Israel Tip Sheet and Tidbits Worth Knowing

Dear Attendee,

My name is Ledene Johnson and I am going to be your Aglow representative coordinator for the Israel trip in May 2008. I am looking forward to seeing you there! 

Here are some general tips and information that we have collected through our last seven years of travel to Israel.

WARNING!!! This is a long letter but there is lots of good information in here. My phone number and e-mail are listed at the bottom.   

General Information:

The weather is going to be comparable to Palm Desert or Arizona. Hot and dry. Any cotton or light materials are advised.

Records and Averages: Jerusalem Weather

Some various advice:

1. Packing lightly is suggested, you may be transferring in and out of hotels several times during the 10 days. Please bring only one suitcase and one day-pack or carry-on (for on the airplane and also to carry each day’s water, Bible, camera, etc).
   
   
2. A hat or shade umbrella, and good walking shoes are a must—tennis shoes or strong support shoes. Depending on your option, you will be walking in and among ruins, on uneven ground, in dark areas, on dirt paths etc.
   
   
3. Bring all the prescription medications that you will need, plus one or two days extra. Bring extra of aspirin and other over the counter medication you might need (indigestion, headache, hand lotion, Chap Stick, motion sickness, anti-diarrhea —you know what you might use). Carry your medication in your carry-on as luggage has been lost in transit. Obtaining prescription medication in Israel is not easy.
   
   
4. Put one change of clothes in your carry-on, in case your luggage gets separated from you and arrives on a different flight or on a different day, or a different week!
   
   
5. The trip there and back on the airplane is long. Depending on your route, you might be traveling anywhere from 14 - 30 hours. You will want to bring a good book, music (with head phones), some crossword puzzles, cards, a neck brace pillow and/or Tylenol PM to sleep on the plane.
   
   
6. One nice dress/outfit is good to have. We don’t have any formal meetings currently planned, but you may want to have access to something nice if things shift, and they often do!
   
   
7. Bring a swim suit and beach shoes. These are for the optional baptism in the Jordan and the trip to the Dead Sea. The beach at the Dead Sea is rocky and sharp, so you need rubber water shoes that stick to you feet—not just “flip-flops.” You will be walking in “sucking sand” once you go into the Dead Sea, and you can lose “flip-flops".
   
   
8. On the day that we go to the Jordan River, be sure to have clothes that can get wet. You will also have the option to rent a white robe but you will need to wear something under the robe as it is fairly translucent when it gets wet. My recommendation is that you plan to go in and get baptized… be prepared and then if you decide not to, you can change your mind.
   
   
9. The electricity is not the same as in the US. If you take your curling iron or hair dryer, make sure that it is the kind that can click from 110 to 220AC. It will also need to have the European 2 pronged plug or the European 3 pronged plug. (any hardware store has the adapters for that) If it is not the kind that will convert, you will literally melt your iron or dryer.
   
   
10. Extra film, if purchased in Israel, is very expensive. Remember to take the film in your carry-on and do not send it through the x-ray machines.
    
    
11. Also, we may be standing, worshipping, celebrating and sitting in the sun on stone so come prepared with an umbrella or hat, sunscreen, and LOTS of water.
    
    
12. As additional travel preparation, I can tell you that you should probably bring about $200-300 with you for lunch, tips, and incidentals. Breakfast and dinner is included in the cost of the trip. Lunch usually costs about $5-7 US dollars.
    
    
13. At the beginning of the trip, each person gives $50 to their bus guide to help cover expenses he pays for the whole bus.
    
    
14. At the end of the journey, a free-will love gift is taken up for the guide and driver to split.
    
    
15. A $1 per day tip to the hotel maid is appreciated.
    
    
16. Sometimes times, a 1 or 2 shekel (Israeli money) fee is charged for using the toilet. People tend to group together and 3-4 go in on $1. After the first day or two, you will find that you have enough shekels to do what you need to do!
    
    
17. Water is usually purchased, either from the bus driver, at rest stops, or you can refill a bottle each morning at the hotel (if one bottle is all you need). Water usually is $1 per bottle. (Bring lots of $1 bills about 100—everyone in Israel loves them.)
    
    
18. Then the rest of your money is for souvenirs, photos of the trip that are available each night, videos, information books and shopping!!

If you would like some information about Israel itself and more information about the weather in May, etc., you can look up www.us-israel.org. There is a virtual Israel Experience to let you see what the land looks like. There is also a section on Travel Preparation.

If our guide company determines that extra security is necessary, they will secure it. All itinerary stops are selected with a view toward never putting the group in jeopardy.

You do not need a travel visa or shots to go to Israel however, you do need your passport.

Health Information for Travelers to the Middle East Recomended by the CDC

 …"However, in highly developed areas of Israel, you should observe health precautions similar to those that would apply while traveling in the United States."

For more information:

Consult with your doctor for specific information related to your needs and your medical history; recommendations may differ for pregnant women, young children, and persons who have chronic medical conditions.

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/mideast.htm 

Ledene Johnson
Chief Operating Officer
Aglow International
(425) 775 7282 x 0216
LedeneJohnson@aglow.org