World City Guide

Mini Guide of Tel Aviv

City Overview

It is hard to believe that this vivacious, sophisticated Mediterranean city has not yet celebrated its first centenary. Born out of the sands, the modern metropolis of Tel Aviv was founded in 1909, when a small group of Jewish families moved from the overcrowded, insanitary and hostile Arab town of Jaffa to a selected desert spot where the construction of Tel Aviv began. Since then, the city has sprung up beside the Mediterranean coast at a dizzying speed – its first-generation residents are as old as the city itself. Younger generations compare their hometown grandly to New York. The ceaseless energy and enterprise, the lively avenues, big squares and buzzing nightlife all excuse this exaggerated comparison. However, the noisy, extrovert way of life, the miles of utilitarian modern apartments and the warm humid climate – with temperatures up to of 34°C (94°F) in the summer (when humidity also tends to peak) and 20°C (68°F) in the winter – all place Tel Aviv firmly in its East Mediterranean setting.

The initial impression of many visitors upon arrival is that Tel Aviv is brash, soulless and hedonistic. Outlying areas on the approach roads in particular seem tacky and drab, however, those who are willing to explore further than their first impressions cannot fail to be moved by the idealism that has created this largest Jewish city ever to exist. In a short time, Tel Aviv has absorbed tens of thousands of refugees from Europe, Asia, Africa and South America and turned them into free citizens in their own homeland – 45,000 new immigrants have settled here in the last year alone.

In fact, Tel Aviv is named after the Hebrew title of Theodor Herzl’s inspirational Zionist novel Altneuland (Old New Land). The Hebrew, ‘Tel Aviv’, combines the ideas of antiquitiy (tel, an ancient site) and radiant newness (aviv, springtime). Tel Aviv’s astonishing diversity is shown in the array of distinct neighbourhoods merging together but also in these extremes of ‘old’ and ‘new’. The elderly relaxing on the beach promenade and chatting in a multitude of languages, next to the younger generation shouting in Hebrew and playing beach sports on the sand; the high culture and the noisy discos; the modern shopping malls and the packed street market.

The sheer dynamism and determination of the place makes Tel Aviv seem vastly bigger than it really is. In fact, the city is smaller in area than Haifa or Jerusalem, but over one-third of Israel’s population live in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. For round-the-clock entertainment and sheer vigour, there is nowhere in Israel like it – the city offers an abundance of bars, restaurants, entertainment and nightlife within walking distance from one another.

Above all, Tel Aviv is a beach city. A broad expanse of fine sand extends more than ten kilometres (six miles) along the seashore. City residents pour onto the beach for air, space and relaxation every weekend and at any opportunity during the day. Its wide promenade is a magnificent sight and runs for miles all the way from the port in north Tel Aviv to the old quarter of Jaffa – which, incidentally, has ceased to be a hostile Arab town and has become a popular waterside dining and leisure district of Tel Aviv.

With its art galleries, flea market, antique shops and restaurants, Jaffa is a pleasant place to stroll and relax. Although mentioned several times in the Bible and developed as Jerusalem’s principal seaport during Temple times, Jaffa gives little sense of its long history. Only a small section of Old Jaffa remains today, its lanes and stairways cleaned up and restored beyond recognition and the squalid centre replaced by a park. In any case, most of the town was built after Napolean’s destructive raid in 1799. Thus, the oldest port in the world (with all its trade long ago moved to Tel Aviv or Haifa) has become a mere district in the most modern city in the world.

As well as having a multitude of attractions of its own, Tel Aviv is well-placed as a base for day trips to Jerusalem and Caesarea, while even the Dead Sea and the Galilee are within a two-hour drive of the city.

Getting There By Air

Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV)
Tel: (03) 971 0000. Fax: (03) 971 1908.
Website: www.ben-gurion-airport.com/english/index.htm

Ben Gurion International Airport, also known as Tel Aviv Airport, is located near Lod on the main Tel Aviv–Jerusalem highway (Highway 1), about 25km (15 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is Israel’s principal hub for international and domestic air traffic, served by over 47 airlines and with two terminals designed to handle up to 12 million passengers each year. A new terminal is currently being built.

Major airlines: Israel’s national airline is El Al (tel: (03) 971 6854 or 6111; website: www.elal.co.il). Other major carriers include Air Canada, Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Continental Airlines, AiDelta, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, SAS, Tower and Turkish Airlines. For understandable reasons, El Al’s airline security is extremely tight. Whether flying in or out of Israel, the check-in period is always at least three hours prior to departure. To date, all passengers are normally subject to one-to-one interview by security personnel but this is being phased out in favor of high-tech scanning machines.

Approximate flight times to Tel Aviv: From London is 4 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 11 hours; from Los Angeles is 17 hours; from Toronto is 10 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 14 hours.

