* think is interesting and/or important.

    If people don’t like it, they’ll tell you.

  17. ron Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 8:47 am

    I would be interested in the security circus before the flights. One will have to take that into account that when considering a trip to Israel. Not so much the fact that security is tight, but how it is conducted.
    I would have no issue at all with professionally executed, extremely tight security. But I am allergic for unskilled types who feel important just because they are stripped in a uniform, and long lines because security is unable to get themselves organized.

  18. Moose Reply
    January 23, 2020 at 9:15 am

    As a frequent business traveler to Tel Aviv (usually flying Polaris from EWR), I’d be most interested in hearing about traveling with a young child. My son does well flying 3-5 hours, but I don’t know how well he would handle a 12 hour flight. I always love to hear what surprises people the most about Israel…it certainly wasn’t what I expected prior to my first visit.

  19. Tim Reply
    January 29, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    I recently got back from a Israel, Jordan and Egypt trip. The children are the best. Enthusiasm is the best. All the peoples I met want the same thing. To live in peace and have the opportunity for housing, a job and education for their children. The Sea of Galilee and Capernaum were the highlights for me. The quiet reflective areas with a thought to the history. Jerusalem was filled with history but very noisy. One morning while walking on the beach in Tel Aviv I saw a rocket from the iron dome go off, only to learn latter it was a test.

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