Having visited India twice for periods of several months, this time we came for a short trip.

Since two weeks are a short time for a trip to a country like India, we decided to go for a different style of trip than we usually do. We cooperated with our friend Noam, who plans private trips to India (a link to Noam’s website) and he planned our trip from A to Z – Including a private driver, guides to every destination and 4-5-star hotels.

We began our trip in Agra, from where we continued to Pushkar, Jaipur, Delhi, and Rishikesh.

Information about Pushkar

Pushkar is a town in Rajasthan which is a holy city for Hindus and is one of the oldest and most central pilgrimage sites in India. It is a relatively small town and what’s nice about it is that you can reach anywhere in the city by foot or rickshaw, meaning there is no need for public transportation or car.

How to get to Pushkar?

We arrived with the driver who was with us throughout the entire trip. We came from Agra. Since it was a long drive from Agra, we made a stop at Jaipur, where we spent the night and continued to Pushkar the next morning. A direct drive from Agra to Pushkar is around 8 hours. Traveling from Agra to Jaipur is around 4-5 hours and then from Jaipur to Pushkar is another 3-hour drive. There is also the possibility of taking a train from Jaipur to Pushkar cutting the trip down to around two hours.

Where to stay in Pushkar?

We slept in a stunning boutique hotel which was one of our favorites on the trip. Brahma Horizon Pushkar Hotel. A hotel with excellent service, a spacious and clean room with a beautiful view, a fun indoor pool with sun beds, room service with delicious food and breakfast with options of Indian or Western food. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the main street and a 20-minute walk from the market.
Hotel price comparison.

 

 

Things to do in Pushkar

There are many Israelis who come to Pushkar and settle there. You can see signs in Hebrew and Indians who understand a little Hebrew. There is not much to do in terms of attractions, but it is a nice place and relatively quiet.

I think it’s a nice place to visit for a few days.

Street market for tourists – Sadar Bazaar

A long market covering about a kilometer of small shops on both sides, you can find absolutely anything there, souvenirs, jewelry (If you happen to love silver jewelry, Pushkar is known for its cheap prices), clothes and more.

 

 

Brahma Temple

Pushkar Brahma temple  is the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in India, which is why many Indians visit it every year. It commemorates Lord Brahma, who is considered the creator of the universe according to Hinduism. We came there with the guide we had in Pushkar. At first, he took us to a shop by the temple where you can rent a locker and leave your shoes, in case you don’t want to leave them outside the temple (You have to remove your shoes at the entrance, so I recommend you come with shoes and socks and not clogs, to avoid being barefoot inside). The temple itself is relatively simple and not too large, but it is interesting to see the only temple in India dedicated to Brahma that is such a sacred place for the Indians. Map

Lake Pushkar

It is considered one of the most sacred destinations for the Hindus and it turns out that it is in equal status to the Holy River Ganges in India. According to legend, the creator of the universe, Lord Brahma, prayed together with Mata Savitri on the banks of this river. According to Hindu mythology, when lotus flower leaves fell on the earth from Brahma’s hands this lake was created. That’s why you’ll find many Indians who’ll try to sell you lotus flowers for good luck along the way. The lake is very beautiful, but before you think of bathing in it for good luck, it is important to know that Indians throw the ashes of the dead into it. Another important thing to know is that because the lake is sacred, it’s forbidden to walk beside it with shoes on. It is only permissible to be with shoes on the upper stairs that surround it.

We went there with the guide who told us about the legend and why this lake is so important.

 

Nice café by the lake

If you want a cup of coffee or tea with a view of the lake, then we found a really nice place with a small outdoor table where you can sit and perhaps order a delicious cookie to snack on (Map).

 

Textile products store

Desert Patch Work & Handicrafts warehouse

The textile at the shop is produced in the desert. Since there is no agriculture in the area, this is the only thing they can make a living from and they work on every product between two months and three years!! The seller there was the most convincing salesman I’ve ever met and so we were tempted into buying an expensive (but high-quality, according to him) bed cover.
Map. The shop is near the café.

Amazing street food restaurant

We really like street food and the truth is that we found it a bit difficult to find restaurants for locals in Pushkar, as it is quite touristic, but somehow, we found an amazing place where we ate twice. There’s someone there who makes food on the spot on a stove by the tables. The food is super delicious and very cheap. If you do not shy away from authentic local restaurants, then I’m sure you’ll be really excited about this place. (Map – adjacent to this stand)

 

 

We flew to India for a two-week trip. A trip that’s considered relatively short for a country like India, but we really felt like visiting there again.

Since we had little time to plan the trip, we decided to use the services of our friend Noam, who works planning private trips to India (Noam’s website) and to cooperate with him on the trip. We chose Rajasthan because December is the ideal month to travel there in terms of weather.

We experienced a high standard trip that included a private driver, 4-5 star hotels and guides at every destination we went through.

We started our trip in Agra and from there we continued to Pushkar, Jaipur Delhi and Rishikesh.

Agra

Agra is famous mainly because of one of the most impressive places in India, and in the world in general – the Taj Mahal. We have come to Agra especially for this site, but we also spent the night there and the truth is that if you have time for a trip, I would recommend spending a night or two in the city because beyond Taj Mahal there are several other attractions worth visiting while staying in Agra.

How to get to Agra?

We flew on a direct flight to Delhi with Air India, which took us seven hours. From the airport, the private driver picked us up and we drove directly to Agra. This is a ride of about 5 hours.

When I was traveling in India after the army, I traveled with a friend on a tourist bus from Delhi to Agra to visit only the Taj Mahal.

I personally think it’s better to get there the night before with a private driver / bus / train from Delhi because it’s better to visit the Taj Mahal early in the morning. We got there at a quarter to seven in the morning and it was a different experience than arriving at noon.

Where to stay in Agra?

We slept in the charming Hotel Ramada Plaza Agra, a 5-star hotel. We did not get to enjoy it much, as we were only there for one night, but this is a high-class hotel, with a clean and comfortable room and a varied and tasty breakfast (Indian and Western options).

A drive from the hotel to the Taj Mahal is around 20 minutes by car. You can reach the hotel the day before and take a taxi or a rickshaw to the Taj Mahal in the morning.

If you’re fans of authentic local food (like we are) then outside the hotel are plenty of local restaurants. Note that these restaurants are mainly local, and you will hardly find any westerners there. The food is relatively spicy, but we personally like the spice and prefer eating street food or at simple local restaurants on there trips. Anyway, we sat at a restaurant on the right side of the hotel. Ramada hotel price comparison.

 

 

Things to do in Agra

We did not get to do too many things in Agra, but it was still really nice there and it is definitely a city to visit if you are going on a trip to Rajasthan.

Taj Mahal

So, as I mentioned before, the Taj Mahal is one of the most famous places in India and every day tens of thousands of people flock there. Since so many people go there, I personally recommend visiting in the early morning hours.

The Taj Mahal is a marvel of Mughal architecture, with influences of Islamic, Iranian, Persian and Indian styles. It was built between 1631 and 1653. The Taj Mahal was able to survive throughout history without suffering damage, which makes it possible to admire it today just like when it was built.