Airport facilities: Facilities include 24-hour banks, restaurants, duty-free shops, general shops, post office and 24-hour tourist information. Avis, Budget, Eldan, Eurodollar, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty all provide car hire services. It is worth noting that most airport services (including public transport) are reduced on Shabbat (approximately Friday 1700 to Saturday 1700).

Business facilities: First-class and business-class passengers of Israel’s El Al airline can use fax, Internet and computer facilities in the King David Lounge (tel: (03) 971 6892), while passengers of all airlines have access to the Jet Set Club lounge (tel: (03) 971 2302). All users of the airport may use the Solan lounge (tel: (03) 979 2323), with fax and other facilities for hire.

Arrival/departure tax: Included in airfare.

Transport to the city: The best-value method of transport for getting into Tel Aviv from the airport is a ‘sherut’. Available 24 hours a day from outside the arrivals hall, these shared taxis wait until they have about seven passengers before leaving and travel into Tel Aviv (journey time – 20 minutes) for about NIS26 per head. Bus 475, operated by the Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888, English speaking; website: www.egged.co.il, Hebrew only), departs for the city from stop 2, outside the arrivals hall, 0530-2235 Sunday-Thursday, 0530-1605 Friday, 1955-2235 Saturday (every 15-20 minutes). It takes a route through the city that terminates at the Central Bus Station (journey time – 30-40 minutes). The fare to central Tel Aviv is NIS10.20. Bus 222, operated by United Tour Bus Company (tel: (03) 971 1711 or 972 1447), travels into Tel Aviv via the railway station and seafront hotels, terminating at the Dan Panorama Hotel. It runs hourly 0400-2400 Sunday to Thursday, 0400-2000 Friday and 1300-2400 Saturday, and costs NIS12.5-16. Taxis, available 24 hours a day, are located on the right outside the airport arrivals hall. Taxi fares to Tel Aviv are around NIS100. El Al passengers may also travel to the airline’s downtown terminal on the El Al airline bus.

Getting There By Water

Although Tel Aviv is on the coast, its nearest international passenger ports are Haifa (website: www.haifaport.org.il), about one hour north, and Ashdod (website: www.ashdodport.org.il), about half an hour south. Both ports are run by the Ports and Railways Authority – PRA (tel: (03) 565 7000; website: www.israports.org.il).

Most passenger shipping uses the port at Haifa, which has facilities for up to five ships to dock simultaneously. Haifa has a modern passenger terminal with comprehensive facilities including a duty-free shop, souvenir shop and cafeteria, as well as a helicopter landing pad for private use. Ashdod is one of the few ports in the world built on the open sea and it too has a passenger terminal with facilities including a bank, buffet and police station.

Ferry services: Regular passenger services are scheduled between Israel and mainland Greece, Rhodes, and Cyprus, operated by shipping lines Poseidon (website: www.ferries.gr/poseidon) and Salamis (website: www.ferries.gr/salamis), but both companies have temporarily suspended services to Israel owing to risks posed by the Palestinian intifada. Schedules can be checked with the Ports and Railways Authority.

Transport to the city: Frequent Egged bus services go to Tel Aviv from both Haifa (journey time – 1 hours) and Ashdod (journey time – 30 minutes). There is also a rail link from Haifa to Tel Aviv. Although slower than the bus, it is a comfortable and enjoyable ride; trains run approximately every hour and cost around NIS20 (journey time – 1 hour 15 minutes).

Haifa port is located near the railway station and close to the centre of town, to which it is linked by a footbridge; however, from Ashdod port, it is necessary to take a taxi to the bus station.

Getting There By Road

Israel has an excellent road network and, because the country is relatively small with varied scenery, travelling by car can be a great pleasure. However, the major roads can be very congested, so motorists are advised to allow plenty of time for journeys. Traffic drives on the right and road rules are similar to those in Western Europe and North America. The minimum legal driving age in Israel is 18 years, while the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%. All passengers must wear seatbelts at all times and children under 14 should not travel in the front seat. Road signs are international, distances given are in kilometres and all signposting on major roads is in Hebrew, Arabic and English. The speed limit is 100kph (62mph) on motorways, 80kph (50mph) on intercity roads and 50kph (31mph) within towns.

It is compulsory to carry either a national driving licence from any country or an International Driving Permit. Insurance is mandatory in Israel and is organised by the government. Visitors driving their own vehicles can purchase the insurance through a local agent. The certificate must be carried in the car at all times – a photocopy is not acceptable. A departure tax is payable for those who leave Israel by land (around NIS60-130 depending on departure point), if they arrived in the country by air.

