All Entries Tagged With: "tourism"
Ladies, you snooze you lose – Ashton Kutcher in Israel!
Sex God Ashton Kutcher was in Israel this past weekend, apparently to attend the birthday party for the founder of the Kabbalah Center in Jerusalem. The American actor arrived here on Friday and was already gone on Sunday morning. He had been accompanied by his wife’s 19 year old daughter, Scout Willis.
Kutcher was in Jerusalem to attend the party for Rabbi Shraga Berg, who created the Kabbalah center that has become a hit with some of the biggest names in showbiz, including, of course, Madonna.
Nice to hear that Ashton also got in some tourist sightseeing before he left. Apparently the Tower of David and the Wailing Wall were the awesome parts of that amazing Holy City he got to visit, while he also stopped over at Abu Ghosh (for some legendary hummus?).
Calm down ladies…the world’s sexiest man is in Israel!
As we speak, Hugh Jackman is in the Holy Land, giving the Israeli ladies something to smile and knee quiver about. Voted by People magazine as the Sexiest Man Alive, the X-Men star is in Israel for what seems like a fleeting visit.
I couldn’t spot any story online about his visit here, but did catch something on the news, as a couple of women in the frame behind him swooned and quivered. Whatever the reason for your visit Hugh old chap (I can say that, he’s older than me…), enjoy!
bmi out – jet2.com and easyJet in!
OK, bmi’s recent announcement they are shutting down their Tel Aviv service might have signaled bad days ahead for the tourism industry, but then Jet2.com go and put a smile on our faces with the news they are to double the number of flights per week (to twice a week) from Manchester to Tel Aviv.
Thanks to amazing demand (since May 2009 some 10,000 passengers have flown with Jet2.com), from March 2010 there will be two flights per week, Mondays and Thursdays, jetting into Tel Aviv. In fact, with the holiday of Hanukkah coming in the next few days, additional flights have been arranged for this busy holiday period.
The big man over at Jet2.com, Phillip Meeson, had this to say:
We’re obviously delighted with the success of our Tel Aviv flights and thrilled with the great feedback that’s been received since we started the route in May this year. Because of this response, we’re happy to announce that we’re extending our Tel Aviv service to twice weekly from March 2010 giving our passengers more choice and flexibility when they travel.
We say keep those cheapo flights jetting in. What with easyJet’s recent entry into the market, flying to and from England has never been kinder on our wallets!
October in Israel – not too shabby!
If any of you are still wondering when is the best time to visit Israel, I’ll let the pictures below do the real persuading. My favorite month might be September, but October is pretty darned delicious too! And this weekend it’s expected to tip into the 40 C territory, at least down south…just be warned!
Yes, it’s still definitely t-shirt and shorts weather, still time to visit the beach and still time for plenty of ice-cream…and it looks like staying that way for quite a few days more.
Below are a couple of October sunsets on Tel Aviv beach…and yes, that’s my son in an Arsenal shirt, it’s a life sentence for some of us Brits…
September sunsets in Tel Aviv
I told you that September is the best time of the year to come and visit Israel in regards to the weather, and I triple-stand by that statement, especially after the last few days of beach-combing with my kids…
The beaches are practically empty, and the weather is only very slightly cooler – but the breezes picking up in the early evening make it very, very delish. And with more clouds about, the sunsets can be quite stunning. Accompanied by a beer and with two very playful kids, it’s easy to fall in love all over again with this country…
September – the best time of the year in Israel?
I love September.
I’m not sure if it’s down to the fact that every year I take a nostalgic look back and think what would have been if only I hadn’t got on that boat…yep, 19 years ago this month I stepped onto Holy Land soil for the first time.
Or it might be down to the fact that August is finally over and that means the kids go back to kindergarten. Love them to bits, but I know I’m not the only parent who has been pushed to the limits through August and secretly demanded of the Big Man upstairs that September 1st (the official back-to-school day in Israel) come sooner rather than later…
Or could it be down to slightly cooler days and nights (you can almost melt during the months of July and August in the center of the country), breezes picking up, emptier beaches, sunsets getting earlier and earlier, specks of rain blotting the windscreen…that smell of autumn just around the corner…I love it.
Without a doubt, September is one of the best months to come and visit Israel, for all of the above reasons and more…check out our article about when is the best time to visit Israel for more information.
A towel shortage in Eilat looms
‘Tis the silly season over here in Israel, as the mercury breaches new heights on the thermometer. And talking of heat, something I’ll never understand is the Israeli passion for Eilat in the summer months – like it isn’t hot enough in Tel Aviv/Jerusalem/Haifa, you need more?
But a recent incident is beginning to make it all a lot clearer. Apparently an Israeli family was nabbed with 63 towels in their suitcases, after vacationing at the Sheraton Moriah Eilat hotel in Eilat. So that’s it – silly or not, the summer months in Eilat are peak towel-grabbing months!
But, hang on, it’s not only the towels – the same family were also caught with some 370 bags of instant coffee!!
In response to questions from the police, the mother of the family indicated that she hadn’t stolen anything – she was just taking what every other Israeli takes when on holiday. So, if you’re planning on vacationing in Eilat, don’t forget to pack another suitcase, for the “freebies” of course…
The Sheraton hotel didn’t notice a large number of towels missing; their theft only came to light when the police came to the family’s house a few hours after they had returned from Eilat, on the suspicion that drugs were in the house.
We say: Crikey!
Israel: Milk, Honey and…Mermaids!
It looks like there’s yet another reason to visit Israel! Apart from the amazing things to see and do in Israel, and the sand, sea and lots (and lots!) of sun, it appears there is an aquatic legend to take a peek at too.
OK, Darryl Hannah she might not be, but some people are convinced that there is a nautical nymphet swimming off Israel’s northern coast. Apparently a number of mermaid sightings have been reported to the local municipality of Kiryat Yam, a Haifa suburb, over the last few months. News of these sightings has brought many people to the area, many with camera in hand hoping to catch the picture of a lifetime.
In fact, if someone does capture a picture of the mermaid, the Kiryat Yam municipality is ready to stump up $1m. Yes, $1m! They’re not expecting a mermaid to be captured (why the heck not?), but are prepared to make do with a verifiable photograph in order for you to make your fortune. Their reasoning is that if there really is a mermaid, $1m will look like peanuts in comparison to the big bucks tourism will bring to the area.
Municipality spokesman Natti Zilberman has denied this is all a publicity stunt to pull in the tourists and had this to say:
Many people are telling us they are sure they’ve seen a mermaid and they are all independent of each other. People say it is half girl, half fish, jumping like a dolphin. It does all kinds of tricks, then disappears.
While I’d really like to believe that a mermaid, or a school of mermaids, is lurking off the coast of Israel, this one does smell a bit fishy…