What you are permitted to bring with you

There are many prohibitions on things that can be brought with you when you visit the site. Since this is a long list of prohibitions, I will focus on what is permitted. A cell phone, a camera, glasses and a wallet are allowed. That’s it! So, if you come directly from the hotel leave everything behind and bring only those things with you. If you have more equipment on you, it’s possible to put things in storage, but this is done before entering the site! It is very important to know this, because if you do enter with things on you – after a long queue, security will discover prohibited items on you, and your only options will be to throw them away or leave the queue and put them away in storage and go back to the end of the line (the queue may be very long and there is a comprehensive personal check).

Photographer at the Taj Mahal

In addition, if you are into photography and want to have nice pictures from your visit to the Taj, then the first thing I would recommend is to invest in the clothes you come with and there is also the possibility of renting a photographer at the entrance.

There are many photographers who offer their services, and they all have the same prices and are on about the same level. I will say that they are not at the highest level, but I suggest looking at pictures of others on Instagram in advance to get inspiration for what photos you want, and even show them to the photographer. In addition, we had a personal guide and he served as a mediator between us and the photographer, which really helped. Hiring a photographer costs around 250 NIS or more (depending on how many pictures you want).

If you really want to have a high-quality photographer with you, then you can look for a photographer in advance, but take into account that the prices are much steeper and there are also charlatans (because you need a license to take pictures at the Taj, which he may not have), so make sure you find a photographer with recommendations.

More info about the Taj Mahal

There is a walk of about 10 minutes between the entrance to the site and the main gate. It is possible to get a rickshaw at the cost of a few shekels or simply walk.

We arrived there with a personal guide, which in my opinion improves the experience, since the history of the Taj Mahal is interesting, and this expands the experience. There is also the option of hiring a guide at the entrance. If you do not come with a guide and want to rent one there, talk to him beforehand and make sure that you understand his English and that you have a good connection with him.

 

 

Agra Fort

We went to Agra Fort the day before the Taj Mahal visit and I think this was a good way to round out the experience. From the fortress you can see the Taj Mahal from a distance. The fortress is built of red sandstone and it was built gradually by three rulers of the Mughal Empire. Each ruler had a favorite design style and you will therefore see various styles of architecture and art at the fortress, such as sandstones and colorful tiles, white marble with stone inlays and polished plaster. In 1983 UNESCO granted the citadel the status of a World Heritage Site.

We came to the fortress accompanied by a guide, as well, and again I think it adds to the visit. The fortress is really big and without a guide it is hard to understand what the meaning and the story behind each part of the fortress is.

 

 

Local Market

After the visit to Agra Fort we went to a local market. Since we like eating street food, we wanted to try some local dishes. There are also souvenirs, clothes and shoes at the market, but we mostly went around the local food street and tried a few dishes (Map).

 

Marble Products Store

If you are fans of local art, then this store will surely impress you. This shop makes art pieces and furniture out of marble (Rigorous work in which it takes two people a whole month to make a marble platter the size of one plate, and they import the stones they work with from different places around the world). It is possible to purchase the art there and have them send it to your home. Prices are relatively expensive, but it is a crazy investment in any product and if you are only looking for a souvenir then there are options for smaller items at cheaper prices (Map).

 

I’m making preparations for my third trip to India at the moment (I was there on an after-army trip and a long trip at the age of 30). I’ve tried to decide which medications I should take with me, then remembered all the illnesses I’ve caught in India, which helped me decide what I need with me this time.
Since I’ve got plenty of expertise in the area, I decided to channel it into the blog and write an extended post about things you should bring with you when planning a trip to this wonderous country.
Be warned that this post might be a bit stressful, since I’ve had many problems in India, but…

Looking on the bright side, I’m fine, I’ve survived it all and if I’m returning there for the third time, it means it wasn’t that bad and that India is worth revisiting 🙂

Our trip destinations in India:
Delhi
Jaipur
Pushkar
Agra

Our itinerary :
Amazing two-week itinerary for Rajasthan, Delhi and Rishikesh – A custom, personalized trip

Diseases in India

Scabias

Let’s start with the worst thing (that I had)  – Scabies!

Yes, it’s not a made up disease. It’s a real disease and I wouldn’t wish it for my worst enemies.  It’s an extremely itchy disease and you need to be aware that it might appear while you’re in India.

Fortunately, my disease appeared after I’ve already returned home (it only physically manifests after a month) and the next day I got it treated. Treatment itself is very simple and it’s just a cream you rub over your entire body. This disease is very contagious, so it’s important to identify it quickly or you might infect people around you. You have to wash the clothes and bed sheets you’ve come in contact with.
How to identify scabies? A crazy itch all over your body!! And you see small holes in your skin that look like borrows. How to treat it? A cream spread over your entire body. Treatment is based on a cream which contains Permethrin (Commercial name: Lyclear) at a 5% concentration and kills the mites.

Dysentery

Amoebas in the stomach. This is actually a disease which followed me for three months on the trip. I think most people get it in India and you just need to be prepared that it might happen to you as well. It’s unpleasant and can mess up your trip, so you should bring an antibiotic treatment with you just in case.

How to identify dysentery? The description is quite disgusting, so you’re invited to read about it on Wikipedia.

How to treat it? The first thing is to drink a lot of water (To avoid dehydration), the medicinal treatment is antibiotics, but you need to fit it to the type of bacteria. To treat an infection by the Shigella bacteria you may use several types of antibiotics, like Ciprofloxacin or Azithromycin and to treat amoebic dysentery you may use an antibiotic called Metronidazole.

Asthma attack

When I flew to India after the army, I’ve had some pretty severe asthma attacks. Since we traveled on a very low budget, we mostly stayed at places with a rather low level of sanitation (We’ve even found mold in our rooms a few times). If you have allergies, sensitivities or chronic illnesses – I recommend staying at rooms with a high level of hygiene, even if it costs you a bit more money.

How to identify an asthma attack? Severe shortness of breath
How to treat it? An inhaler, like Ventolin (Salbutamol)

Food poisoning

I’ve suffered of that, too. Honestly, I don’t know how it happened, since Roman and I ate the exact same things, but I guess I’m more prone that he is, and was taking a food supplement at the time which must have been a bad combination with the Indian food.
I’ve had horrid stomach ache like I’ve never felt before.
How to identify food poisoning? A stomach ache you can’t ignore

How to treat it? Go to the ER. I’ve had such terrible pains, we had to call an ambulance. At the ER I received an infusion and had many tests done. After a few hours I was discharged, and everything was fine, but I highly recommend not ignore strong pains. I tried to ignore the pain for a whole day, but as I saw that it kept worsening over time with no improvement to be seen, I had no other choice.

Motorbike accident

Didn’t happen to me, but to a good friend I was traveling with.

She drove on a bike with a local guy who’s been driving his whole life, but sometimes you get unlucky and he slipped on the road. My friend suffered severe injuries to her leg and was hospitalized for a month at a private hospital in Delhi. I don’t have much to say about this type of situation, as accidents may happen (Even if you avoid riding on a motorcycle).

My recommendation is to make sure you have good health insurance. My friend was lucky to have good insurance and it paid for her entire stay at a private hospital, which has really high expenses!! Let’s just say… If you do have an accident in India, it’s better to go to a private hospital. A post I’ve written about my recommendations regarding travel insurance.