The Automobile and Touring Club of Israel - MEMSI (tel: (03) 564 1111 or 1122; website: www.aitgva.ch/israel.htm) provides information and assistance, with free services for members of affiliated motoring organisations, such as the AAA (in the USA) and the AA and RAC (in the UK).

Emergency breakdown service:

MEMSI (03) 564 1111 or 1122

Routes to the city: The Ayalon Highway is the four-lane motorway linking Haifa to Tel Aviv. It skirts Tel Aviv, with exits to different parts of the city, Ramat Gan and suburban towns. Highway One runs east from Tel Aviv to Ben Gurion Airport and to Jerusalem.

Driving times to Tel Aviv: From Jerusalem – 50 minutes; Haifa – 1 hour.

Coach services: The Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888, English speaking; website: www.egged.co.il, Hebrew only), a worker-owned co-operative, is Israel’s national bus and coach service operator. The comprehensive network of buses to all parts of the country depart from Tel Aviv’s huge Central Bus Station, 108 Levinski Street (tel: (03) 638 4040). Despite the frequency of most services, travellers are advised to buy tickets from the fourth floor of the bus station before boarding the bus. Services come to a complete halt for Shabbat (generally from around 1500 on Friday to about 1900 on Saturday). All travellers may expect to be stopped and searched on arrival or at any time while inside the building, as security at the bus station is very tight, and travellers should never leave their belongings unattended.

Coach services also run from Tel Aviv into Egypt. Buses to Cairo (journey time – approximately 10 hours) cost from US$35 single or US$50 return and depart daily at 0900, as well as Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 2030. They can be booked from Metzada Tours, 141 Ibn Givrol Street in Tel Aviv (tel: (03) 5444454), or from Aviv Tours next door at 143 Ibn Givrol Street (tel: (03) 604 1811).

Getting There By Rail

Israel Railways (tel: (03) 577 4000; website: www.israrail.org.il/english) is the national rail provider. The railways in Israel, previously an unused remnant of British Palestine, are undergoing a rapid revival and expansion, with new, modern air-conditioned trains being brought into service and new railway track being laid. This massive upgrade means that many of the services listed below may be suspended or disrupted. Tel Aviv Central Station (tel: (03) 693 7456) is located to the north of the city centre, at the junction of Haifa Road, Arlosoroff Street and Peta Tikva Road. It is the city’s main station serving national destinations as well as suburban routes. Facilities include tourist information, automatic cashier, public telephones, restaurant, cafeteria, shops and secure parking.

Rail services: Trains run from Tel Aviv to Haifa (journey time – 1 hour 15 minutes) along the coastal line; some trains continue to Nahariya (journey time – 2 hours) near the Lebanese border. Trains run every hour between 0600 and 2000. The fare to Haifa is NIS20 and to Nahariya NIS30. Trains from Tel Aviv to Beersheva take 70 minutes and cost NIS23.50. There is also a daily or twice daily service to Jerusalem, which is scenic but much slower than road travel. Fares can be paid by credit card at the train station upon departure.

Transport to the city: Many different bus routes travel from Tel Aviv Central to the city centre. Buses 61 and 62 go to Dizengoff Centre, while 44 and 46 go to Old Jaffa.

Getting Around

Public Transport
Due to Tel Aviv’s increasing expansion and traffic congestion, plans are underway to construct an underground transit system. For now, transport around the city on the bus network operated by the Dan Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 639 4444; website: www.dan.co.il/english).

The bus service is fast, punctual and economical, with over 300 bus stops situated throughout the city. Most buses follow circular itineraries starting and finishing at the Central Bus Station, 108 Levinski Street (tel: (03) 638 4040), with routes throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. The network is extensive, with almost all buses running through Ben Yehuda Street and Dizengoff Street. Buses in the city run daily 0530-2400 (except Shabbat).

An ordinary single-fare ticket in central Tel Aviv costs NIS5 and is available for purchase on the bus, whether travelling one stop or all the way across town. Few locals buy these as most people have a pass. Visitors should ask the bus driver for a kartissiya, a 25-ride ticket for the price of 23 single fares. It is not a big saving but it is convenient and saves looking for small change each time you board a bus. Senior citizen and students (with ID) can buy all bus tickets at a discount.

It is wise to avoid bus travel during the morning and evening rush hours (0700-0800 and 1600-1800) when there are big traffic jams.

Buses have been a favourite target of the Palestinian suicide bombers and some visitors may feel that bus travel is too risky to bother with. Despite the fact that Israeli bus drivers are highly trained to anticipate and deal with danger, this has proved inadequate when dealing with the particular threat of suicide attackers. However, buses remain the most popular and economical form of transport and Israelis are still using them as normal. Bombers can, of course, strike anywhere, not only on buses. It is safer to take long-distance non-stop buses, which depart from a central bus station (where there is high security), rather than buses that stop frequently to pick up more passengers. Visitors who notice anyone or anything suspicious – while waiting for a bus, boarding a bus or during a journey – should walk quickly up to the front of the bus and tell the driver immediately, even if the bus is moving. All bus drivers speak some English.

