The Opposite of Jerusalem

My opinion about Tel Aviv will be short and sweet.  In hindsight, I wish we had spent less time there.  Tel Aviv is as liberal as Jerusalem is conservative.  The city is known for its party scene and beautiful Mediterranean beach hangouts.  Of course we had to put both of these to the test.  The beaches are fantastic, but overcrowded.  And, well, the clubs are not something to write home about.  I think it gets the hype because it is the only place in Israel where throwing back a beer and dancing actually happens.  I think Beirut takes the win on this one.

Old Jaffa is a quaint area to visit.  It was a village founded by one of the sons of Noah (the Ark maker).  I wish there was more I could say about the city.  There is shopping available, but its much more expensive than the U.S.  There is a really good breakfast place called Benedicts that I recommend.

The city is known for its party scene and beautiful Mediterranean beach hangouts.

As for living, Hayarkon 48 Hostel is the place to be.  If you simply want beach, go to Egypt (which will be my next entry).  Definitely skip Eilat, Israel (where we stayed for one night without choice).  Anybody crossing into Egypt through the Eilat/Taba border needs to get a visa.  If you only plan to go to Sinai a visa can be purchased at the border, but if you plan to go to Cairo you must get a visa from the Egyptian consulate/embassy in Eilat or Tel Aviv.  We realized this enroute to Eilat and had no choice but to stay.  This was painful for three reasons: Eilat has nothing to see but hotels (which is why I will not dedicate a blog entry to it), it is expensive, and Sinai and the Red Sea beaches are infinitely better.

Although, Eilat does have a great view of Jordan and Egypt.