Destination Tel Aviv, Israel

In Israel, the land of holy cities, visiting Tel Aviv is like taking a trip on the wild side. The Mediterranean’s capital of cool pulsates 24/7, serving up sun and sand with lashings of culture, a hot nightlife, a vibrant gay scene, top-notch cuisine and superb retail therapy. 

I didn’t immediately fall in love with Israel’s financial, media and cultural hub. The tower-block hotels that litter the seafront won’t help the “Hill of the Spring,” as its name translates, win any beauty contests, But this urban metropolis, founded on sand dunes in 1909, had plenty of surprises up its sleeve.

Tel Aviv is not just a city to fly, flop and party. If you can tear yourself away from the beach, for an injection of culture, the Museum of Art, is a great place to spend a couple of hours as it has a good collection of both classical and contemporary art, with a focus on Israeli artists.

Tel Aviv

A walk along the chicest and oldest street in the city, Rothschild Boulevard, in the heart of what is called “The White City”, will take you past some creamy-white Bauhaus buildings. Tel Aviv has over 4,000, the largest collection in the world and for which it has been recognised as a Unesco World Heritage site. 

Nearby Sheinkin Street, regarded as one of the most happening streets in the city, is studded with cutting-edge fashion boutiques, and like Rothschild Boulevard, has plenty of great cafés and restaurants which crackle with energy at night.

This city is definitely a shoppers’ paradise and a foodies’ heaven. From the buzzy newly-regenerated port in the north, home to some first-class eateries and also great shops, to the bustling open-air Carmel Market, where as well as finding mouth-watering fruits and vegetables and other knickknacks, you can rub shoulders with locals at the numerous falafel stores or venture to Nahalat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall for the Arts and Crafts Market, where you can sit and nosh while watching street performers.

Sheinkin Street

There are plenty of cafés on every street. Whatever your taste and pocket you will find a variety of culinary delights. What is also amazing is that these places are all always busy, day and night. Don’t be surprised if the people at the next table strike up a conversation. People here are incredibly welcoming and friendly. 

For a complete change of pace, I headed to Jaffa, the ancient port, which according to legend, was built by Noah’s son, Yefet, after the flood. It is also said to be the place where Peter the apostle raised Tabitha from the dead. A Franciscan church, St Peter’s, commemorates the miracle.

Discovering Jaffa, is like walking through the entrance of another world, There is plenty to take in, the old clock tower, in the recently renovated central square, the buildings, the vistas of Tel Aviv’s coast and fishermen bringing home their catch. The old stone alleys, peppered with stylish art galleries, shops, cafes and restaurants, beg you to explore. Knowing that you are standing where the likes of Richard The Lionheart and Napoleon once were only adds to the romance and mystery you can almost taste in the air. 

Jaffa

I couldn’t resist a visit to the nearby flea market for a truly Middle Eastern shopping experience. You need to polish up your bartering skills before you go, if, amid the shouts of the traders and scrawny streets cats that seem to roam all over the city, you want to pick up a bargain from the eclectic mix of new and vintage clothes, antique furniture and jewellery. 

Explore the area and you’ll hit on some gems such as Noga, an up and coming quarter and home to a multicultural creative community. One place not to miss is bloom field, a gallery for art, design fashion and jewellery. It has live music every Sunday. There is also the Noga Gallery of Contemporary Art that showcases Israeli artists.

One of my favourite haunts is the Ha Tachana complex. The transformation of the old train station of Jaffa, neglected for over 60 years, has definitely given Tel Aviv a leg up in the style stakes. Together with sidings and freight storage buildings, there is an array of designer boutiques, art exhibitions and, you guessed it, al fresco cafes. Vicky Christina, a Tapas bar, is the place to go.

Neveh Tsedek, a few minutes away, is the oldest Jewish neighbourhood, an intricate maze of narrow streets lined with a mix of old and gorgeous renovated pastel-painted houses. At its core is the Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre, surrounded by a beautiful piazza and gardens.  

