Recent trip to Israel

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

Part I of III



I just recently returned home from a great 25 day trip to Israel which all started from a sighting on this board for a week at Herod’s Palace in Eilat. I then but in an on- going request for a timeshare in Tiberius which I knew I would get two weeks after my stay in Eilat. I booked a great 4 star hotel for the week after Eilat at the Dan Panorama right in the heart of Jerusalem.

My planning started almost immediately after confirming this exchange as I reserved one free ticket through my United FF account and was confirmed immediately on Lufthansa airlines JFK to Tel Aviv with a stopover in Munich. For a couple of days I wasn’t sure I could go due to volcanic ash from Iceland closing several airports in Germany just days before my flight but all airports opened up the day before I left so I was off on my trip on time. I also purchased a ticket on Delta direct flights JFK to Tel Aviv for two weeks as that was all she could get away for from work.

I arrived at Ben Gurian airport on Thursday afternoon after a great overnight flight except that I didn’t get more than about two hours of sleep over the 13 hours of flying and the 11/2 hour layover in Munich. My cousin and her husband were waiting for me at the airport and took me to their apartment for dinner and an overnight stay in Jerusalem. The next day I visited my aunt at a very nice senior citizen’s complex about a mile from my cousin’s apartment and although she has dementia it was a good day for her and she remembered me as soon as I walked in. That afternoon my cousin dropped me off at the central bus station in Jerusalem where I took the 2 ½ hour bus ride to the resort area of the Dead Sea where I stayed at a 3 star hotel for the weekend and enjoyed the mineral mud baths in the dead sea and the Spa, gym and great food at the Oasis hotel.

The room however was tiny especially when compared to timeshares or even most hotels. I had two small single beds and when I got up in the morning I could stretch out my arms from my bed and touch the wall from either bed, On Sunday I checked out and got the bus right in front of my hotel for the 4 hour bus ride to Eilat,

For those of you who don’t know the area Eilat is a seaside resort on the Red Sea. Herod’s palace is at one end of the Promenade only about two or three Kilometers from the Jordanian border. At the other end of Eilat you have the Princess Hotel which is less than one kilometer from the Egyptian border,

The following is a mini review of the Herod’s Palace.


This is an outstanding resort as I felt we were staying at a Ritz Carlton rather than a timeshare, The unit was really a hotel suite with a separate BR, nice size bathroom and very small living room with small fridge and hot water electric pot. However like a Ritz Carlton we had twice daily maid service, bath robes, slippers, complimentary plate of fruit and water in room at check in. The Balcony was huge with 10th floor direct views of
Sea and swimming pools. Large box of assorted teas and coffee also provided in room. They also provided live entertainment for five nights during our weeks stay and a couple of the shows were very good.

All common areas, including, lobbies, bathrooms, gym, pool area were of 5 star hotel quality. One of the best exchanges ever!!!!


After arriving in Eilat on Sunday I found a mini market about 2 short blocks from the resort were I purchased breakfast items such as cereal, milk, yogurts as well as drinks and snacks. On Monday my wife’s flight from NY arrived on time and she needed to take a cab to a commuter airport for her 1 hour flight to Eilat. The Airport in Eilat is right in the center of town and about ten minute cab ride to Herod’s.

We both took the flight back to Tel Aviv the following Sunday and then took a shared taxi van for the one hour ride to the Dan Panorama hotel in Jerusalem. During our week in Eilat we mainly relaxed by the pool, went to the beach which is great for snorkeling but way too rocky for me or my wife to get into for swimming. We also went on two great day trips on Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday we spent most of the day at a world class aquarium and got a discounted ticket at Herod’s concierge for a combination entrance to Aquarium, glass bottom boat ride (were we saw the most amazing variety of multicolored fish along side a reef as well as watching the feeding of the sharks), lunch and a great Imax movie with moving seats of a bout ride through the waters off of Africa were 3 marine biologists follow and save a whale from poachers. This Cinemax movie rivaled any Disney or Epcot attraction.

Friday was our second adventure purchased through the concierge for a half day boat ride which included lunch and snorkeling near the princess hotel and we could see the Taba, Egypt border crossing from our sailboat. The water was crystal clear with the best snorkeling I have ever experienced including Hawaii. As we sailed back to our pier we passed Dolphin Cove where we saw several dolphin swimming and jumping out of the water. All of our meals at the 4 Herod’s restaurants as well as the buffet diner we went to were either very good or outstanding.

This was my third trip to Eilat with the last being 15 years ago and the best by far because of the five+ star quality of Herod’s Palace.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I have been eagerly awaiting your review of Herod's, so glad it was as good or better than expected! On my list, thank you.

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

How to Insert pictures

I have downloaded several pictures to my computer but don't know how to insert them here.

If someone can give me step by step instructions I will download into this thread.

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

Larry go to Photobucket.com


Create an account. Its free.

Once loaded you will see various "tags" to use as links to other sites such as Facebook, and other social sharing sites.

There should be a description of a tag to discussion boards such as TS4MS.

Use that link to insert the image. At the top of the window where you type the text for any thread you will see an icon that looks like postcard. Looks like a little postcard with 2 small mountain peaks. Just about at the center right side top of the window.

Insert the "tag" from photobucket . It will say "PLEASE ENTER THE URL OF YOUR IMAGE" Just paste the entire URL TAG.

Wallah. Your image is linked.

Give it a try!

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Wow Larry,
Sounds like a fabulous trip. I went to Israel once but on a guided tour. I would love to return someday by myself and do a trip like yours. Can't wait to see the pictures.