As you can see, you need to prepare for an India trip in terms of medicine and insurance. So, I’ve prepared a list of all the medication I recommend for you to have with you, but of course you should visit a travel clinic and consult a doctor for his recommendations, as well as checking which vaccines you should get before the trip, depending on the areas you’ll be traveling in.

I personally recommend bringing many medications despite probably not using most of them. It’s always better to be overly prepared. I do, of course, recommend not taking medication like antibiotics on your own.

Nowadays, most HMOs have the option to correspond with a doctor, and many different insurances allow you to chat with a doctor. What’s important is to consult a doctor and tell him about your symptoms.

List of medications to take to India

Some require a prescription, and some don’t. It is better you get them upfront in your home country and carry it with you:

  1. Antibiotics – A few types (Consult a doctor for recommendation), to treat dysentery, sore throat and more
  2. Scabies cream
  3. If you have a chronic illness, it’s important to bring enough medication for treatment and in case of an episode
  4. Allergy pills – You may encounter allergies in a foreign country which you weren’t very aware of, it’s always good to have allergy pills with you, some don’t require a prescription like Allergy.
  5. Eye drops – Always good to have with you, in case of dryness or scratching
  6. Charcoal pills – Really good pills to treat stomach ache and fever, I don’t personally recommend anti-diarrhea or constipation pills, as they often have bad side-effects. I think it’s better to attempt treatment with charcoal pills and if it gets any worse – contact a doctor or go to the ER
  7. Dexamol cold – In case of a bad cold
  8. Altitude pills – for height sickness. Be aware, this is a pill you really shouldn’t take without good reason, even if you are at quite a high altitude. A friend of mine and I took them while going on Manali mountain and the side effects were unpleasant. I recommend having the pill with you and only taking it if you feel like you need it.
  9. Natural remedies for nausea – The rides inside India can be rough and cause nausea. I recommend having natural remedies to take a day before the ride/during it. It helped me a lot.
  10. Pills for fever and headaches – Always good to have some with you, such as Ibuprofen, Advil or Acamol (Paracetamol). Depending on what you’re used to taking.
  11. Antibiotic cream – Like Synthomycine, for cases of infection
  12. Anti-fungal cream – To treat fungal infections
  13. Malaria pills – They are somewhat expensive, but if a doctor recommends having them with you, you definitely should
  14. Antifungal ointments
  15. Antibacterial ointments
  16. Antiseptic wound cleanser

Update from our last trip to India

Somehow the trip itself went smoothly without any illnesses or accidents 🙂 But when I arrived in Israel I experienced feelings of nausea and lack of appetite for a few weeks, when I went to the doctor he asked if I had recently been to a tropical country and I told him yes in India. He sent me for a stool test and it turned out that I had a parasite in my stomach. I was given an antibiotic that is suitable for this parasite and it really went away after a few days.

List of first aid equipment for India

If you travel in big cities then you will be able to find these things in stores, but if you go on a trip to untouristed villages there is a chance that you will not find this equipment. That’s why it’s better to arrive with it already from the country or to purchase directly when you arrive in India.

List of vaccinations for those going to India

In 2015 we went on a long trip to East Asia and took vaccinations that would suit the countries of Thailand, India, Laos and Vietnam. We knew that we would also travel in less touristic areas and go trekking in nature. India is considered a third world country so we didn’t want to take a risk. Apart from digestive problems we had no other illnesses during the trip.
I took the list of vaccinations from the Rambam Hospital website (in Israel). It is advisable to consult a doctor before the trip and ask for recommended vaccinations for India.

The ones we took are:

One other good source of up-to-date information would be the Centers for Disease Control website where you might find recent updates on the health situation in India where it comes to any outbreaks, like the recent Zika outbreak on August 2024.

In general I think it would make sense to take preventive measures that can minimize illness such as washing your hands or use hand sanitizer, drink bottled or filtered water and avoid raw foods.

Banned medicines in India

Make sure to check online for whether you can bring your prescribed medicine with your to India. Some are not allowed or not sold in India, so make sure to figure what would be the alternative medicine in India and how to get it.

You will find local pharmacies where you can buy medicine and other local alternatives (I didn’t try) such as Cipla and herbal remedies like ginger tablets for nausea. If you do happen to need a prescribed medicine, you’ll have to find a local doctor and get a local prescription which the local pharmacies will honor.

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In early November 2018 I got the chance to visit Kaunas, Lithuania, with Michal – Another travel blogger. We had an interesting and empowering experience. One of the things I found most exciting during the trip and after it was reading comments from blog followers. Many comments stated that their family is originally from Kaunas and that they are glad to get to know the city through my eyes, as they hadn’t had the chance to visit it.

When I returned home from the trip, Dor, a friend of my husband Roman, contacted me and told me his grandmother’s sister used to live in an apartment adjacent to the gallery in the yard I’ve photographed. Today Bella Shirin lives in that apartment (Instead of his grandmother’s sister). I remembered how the tour guide told us about Bella, who’s family survived the holocaust thanks to her father’s watch store. I was very excited to hear about it and asked Dor if he could connect me with Bella (Who had recently been to Israel), and so two weeks after the trip Michal and I drove to Bella’s Son’s house (Where she stayed during her visit), In Rishon Le-Tsiyon and heard her story.

Bella dedicates her life to bridging between the two nations and works hard to create a connection with Kaunas in particular and Lithuania with Israel in general.
She visits Israel twice a year since her son lives here with his daughters.

Bella told us her life story and the turn of events since before she was born and until today. Her story is so touching I had to write about her and our meetings, although it’s not something I’ve done before.

 

Bella’s story

Bella’s parents were born in Kaunas and lived in it until 1963. They had a flourishing watch store there. In 1940 the soviets invaded Kaunas and destroyed her father’s shop. Her parents were supposed to get married, but the second world war broke out and everything went wrong. Her father ran to the woods, where he was caught by a Nazi officer.

He gave the officer the expensive leather gloves he had on him and told him he couldn’t enjoy them anymore, so he’s giving them away as something to remember him by. The officer spared his life and told him to run. That’s how he miraculously survived.
After this, the entire family was sent to the Kaunas ghetto, and on to the extermination camp in Poland. Due to her parents’ professions (Her father was a watch smith and her mother was a tailor), they weren’t sent straight to the incinerators but rather worked at the camps for the Germans. Towards the end of the war they were finally sent to be incinerated, they were naked and about to be burned when suddenly the American began their bombing. The Germans ran for their lives and her parents’ lives were saved.

After the war her parents returned to Kaunas, got married and Bella was born in 1946.

She lived with her parents until 1963, when they decided to come to Israel and fulfil the Zionist dream (Bella was 17 at the time).

The journey to Israel was unbearable, they came by ship from Austria (A journey which left Bella scarred and unable to sail ever since).

Bella got married in Israel at a relatively young age and brought her son into the world. A few years later she divorced her husband after suffering physical abuse and threats to her life (He was suffering from post-trauma after the six-day war and was never treated properly). Bella raised her son alone for all those years.