Taxis
Taxis are governed by meters based on Tariff 1 (0530-2100) and Tariff 2 (2100-0530 and Shabbat). A taxi ride of five to seven minutes at Tariff 1 will cost NIS15-20, while Tariff 2 rates are 25% higher. Tipping is not usual and not expected, although it would not be refused and a very small gratuity of say 5% is sometimes given. When starting a journey, the driver is legally obliged to activate the meter but many taxi drivers claim to have problems with their meter and do not switch them on or claim to offer a better price than would be shown on the meter. To avoid being cheated, it is worth asking your hotel receptionist or the tourist office for some idea of what the fare to specific destinations should be.

Taxis can be hailed on the street or telephone in advance. Some reputable companies include Hameshuhrar Ltd (Liberated Taxi Ltd), 94 Allenby Street (tel: (03) 566 1818), and Ihud Taxis Ltd (tel: (03) 962 6090 or 961 8886/7).

To distinguish them from sherutim (see below), taxis are colloquially known as ‘special taxis’. The Controller of Road Transport, 8 Hamelacha Street (tel: (03) 565 7214; fax: (03) 565 7216), is the governing body for taxis and sherutim, handling all enquiries and complaints.

Sherutim
An alternative to a taxi or bus is the popular sherut (literally ‘service’, ie service taxi; the plural in Hebrew is sherutim but visitors should be aware that this also means ‘toilets’). These shared taxis are usually stretched Mercedes or minibuses, seating seven or 12, and they generally follow fixed public bus routes. However, they allow passengers to get on and off anywhere on the journey and may take alternative routes when necessary to dodge heavy traffic. Delays are rare and passengers should board quickly as drivers pull away sharply – both drivers and passengers are very impatient of anyone holding things up. Some sheruts run on Shabbat. Fares are usually about the same as the bus fare (approximately NIS5 or NIS6). One reputable provider is Mercaz (tel: (03) 639 3055).

Limousines
Limousine hire and guided limousine tours of Jerusalem and beyond (including visits to Jordan), are available from Twelve Tribes, 29 Hamered Street, Tel Aviv (tel: (03) 510 1911; website: www.twelve-tribes.co.il), and Guided Limousine Tours, P. O. Box 39539, Tel Aviv (tel: (03) 642 1649; website: www.glt.co.il). The two companies have different price structures but rates start at about US$380 for a nine- or ten-hour day, depending on the make of car, with additional expenses for overnights.

Driving in the City
The extensive, low-cost bus and sherut service and the close proximity of all the main attractions means that driving in the city is not really required – thankfully, as it cannot be recommended. Tel Aviv drivers tend to be very dangerous and impatient – and quick to use the horn. In addition to the fast, irritable driving, drivers should beware of such time-saving tactics as driving on the sidewalk in order to get in front of other vehicles. Experienced drivers are recommended to remain calm and cautious when driving through the city.

Street parking is strictly controlled. Tel Aviv has switched to the EasyPark smartcard system, an in-car electronic device (about the size of a pocket calculator), which automatically deducts the cost of street parking from the driver’s credit or debit card and which can be read electronically by parking attendants. Most locals have one of these devices in their car, but it is also possible to buy traditional parking cards. These can be obtained from street kiosks, post offices and gas stations at around NIS35 for five hours. This is a strip of paper with punched tabs for the hours of the day; drivers tear a tab to designate the month, day and hour they parked. Various different kerbside colour codes indicate what parking is permitted. Blue and white means parking is allowed with pre-paid parking cards, however, visitor should always check the signs as well for the hours of operation and any restrictions. Visitors should not park where there is any other kerbside colour as they all represent restrictions; many streets in Tel Aviv operate residents’ only parking schemes. No line probably means free parking but visitors should always check for the signs as well as parking regulations are rigorously enforced.

There are also informal, unregulated pay-to-enter parking lots scattered about in the city, including by the beach south of Opera Tower and on the approach into Jaffa.

Car Hire
Cars can be hired on presentation of a passport and a valid driving licence – drivers must be over 21 years, although those between the ages of 21 and 23 may be required to pay a slightly higher insurance rate. Typical car rentals cost approximately NIS185-350 per day. Car hire agencies also sell the mandatory insurance required in Tel Aviv (see Getting There By Road).

