It’s been almost a month since I returned from a vacation I hadn’t planned for this year—my trip to Israel, which I decided to combine with my long-time dream of visiting Jordan. But Jordan deserves its own post, so today, let’s talk about Israel.
On November 11, 2024, I flew out for my sixth trip to this magical country, where I’ve spent a total of six months. To say I’ve seen a lot during this time is an understatement—I’ve visited the main tourist attractions several times over. This trip was primarily planned to reconnect with distant but very close relatives whom I hadn’t seen for 10 years since my last visit to Israel in 2012.
This post will focus on my emotions because there’s already plenty of information about the sights on Google. Somehow, I have a special connection with Israel. It’s not because of my roots, not because I attended a Jewish school, not because I understand Hebrew fairly well, and not just because I’ve spent so much time there. It’s simply because I feel really at home there. I feel at home both in Estonia and in Israel. I feel an inner warmth, I really like the people, and the atmosphere. When I went to Israel for the second time, I went for three months to work, and with thoughts of maybe even moving there. I was 20 years old at the time, and despite all the emotional comfort, I didn’t want to live in a country where there’s always war, with no sign that it will ever stop. This was in 2000, and now, in 2022, rockets are still flying over this sunny country. But safety is a priority there, and I felt just as secure as in Estonia.
So I decided to stick to tourism, and I’m happy with that decision. Although a 10-year break between trips is too long; I want to go there more often!
This time, I bought tickets unexpectedly, for 10 days, and when I bought them, I managed to fit them into my work schedule, taking only 3 days off (at that time, I was working 3 days a week). When I realized I was flying without kids, I decided to also visit Jordan. As a result, I had only 6 days left for Israel, which wasn’t enough with relatives and friends in 6 cities… So I had to carefully choose where and how to go, and I didn’t manage to meet with everyone. I just decided that this time there would be no sightseeing or tours, only family and loved ones, and if possible, combined with the sea—finding sunshine in our gloomy November is pure happiness!
But in one city, I really wanted to stroll around calmly and even (a little) alone—that city was Tel Aviv. A city that, it seems to me, can’t leave anyone indifferent. It’s either your city or totally not. Tel Aviv is mine! And I needed to spend some time alone in Jaffa—a place of my strength. Generally, Tel Aviv is a city where people express themselves however they want, without regard for others, and this freedom is palpable in the air.
I also spent time in Yavne, Ashkelon, and Herzliya with relatives, went to Ashdod with a friend, and that was it. There was one more place I wanted to visit this time, but didn’t manage to. I wanted to go to the Western Wall. But that would have required a special trip to Jerusalem, and I didn’t have an extra day—so that’s for next time.
A bit about logistics. Traveling around the country by train is very convenient, as it connects almost all cities on the coast, Jerusalem, and the airport. Buying tickets is so easy that I was surprised the first time—I found out that if you have a specific app downloaded on your phone and everything is set up for payment (which turned out to be a bit more complicated than I thought), it’s extremely simple. The app automatically recognizes the station you’re entering and exiting using GPS and just charges the corresponding amount to your credit card. The only issue is that sometimes the stations are quite far from where you need to be, especially in Tel Aviv, so I called a taxi a couple of times using the app as well. It’s similar to Bolt and Uber, with one difference—drivers might ask if you need a receipt and whether you’re paying in cash, which affects the price! Such a Jewish deal :)) So, don’t turn off your brain completely; the East is a delicate matter. There are buses, of course, but I had so little time that I decided not to bother figuring them out and just took taxis. On previous trips, I used buses everywhere, and it was quick and convenient. Renting a car is possible, of course, depending on where you need to go. Traffic in Tel Aviv isn’t too bad, but for traveling around the country—definitely yes. There are amazing places that you can’t reach without a car, just like in other countries.
Regarding prices—Israel is certainly not a cheap destination, and I wouldn’t recommend going there for a beach holiday, although there are beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean Sea and Eilat on the Red Sea.
It’s impossible to describe everything, and I shared many interesting things about the country in Instagram stories, which I’ve saved under (Israel)—take a look to see this amazing country through the lens of my experiences!
Israel is a country to visit for experiences, emotions, culture, and history. Everyone will find something unique there if they just want to!