Israel

First time in Israel and I tried to approach it with open eyes rather than preconceptions. Tel Aviv was the base and a good one — central, manageable, and with strong food options including the best hummus I've ever had. Masada was the big set piece and fully justified the trip. Two things worth kn…

Masada in Israel is extraordinary — the scale and history hit you immediately. But the experience around it has been thoroughly commercialised. Getting there, navigating the crowds, and dealing with persistent sellers around Haifa centre made it more stressful than it should be. Away from the main …

This was my third visit to Israel and I keep finding new reasons to return. This time I explored beyond Tel Aviv and discovered a completely different side of the country. Old City Jerusalem never loses its impact no matter how many times you've seen it. The food still makes me happy in ways I can'…

Did 6 days solo in Israel and found it extremely manageable as a solo traveller. The transport network around Eilat is decent and getting to Western Wall independently was straightforward. Met fellow travellers easily and locals were generally happy to chat. world-class food culture was a personal …

Only had a long weekend — about 6 days — in Israel, based in Tel Aviv. More than enough to fall for the place. Did Western Wall on day one and spent the rest of the time just walking and eating. The knafeh situation here is no joke — some of the best eating I've done anywhere. extraordinary concent…

I'll be honest — I went to Israel primarily to see Masada, and it delivered beyond what any photo prepares you for. But the surrounding region surprised me just as much. Eilat has a character I didn't anticipate, and wandering without a plan for an afternoon turned out to be one of the highlights. …

I've been to a lot of countries and the thing I'll remember most about Israel isn't Masada or even the extraordinary sabich — it's the people. In Jerusalem and out in the countryside, I encountered a warmth and generosity that felt completely genuine. One local family essentially adopted me for an …

Israel is a genuinely beautiful and interesting place. Dead Sea is worth every superlative thrown at it. The sabich is legitimately excellent. very intense and fascinating culture gave the trip real depth. What I struggled with: the tourist infrastructure around the headline sites in Haifa is relen…

After a lot of research I thought I knew what to expect from Israel. Some things matched: Western Wall is as spectacular as every review says, and Tel Aviv has a genuine energy I'd read about. The hummus obsession is completely justified. What I wasn't prepared for: very intense and fascinating cul…

Three weeks is long enough to get past the tourist surface in Israel. The first week I was in Nazareth and the big sites like Western Wall. The second and third I went further and slower. The food evolution was interesting — hummus everywhere but prepared so differently by region. Tel Aviv's beach …