Israel On a Shoestring

I've been meaning to write this blog for a long while, probably because out of all my travels it would be the most obscure place I have been to. 

Never been a big fan of the tourist track, political places seem to be more appealing for me (within limits of course).

The Essentials

First things first, sorting out all of the nooks and crannies of the visit. Believe me, Israel isn't like Europe or South East Asia, so keeping that in mind, organisation is crucial to visiting the country.

So you probably won't do things the way I did it, mostly because I stayed with friends when I was there. However, I will write around it, making sure all the boxes are ticked in order for you to get to the main sites in one piece.

The political situation in Israel makes the country incredibly volatile. You may arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv one day, and see that security are perfectly friendly towards you. At other times, if they get a whiff of suspicion, you may have to hang about for them to 'interrogate' you or simply be rude towards you. 

Border between Israel and Lebanon, Golan Heights

Passport Situation

Due to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen block passports containing stamps or visas from Israel.

You may also have difficulties getting into and/or be refused visas to other Islamic countries, such as Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, etc. 

Sometimes, these countries don't notice that you have a stamp from Israel, or if you're lucky, the Israeli authority may not stamp your passport- in that case, you won't have to worry about visiting other countries. Right now however, it wouldn't be a good idea-so choose your travels wisely. They didn't with mine, and so I had no issues crossing into Indonesia (the largest Islamic country in the world).

If you intend to visit any of these nations, ask immigration to stamp a blank page, rather than your passport, when entering. Note that those countries will also search for Jordanian/Egyptian exit stamps from land borders with Israel and will likewise prohibit your entry if they find one. KEEP YOUR PAPERS SAFE!

All EU states can enter Israel visa-free for up to 3 months. 

If, however, you are suspected of being of Arab descent, Muslim, or a political activist, it is possible that you will be subject to prolonged questioning, searches and/or denied entry.

Getting to and from Israel

Israel's main international airport is Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion International Airport, which is approximately 40km from Jerusalem and 12 km from central Tel Aviv, and serves both cities. 

Cheapest time to fly is between November- March, avoiding peak time summer. I went via Lufthansa which is a pretty reliable airline to travel with. According to Skyscanner.net, in July 2012, flights were £237 return, which is very cheap for peak time travel. It can easily go up to £400 even with low cost airlines. But local airlines (if you don't mind supporting Israel's government) such as EL AL Israel Airlines usually provide cheaper fares then the big flash ones.

January can get very cold in the high areas, but actually summer is far too hot to appreciate nature in the country. Any other season, gives you a selection of nature's best vistas.  In January, return flights can start from around £148.

Mikhmoret Beach

Accommodation

Right, you may think that the Middle East may be exempt from Europe's extortionate prices, but unfortunately Israel still falls into that trap. It being one of the more developed countries in the region and its strong associations with the West, means that prices can reach the same levels as a Western European country.

Mikhmoret

I stayed with friends at the initial destination in Mikhmoret Beach (outskirts of Tel Aviv), which isn't the most touristy area. It is filled with hippy Jewish students teaching the way of surfing and yachting on its famous beaches and is famous for being a fishing village. But no doubt, it's a fabulous beach, so if you want to put your feet first in water, than staying in a cabin is a great idea. 

The Resort Hostel is next to the beach, where you can meet amazing people and chill out in the dorms. Off peak it's about 12/13 euros per night and there are even hammocks to laze around in. Rooms are basic, but the whole area is made up of filling 'basic needs'. Not the place if you're looking for an actual beach resort. The nearest transport is a bus stop 50 metres away, but hitchhiking is widely acceptable in this area, as it is a small village.

I used this place as a hub, and that way it wasn't so strenuous lugging around a suitcase to the different cities. 

NOTE: Israel is a pretty small country, you can go across the entirety of it between 5-10 hours, so it's not really worth moving around too much.

