Fodor's Israel '89

308 Pages·1988·12.984 MB·English

Israel
With Essays on History,
Food and Wine
ISBN D-ti7T-Dlbba-7
Foclors89
Israel
FODOR’S TRAVEL PUBLICATIONS, INC.
New York & London
Copyright © 1988 by Fodor’s Travel Publications, Inc.
Fodor’s is a trademark of Fodor’s Travel Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in
the United States by Fodor’s Travel Publications, Inc., a subsidiary of Random House, Inc.,
New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.
Distributed by Random House, Inc., New York.
No maps, illustrations, or other portions of this book may be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the publisher.
ISBN 0-679-01662-7
Fodor’s Israel
Area Editor: Mike Rogoff
Editorial Contributors: Robert Brown, Haim Shapiro
E^tor: Thomas Cussans
Executive Editor: Richard Moore
Illustrations: Lorraine Calaora
Maps: Swanston Graphics
Cover Photograph: Owen Franken
Cover Design: Vignelli Associates
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 98765432 1
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
V
Map of Israel
Vl-Vll
FACTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Planning Your Trip. National Tourist Office 1; Tours 1; When to Go 3;
National and Religious Holidays 4; What to Pack 6; Costs in Israel 6; Taking
Money Abroad 7; Passports 8; Health and Insurance 8; Student and Youth Tra¬
vel 10; Hints for Handicapped Travelers 11; Language 11; Israeli Time 12.
Getting to Israel. From the U.S. by Air 12; From the U.K. by Air 13; Cus¬
toms on Arrival 13.
Staying in Israel. Hotels 14; Kibbutz Guest Houses 14; Holiday Villages
15; Christian Hospices 15; Youth Hostels 15; Camping 15; Restaurants 15;
Budget Eating Tips 16; Tipping 16; Mail 16; Telephones 17; Closing Times
17; Electricity 17; Newsstands 17; Lavatories 17.
Getting Around Israel. By Air 17; By Train 18; By Car 18; By Bus 19; By
Taxi 19; Visiting Egypt 19.
Leaving Israel. Airport Tax 20; Customs on Returning Home 20.
ISRAEL AND THE ISRAELIS—Charm and Chutzpa 22
ISRAEL’S EARLY HISTORY—A Tapestry of Time and Place 35
Map of the Fertile Crescent and the Promised Land 40
Map of the Holy Land 44
Maps of the Jewish Revolt and the Crusades A1
FROM EXILE TO RETURN—The Story of Israel’s Independence 52
FOOD AND WINE>—Eat Your Way Around the World 64
JERUSALEM—The Eternal City 72
Map of Old Testament Jerusalem lA
Map of Second Temple Jerusalem 74
Map of Byzantine Jerusalem 76
Map of Jerusalem 78-79
Map of the Old City 85
THE DEAD SEA—^Including Jericho and the Jordan Rift 120
Map of Masada 125
THE WEST BANK—Judea and Samaria 132
JERUSALEM CORRIDOR, SHEFELAH AND PHILISTINE
COUNTRY—A Land of Little Gems 144
TEL AVrV—Shopkeepers and Sophisticates 155
Map of Tel Aviv 156-57
iii
iv CONTENTS
UP THE COAST TO HAIFA AND MOUNT CARMEL—Gateway
to Galilee 176
Map of Haifa 186-87
ACRE AND THE WESTERN GALILEE—Crusaders and Castles 206
THE JEZRE’EL VALLEY AND THE LOWER GALILEE—
Crossroads of the North 220
THE SEA OF GALILEE—^The Waters of the North 238
THE UPPER GALILEE AND GOLAN—^Where the Past Is Present 256
THE NEGEV AND EILAT—Deserts and Discos 275
INDEX 287
FOREWORD
Israel, indeed the Middle East as a whole, is in so constant a state of flux that
it can be hard for a daily newspaper to chart the myriad shifts and changes of
this volatile region, let alone an annually revised guide book. We have pro¬
vided as much essential background information and color as we can, but any
visitor would be well advised to check with their travel agent and the Israel
Government Tourist Office before making their trip to bring themselves up to
date with the latest situation. Similarly, with an inflation that has sometimes
soared into three figures, all prices quoted, even though in dollars, should be
taken as indications only. Be sure to double check to get the latest figures.
We would like to stress that the hotel and restaurant listings are selections.
We do not profess to provide a complete listing for accommodations and eat¬
ing places. We select those we feel would interest our readers, changing the
listings year by year to include new places that have surfaced. Space alone pre¬
vents us being more comprehensive and there could well be twice the number
of acceptable places in any given town or area than we have been able to list.
***
The task of creating this edition would not have been possible without the
help of many friends both in Israel and in tourist offices abroad. We would like
to express our gratitude to the Israel Government Tourist Office in London for
their help. Our especial thanks go, once again, to our editor in Israel, Mike
Rogoff, who has once more charted the complexities of his country for us.
Without his tireless efforts and expertise, this book would not have been possi¬
ble.
While every care has been taken to assure the accuracy of the information in
this guide, the passage of time will always bring change, and consequently the
publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors that may occur.
All prices and opening times quoted in this guide are based on information
available to us at press time. Hours and admission fees may change, however,
and the prudent traveler will avoid inconvenience by calling ahead.
Fodor’s wants to hear about your travel experiences, both pleasant and un¬
pleasant. When a hotel or restaurant fails to live up to its billing, let us know
and we will investigate the complaint and revise our entries where the facts
warrant it.
Send your letters to the editors of Fodor’s Travel Publications, 201 E. 50th
Street, New York, NY 10022. European readers may prefer to write to
Fodor’s Travel Publications, 30-32 Bedford Square, London WCIB 3SG,
England.
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