The main Israeli car hire firm is Eldan, 114 Hayarkon Street (tel: (03) 527 1166; website: www.eldan.co.il). It has a user-friendly website accepting secure online payment and offers substantial price discounts for Internet bookings. Other major car hire companies in the city are Avis, 113 Hayarkon Street (tel: (03) 527 1752; website: www.avis.co.il), Budget, Dan Hotel, 99 Hayarkon Street (tel: (03) 524 5233), and 32 Rival Street (tel: (03) 688 5777; website: www.budget.co.il), Europcar, 126 Hayarkon Street (tel: (03) 524 8181; website: www.europcar.co.il), Hertz, 144 Hayarkon Street (tel: (03) 522 3332; website: www.hertz.com), and Thrifty, 122 Hayarkon Street (tel: (03) 524 4935), and 30 Hamasger Street (tel: (03) 561 2050; website: www.thrifty-israel.com). Most of these companies, and others, have desks at Ben Gurion Airport. In addition, most have toll-free booking numbers in the USA.

Bicycle Hire
Bicycles are a great way to tour this flat, warm, dry, beachside city. After a campaign by Tel Aviv Bicycle Association, 85 Nahalat Binyamin (tel: (03) 566 9667; website: http://bike.org.il/taba/index_e.html), the city introduced a number of city-centre bike paths and trails. Nevertheless, cyclists are advised to wear a helmet and should be aware of the city’s fast, aggressive driving style and severe congestion during rush hour. Tel Aviv Bicycle Association organises a weekly Friday afternoon group ride in the city and provides information about biking throughout Israel.

Bicycles can be hired from Round Trip, 5 Bograshov Street (tel: (03) 527 5731; website: www.geocities.com/round_trip_il). Rates are NIS25 for an hour, NIS100 for a day or NIS350 for a week.

Business

Business Profile
Although not the capital of the country, Tel Aviv is Israel’s economic and financial centre. Israel’s stock exchange is located here, along with the head offices of major banks Bank Hapaolim and Bank Leumi and almost all the country’s insurance and finance institutions.

Its high-tech venture capital industry is strong in the areas of telecommunications equipment, software, Internet and semi-conductors. High-tech medical instruments, innovative pharmaceuticals and the diamond trade (including cutting and polishing) also contribute substantially to the economy. Israel is noted especially for top-level scientific and medical research companies, many of which have their offices here. The government maintains and encourages its highly educated workforce in the high-tech sector, through tax incentives, education and financial backing.

However, Israel's high-tech sector, after a record year in 2000, suffered a downturn in 2001, when the meltdown of global tech markets brought an abrupt end to several years of rapid growth. The industry has largely subsided since.

In addition to the high-tech specialists, more than 50% of Israel’s other factories and industrial plants are located outside the city centre but within the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Important industries include clothing (much of it for outlets in Europe and America), food processing, metal and engineering, printing and publishing. Israeli manufacturing has a reputation for high quality and innovation.

A procedure known as ‘Dual-listing’, launched in July 2000, permits larger Israeli companies to be listed both in New York – on the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ or American Stock Exchange – and on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Around 50 international Israeli companies have taken advantage of this possibility. Among them are big computer and software names Elron, Formula and Magic Software and others, such as chemicals and pharmaceuticals manufacturer Teva and the investment and industrial development corporation Koor Industries – all of which are based in or around Tel Aviv.

In the long term, tourism is another important contributor at 10% of GDP (in 2000), comprising a significant source of foreign exchange earnings. The general trend in visitor numbers appears to be steadily upwards, if one assumes that the almost complete cessation of tourism during the current Palestinian campaign of suicide bombings is temporary. However, the tourism industry has also been affected by the recent economic slowdowns worldwide, although this is also expected to be temporary.

Important strides have been made in Israel in laying out a foundation of macroeconomic stability. A wide range of reforms have been put in place in recent years aimed at reducing the scale of the large public sector and supporting the modernisation of the economy. Inflation is tightly controlled (Israel learned from the experience of runaway inflation in the 1980s), although it is currently under pressure from the exceptionally high expenditure involved in combating Arab terrorism. Defence spending has climbed to 15% of GDP, although, given the present situation, this is seen as a necessary evil.

Currently Israel’s economy is in difficulty owing to the downturn that the wave of terrorist attacks has produced. Israel’s attempts to halt terrorism have elicited hostile responses from the EU, which Israel views as pro-Palestinian, including sanctions and boycotts by some EU states. At the same time, the EU as a whole remains an important market for Israel’s agricultural produce.

Israel takes the long view that since all their diplomatic initiatives and peace offers have been rejected, a military response to terrorism is unavoidable, but that eventually the country will be at peace with its neighbours, to the mutual economic advantage of all. Israeli strategists envisage the country eventually playing a leading role in building a regional economic union, after Islamic hostility to the idea of a Jewish state has abated. To this end, Israel has strongly cultivated alliances with neighbouring Islamic states where possible, including Egypt, Jordan and Turkey.