At a young age her son was diagnosed with heart problems and he went through surgery when he was 8 years old.

Starting with Bella’s divorce and up to her son’s surgery, her mother’s mental condition began deteriorating. She suffered from rough episodes and paranoias, until her suicide during the 80s.
After her mother’s suicide, Bella suffered from metal episodes as well.

She maintained appearances, but wasn’t fine and suffered greatly, including from recurring nightmares.
At some point in her life Bella wanted to return to Kaunas but her father developed cancer and the doctors gave him two years to live. She stayed with him in Israel and took care of him.
He fought the disease for 12 years, and she stayed with him in Israel up to his death.

After her father’s passing, in 2004 at the age of 58 Bella returned to Kaunas. Her son stayed in Israel with his family.
After coming back to Kaunas, Bella’s nightmares and episodes had passed.Her return to Kaunas illuminated Bella’s purpose for her, and her mission became to bridge between the two countries.

 

Bella’s and her family’s story sounds like a movie script. It’s an awfully sad and difficult one but has several optimistic points with a lot of luck and good people along the way (Some are Lithuanian and German) thanks to who a part of Bella’s family survived the holocaust.

About Bella

You have to meet Bella face to face to understand what I’m talking about. She’ll charm you in seconds. Bella does a lot for Kaunas and towards bridging our nations. She works to preserve the legacy and the connection between the peoples and the religions. It’s also notable that recently a committee has discussed choosing Kaunas as a European capital. Bella was the ambassador who spoke in front of the committee members. Kaunas was chosen as the city of European culture for 2020 and one of the reasons for it winning the prestigious title was Bella’s speech.

During her speech she addressed the committee, saying: “To me Kaunas is like sleeping beauty, who needs only a prince to save her, please be the princes to do it”.
Also, Bella was nominated woman of the year in Kaunas last year and won second place.
A film director from Lithuania has written a play about Bella and her Family and their life story. The show has been running in Lithuania for two years, already. Bella arrives at every show and gives a speech to the audience at its end.

I must admit it took me a long time to figure out how I want to write this post, since Bella’s story is so touching.
It was important to me to not simply tell her life story, but to write about my insights from meeting her, as well.
One of the things I told Bella towards the end is that she warmed my heart and strengthened me a lot. I travel a lot and have been to Germany, Poland and Lithuania.

I sometimes get messages from people who think it’s wrong to visit these countries or feel hurt by me traveling there. I know it’s impossible to please everyone, and that it’s ok that I do what makes me feel good, but after meeting someone like Bella whose family has gone through the holocaust and yet she still ended up returning to Kaunas. It all made me realize that everyone chooses to handle his past in his own personal manner.
It’s also alright to understand that you can’t change the past, and only try and work towards and better present and future.

Here are some things I’ve learned following my encounter with Bella:

  1. It’s alright to forgive for the past
  2. I know some of us find it hard to travel to the countries were the holocaust happened. But if you think about it for a moment, how many times a day do you get to think or talk about the holocaust? Most of us don’t. It’s when you visit these countries, go to museums and stop by memorials that you suddenly remember the past, talk and think about it.
  3. We can’t change how other people act, but we can change ourselves and be better people. If everyone tries to be more tolerant, patient, attentive and accepting – Our world will definitely be a better one.
  4. Every one of us can chose how to handle the past, and there is no right or wrong.
  5. The fact that Bella chose to go back to Kaunas despite everything, and that’s where she found her peace and her purpose in life just goes to show you that from the darkest places in our lives we can grow and find happiness.
  6. One person can bring about a big change!

After meeting Bella, I asked her how it was to return to Lithuania and why she loves living there. Here is what she wrote me:

“The Lithuanians in Kaunas embraced me with a warmth and love I couldn’t imagine. When it comes to restoring the Jewish culture, the main activists are the Lithuanian people of culture. The everyday help I get from them, especially during the winter when the streets grow cold, is indescribable.  I get calls and food, so I don’t even have to go shopping on my own. People come to take me, so I won’t accidently fall. They really want to meet and grow closer to Israelis. They swallow every bit of information about the history of the Jewish people. So, please come and together we can build and expand the bridge between more and more nations”.

I wanted to give a giant thanks to the amazing Bella, who agreed to open her house to us and tell us her stories for hours.

I’ve been on several Segway tours in my life, two of which were in Tel Aviv and the other in Paphos, Cyprus, and actually I’ve done the Segway tour in the Yarkon park twice! Once with my cousin, who had just turned 16 (The Segway tour is for 16 and up) and another time two weeks ago, in the middle of November.

I’ve decided to do the tour again to take better pictures for the blog 🙂 I’ve done the tour in the Yarkon park through the Segways company (Link to tour).

The tour was on Saturday, with another blogger named Sahar. Since Saturday is a popular day, we were a group of 13 people. Being that large of a group, we had two guides with us, the lovely Eyal and Daniel.

Segway tour in Tel Aviv

We met Eyal and Daniel by their offices at the Tel Aviv port (Next to the Wertheimer store). We had to sign a form, then each of us had to put on a pair of knee pads, elbow pads and a helmet (Safety should always come first). We then split into two groups, and each guide explained riding on a segway, what to watch out for, how to operate it and what’s important to pay attention to. Then, we each got on the Segway and drove around with the guide, to show we were confident enough and were able to operate the Segway.

 

After each of us received a Segway and practiced riding it, we began the ride towards Yarkon park. Eyal and Daniel were very patient and careful, and each time it got crowded or we had to cross a street or a narrow path, they stood on both sides to make sure we cross safely.

During the tour we stopped at several spots, which gave us the opportunity to take photos. We also asked the guides to take our picture once in a while. Daniel told us a few stats about the Yarkon park and I’ve found out new things I hadn’t previously known about, like the fact that the Yarkon is the largest urban park in the world, even larger than central park!

The ride in the park was really fun, but since it was Saturday it was crowded and there weren’t many places for us to stop and take pictures at. But we did arrive at a beautiful place called The Bird’s head, where there’s a fantastic vantage point over the park.

 

 

 

To summarize, the tour was around an hour and a half and I think it was a great way to see and learn about the park. Daniel and Eyal are great guides, funny and nice as well as very cautious.

Notes about the segway tour

There are many reasons why Tel Aviv is such a fun city, it has great restaurants from different cuisines worldwide and great cafés. It’s a city located on the shore stretch and so you’ll find many beaches in it, each one with its own unique feature.
It has comfortable weather year long, even in the middle of February you may land on a warm day. It has varied markets with excellent street stalls and really good night life.

In Tel Aviv you’ll find bars, dance bars, cocktail bars, clubs and everything of the highest class with happy people who love to have fun.

I decided to write about a few of my favorite spots in the city, here’s that list

Where should you go out to in Tel Aviv?

Stax bar

Stax is a super fun bar with a DJ playing good music, and really good food, too. Honestly, I don’t usually have high expectations when it comes to bar food, but I got to try some delicious dishes (Like the white fish ceviche and the sausage and cabbage Msabbaha). At this bar I had several dishes, it turns out this bar’s chef had worked with some of the biggest names in Israeli cuisine, and that really shows in the quality of the food. In addition to the great service, they also have a happy hour everyday between 18:00 and 21:00 with 1+1 on all food and drinks. In short, I highly recommend this place.

