This region has since time immemorial, been one of the most delicate areas in the world – both politically and geo-strategically. This piece of land, often dubbed “the navel of the world”, is simultaneously among the most attractive tourist destinations, whilst also being The Place claimed by different nations as the cradle of their national history, hence the long track record of conflict that remains present even today.
The sense that this is the land of creation, already from the first moment you step onto the Israeli ground, “hits” you unexpectedly, with a one-of-a-kind fascinating blend of ancient and ultra-modern, easy-going and rigidly strict and uncompromising, the gentle touch of the Mediterranean breeze, the cruel rays of the sun in the Judean desert; the dolce vita lifestyle in Tel Aviv and the strong, religious pathos inJerusalem; the blend of enthusiastic future optimism and bitter memories of the past, filled with treats and mutual hatred, a sense of strong national unity and comradeship, as well as the need for individualism.
While you inhale the first breaths of the hot and dry desert air, your brain is overwhelmed with a mélange of strong emotions, caused by the layers upon layers of ancient history carved into every stone you see; evidence of swift turnarounds in history, from glory times to downfalls; almost rigid perfectionism and determination by this country’s people to a create and maintain a perfectly governed state with impressive infrastructure, an impressive network of tourist sightseeing locations on the map of this country that may be small in area, but is still extremely interesting.
If you leave Belgrade with prejudices and your hands full of newspapers covering the Middle East issue and reports about everlasting conflicts for a piece of land in the desert that is valued highly by three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, not knowing much about Israel as a truly mesmerising tourist attraction – you may as well go back home immediately, because preconceptions blur the sight of sightseers and globetrotters.
You can start your journey to Israel with a Thursday morning flight to Tel Aviv, lasting approximately three hours, and finish the trip with a Tuesday morning flight back to Belgrade, being “out of the office” just three working days, but having enough time to experience Israel’s most important tourist attractions.
The biggest surprise of all will most probably be Tel Aviv – the 3 in 1 city – Hi Tech, Beach & Surfing and Nightlife. Compared to Jerusalem, Haifa, Akko and Cesarea, Tel Aviv is a “youngster” – only about 100 years old, the city was born out of the socialist dream of Jews living in Eastern Europe, a vibrant and beautiful town resting under the shifting Sun on the stunning shifting shores of the Mediterranean.
The town’s founding father is Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), one of the fathers of the modern political movement of Zionism. He was an Austro-Hungarian journalist, playwright, political activist and writer. His father's family were originally from Serbia’s Zimony, today’s Zemun. Herzl formed the World Zionist Organisation and promoted Jewish migration to Palestine in an effort to form a Jewish state (Israel). The name “Tel Aviv” was the title given to the Hebrew translation of one of Herzl’s books “Altneuland”. This name comes from Ezekiel 3:15 and means tel – an ancient mound/hill formed when a town is built on its own debris over thousands of years – and aviv – spring. The name was later applied to the new town built outside Jaffa that grew up to become Tel Aviv-Yafo the second-largest city in Israel and Israel’s commercial, cultural and financial hub, where the price of a flat with for rooms in a central residential area reaches the astronomically high price of approximately $800,000, and which has commercial areas with high-rise skyscrapers like the Azrieli Centre Circular, one of three buildings that comprise the Azrieli Centre, with the highest being the recently finished Azrieli Sarona, which is 255 meters tall and has 73 floors.
If high-rise buildings are not your fascination, in Tel Aviv it is easy just to turn your back on the modern and go to the nearby beach, which stretches along the entire length of the city, giving Tel Aviv a beautiful holiday charm.
One Tel Aviv must is surfing at the Galim Surf School, which will be great fun and will give you a supreme “fun in the sun” beach experience, a nice sun tan, as well as a few bruises & scratches that will make you realise that you should definitely exercise more. The beaches of Tel Aviv have the most refined sand on the Mediterranean, because that sand comes on the wind from Egypt and only the smallest particles, those lightest ones, reach the seashores of Tel Aviv, hence the refined touch of this sand, which is unique in the area.
After chilling on the beach or making a popular Segway tour, visit Neve Tzedek, the old but recently renovated neighbourhood where the first Tel Aviv builders started shaping the town; then the Station – the renovated train station district, with great restaurants and shops in a true oasis of beauty; pay a visit to the Carmel open-air market and enjoy a lovely and vibrant piazza atmosphere, with smiling people selling fruits, vegetables and clothing; go to the Nahalat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall, with the Arts and Crafts Bazaar, the Levinsky spice market – SHENKIN and Sarona Market.
Close by is the famous Rothschild Boulevard – with its unique Bauhaus architecture and cafés that are vibrant during the day, but also very popular during the evenings.