For the last few years, unemployment in Tel Aviv has fluctuated between 7 and 9% against the 8.7% national average (July 2001), which has recently been climbing. There is also a sharp split between high-tech (high earners) and non-tech (low earners).

The commercial focal points of the city centre are around the huge Azrieli Center (with 350,000 sq metres/3,767,368 sq ft of business premises and dominated by a 50-storey skyscraper) and Dizengoff Center and along Dizengoff Street. However, many industrial and business premises are located in industrial zones and privately-owned ‘business parks’ well away from the city centre, for example, Atidim Science-Based Industrial Park, in the northeast of the city.

The Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, PO Box 20027, 84 Hahashmonaim Street, Tel Aviv (tel: (03) 563 1010; fax: (03) 561 9027; website: www.chamber.org.il), can provide advice and information on doing business in Israel.

Business Etiquette
The business community in Tel Aviv is highly sophisticated, with an international outlook. There is a strong preference for informality and plain-speaking. Business attire, even for important meetings, is generally ‘smart-casual’ jacket and open-necked shirt, although suits and ties may be worn by some. Women dress stylishly but also relatively informally and usually wear trousers or skirt with a blouse or shirt. After introduction, it is customary to use first names. Despite this easy-going informality, punctuality is considered important. Business cards are expected.

English is generally spoken well by businesspeople and is used out of politeness if non-Israelis are present. Social interaction is important and relaxed lunch meetings or even outings together may be used to develop trust. Business meetings may be held over dinner and can take place in a private home or restaurant. If in a private home, a small gift – of flowers or chocolates, for example – is usually appropriate.

People work hard and with dedication and start the day early. Business opening hours in Tel Aviv are generally 0800-1730/1800 Sunday to Thursday. On Fridays, shops, restaurants, cafes and entertainment establishments are open until 1230 for Shabbat (the Sabbath), which starts Friday at sundown and continues to Saturday evening. Increasingly, Shabbat is being extended so that the whole of Friday is added to Saturday as a day off work.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
The Tel Aviv-Jaffa city area is a long, narrow strip along the seashore. Jaffa (locally called, and written, Yafo) is located south of the modern city, while Ramat Aviv, home of Tel Aviv University and the extensive Eretz Israel Museum, is located on the outskirts of north Tel Aviv on the other side of the river Yarkon. Along the prized city-centre coastline are many upscale hotels, notably the Dan, Continental and Sheraton, with the Hilton a little further north, and prestigious residential and commercial centres, such as Opera Tower. To the east and south of the city are the residential suburbs of Ramat Gan, Giv’atayim, Holon and Bat Yam.

All the various quarters of central Tel Aviv have their own unique attractions and – to get a flavour of this enigmatic city – visitors should spend time wandering the streets. One good way to explore Tel Aviv is to follow its ‘orange routes’, four marked itineraries that can be walked (or in one case driven) with the aid of information plaques and a leaflet for each route (see Walking Tours in Tours of the City).

North Tel Aviv is generally more prosperous, while Allenby Street, which runs south from the city centre and beach, can be very seedy in places. In the adjacent central neighbourhood known as Little Tel Aviv, there are excellent examples of the city’s remarkable Bauhaus architecture – Tel Aviv has the world’s finest surviving collection of this distinctive 1920s/1930s style, totalling over 3500 buildings. The Florentin Quarter is lively and attractive, with a selection of some of the best local cuisine in the city. Restaurants located in this district are mainly run by the early settlers, who set up small family businesses – Elimelech, on Wolffson Street, has reputedly been serving the best Polish-Jewish food since 1936. Visitors should also feast their eyes on some of the bakeries, scattered throughout the area, which serve delicious borekas (savoury-filled pastries) and other traditional snacks. The narrow streets lined with crumbling buildings’ ’in the Yemenite Quarter, home to Jewish refugees from Yemen, is imbued with an Oriental, almost an Arabic style at odds with the modernism of the rest of the city. The large and busy Carmel Market – the city’s main open-air food market – runs alongside the Yemenite Quarter. Neve Zedek was the first Jewish neighbourhood outside Jaffa – established in 1867 – and it is currently under restoration. Over the years, it has served as a home for numerous artists and now houses various different galleries.

The Observatory in the downtown Azrieli Center offers a tremendous panoramic view of these neighbourhoods, revealing how rapid and unplanned the development of the modern city has been, as skyscrapers and suburbs stretch into the distance.