Address: Maze 49

 

 

Sputnik bar

Sputnik is a hangout bar with both outside and inside seating areas and a great atmosphere. I’ve found this bar while doing an amazing pub crawl in Tel Aviv and it was a really fun place.
Address: Allenby 122

 

Kuli Alma

When I feel like dancing, this is the place I go to. Kuli Alma is a cool dance bar with an entire dance floor playing African-American music where you can easily dance for hours. Also, there’s a dance floor where they play 80’s music and a large area where you can just sit with friends.

Address: Mikve Israel 10

 

Cocktail bars in Tel Aviv

A few years ago we’ve discovered the cocktail bar scene in Berlin. We visited really high-class cocktail bars there and feel in love with the concept. To my delight, we found out that Tel Aviv also has an amazing level of cocktail bars and over time discovered more and more of them, some even won international awards for their cocktails.
I decided to write about three such bars that are at the top of my list.

Imperial bar

Imperial bar is inside a hotel, as it is for many cocktail bars around the world. It has a dark, Romantic atmosphere to it. Roman and I always sit at the bar there and I love challenging the bartenders every time, asking them to improvise a spicy, sour cocktail that isn’t on the menu for me. Time and again, I’m pleasantly surprised and they always manage to nail just the kind of cocktail I like. For Roman, their winning cocktail is the bloody Mary.

Additionally, their food menu has some excellent dishes that go well with the cocktails.
They also hold a happy hour everyday from 17:00 to 19:00. It’s highly recommended to book a seat at this bar, as it’s usually crowded.

Address: Ha-Yarkon 66

 

Bellboy

If you’re looking to impress and visuals are important to you, Bellboy is a bar that will blow you away. You won’t find a bar in Israeli that serves its cocktails quite like this. You’ll find cocktails in a king’s mug, or inside a sea-shell or even a cocktail shaped like a bubbling bathtub.

Every dish there is served in the most impressive way possible and beyond everything there being sweet, professional and delicious, it’s a banquet for your senses.
This bar is also inside of a hotel and is one of the most popular cocktail bars. This is another instance where I’d recommend booking in advance.

Address: Berdichevski 14


223 bar

223 is the first cocktail bar I’ve discovered in Israel. A friend of mine told me about it and ever since it’s been on my list of favorite bars to go out to with friends or on a double date with Roman and other couples. The place has a light atmosphere, not as dark as those at the imperial or the Bellboy. The cocktails are really good and there are tasty dishes, too. The feeling at this bar isn’t as lucrative, so I think it’s more appropriate for a light evening with friends.

Address: Dizingoff 223

 

Other hangout spots in Tel Aviv

Besides the bars I’ve mentioned, there are other good places for dancing like the Pasáž and Teder.fm. There are also Port Said and Romano, which while they are categorized as restaurants and even belong to one of Israel’s top chefs, they do still have a lively atmosphere and in Romano you’ll even find people dancing.

There’s also the flea market area, which at night turns into a crowded area and all the bars bring out tables and chairs outside. You can sure have a round of drinking in the area.
The Carmel and Levinsky markets also have good bars and in the Florentin area there are a ton of local bars around Vital and Florentin streets.

At 33 years of age, I’ve visited London for the first time in my life! It’s honestly hard for me to believe I’ve never been there before.
It’s such a fun city, with some many things to see and to do. It has everything of the highest quality, and a special atmosphere, like the sort you feel in Manhattan. The feeling that anything is possible, and anything can happen 🙂

We traveled to London in early November. Before the trip, I’ve done extensive research and found out about all the recommended attractions. There are so many that we only had time for a small portion of what the city has to offer, but I’m sure we’ll be back there many times and I’ll make sure to update the list with additional recommendations.

We were in town for just over four days and enjoyed every single moment. Well, perhaps besides the one time we got caught in a downpour in the middle of a park and ended up completely wet with no shelter to be found, but that’s just a part of the London experience. Apparently, you should always carry an umbrella with you in London. It doesn’t matter what month it is, even in the middle of August. We stayed at a friend’s house in the northern part of London. If you’re looking for a hotel, I’d recommend choosing one near a metro station, that way you can reach anywhere in town. Some recommended areas to stay in are the Covent Garden area, the Chelsea and Soho areas and the east side, which is less touristic.

One great tip I wish I’d known before our trip is to get a Go City Pass. It can save you up to £90 on London’s top attractions and includes entry to places like the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, and over 100 other sites – all with one pass. It’s a super convenient way to explore as much as possible without worrying about buying individual tickets every time.

One more tip before we continue: If you’re planning a trip to London or any other destination in Europe, it’s worth knowing about Truely, one of the leading eSIM companies in the world. With just one eSIM, you can stay connected in over 190 destinations, without swapping SIMs in every country and without any hassle. Their plans are flexible, affordable, and up to 10 times cheaper than roaming, making Truely the perfect solution for anyone who wants fast, reliable internet while traveling, without the headache.

Arrival from the airport to the apartment/hotel

Since our landing was at 1am, we decided in advance not to struggle with public transportation and arrange a lift straight from the airport to the apartment in North London.

I’ve seen many recommendations for Derech Hamelech car services, so I contacted them and asked if they’d be interested in a cooperation. They assented and booked us a ride according to our flight information. After passing passport control, we’ve noticed a guy holding a sign with my name on it. We had a lovely driver who took us to the apartment (A 50-minute ride), as well as giving us a pamphlet with recommendations about London. You can also book a shuttle with them, which is cheaper – It essentially means sharing a van with some more people on a distribution path among the hotels in town. In short, it was an excellent service and I will surely add my recommendation to the many others about them.

Another option is to get an Uber to pick you up at the airport (A cheap service, but sometimes requires a long wait for the uber to arrive). You can also take the train from the airport, but if you’re several people, it’s more worthwhile to get a ride. The train is also more recommended during day hours, rather than at night.

Public transportation in London

In London, the easiest way to get around is by metro and by bus. The metro lines pass every few minutes and take you to wherever you need to go very quickly. It’s recommended to get an Oyster card for public transport, it’s sold at kiosks and tourist information stalls. The card is a rechargeable card which costs 5 pounds. We spent an average of 10 pounds a day on public transport, per person. So, it saves you money, and is much easier than looking for a place to buy tickets at every time.

 

Our London itinerary

Day 1: Boutique café  → Covent garden → Chinatown → Cocktail bar → Musical

Day 2: Food tour → Champagne with a view → Hockey game

Day 3: Breakfast at Pert → Bike tour → Lunch (Sunday Roast) → Jazz concert

Day 4: Café → Saint James park → Green park → Hyde park

There is no city LIKE LONDON - Traveling outside the box

Bike tour

London is a very large city, so large that if you’ll want to get from one place to the next, you’ll likely have to walk for an hour (Or take the metro, of course). One of the best ways to see the famous sites in a short period of time is a bike tour. We got a tour with the Brakeaway company and had an amazing time. We had great weather, the guide was interesting and funny, and London is a great city to peddle in, in general (It has bike lanes most everywhere) – Especially on weekdays when it isn’t as crowded. You can read more about the tour in the post about the bike tour.

