Planning to visit the region in May. Need traveling tips.
Hi, guys. If you have any traveling tips on these areas, would highly appreciate it. I'm planning to go with family & friends this May for a 12-day tour.
Pls share tips on safety, weather, sights to see, foods to try, shopping.
Thanks!
Marilen
Reply to this hello !!
i will tell you about EGYPT i have no big experience in jordan
so in may the weather is very very good sunny in day and at night fresh average tem 27C you can visit the coptic area where there is the oldest churches in the world and in /sinai there is the monastery of st catherine and the mountain of moses then u can cross the border from taba to ilat israel then to aqaba in jordan check this : it ll help u http://www.touregypt.net/ GOOD LUCK
Reply to this Hey,
As to the holly land, I would reccomend going to the Dead sea, Jeruslaem, Zfat, and have some days of fun and relaxation in Tel Aviv. (http://www.telavivcity.com/eng)
Reply to this Where in Israel are you going? That would help me narrow it down some...
May is going to be warming up, so be sure to bring sunscreen as the sun can be brutal even when not on the beach. But definately bring a sweatshirt or light jacket because it can still get cold, especially if you go down into the desert at night. Other than that, weather is typical spring weather.
Safety is the same as it is in any other country...keep passports in hotel or kibbutz or wherever you're staying in a safe if they have one plus any other personals you want to keep there. You can always make a copy (they have them at the front desks of places you're staying) of the passport page with your picture in case you need it.
As far as changing over money, my advice is to do it either at the airport or in malls. If you go to banks, some of them try to charge you a ridiculous commission (not all- but some) and you'll see places all over the place to do it. Traveller's checks are a pain in the butt, so just switch over your money or just use your credit/atm card. It's not that bad of a fee (my bank charges 6-19 cents per transaction)
Foods? Falafel and Shwarma are the staples that every tourist and people who live there eat...it's quick and tasty. But don't neglect the Chinese, Thai or Italian places there either...El Gaucho in Eilat has some decent steaks.
Shopping don't miss Dizengoff Center in Tel-Aviv, Ben Yehuda street market in Jerusalem, and the artist alley in Tzfat (Safed if you see signs-same thing). There's also Zichron Yaacov heading from Haifa which has some very cool pedestrian malls and a super tasty bistro with homemade pastries and pizzas.
Let me know if you want more info....
Reply to this I've been to Israel many times so I can give you some tips - hopefully they're helpful.
First off, most people speak English in Israel, especially if you're sticking to the larger cities.
To build off of what batorish said, the dead sea is amazing so definitely go there. And while you're over there, go around Ein Gedi where there's fresh water springs and has some good hikes. Also, you have to climb Masada! I've never been to Israel in May but the weather is a lot milder then than it is in the summers - still, try to start climbing Masada early in the morning. I climbed it at 4 in the morning to watch the sunrise and it was beautiful. To climb Masada there's the snake trail that is switchback-style all the way up and it's quite the workout. If you'd rather take it a bit easier, climb the stairs and then take the snake trail on the way down.
Tel Aviv is expensive! Visit Yaffo (Jaffa) near Tel Aviv for a few hours and get a bite to eat. If you're going to be up in the north, go to Haifa for a day and visit the Baha'i Gardens which are breathtaking. To get a different feel of Israel, it would be cool to stay on a kibbutz for a night or at least stop by since you're only in Israel probably for a few days.
Last piece of advice - ALWAYS bargain when you buy something at a market. The price doubles the minute the vendor sees you're a foreigner and they won't be offended if you bargain - I think it's sort of an amusement for most of them to see how far you'll go with bargaining. But then again, it really depends on the vendor.
So have fun and to say "thanks" in Hebrew is "Toe-dah"
Reply to this Hi
I am an Israeli and an American and I know Israel (the holy land) well so Ill answer about that. In May the weather is great, though in desert parts it can get very hot. You wont need more than a sweater and I doubt you would need one. The country is safe crime wise. security wise I would be careful if going to the West Bank and Gaza. Here is a link for that:
security
Food wise if you have an aunt or grandmother in Israel that is the best, but I assume that you dont. So Ill make three reccomendations for Tel Aviv since its not good that you get all the information in one place. Barbounia on Ben Yehuda Street is an excellent and modest fish restaurant. Humus Ashkara on Yermiyahu st. is a good Hummus place, Brasserie is good for bistro style food 24 hrs and is on 70 Eiben-Gabirol Street.
If you are interested in tour guides here is a link:
tour guides
I am not sure if you are interested in an organized tour but I heard this company has good ones:
Tours Reply to this 