Tel Aviv’s major sights are its diverse and unusual museums, some focusing on Israel’s ancient history, some on landmarks in its 20th-century Zionist history, with very poignant records of the struggles of Jewish refugees, the conflict with the British and with the Arabs, and the first steps of the new state. Among the most impressive is the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, while in the old town of Jaffa, there are remnants of the history of the world’s oldest port, as well as another important museum. However, perhaps the best of Tel Aviv, though, is the more frivolous side, especially its superb beach and promenade. And Jaffa remains the Tel Avivians’ perennial favourite, with a host of galleries, craftshops and cafés set against the landmarks of the Mamoudiyeh Mosque and St Peter’s Monastery. Whether by car or by foot, strolling along the coastal walkway, all routes into Old Jaffa are busy as the evening begins. Climbing from the Ottoman Clock Tower to Kedumim Square, visitors can view the breathtaking coastline of Tel Aviv as the metropolis prepares for another vibrant night.

When sightseeing or just exploring, visitors should be aware of the intense campaign of terrorism being waged against Israel. Popular crowded venues – busy street markets, family restaurants and cafés, crowded buses, student canteens, teenage discos – have especially been targeted by suicide bombers. Security guards have now been posted at the doorways or entrances to most such locations and it is advisable to be wary of venues that have not put any security measures in place. To date, tourist sights have not been struck by the bombers, and Arab areas are unlikely to be hit.

Tourist Information
Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo/Association for Tourism
Information Desk, City Hall Lobby
69 Ibn Givrol Street
Tel: (03) 521 8500.
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0900-1400.

Information Desk, Tel Aviv Promenade
46 Herbert Samuel Street
Tel: (03) 516 6188.
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0930-1730.

Website: www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english/home.asp

There are also tourist information desks at the Central Bus Station (sixth floor) and Ben Gurion International Airport.

Passes
There are no dedicated tourist passes in Tel Aviv.

Key Attractions

Eretz Israel Museum
The name of this important museum on the northern edge of the city means ‘Land of Israel’ and it aims to trace 3000 years of material culture through the artefacts found on this very site, as well as examples brought in from other Israeli locations. Constructed around the extensive archaeological site of Tel Kasile, the museum resembles a park and is housed in a dozen separate pavilions, each of which could be viewed as a museum in its own right dealing with a separate aspect of Israel’s material culture and ethnography. The Glass Pavilion traces the history of glass making from the earliest examples through to the Middle Ages. The Kadman Numismatic Pavilion, tracing the history of various currencies, has an extensive display of coins, while the Ceramics Pavilion has an extensive collection of ancient and traditional pottery. The Nechustan Pavilion displays exhibits sourced from the Timna copper mines, more famously known as King Solomon’s Mines. There is also a planetarium and an extensive research library open to the public. Visitors are advised to buy a site map upon arrival at the museum, to help navigate their way around the different pavilions.

2 Haim Levanon Street, Ramat Aviv
Tel: (03) 641 5244. Fax: (03) 641 2408.
Website: www.eimuseum.co.il/english/main.html
Transport: Bus 24, 27, 45, 75 or 86.
Opening hours: Sun- Thurs 0900-1500, Fri and Sat 1000-1400.
Admission: NIS20.

Tel Aviv Museum
Featuring works from around the world, the Tel Aviv Museum has been the nation’s principal showcase of modern art since the 1930s and was originally housed in the home of the city’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff. Today, the main part of the museum occupies a large purpose-built structure adjacent to its separate wing, The Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art. Another wing was opened last year, along with a Sculpture Garden. In addition to hosting a succession of exhibitions brought from the world’s leading modern art museums, the museum maintains a distinguished permanent collection of European and American art of the 20th century, notably Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings by Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet, Salvador Dali and especially Marc Chagall. The Tel Aviv Museum also serves as a venue for a wide variety of artistic exhibitions and concerts, as well as discussions and debate on a range of cultural topics.

27 Shaul Hamelech Boulevard, city centre
Tel: (03) 696 1297 (information and bookings). Fax: (03) 695 8099.
Website: www.tamuseum.com
Transport: Bus 9, 18, 28, 70, 90 or 11.
Opening hours: Mon and Wed 1000-1600, Tues and Thurs 1000-2200, Fri 1000-1400, Sat 1000-1600.
Admission: NIS30.

Bet Hatefutsot (Museum of the Jewish Diaspora)
Devoted to the record of Jewish history and migration, particularly since the Jews were expelled by the Romans from Israel (or Judea, as it then was) in AD70, the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora provides a unique look into the development and cultural heritage of the Jewish people up until the return to Israel. On six floors, the museum displays the astonishing diversity of different Jewish communities, also highlighting the common cultural and religious threads that enabled the Jewish people to cling on to their ethnicity and identity for almost 2000 years. Especially enjoyable are the musical sections, in which one can listen to Jewish music from Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities and the rousing songs of Zionist pioneer days. The museum regularly hosts special exhibits related to the migration and cultural contributions of immigrants. Recent special exhibitions have dealt with the island of Malta, Lithuanian Jewry and the cultural influences on the work of Sigmund Freud.