 

Food tour

London is known for its variety of markets and great restaurants. There’s a huge selection and it’s hard to decide what to eat. We decided to go on a food tour (As we do in many of the destinations we visit), to sample the local English cuisine. We went on a tour with the Secret food tours company. It started in Borough market, then went on to two other restaurants. We were a group of 13 people and the tour was really nice, with lots of good food. You may read about this tour, as well, in the post about the food tour in London.

 

Musical

One of the must-do’s in London is a musical. We had the chance to see a musical in Manhattan (Where we went to The Book of Mormon and had a great time). So, this time we decided to go see Wicked, which we’ve heard many recommendations for, and it was worth every penny. We paid 70 pound a person for a ticket for the middle of the 13th row. The seats were perfect and the show even more so. It’s a really funny, intriguing and thought-out show.

I don’t think there’s anyone who wouldn’t enjoy it. However, it’s only recommended if you’re able to comprehend English easily. While most of the musical revolves around singing, there’s also dialog and it’s hard to follow if you don’t speak the language. Show ticket purchase.

Champagne with a view

If you’ve read any of my posts before, you’ll likely know that Roman and I love looking for places with a good view and have alcohol and coffee there. London, it turns out, has several places to do just that. Many people buy tickets to the Shard, just to go up to the vantage point, take pictures and go back down.

A much more recommended option is to enter from the back and go up to the bar, so instead of wasting money on a tourist attraction, you can spend the same sum or less on a glass of wine at the bar and take photos of the same view.

It’s recommended to book a table in advance, as this is a popular place. When we got there there as no room, so we decided to go to the Oblix bar in the adjacent building, which is also a restaurant and have champagne there. The Oblix is on the 32nd floor, unlike the Shard which is on the 52nd floor, but it still had a perfect view of the city (Unfortunately, the weather had become a bit cloudy when we went up, but it added a dramatic twist to the pictures, so it wasn’t that bad).

Jazz show at a super cool place in Brixton

When I was on a family trip in Madrid, my brother showed me the wonders of the Airbnb experiences. Basically, besides the website offering rental apartments for traveling, they also opened an entire section about travel experiences where you can find workshops, tours and many other fun activities. In Madrid and Barcelona, we did food tours through them, and this time I found a jazz concert there which sounded really nice (And had many good reviews), it’s in a hidden gem in London.

I actually considered passing on it on the day of the show, as it was cold and the place was far from where we were staying (At a friend’s place in north London), but we decided to go and I’m really glad we didn’t give up on it.
Beyond the show itself being fascinating, with a highly talented set of performers, the place itself was really cool as well. It’s a container field with street food and alcohol.

What was nice about it is that we could buy food and drinks and enter the show. So, we bought ourselves a pizza (Which was fantastic! Stone oven pizza), and apple cider and sat like that at the concert. Jazz fans will surely enjoy, and if you don’t feel like a show, you can just visit this area for a nightly hangout. It has a great atmosphere with places to sit. The place is called The Pop Box in Brixton. Map.
A 30-Euro discount coupon on your first order from Airbnb.

 

Boutique café

Those who know me, know that really good cafés make me happy. So, of course, In London – Which is considered a city with many high-quality cafés, I had to look for a great coffee house. I found Attendant café through Instagram. I searched for #LondonCafes and saw many pictures, then ran across a picture of avocado toast which looked perfect and told Roman that’s where we’ll go. Let’s just say, if I live in London, it’ll be the café I visit every morning.

True, it’s not cheap, but it’s very high-quality and intimate, with great service. I ordered the avocado toast which comes with beet cream and tastes even better than the pictures and Roman had eggs benedict and enjoyed them a lot.
We also had Cappuccino which was great. They have 3 branches, we were at the one on Leather lane Map. It’s adjacent to the Leather lane food market, which is open on weekdays, so it’s another good opportunity to visit the market.

 

Best cocktail bar in the world

Speaking of alcohol, as sworn alcohol enthusiasts, we had to try London’s famous bar, which has won the “Best bar in the world” four times in a row, the Artesian bar.
It’s honestly hard for me to say it’s the best bar I’ve ever been to, but it definitely feels lucrative, and the prices are to match. If you come here, be prepared to pay 20 pounds for a cocktail. While it’s a lot of money for one cocktail, since we love cocktails, visiting the place once was worth it for us. We booked seats in advance (For 17:00, as there were none available later than that) and sat on the bar (We love sitting at the bar at cocktail bars, since watching the bartenders making our cocktails is a lot of fun). The cocktails were excellent, and if you’re a fan of the genre, it’s worth visiting at least once.

 

Parks in town

You can visit London without walking around it’s parks. You can spend a whole day just walking from one to the other, stopping for a coffee every now and then. I recommend starting with Saint James park, then going to Green park and then Hyde park. These three parks are adjacent to one another and so you can pass between them with no problem.

 

 

Borough market

One of the fun things about London is the large selection of markets it has. One of my favorite markets to visit was Borough market, a large food market with a great selection of street food stalls, as well as high quality local produce like cheeses, hams, spices, breads and more. It’s open everyday besides Sundays, from 10:00 to 17:00. On Mondays to Wednesdays not all of the stalls are open, but it’s also less crowded. It’s recommended to come hungry.

 

The British museum

It rains a lot in London, and it can sometimes rain for hours, so if you’re looking for a roofed activity, you’ll be happy to hear that entrance to most of the museums in London is free. One of the city’s recommended museums is the British museum, showcasing a vast collection of world art and artefacts . You can rent an audio guide or buy a map with explanations about the museum. The museum is really nice in my opinion, and we honestly didn’t buy the audio guide which in retrospect I think was a mistake as I usually enjoy myself more in museums with the audio.
Address: Great Russell St.

 

Local hockey game

My friend, who lives in London, recommended I check the Alexandra Palace. She said it’s a place with many events and has a good vantage point over the city as it’s on a hill. While looking through their website, I’ve noticed there’s a hockey match. Since we’ve never been at one before, we decided this would be a good opportunity. We arrived at the game at 17:30 and it cost 7 pounds. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day, so we couldn’t see the city like we planned, but the game was lovely, and it was an interesting local experience. I don’t think it’s a must-do when on a short trip to London, but if you’re traveling with kids or enjoy watching sports, it could prove a nice attraction.

 

Sunday Roast lunch

Just like our tradition of Sabbath dinner, the English have the “Sunday Roast”. In most bars and some restaurants, on Sunday, you’ll find a special lunch. The menu will be different from the rest of the week and most of it will be roasted food with plenty of alcohol, as usual. We went to the restaurant our bike tour guide recommended, The Anchor & Hope (Map).

It’s a relatively expensive restaurant, but the food there is great. It was full when we arrived, and we incidentally managed to get a spot by the bar (It’s not the most comfortable place to sit, so I recommend booking a table in advance). We ordered a dish of roast carrots, which was good and a roast meat dish with potatoes. It was great as well! We ordered wine and beer too. The place has a great atmosphere. If you’re in London on a Sunday, it’s worth going to the bar at lunch and taking part in their tradition.