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

pictures

testing;

Hope this works here are a couple of pictures on this link;

Pictures by Larry11552 - Photobucket

[gandalf252002 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gandalf252002]

Photo's look fantastic, looks like you had some nice places to stay. Looking forward to the day when I can take vacations like this.

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

Larry go to Photobucket.com


Create an account. Its free.

Once loaded you will see various "tags" to use as links to other sites such as Facebook, and other social sharing sites.

There should be a description of a tag to discussion boards such as TS4MS.

Use that link to insert the image. At the top of the window where you type the text for any thread you will see an icon that looks like postcard. Looks like a little postcard with 2 small mountain peaks. Just about at the center right side top of the window.

Insert the "tag" from photobucket . It will say "PLEASE ENTER THE URL OF YOUR IMAGE" Just paste the entire URL TAG.

Wallah. Your image is linked.

Give it a try!

Thanks for the help still learning but got some pictures with link to photobucket.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Beautiful resort Larry.
Just curious. Do they have female and male pool days or can both sexes use the pool together. When I was there in 1996 the hotels had alternating pool days. Is it the same with the timeshares?

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

Larry,

That is great. You got it working with a direct link to your entire album on Photobucket!

I was describing another method. Either way it is working!

Great Photos. Can't wait to see more!

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Beautiful resort Larry.
Just curious. Do they have female and male pool days or can both sexes use the pool together. When I was there in 1996 the hotels had alternating pool days. Is it the same with the timeshares?

Chris, are you talking about Herod's specifically?

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

Part II

Here is part II of our trip:

Dan Panorama Hotel Jerusalem


After our 1 hour flight from Eilat to Tel Aviv we took a scherute ( Shared Taxi Van) to the center of Jerusalem and stayed one week at the Dan Panorama Hotel. I picked this hotel for it’s location within walking distance to the historic walled “old city”, The Great Synagogue of Jerusalem and easy access by bus or taxi to museums, archeological sites and Yad Veshem ( Israel’s holocaust museum) . The week we were there included a Jewish holiday of Shavuot. I will not go into giving a detailed review of the Hotel since it was not a timeshare but it met all of my expectations and more. Very nice room but just a hotel room with King bed and small fridge as well as coffee maker. Hotel was recently renovated and was a four star property. Food including daily buffet breakfast was very good.

Hotel catered to many diverse tour groups as tour buses arrived throughout the week and included, Japanese tourists, Italian and German tourists and at least two evangelical tours from the USA as well as several individual tourists like us from all over the world including many from the USA. We were near many other hotels including the Historic 5 diamond King David hotel which was just two block away, During the week we walked through all of the sections of the “old city” including the Armenian quarter, Christian Quarter, Jewish Quarter and Muslim Quarter”, on three separate occasions, We also went to the “western wall” also known as the “wailing wall the only remaining section of the second Jewish Temple including a fascinating tour of “The Western Wall Tunnels”.

During the holiday of Shavuot we went to the “Great synagogue” for services which was magnificent and was lead by a world renowned cantor and choir that was like a concert. It was so magical that we returned again for Saturday morning services and were mesmerized again.

On the other days of the week we went to the Israel museum which included the “Dead Sea scrolls’ and spent an entire day at Yad Veshem which I can’t even begin to describe as it documents the Holocaust that occurred during WWII that is beyond comprehension

During our week in Jerusalem we again met up with my cousins for dinner and later during the week her sister travelled into Jerusalem from Tel Aviv with her husband and we had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant overlooking the outer walls of the “Old city”.

My wife had to leave after two weeks and took a flight back to NY early Sunday Morning as I headed to another timeshare week in Tiberius overlooking the sea of Galilee and touring of the northern part of Israel..

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

Beautiful resort Larry.
Just curious. Do they have female and male pool days or can both sexes use the pool together. When I was there in 1996 the hotels had alternating pool days. Is it the same with the timeshares?

Swimming at all of the pools in Israel were for everyone together. Herod's is all hotel with different buildings but no designated timeshare building. The 10th floor of the Herod's palace is their "Residence club" which basically have hotel type suites which were sold as timeshare and was were we stayed.

Regarding separate swimming for men and women there are no hotels in Israel that have that other than when a hotel is rented out to a religious group during a specific holiday such as Passover or Rosh Hashana etc.

Perhaps that was when you were there???????

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Chris, are you talking about Herod's specifically?

No, I stayed in the Renaissance in Jerusalem and also in Tiberias we encountered this. I think it was a Holiday Inn in Tiberias but I don't really remember for sure.

I was there in September but don't remember any holidays going on at that time but maybe there was.

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

No, I stayed in the Renaissance in Jerusalem and also in Tiberias we encountered this. I think it was a Holiday Inn in Tiberias but I don't really remember for sure.

I was there in September but don't remember any holidays going on at that time but maybe there was.

i have friends that have stayed at the Renaissance in Jerusalem and they definitely have mixed swimming unless it is rented primarily to a large ultra orthodox group for a Jewish holiday. Rosh Hashanah may come out in September or October depending on how the Jewish Calendar falls out and when Rosh Hashana comes in early September you can also have the holiday of Sukkot and Simchat Torah at the end of September.

For example if you were there in 2002 Rosh Hashanah started on Sundown September 6 and Sukkot started on Sundown September 21 and lasts for 8 days and is very popular for large groups renting out hotels for the entire holiday.

September 2010 also had the Jewish holidays in September with Rosh Hashana in the early part of September and Sukkot starting September 23 and again lasting through the end of September.