Jerusalem

Citadel Youth Hostel

I absolutely loved the atmosphere of the Citadel Youth Hostel in Jerusalem. A unique experience staying in what seemed to be a cave with all of the cobble stones in the wall. But the fact that the open rooftop was also utilised as a sleeping space for all those adventurous souls wanting to nap under the stars, just seemed positively quirky (only from May-October). You can watch the sun set on the famous Dome from the top, well worth it really! It's again very basic meant for students (or not even that), so don't expect silk bedsheets.

WARNING: If you have a lot of luggage, finding this place is a bit of a nightmare. The cobble stone pavements make it impossible to carry a trolley around. And it's a little bit out of plain sight. Also, the cave like walls make sleeping quite stuffy.

Places to See

Caesaria Sea Port

I can honestly say 5 days is not enough to see the splendour of Israel. However, in that amount of time, it was well worth seeing: 

• Caesarea Sea port
• Visit the Dead Sea
• Tour of the Old City in Jerusalem
• Wailing Wall
• Sea of Galilee
• Baha'i Gardens in Haifa
• Golan Heights
• West Bank (again if you are interested in the political side, it's not a tourist trail)
• And if you have enough time, definitely see Masada.

Transport

I lived on buses in Israel. They have quite an extensive bus route, but it isn't for the faint-hearted! At times, I would keep a phrasebook with me, just in case, and at times I definitely needed it. They are fast and reliable, and a lot cheaper than the West. It's definitely smart to plan well ahead.

The extensive national bus system is run by a public corporation called Egged (pronounced "Eg-ged"), the second-largest bus network in the world. Additionally, a bus company called Dan operates mainly in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, and other major cities such as Be'er Sheva, check their web site for details. 

Egged, and Dan have English-speaking representatives with nation wide phone numbers. Some other companies are active as well.

I had to hitchhike several times, which seemed like the norm, but choose your areas wisely. You would be downright stupid to do it in the West Bank.

A Gentle Sway: Vientiane, Laos

Accommodation: Youth Inn 2, $10 a night private room

Bus: South Terminal, $10 for A/C bus, 12 hours

Places to Visit:

• Phat That Luang
• Wat Si Saket
• Buddha Park

Well, Vientiane, Laos was a rather different affair from the mad drinking and partying of Luang Prabang. For one, I had my own room, wow such a luxury to be indecent in the privacy of your own space. Two, it consisted of wandering about, able to appreciate the sites in my own spiritual company. So when I decided to take a tuk tuk 25km out the city, to go to what had been described as a 'nutty' park, I had to pay homage to my fellow weirdos. It really was quite a sight. Giant Hindu and Buddhist stone sculptures dotted around the park. Now when I mean 'giant,' I mean the Great Wall of China 'giant.' Picturise being able to enter the mouth of a colossal Buddha, and stand on top of its head. Exactly, nutty.

It was such a strange mixture of Buddhas, and millions of Hindu Gods, including Brahma (The Creator with 3 heads) Kali (the war goddess, with a black face, holding a head of a man and various weapons in her 6 hands- yeesh is she unhappy) and the monkey god Hanuman, all in the same vicinity. It was a party. The night was a slightly random affair; over dinner, a young Dutch man introduces himself- he looks like a stoner surfer just with dark hair and a bandanna. Since nightlife is scarce in Vientiane, we roamed around talking and walking through the night. There seems to be a lot of Engineers flitting about S E Asia, it seems, I am not really surprised.

Ultimate Party Town: Luang Prabang, Laos

Laos (Country Guide)

Accommodation: SpicyLaos, $6 for dorm
Spicyhostels.com/Spicylaos-Backpackers.html


Bus: Long Distance Bus Station to Luang Prabang, 340 yuan, 28 hours

Places to Visit:

• Phu Si Hill
• Wat Xieng Thong
• Tat Kuangsi Waterfalls
• Pak Ou Caves (optional)

Well, what can I say- it was 25- 30 C, absolutely baking! There were palm trees swaying, and half naked foreign people and outdoor food stalls with the greatest cuisine on earth-yep it was definitely summer here for us. Whilst the poor locals were wearing cardies, jumpers and jackets- as this is officially cold weather for them. Some people have it all...