 

Camden market

If you ask the locals, they’ll likely tell you they don’t frequent Camden market at all, but as a tourist I think you have to go there at least once. It’s a great place for special souvenirs and there are many food stalls as well. We had yam soup there, which was great and a dish of vegan Shepperd’s pie with vegan Mac & cheese which was delicious (The restaurant is called Vegan young, on the bottom floor at the market).

 

 

Covent garden

So, of course, Covent Garden is one of London’s famous locations and there’s no chance you won’t pass through it when you’re there, but I’ll mention it anyway as it’s beautiful there (Especially before Christmas with the holiday decorations).


Chinatown

Like many cities around the world, you’ll find Chinatown in London as well. As soon as you arrive to the area, you feel like you’ve gone to China. I recommend going there after Covent Garden, as they’re close to each other, that way you can have lunch there. We sat down at the Joy King Lau restaurant, which was very good. We ordered steamed shrimp dumplings there, which were excellent, so we ordered another serving. We also ordered Won Ton soup (A type of filled dumplings) , and Roman had a duck dish that was great as well.

 

High-quality coffee

Before going to Saint James Park, we went to have coffee at The Borough Barista café.
When we came downstairs, we discovered many business people had meetings there,and it was quite full, so we decided to sit on the top floor, which was more pleasant. We had Cappuccino and a small cream cake. If you want a good coffee before the walk to the park, this is a good option.
Address: 15 Charles II St, St. James’s

 

The Pret a manger chain

This is a huge café chain in London (You’ll see their branches every few meters), we’ve seen a recommendation about them in the Derech Hamelech recommendations pamphlet, and it turns out it’s a chain of high-quality food where you’ll find many vegan and gluten free options.
The prices there are cheaper and it’s a great option for breakfast or a quick meal in the middle of the day. You can also sit down to work there on your laptop.

 

One great tip I wish I’d known before our trip is to get a Go City Pass. It can save you up to £90 on London’s top attractions and includes entry to places like the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, and over 100 other sites – all with one pass. It’s a super convenient way to explore as much as possible without worrying about buying individual tickets every time.

We love going on tours at new destinations. It’s a good way to learn about the destination and receive tips from local guides. One of our favorite tours is a bike tour. In our opinion, it’s great because it combines a physical challenge (More or less, depending on the tour) with covering a relatively large area in a short period of time.

Since London is a huge city, we decided we’d rather do a bike tour than a walking tour. We looked for a tour, and after reviewing several companies, I’ve selected BrakeAway bike tours (Link to tour). I’ve seen many positive reviews about it, and the tour itself passes through many locations. It turned out I’ve made a really good choice.

London bike tour

We’ve gone on the tour in the beginning of November and prayed for good weather – Our prayers were answered. We had perfect weather, with blue skies and not a single drop of rain. Hooray.
We arrived at the meeting point at the train station, then walked about five minutes to get our bikes. I liked the tour straight away, as we got cool bikes in pretty colors of light Turquoise or orange 🙂 The group included Roman and I, as well as another family of mother, father and daughter from Holland (The daughter lives in London so the parents came to visit her for the weekend) and our guide, Mike.

The tour included stops at many points of interest, with Mike telling us about the history of each location, among funny, witty stories. We’ve been on many bike tours around the world and I think Mike was one of our best guides. He was really nice, knowledgeable of history and very funny, as well. The whole group enjoyed his explanations a lot and we got to learn a ton about London.

For example, did you know that there was once (During the 17th century) a window tax in England. Meaning, people had to pay taxes according to the number of windows in their house. The assumption was that the more windows you had, the richer you were… It made people bar windows to pay less tax. Some houses have been kept this way where you’ll find sealed windows to this very day (It’s illegal to renovate or damage their appearance).

 

Some of the points of interest on the tour

We stopped by famous sites: The parliament building, Buckingham palace and the London Eye ferris wheel. We stopped by the oldest tailor shop in London, dating back to 1689 where they make wigs for judges (Depending on the type of wig, the price can be as high as 5,000 pounds), they also make luxury suits, evening dresses, capes and more. We stopped at Trafalgar Square and Mike told us funny stories about Henry the 8th.
We passed over the millennium bridge, nicknamed “The swinging bridge”.

On the bridge’s opening day many important people passed over it and the whole bridge shook, so people found themselves crawling over it to cross it safely. Two days later it closed (In the year 2000, as the name suggests) and was only re-opened in 2002.
We even passed by the memorial of Hodge, the black cat, who belonged to the English lexicograph Samuel Johnson who loved it.
We also stopped at Covent garden where we had a twenty-minute refreshment break.

 

 

 

 

As you can see, we’ve visited both London’s famous locations and the less known ones.

To summarize, the tour with Mike was really fun, interesting and funny. We highly recommend this tour to anyone who likes riding a bike and wants to see as much of London as possible and hear interesting stories about it.

Notes about the bike tour

 

 

One part of traveling that’s important to me is tasty food 🙂 Sometimes Roman and I even choose our destination based on the cuisine. While the decision to fly to London wasn’t due to the food, it was an additional layer that attracted us to it.
London is known for high class restaurants and markets with excellent street food.
So, once the decision to travel to London was made, I decided to search for a local food tour for us, as well.

We go on food tours at most of the destinations we visit, as it’s a great way to get to know the place better, and is also always delicious 🙂
After some internet research, I’ve found the Secret food tours company. It’s actually a very large company and they have food tours at many different destinations around the globe. I’ve read some good reviews about them and decided it was a good chance to try one of their tours.
We chose the London bridge food tour (Link to tour).

London food tour

We arrived at the tour’s meeting point, where we met our guide, Lucy, and discovered we were a group of 12 people! This is undoubtedly the largest group I’ve been a part of on a food tour.

We waited for all of the participants to arrive, as Lucy told us a bit about the tour and asked if any of us were allergic or food intolerant.
There was a vegetarian couple on the tour (Vegetarians will have an easy time enjoying this tour, but vegans may find it a bit more challenging as many of the dishes contained cheese).

Once the whole group had gathered, we walked to our first stop at Borough market.
This is one of London’s famous markets and has a ton of street food stalls, as well as cheese, meat, olive and spice stalls, among others. There’s honestly such a wide variety there that it’s hard to decide what to have. Luckily, being on the tour, we didn’t have to make that choice 🙂

Tour of Borough market

At the first stop we had a bun with a fried egg and bacon. It’s simple food, but the bun was really tasty, and it’s considered a good place for a quick breakfast.
We then continued to another place where Lucy told us it’s a highly successful bread stall, offering a cheese stick with olives that’s considered excellent. In front of this stall is a famous donut stall which, according to Lucy, has the best donuts.

 

We then went on a 20-minute break, during which we could explore the market on our own. I truly enjoyed the idea of free time at the market, as I wasn’t sure whether we would get to revisit it on the following days of our trip and felt like exploring and checking it out a bit.
Since we knew there were plenty of tastings coming up on the tour, we didn’t want to buy anything to eat, and opted for hot cider.

After the break we had Fish & chips at a prize-winning stall, and they were truly delicious (Haddock in a beer batter and triple cooked chips). The place doesn’t exactly have seating, but at some point, a bench opened up and we managed to cram a few people onto it.

