ShareWhat kind of camera should I bring? Coming to the Land of Israel on holiday/pilgrimage/vacation/family visit is no small thing. The price of airline tickets, hotels (and a guide) do not come cheaply. This will be a trip that you will take home with you and cherish the memories for the rest of your lives. […]

What kind of camera should I bring?

Coming to the Land of Israel on holiday/pilgrimage/vacation/family visit is no small thing. The price of airline tickets, hotels (and a guide) do not come cheaply.

This will be a trip that you will take home with you and cherish the memories for the rest of your lives.

Many of us take photos and videos of our trips to help us relive those fantastic moments. Some of us will even buy a camera for the trip. As a private tour guide in Israel, I am sometimes asked what kind of camera to bring.

Today, smartphones (like the iPhone 5s, Samsung Galaxy 4, for example) are equipped with very simple to use, but sophisticated cameras which can take excellent photos and videos.

However, when you want to zoom into your scene using a smartphone, the picture will lose quality.

Also, I don’t recommend using your smartphone in harsh or adverse conditions like the Dead Sea or the desert on a windy day and certainly not near the pool!

Some really good digital cameras have been announced recently like the Nikon Df and the Sony a7 and a7r, but these are full frame (don’t worry if you don’t know what that means) digital cameras for serious photographers and cost about $3,000!

However, the Nikon doesn’t shoot video and you don’t Sony, though a landmark camera, still costs 3k and you can’t take it surfing.

There is an easier and less costly alternative: a weatherproof camera. All the big companies like Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc., make them.

They range from $120 to $300, but I would like to recommend one in particular – the Fujifilm XP60. Coming in at about $150, this thing takes great photos and videos (HD) and you can even scuba dive with it (imagine tossing your smartphone to your 11 year old in the pool)!

Don’t take my word for it. Google “best weather proof cameras” and start reading.

Enjoy!

fujifilm-xp60_blue_front

Share Falafel is a dish consisting of deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas onions, parsley and garlic, seasoned with coriander and cumin. The balls are then put into a pita usually with “Israeli-stlye” salad (chopped cucumber and tomato) and French-fries (chips). Any self-respecting falafel joint with have a self-service small buffet of tahini (a sauce make […]

falafel private tour guide in Israel

Falafel is a dish consisting of deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas onions, parsley and garlic, seasoned with coriander and cumin. The balls are then put into a pita usually with “Israeli-stlye” salad (chopped cucumber and tomato) and French-fries (chips). Any self-respecting falafel joint with have a self-service small buffet of tahini (a sauce make of sesame seeds), hot chili pepper sauce (schugg), sauerkraut, fried eggplant, pickles, olives, hot peppers, etc. Humus is usually not added as humus is made from the same chickpeas as are the falafel balls (and humus tends to sour quickly in the hot Israeli weather).

Apparently, falafel originated in medieval Egypt where Christians there called “Copts” ate falafel balls (there made mostly from fava beans and not chick peas) during Lent. As the dish migrated east, chick peas which were grown locally, replaced fava beans.

The word falafel comes from the Semitic word pilpel (pepper) like small round peppercorns.

Now readily available in many parts of North America, this private tour guide in Israel contends that the best falafel is in Israel.

Where’s the best place to eat falafel in Israel? That is the subject of many an argument between Israelis (and Palestinians) today.

If you Google “best falafel in Israel,” your results are mainly from Israeli daily newspapers (like Ha’aretz) that publish food reviews which are, how to put this delicately, paid for by the food establishments themselves.

Locals know where the best spots are. As a local, here’s my two cents:

In the north – Assal Falafel in Rosh Pinna. Ask anybody in the area where to get falafel (and also great humus) and they will direct you to the main traffic circle just off the main highway.

In Jerusalem – “Levy Brothers” have been in business since 1954. Situated in the Machneh Yudah market in Jerusalem (next to the Lottery stand), they are truly a head above the local competition. Note that their small stand in on Agrippas Street, not inside the market proper.

The best? Without a doubt, falafel Golani in my hometown of Afula is consistently chosen as the best falafel in Israel. Owner Dudu Levy named the spot in honor of his brother, a soldier in the famous Golani Brigade, who fell in battle in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Not only will you get a great mean for about $4.50, but there’s a floor show, too!
Enjoy!

ShareAs a private tour guide in Israel, I take my clients to such places as the Old City of Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea, Galilee and its beautiful lake (the Sea of Galilee) and the Negev Desert in the south. I recommend places to stay such as the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, the […]

As a private tour guide in Israel, I take my clients to such places as the Old City of Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea, Galilee and its beautiful lake (the Sea of Galilee) and the Negev Desert in the south.

I recommend places to stay such as the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, the Scots Hotel in Tiberias and the new Beresheet Hotel in Mitzpe Ramon. True, these hotels are not suited to everyone’s budget, so I have to be able to suggest alternative places to stay while still demanding customer satisfaction – no easy thing.

The same goes for where to eat. Eating in a foreign country should be one of the most enjoyable things one does. How many times have I heard, “I’m on vacation. I’ll go back on my diet when I get home.” I know I say it!

A good tour guide should know where to go to eat.

Here are a few steadfast rules:
1. Don’t go where you see lots of tour buses. Mediocre food, high prices and spotty service will be the norm. Be careful of restaurants that only cater to foreign tourists. That goes for any country.
2. Does the staff speak English? This is not a problem in Israel. Even the smallest falafel stand will be able to communicate with you, but be wary.
3. Does the establishment have menus in English?
4. Does the establishment take credit cards?
5. Finally, my acid test: how clean are the restrooms.

Now, I know that there are exceptions to the rules. For instance, the best restaurant in the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem, the “Cardo Café,” caters almost exclusively to foreign tourists, but is quite good (they also have the cleanest restrooms in the Middle East)!

So, in the next few installments, I will recommend some eateries that I frequent.

ShareWhat to Wear: Part 3 As a private tour guide in Israel, I adhere to a dress code laid out by the Israel Tour Guides’ Association of which I am an active member. We (men) wear shirts with collars and sleeves (no t-shirts), long-legged pants (no shorts) and closed shoes (no sandals). In this way, […]

What to Wear: Part 3

As a private tour guide in Israel, I adhere to a dress code laid out by the Israel Tour Guides’ Association of which I am an active member.

We (men) wear shirts with collars and sleeves (no t-shirts), long-legged pants (no shorts) and closed shoes (no sandals).

In this way, we try to present ourselves in a professional manner to our clients.  Bear in mind that we also tour in holy places.

It pains me when I see tour guides wearing shorts in places like the Old City of Jerusalem.  In this way, they can offend all three great monotheistic religions at the same time!

But, enough about me; how should you dress when coming to Israel?

For men, I think that wearing shorts is generally a bad idea.  A light pair of pants available from outfitters such as Columbia, North Face or Mountain Hardwear are perfect for the climate here (remember, it is hot and sunny most of the year, here in Israel and you really need protection from those harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays).  Shirts that have a collar and sleeves.  Long-sleeve shirts are actually a good idea as they will protect your arm from the sun!

For women, I recommend a light shirt with a collar and sleeves that almost reach the elbow light pants or skirt that cover the knees.  Conversely, a light blouse or T-shirt can be worn and a light scarf can be used to cover your shoulders and arms.  Most women do not cover their heads in churches or synagogues unless they feel they have to.

As we become more aware of the harmful effects of the sun’s rays on our skin and the long-range issues that are involved, I really do recommend going on-line to a tour outfitter and purchasing some items that will protect you on your trip not only here, but anywhere where the weather is hot and sunny.

See you soon!