Well, it all started with a 27 hour bus journey to Laos from S. China. Madness you say!!! No it actually was quite a hoot, China being a little bit more modern then Laos, we got to have a sleeper coach. For people who have absolutely no idea what I am talking about- it is exactly that. Rows and rows of bunk beds- about 30 in total to fit the whole coach, so calling it a laid back affair gets it spot on. The night time was beautiful- this will sound cliche for sure, so feel free to yawn through it- there was a million stars in the dark navy sky, I had never seen them so bright before and so clear, all twinkling and lighting up the dark mountains! Whilst the day time, was exactly as you see Vietnam or any other South East Asian Country in a postcard- lush green mountains, palm trees, small villages, smiling children. It was amazing, especially as the sun was setting. Crossing the border was another thing altogether. I was woken up at 7.30- after the coach stopped for a few hours in the dark, to wait until the border crossings opened. See this was the first time in the last 15 hours where I managed to get any shuteye, so I moaned and tried to turn around to block out the Chinese shoutings to get up, but meh I had to cross the border didn't I?


It took about an hour and a half in total, which consisted of me running frantically between the China and the Laos border, thinking that the bus had left without me. The Chinese guards told me, I couldn't come back in unless I wanted them to stamp my visa- and after all the hassle of getting another entry- I savoured my visa- so definitely a no -no. Eventually being slightly half- asleep and a bit delusional, I realised I had to walk to the Laos border, get my visa- and then they would pick me up from there. Phew! Some crazy woman however bought gallons of cooking oil on the bus, and drenched my rucksack in the awful stuff...great.


I met a group of hilarious Chinese men on the bus, all family- one was the son, the other a father, an uncle and I think maybe another uncle. They were pretty mad, and kept feeding me oranges, (guess what) poisonous white spirit toilet cleaner again Bai jiu and general dinner throughout the 2 days. I think it kept it pretty lively- even the father offered a marriage proposal to my mother. I politely refused as you do to a strange drunken Chinese man. But all of sudden, the driver tells me I am at my stop. Being the only one going to Luang Prabang I rushed out with my oil-soaked bag, and realised I was left pretty far away from the centre as the bus drove away. So it being 10pm, pretty late for Laotian standards, I hurried to any small open lit store for some help.

This wasn't China I realised. I spend 27 hours nattering away, and across the border I couldn't speak a word. I pointed frantically at a map going- Khawy yaak pai ( I want to go), the nice lady understood and grabbed a friend around the corner even as she was closing up the store. She told me to hop on to the back of her motorbike, with my ton of a rucksack, which I felt I was slowly falling off- even at one we had to stop as our balance was about to throw us off! But with aid of the lovely lady, I made it to the infamous SpicyLao aka party central.

As soon as I landed, I was handed a whisky Lao in other words, BAI JIU!! Thinking I had escaped the many repressed memories of Mongolia, I was in for a long night. It was me, the owner's brother, the Tuk Tuk driver (a random S E Asian vehicle, a motorbike that carries a load of people) and a friend of theirs, all local Laotians. So after a few sing -songs around the campfire and Beer Laos- just to make sure we were sufficiently plastered, we headed to DISCO, eek!!! If anyone was epileptic (or even not) they would surely have a seizure, as the lights flashed at a hundred a second. The music was cheesy as hell- aging RnB as well as cheesy Lao pop, not to mention the slow dancing- a ballad would come on; the men and woman would split the room in half, find a partner and start dancing. Yep, its all true.