D&C spoke to Tel Aviv local Dror Shemesh, a nightlife guide, who explained more about this town that is known worldwide as The hipster town:
D&C: How is the nightlife in Tel Aviv?
Dror Shemesh: “For me, the thing that is most special about the nightlife of TLV is the fact that it never stops reinventing itself and surprising you. Here, even in mid-week you can find great bars, clubs, live concerts and exhibitions all around town. Also, people from all over the country are coming to party in TLV, so basically it’s a place where people allow themselves to “go wild” and be something else for a night. The official motto of the city is “the city that never sleeps” – it’s so true. You can find something to do here 24/7.
D&C: Tel Aviv is so easy to reach from Belgrade, with good Air Serbia flight connections. What would be your recommendation for a couple who would like to come to your city for a long weekend: where to stay, what to see, where to go out in the evening, and what to do from Thursday to Sunday?
Dror Shemesh: “I think that Tel Aviv is a great city break destination. There are several options for accommodation: the first one is the more expensive option – hotels. There are several great hotels on the beach front of TLV – Shalom Atlas, for example. The second option is Airbnb – subletting an apartment. It can be cheaper than hotel or more expensive, depending on the location and the apartment. The third option, which I think is better, is renting a room (private or dormitory) – this is cheaper than a hotel and better than an apartment, because it gives you the opportunity to meet new people. The hostels usually offer special activities and attractions for their guests. My recommendation is to choose a hostel for more affordable accommodation: for example, Hayarkon48 hostel, Beachfront hostel or Gordon inn – all three have very high standards and also their location is very good – very close to the beach and also very close to the city centre. TLV has a lot to offer. I think the best thing to do is to join a pub crawl. There is a good pub crawl every Thursday and Saturday. In that way you can see the best nightlife in TLV. During the pub crawl, one can visit different very popular places in TLV, each with a different vibe and music – so one can really explore the diversity of the nightlife of TLV. For more info visit
www.tlvnights.com During the day one has a few free activities to choose from: a free tour of the old city of Jaffa, chilling on the beach or checking out the street area in the Florentine neighbourhood, the Neve Tzedek neighbourhood, Tel Aviv Port or shopping in Dizingof Street, Bugrashov Street, visiting the Flee market in Jaffa or Carmel Market.
D&C: What are the prices of soft drinks and alcohol in the clubs, cigarettes, taxi rides etc.
Dror Shemesh: Tel Aviv might be a bit expensive sometimes, with prices like in Paris for example, so a beer is usually from 5-8 euros, a taxi is around 7-12 euros, depending where and what time of day, and cigarettes are about 7-8 euros. For 100 euros one will get approximately 423 New Israel Shekels (NIS). TLV is not a big city – everything is quite close by. Tourists can also use the Tel-O-Fun: the city's bike sharing rental system, with 200 stations and 130 km of riding lanes.
D&C: When does the nightlife start in Tel Aviv and what is your favourite club?
Dror Shemesh: So the nightlife starts around 9pm, when the bars start filling up, and it goes on until 6-7 in the morning on some days, when some places only start getting “in the mood” at midnight or after. Some of my favourite places in TLV include Radio e.p.g.b, Otto bar, Billie jean, Jimmy who, Moon Shine, Kuli Alma and Lima lima.
D&C: What are your three “must-dos” in TLV?
Dror Shemesh: Have a drink at sunset, eat Hummus in a Hummus place – Abu Hassan, for example, and explore the nightlife of TLV by joining a pub crawl.
The morning after a Tel Aviv pub crawl is an ideal time to visit nearby Old Jaffa – the ancient seaport famous for the export of great Jaffa oranges and the ancient story related to the Biblical narrative of Jonah and the whale. In Jaffa the oriental feeling and atmosphere is all around you.
Stroll the streets of this picturesque oriental old city, eat hummus and falafel, great baklava or kadaif in the oldest bakery in Jaffa, Bakery Said Abuelafia & Sons, or visit Jaffa flea Market.
Similar to Belgrade’s Beton Hala riverbank, with restaurants and cafés, is Jaffa Fishermen’s port and Artists’ quarter. While walking around the old Jaffa fortress you can see the breath-taking panoramic view of nearby Tel Aviv, which looks like Miami when viewed from this spot.
And when the sky is streaked with the fading Friday sunlight, candles are lit in Jewish homes around the world, b’rakhot is recited and Shabbat is welcomed. And in synagogues the Friday ma’ariv service begins with a series of hymns, Psalms, and blessings collectively known as Kabbalat Shabbat. You can join the collective Kabbalat Shabbat/ Welcoming the Sabbath in Tel Aviv New Port.
By Vanja Kovacev