Later that night having dinner with friends at Herbert Samuel, one of the city’s best restaurants, I realised that Tel Aviv had seduced me. This hedonistic metropolis, a blend of multicultural and religious influences blended with a laissez-faire attitude is a dream destination. Whatever your beliefs, whether you are young or old, conservative or trendsetting, straight or gay, you can be what you want to be.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

El Al offers flights from London Luton or from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv. For flights from regional airports and for best fares visit elal.uk

I stayed at the Herods Hotel Tel Aviv (leonardo-hotels.com) 

For more information about Israel visit new.goisrael.com

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist

  

Destination the Dead Sea and Herod’s Massada, Israel

Sometimes miracles do happen and one happened to me at in the Judean Desert at the Dead Sea, the lowest – 400 meters below sea level, to be exact – and saltiest spot on the planet.

At 5.30am, I walked down to the sea to discover several people bobbing like bottles on the water. Having recently had foot surgery, my mission was to reap the water’s therapeutic benefits.

The Dead Sea air is reputed to have a relaxing effect as it contains extra oxygen and bromine as well as minerals renowned for helping people with psoriasis and ailments which include joint problems, so maybe it would do something for my feet. I hoped a dip in the sea would stop the spasmodic twinges of pain I was still getting.

The Dead Sea

As the water is extremely salty, most life forms cannot exist in it, the skin can easily become dehydrated, so it is advisable not to stay in the water too long. And don’t splash!  Get salt in your eyes and it will sting like crazy. The Dead Sea's low elevation means that it has weakened UV radiation, but you still have to take care in the sun, which is probably why so many people were up so early. 

I slathered my legs and feet in mud and bathed them for a good 20 minutes. Legend has it that the Queen of Sheba and Cleopatra believed in the healing and rejuvenating properties of the Dead Sea’s mud and salts. And these two women were supposed to know a thing or two about beauty!

People bobbing like bottles on the Dead Sea

Before leaving, I managed to squeeze in a mud treatment at the Isrotel Dead Sea’s spa, the hotel where I was staying. My body was fully caked in mud, then wrapped in plastic, for what seemed an eternity. After eventually showering the stuff off, my therapist applied a lovely moisturising cream containing Dead Sea minerals. I have to say since that day I have not had one twinge. The magic of the Dead Sea? I’d like to think so.

After being pampered it was time to explore the area. Crossing a vista of stony mountains and steep canyons that surround the Dead Sea, I made my way to Masada, the remains of King Herod’s fortress, a place where history meets archaeology and tells a heart-wrenching story of bravery and martyrdom.

Thanks to the accounts of the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, from the first century and excavations from the early 1960s, the story of Masada lives on.

King Herod, needing a bolt-hole, had this three-tiered palace built. At the beginning of the great revolt against Rome in the year 68BC, it became the refuge of survivors of the Jewish revolt.

The governor of Judea, Flavius Silva was determined to end the uprising and laid siege to the fortress. A ramp was built and the soldiers managed to breach the wall with a battering ram. The 960 Jews, led by Eleazar Ben Yair, chose death over slavery. After killing their wives and children, the men then killed each other. The last man standing, allegedly, committed suicide.

Add Exploring Masada: the western edge of the great palace-fortress
Courtesy of  the Israeli Ministry of Tourism www.goisrael.comcaption

My Israeli guide, Gadi Talmi, was like a walking encyclopaedia.  He told the story so beautifully that standing on the top of Masada looking down at the Roman military camps and the wild rugged, unspoilt scenery that engulfed it, you could almost feel these zealots’ presence.  

You can climb the renowned “snake path” to the top, but the cable car, which will whisk you there in minutes is preferable in hot weather. Load up on sunscreen and water before you go.

Once there you can see the remains of living spaces occupied by these Jews as well as a mikveh (Jewish ritual bath), storerooms, watchtowers, a synagogue  and mosaics thousands of years old. Particularly impressive is the water system which collected water from a day’s rainfall to keep a thousand people for over two years.

Whatever fate has in store for the Dead Sea, I’m sure that the fortress of Masada, the modern symbol of Jewish survival, will observe it all and be a wonder for generations to come.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

El Al offers flights from London Luton or from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv. For regional flights, connections and best fares  visit elal.uk

Isrotel Dead Sea (isrotel.com)

For more information about Israel visit new.goisrael.com

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist