MyIsraeliGuide.com

Understandably, the Hamas massacres of October 7th and the ensuring war brought tourism to Israel almost to a complete stop. However, despite the ongoing war, the relative calm that we’ve been experience inside Israel over the past year or so has led to a welcome resurgence in inquiries about tours. It’s been interesting to note that now almost all the messages I’ve been getting have been asking for a tour to the area known as the Gaza Envelope (Otef Aza in Hebrew), the area which bore the brunt of the Hamas attacks....

How to visit the Gaza Envelope area in the wake of the October 7th massacre | MyIsraeliGuide Understandably, the Hamas massacres of October 7th and the ensuring war brought tourism to Israel almost to a complete stop. However, despite the ongoing war, the relative calm that we’ve been experience inside Israel over the past year or so has led to a welcome resurgence in inquiries about tour...

For the past 10 days I've been running around England talking to whoever will listen about the history of the Gaza Strip and also sharing my personal experiences of the current war between Israel and Hamas.

I got quite a lot of messages asking to do an online session as well and so here we are!

The webinar is free of charge but I will be asking participants to donate to a charity to an amazing grassroots network of volunteers.

Please share with anyone you think might be interested and I'll see you Sunday afternoon (if you're in the Americas), Sunday night (if you're in Europe) or early Monday morning for my Japanese friends.

Sign up for free here:
https://5099814.wixsite.com/gaza-webinar

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to show around . We packed a lot into a tight schedule before they rocked a sellout crowd just outside of .

It’s the biggest I ever saw, let alone held in my hands. Made of crystallised minerals, diamonds can be found in the mud along the sea shore. They may not be as valuable as “real” diamonds, but they are remarkably beautiful.

Wishing everyone celebrating a healthy, happy and successful new year!

At the end of a wonderful tour with three wonderful people. Amber Heard, Eve & Eden, thanks for trusting me with your experience in Israel!

Back from a few days with four families in northern . The best thing about being in the Golan this time of year is the chance to catch the harvest. Israel doesn’t import much fruit (and doesn’t import any cherries, as far as I can tell), so we only get to enjoy them for a few months in the summer. Eating cherries freshly picked off the tree is a real delight. Might have to go back next week!

I’ve been trying to get to Sussita, also known as Hippos, for years. Every time I planned a visit something got in the way. But I made it this week and it was well worth the wait.

Hippos was part of the decapolis - ten major ancient cities that are now located between , Jordan and Syria and include modern Damascus and Amman. The says that taught in the decapolis cities, so when we’re walking on these original stones from the decumanus road, we’re retracing his steps.

The ruins are fascinating (ancient markets, homes, wine presses and churches and a theatre, among other things) and there are stunning views over the Sea of Galilee.

The site is officially not really open to the public but unofficially we were able to wander in. They’re currently developing it into a national park which will have an entry fee, so go now before everyone discovers how amazing this place is and it gets packed.

I'm thrilled to announce that despite all the COVID-associated challenges, I was recognised by the annual Travel and Hospitality Awards as Private Tour Company of the Year for Israel.

Private Tour Company of the Year Award | MyIsraeliGuide I'm thrilled to announce that despite all the COVID-associated challenges, I was recognised by the annual Travel and Hospitality Awards as Private Tour Company of the Year for Israel. The award is judged based on the following criteria: • Experience – Memorability is the cornerstone of any trip,...

It's not been an easy period for tourism anywhere in the world and particularly in Israel. Since March 2020 non-citizens have not been allowed into the country (except if they meet special conditions). But I did still manage to do some tours and also made some online presentations for people overseas. So it's very special to be recognised by the…...

Private Tour Specialist of the Year Award | MyIsraeliGuide The Luxury Travel Guide has named me as the Private Tour Specialist of the Year for Israel in 2020/21 as part of their global awards for the travel industry..

Check out my latest post about adventures in northern Israel.

Going off the Beaten Path in Northern Israel | MyIsraeliGuide A couple of weeks ago I decided to take a couple of days to explore some more of northern Israel. One of the amazing things about this country is that despite the fact that it’s very small and despite the fact that I’ve travelled around it so much, there’s always something more to discover. It...