So next morning, after a large amount of people had saw me partying around a campfire- I was easily recognisable- not to mention severely hungover. But I guess thats the time to climb a giant waterfall, look at cute baby bears and go for a swim. Perhaps not- especially not being acclimatised to the heat, I was wearing leg warmer, a woolly hat, and hiking boots- yep not the smartest idea. It all got soaked of course, especially as I had to walk through the water. Well, I was in the water for about 5 mins, realised it was absolutely freezing and jumped out again. So when everyone decided we should go climb another hill to watch the sunset, I whimpered. But it was beautiful, despite the millions of bobbing heads, anxious to get a picture on time. The night market just below, was beginning, which was a very happy moment for me. It became my best friend.

Millions of stalls with yummiest, freshest food- (vegetarians may turn away now) Fish straight from the river barbequed with lemon grass and honey, honey chicken and pork on the barbeque, I avoided the water buffalo like the plague though, fresh spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce, lettuce and peanut sauce...for under a dollar! So good. But it was the crazy nightlife that surprised me- though it all ended at 11.30, it was well worth the short time. Utopia bar- was eutopia to a T. It was like being on a Caribbean island, palm trees, actual coconuts hanging off, with a sheer drop on the side as you could watch the night time Nam Khan river under the stars. There were lying down mats, with low tables, and even an actual beach volleyball court! The random bombshells on the other hand were a bit odd. But it was too cool for school.





Then there were the slightly lazier days, walking around town visiting beautiful Wats (temples), the Royal Palace museum, photography exhibitions that were out of this world, the Royal Laotian Ballet, even just getting a massage whilst eating chocolate pancake with chocolate ice cream. Over the top self indulgence eh? But the best bit was meeting the crazy people in SpicyLaos, it was one big happy family. And there was always a send off if any of the brothers or sisters left!





And then there was a manic 11 hour journey from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, including only winding roads, poor people being squashed in the middle aisle with plastic stools, making constant rice bag drop offs, not to mention the blaring kareoke all that time and then roaming around at 11.30 in the night trying to find a place to stay. Thankfully I bumped into a couple on the bus doing the same, so now I am a Youth Inn next to the River. It does the trick I think- first time not in the dorm, so a bit surreal not hearing noise. I ended up in the International Clinic this morning, probably too much Whisky Laos is starting to catch up with me! But still managed to visit the big temples and museums around. Its so pretty!

Start of the Epic Adventure: S. China, Kunming

China (Country Guide)


Accommodation: The Hump Hostel, 35yuan for Dorm
thehumphostel.com


Flights: South China Airlines, 640yuan, 3 hours
Elong.net

Train: BeijingXiZhan/ Beijing West Station, £50, 38 hours

Places to Visit: 

• Yuantong Temple/ Yuantong Si
• Bamboo Temple
• Jinmabi Market
• Day Trip to Stone Forest

In Kunming, well what can I say? I landed thinking it would be landscape heaven, as from the plane, mauvish mountains outlined the horizon with turquoise lakes. Stunning. So when I landed in a metropolis, seeing every designer brand on earth, eyeing every woman dolled up to the core, I was a bit horrified.

Thankfully, in 4 bed female dorm consisting of a slightly mature Chinese woman (about in her late 50s) who was a young traveler at heart with plenty of spirit, touring China for the last 6 months. She only spoke Mandarin, but I guess it was great practice. Also a young Polish girl, who was also studying Chinese ( but was a little bit ill though poor thing) a Japanese Sitar player who spent about 6 years living in India learning from a very renowned Sitar player in Calcutta ( she even knows where I live there- crazy!) and a lovely Chinese 23 year old woman, on business but liked the hostel so much that she was staying there! We had a mini breakfast and set off to the temples, catching various English and Chinese chats along the way. Then we headed to the art district which was not like Beijing aka, it was actual studios where people were painting so they were less amused that 2 girls turned up to look at their work!



This beautiful temple called Yuantong Temple was not like the Beijing ones- people were actually there praying rather than being touristy. It was so tranquil, it was set in amongst a small hill and there was a moat of water all around. There were cute baby turtles swimming in the water! And absolutely stunning Golden giant Buddhas in the temple, decorated with dragons all around it. The air felt different, more genuine.