 

 

From there we went to the other side of the market where there are many cheese, ham, olive, spice, and alcohol stalls, to name a few. We received free time there as well, to explore the area, then tasted a local dish of sausage wrapped in pastry (The original sausage roll courtesy of the ginger pig).

Stopping for different tastings in town

From the market we moved on to a short stop by Winchester palace. Lucy poured us some fermented honey wine. I quite liked the drink, but Roman wasn’t sure about it 🙂

Then we went to a restaurant where we tried two types of apple cider. The first was really good, but the other really wasn’t. It’s honestly a matter of taste, but I wasn’t feeling it. We also received several different types of cheese, which is always wonderful, and got to sit at a table with a couple who immigrated to London from the USA and were nice to chat with.

 


Of course, by then, we were full – but you can’t finish a tour without dessert

The dessert

Consider yourself warned, this dessert is addictive and if you try it you may never want to stop eating it 🙂 It’s a cake called Sticky toffee pudding, made of dates and layered over the most delicious caramel sauce with vanilla ice-cream. I really like caramel, so of course I’ve fallen in love with this cake, fortunately I was full, and my body refused to have more than a few bites.
We were also served English tea which helped some with the cake’s sweetness.

We then continued to one of the prettiest places in town. A vantage point overlooking Tower Bridge, with gorgeous blue skies which meant we could take some beautiful photos. Lucy brought us a final surprise – one of the donuts from the market which she claimed were the best. I’m not a huge donut fan, but I did use it as a prop for taking pictures in front of the bridge 🙂


Notes about the food tour

The tour lasted nearly three and a half hours. It was light and delicious. As we only had four days to our trip, this was a great way to try local food, and since there’s such a large selection of restaurants and markets in London – It’s good to have something organized to allow us to tr many good foods. The tour also included historic information, but we mostly discussed the food and Lucy gave us some good local tips, too. For example, she explained about places we passed along the way and recommended which ones are worth visiting later. I think this tour can fit anybody, it contains relatively little walking, lots of tasty food and a charming guide.

About two years ago I’ve moved to south Tel Aviv, where I discovered the Neve Sha’anan neighborhood. It’s a neighborhood in Tel Aviv, but when you visit it, you’ll feel like it’s a different country (Despite being a 10-minute walk from Rothchild). It’s an area with a high percentage of refugees and illegal workers, and though it sounds like a less graceful place to visit, it’s actually one of my favorite places in town. There’s a large variety of Ethnic restaurants there, Chinese, Sudanese, Eritrean, Filipino and other cuisines.

Since there are many restaurants and hidden corners, I thought it would be a good idea to go on a tour of this area. Abraham Hostel said they’ve begun offering tours there and I decided it was a good opportunity to join it and see whether I’d discover any new places (Link to the tour).

I must admit I didn’t know any of the places we ate at on the tour. Besides, I’ve heard fascinating stories about the people behind the restaurants, it was really intriguing.

Food tour in Neve Sha’anan, Tel Aviv

The tour leaves on Sundays and Wednesdays through the hostel and is usually in English (So it’s also a great opportunity to meet people from all around the world).
I arrived for the tour at 11 and met the guide, David, with three more people joining the tour. Two were from England and one was from France.

At first, David told us about the area itself, why it has become a less reputable part of the city, and why in 10 years it’ll be completely different and more prestigious (Hint, the largest cultural center in Israel will be built there and the whole surrounding area will be transformed).

 

Our first stop was at Chamara

The place looks like just a shakes stall from the outside, but it turns out there’s an entrance to a backyard where you’ll find a large area with a billiards table, tables and chairs, Shishas and 3 TVs. It was one of my discoveries on this tour, as apparently there are many more like it in the neighborhood, places I never knew existed.
It’s essentially a gathering spot for people who come to drink (Not alcohol), eat, talk and watch TV and just hang out together. We drank a papaya, mango and avocado shake and it was a great way to start a food tour.

 

The second stop was at a Sudanese restaurant

where we ate a broad bean stew with egg and fried vegetables in a chicken stock. I don’t remember all of the ingredients precisely, but I can tell you it was excellent. I’ll definitely be coming back there with Roman. David told us there how he started working as a food tour guide and why he chose Neve Sha’anan in particular.

Turns out he was riding his bike through the neighborhood one day and saw people eating a dish he didn’t recognize. He decided to go in and see what it’s about and was blown away by the food. He also got to talk to some of the people and hear their story, how they came to Israel and why.

He found their stories to be very moving and fascinating and began a project where he interviewed people in the neighborhood about their lives. One day he brought friends to join him on a tasting round in the neighborhood and told them the stories and they told him: David, this is amazing, you should do tours like this. And the rest is history 🙂

 

A surprise in the factory

From there we went to Neve Sha’anan street, the central street of the neighborhood which used to be a street of purely shoe stores (500 m’ of shoe stores). At some point we turned into a place that looked like a small factory and it turns out there’s a plant for making knives for leather cutting machines but… Apparently there’s also a small Eritrean bakery there, making breads and offering deliveries in the area. David brought out two buns for us and some butter oil (Like Indian ghee) and berbere powder – an Eritrean powder you can only find in Neve Sha’anan. Each of us cut off a piece of the bun and dipped it in the powder, it was tasty and a nice experience.

 

We then continued to an Eritrean restaurant

There, we drank cold Hibiscus tea and ate Injera (Eritrean bread made from teff flour and considered a super food). The Injera is very large and a type of flat, airy sour bread, made in a round shape with different Eritrean stews and Israeli salad on top of it (A twist added in Israel :)). What’s fun about it is that everyone shares it and eats with their hands. This dish I already knew and it’s one of my favorites, but it was my first time at this restaurant which was very good. The dish is vegan and gluten free, but they also serve meat.

 

We moved on go a Filipino restaurant

I’ll tell you the story behind this family, as it’s very emotional. It’s a family that came to Israel when the mother was pregnant. She looked for work in the city and couldn’t find any. Then she had an idea – Sell Filipino food on the street (There are many Filipino people in the area, and there weren’t any Filipino restaurants at the time).

For a year she sold food out of a cart and managed some success, but then the municipality banned her from selling on the street. Since she was considered an illegal immigrant, she decided to open an underground restaurant in her apartment to continue selling her food. So, for 8 years she sold food this way. When their son turned 9, he received legal status in the country and so they could open a legal restaurant of their own.

Their restaurant, which we are at, is very sought after and they even manage a catering business and are the main catering of the Filipino embassy. The couple even went through conversion to Judaism.
I’m always amazed at hearing how people climb up from the lowest points of their lives. This story, in my opinion, shows how dedication and hard work end up paying off.

 

From there we continued to the playground, where David brought out a Thermus and said that since there are no dessert places around, he made cold Chai for us and poured each of us a glass. The Chai was really good and refreshing, and I only now realize I forgot to ask him for the recipe 🙂

To summarize, this was a delicious and fascinating tour. I loved hearing the stories behind the people and David was very charming. He managed to convey the stories in an exciting manner and was very well versed in the neighborhood’s history. I highly recommend this tour, especially to those who like trying different foods and hearing stories about the controversial neighborhoods of Tel Aviv.