Israel & the Palestinian Territories
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Israel & the Palestinian Territories Upper Galilee & Golan p220 Haifa & the Lower Galilee & North Coast Sea of Galilee p148 p183 West Bank Tel Aviv p249 p105 Jerusalem p40 The Gaza The Dead Sea Strip p285 p279 The Negev p303 Petra (Jordan) p330 THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Daniel Robinson, Orlando Crowcroft, Virginia Maxwell, Jenny Walker PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD Welcome to Israel & the JERUSALEM . 40 HAIFA & THE Palestinian Territories . 4 Abu Ghosh . 103 NORTH COAST . 148 Israel & the Palestinian Soreq Cave . 103 Haifa . 149 Territories Map . 6 Caves of Maresha & Daliyat al-Karmel . 166 Israel & the Palestinian Beit-Guvrin . 103 Carmelite Monastery Territories’ Top 20 . 8 Latrun . 104 of St Elijah . 167 Need to Know . 18 Atlit . 167 Ein Hod & Ayn Hawd . 167 If You Like… . 20 TEL AVIV- JAFFA (YAFO) . 105 Zichron Ya’acov . 169 Month by Month . 22 Herzliya . 144 Mey Kedem . 170 Itineraries . 26 Netanya . 145 Jisr az-Zarka . 170 Crossing Borders . 30 Ramla . 146 Caesarea . 171 Akko (Acre) . 175 Travel with Children . 34 Nahariya . 181 Regions at a Glance . 36 ROEVIN /GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES /GETTY ROEVIN /GETTY LOOK-FOTO / ELAN FLEISHER THE DEAD SEA P285 LIOR FILSHTEINER /GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES /GETTY LIOR FILSHTEINER AKKO P175 OLD PORT BOARDWALK, TEL AVIV P115 Contents UNDERSTAND LOWER GALILEE & North of Katzrin . 244 Israel & the SEA OF GALILEE . 183 Northern Golan . .. 246 Palestinian Territories Today . 344 Nazareth . 184 History . 346 Kafr Kana . 194 WEST BANK . 249 Tzipori . 195 Bethlehem . .. 253 People of Israel & the Palestinian Mt Tabor . 196 Ramallah & Al-Bireh . 262 Territories . 362 Kfar Tavor . 196 Jericho & Around . 266 Hummus & Olives: Kfar Kisch . 197 Hebron . 272 Regional Food . 368 Kfar Kama . 197 Nablus . 274 Daily Life . 373 Jezreel & Beit Jenin . 277 She’an Valleys . .. 198 Government & Politics . 377 Beit She’an . 198 THE GAZA STRIP . 279 Belvoir . 199 Religion . 382 Gaza City . 283 Beit Alpha Synagogue . 199 Khan Younis . 284 Arts . 386 Gangaroo Animal Park . .. 200 Rafah . 284 Environment . 392 Ein Harod . 200 Tiberias . 201 THE DEAD SEA . 285 Sea of Galilee . 208 Ein Gedi . 288 SURVIVAL North of Tiberias . 208 GUIDE South of Tiberias . 217 Masada . 296 Ein Bokek . 298 Eastern Shore . 218 Safe Travel . 398 Sodom . 300 Hamat Gader . 219 Neot HaKikar . 301 Directory A–Z . 401 UPPER GALILEE & Transport . 412 GOLAN . 220 THE NEGEV . 303 Health . 418 Arad . 305 The Upper Galilee . 221 Language . 421 Be’er Sheva . 305 Tsfat (Safed) . 221 Index . 429 Mt Meron Area . 231 Sde Boker . 309 Map Legend . 439 Rosh Pina . 234 Mitzpe Ramon . 312 Hula Valley . .. 236 The Arava . 317 Kiryat Shmona & Eilat . .. 320 Tel Hai . 237 SPECIAL FEATURES Metula . 237 PETRA . 330 East of Kiryat Shmona . .. 238 Al Haram ash-Sharif/ The Ancient City . 332 Temple Mount The Golan Heights . 240 Wadi Musa . 336 3D illustration . 50 Katzrin . 240 Siq al-Barid Jerusalem South of Katzrin . 242 (Little Petra) . 342 Image Gallery . 82 Religious Sites . 210 Petra Walking Tour 3D illustration . 340 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 26 Itineraries LEBANON Rosh HaNikra •# SYRIA É É Seaof Akko •# Galilee Sea of Galilee Haifa •# •#Tiberias •# É Tiberias R Nazareth É É Mt Carmel •# Beit She’an Caesarea •# É MEDITERRANEAN SEA É É Tel Aviv•# Jaffa •# É #_ JORDAN JERUSALEM É SAUDI É Dead Sea ARABIA Dead Sea •# Masada •# EGYPT 2 WEEKS Best of Israel Spend your first four days in and around Jerusalem, including a couple of days wander ing the alleys of the Old City, exploring the Western Wall and the adjacent Temple Mount/Al-Haram ash-Sharif, and following the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Break out your swimsuit and hiking shoes for a full-day excur- sion down to the Dead Sea and up the storied stronghold of Masada. Then head to the Mediterranean coast for three days around Tel Aviv, dividing your time between strolling, cycling, lounging on the beach, fine dining and watching the world go by. Next, head up the coast for a peek at Roman-era Caesarea before pushing on to Haifa. Check out the views from atop Mt Carmel and the Baha’i Gardens before a day trip to the walled city of Akko (Acre) and the grottoes of Rosh HaNikra. After a day in Nazareth, concluded with a tongue-tingling ‘fusion’ dinner, head to Tiberias for a day exploring the storied shores of the Sea of Galilee. On the drive back to Jerusalem, stop at the Roman ruins in Beit She’an. 27 LEBANON Banias ÷#•# Nimrod Fortress Nature Reserve É É Rosh HaNikra •# Rosh Pina SYRIA Ts fat•# É •# •#Katzrin Akko É •# •# Haifa Gamla •# É•# Mt Carmel R •# Tiberias Zichron Ya’acov •# •# Nazareth •# •#Beit She’an Caesarea Daliyat PLAN YOUR TRIP MEDITERRANEAMEDITERRANEAN N al- É SEASEA É Karmel É Tel Aviv •# Jaffa •# É •#Jericho É #_ Beit Guvrin •# É JERUSALEM •#Dead Sea SAUDI Masada •# ARABIA IT É I NERAR JORDAN MitzpeMitzpe RamoRamonn •# c c c c Makhtesh Ramon •# I ES c EGYPT •# Petra c c c Suez c É Canal GULF OF É GUSULFEZOF SUEZ Eilat •# 4 WEEKS Israeli Odyssey After four or five days in and around Jerusalem, including a couple of days exploring the Old City and a half-day visit to the Israel Museum, take a trip down to the wondrous caves at Beit Guvrin, stopping at a winery on the way. Next, stir it up in Tel Aviv for a few days, strolling along the beachfront promenade to historic Jaffa, biking along the Yarkon River and working on your Mediterranean tan. On your way north to Haifa, stop at the Roman ruins of Caesarea and the quaint old town of Zichron Ya’acov, famed for its vintage winery. After touring Haifa’s sublime Baha’i Gardens, visit Mt Carmel and the Druze village of Daliyat al-Karmel. The next day, continue north to Akko (Acre), with its enchanting mixture of Crusader ruins and Ottoman relics. Then go as far north as politics permit, to the subterranean grottoes of Rosh HaNikra, before heading in- land for a couple of days in Nazareth, exploring Christian sites and dining on tradition- al Arab delicacies and East–West fusion dishes. Based in Tiberias for a couple of days, relax around the Sea of Galilee, combining ancient synagogues and Christian sites with quiet beaches and, perhaps, white-water rafting on the Jordan River. Loop east to the Golan Heights, visiting the hilltop ruins of Gamla, the Golan Archaeological Museum in Katzrin and towering Nimrod Fortress. Circle west via the lush vegetation of Banias Nature Reserve to the wetlands of the Hula Valley, beloved by migrating birds; the quaint, cobbled streets of Rosh Pina; and Tsfat (Safed), suffused with the spirituality of the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Finally, head south through the Jordan Valley, strol- ling the colonnaded Roman thoroughfares of Beit She’an and visiting the Palestinian city of Jericho, whose ruins go back to the very beginning of civilisation. After a starlit night on the shores of the Dead Sea, rise early to catch the sunrise from high atop Mas- ada. Continue south into the Negev Desert for a day or two around Mitzpe Ramon, including a hike into Makhtesh Ramon. Next stop, for a spot of sea, sun and snorkel- ling, is Eilat. Finally, cross into Jordan to visit the awe-inspiring ‘red city’ of Petra. 28 LEBANON Golan Jish •# Heights Jenin•# É •# Akko É •# É •# Amirim É Haifa •# É PLAN YOUR TRIP É Sea of É •# Nazareth •# Galilee Nablus Mt GerizimR É JORDAN Jenin •# É É Taybeh IT •# Ramallah I É •# Wadi NERAR •# Nablus Qelt •# JORDAN É É •# Jericho JERUSALEM#_ I ES •# É •# Bethlehem Tel Aviv É •# Dead Sea Herodium É JERUSALEM #_ Dead •# Sea Hebron Welcome to the 10 Culinary Trail 1 DAYS WEEK West Bank Start in Jerusalem, where contenders From the Arab bus station in East Jeru- for the ‘best hummus’ title can be found salem, hop on a bus to Ramallah, where in the Old City, and the foodie scene you can drop in on the Muqata’a, last around the Mahane Yehuda produce mar- resting place of Yasser Arafat. Spend ket is worth exploring. For the country’s the after noon sipping coffee, scooping best gooey-hot, cheesy-sweet kunafeh hummus and clacking backgammon pastry, head north to the West Bank city tiles, then get ready for a night on the of Nablus and then sample extra-virgin town. The next day, drop by the only olive oil in Jenin. Make a beeline for brewery in the Palestinian Territories, Nazareth, where the buzzword is fusion, Taybeh, returning to Ramallah to catch the culinary inspiration both Levantine a concert or theatre performance at one and European. Continue your culinary of the city’s many arts venues. Next, pilgrimage on the shores of the Sea of head north – through olive orchards Galilee with a lunch of St Peter’s fish, and terraced hills – to Nablus for a day and then head to the Golan Heights for of shopping in the enchanting market, perfectly aged steak – paired, of course, scrubbing up at an ancient hammam and with Golan-grown red wines. Looping visiting the Samaritans atop Mt Geri- west, stop in Jish for Galilee-style Arab zim. Then travel north to the Christian cuisine, or drop by the all-vegetarian sites near Jenin and that city’s renowned settle ment of Amirim for meat-free Freedom Theatre before looping east and treats. Finally, head to the Mediterranean south to Jericho for some extraordinary coast, sampling seafood and hummus in hiking in Wadi Qelt. Then slip south- Akko (Acre), creative Arab cuisine in westward to beautiful Bethlehem, with Haifa, and modern Israeli cuisine in Tel its winding lanes and ancient churches.