Tel Aviv University Campus, Klausner Street, Ramat Aviv
Tel: (03) 640 8000. Fax: (03) 640 5727.
Website: www.bh.org.il
Transport: Bus 74, 86, 270, 274, 454, 464, 572, 575, 576 or 604.
Opening hours: Sun-Tues 1000-1600, Wed 1000-1800.
Admission: NIS33.

Independence Hall
The building that houses Independence Hall is one of Tel Aviv’s original structures, formerly the home of Meir Dizengoff, the city’s first mayor. On 14 May 1948, it served as the venue for the historic declaration that brought the State of Israel into being. The house has since become a museum recalling that momentous day and the events that led up to it. The building also serves as a museum giving a rousing and patriotic history of Zionism. Among extraordinary displays in the museum are several fascinating historic photographs, showing such moments as the barren sand dunes north of Jaffa being awarded by lot to Jewish settlers. Others record the United Nations in session in November 1947 voting to partition Palestine and the meeting at which David Ben-Gurion announced the creation of the State of Israel.

16 Rothschild Boulevard, south Tel Aviv
Tel: (03) 517 3942.
Transport: Bus 5, 18, 61 or 62.
Opening hours: Sun-Tues and Thu 0900-1400, Wed 0900-1700, Fri 0900-1300.
Admission: NIS12 (concessions available).

Old Jaffa
The most enjoyable way to and from Jaffa is on the waterfront walkway from Tel Aviv. Some attractive cafés are set beside the walk as it approaches Jaffa, the tables on their large outdoor terraces positioned for the best views along the coast. For those arriving by car, the entrance to the Old Town is marked by the Ottoman Clock Tower, a small landmark built in 1906 in honour of Palestine’s Turkish ruler, Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Identical towers were built elsewhere in the Ottoman Empire, including the other two most important towns in Ottoman Palestine, Akko and Hebron. The clock tower serves as one of Jaffa’s main focal points for weekend crowds, who gather around it to socialise in the balmy air or meet up before eating at the many nearby restaurants. Around the corner from the clock tower rise the minaret and domes of Mahmoudiyeh Mosque, constructed by the Turks in 1809 and renovated three years later – with stonework taken from the Roman ruins of Ashkelon and Caesarea. Across the street, housed in the former 17th-century Turkish Government building, is the Jaffa Museum, with a remarkable collection of artefacts illuminating Jaffa’s long history. A few paces uphill is the pretty Abrasha Park and Kedumim Square, Old Jaffa’s main plaza, dominated by St Peter’s Monastery. Narrow steps and lanes – named after signs of the Zodiac – zigzag down from here to the historic harbour, busy with traders and mariners for thousands of years but now strangely empty except for tourists sitting at fish restaurants.

Transport: Bus 7, 10, 40, 44 and 46.

Ottoman Clock Tower and Mahmoudiyeh Mosque
Ottoman Clock Tower Square, Yefet Street, Old Jaffa

Jaffa Museum
10 Mifratz Shlomo Street, Old Jaffa
Tel: (03) 682 5375.
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0900-1300.
Admission: NIS5.

St Peter’s Monastery
Kedumim Square, Old Jaffa

Further Distractions

Shuk HaCarmel (Carmel Market)
Situated on the edge of the Yemenite Quarter, this daily market extends along narrow HaCarmel Street (and neighbouring lanes), which branches off Allenby Street at Magen David Circle. Despite the lack of traffic, it is noisy with stall-holders’ cries and busy with the extraordinary crush of people. Huge piles of fresh fruits, vegetables, olives, herbs, spices and meats are on sale for the lowest prices in the city. Stalls often specialise in just one item, offering only crates of nectarines, for example, or olives or oranges. The market is a perfect location to observe the bringing together of East European shtetls (Jewish villages), the Jewish quarters of Arabia, the sophistication of European Jewry and the raucous energy of the sabras (Jews born in Israel), all of whom are pressed shoulder to shoulder in this crowded market. It is especially hectic and colourful on Fridays, as people shop for Shabbat. A more sedate craft market can be found in parallel Nahalat Binyamin.

HaCarmel Street, south Tel Aviv
Transport: Bus 4.
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0830-1900, Fri 0900-1300.
Admission: Free.

Azrieli Center
For a phenomenal view over the unplanned sprawl of still-growing Tel Aviv and Jaffa and far beyond the city limits, visitors should take the high-speed lift (travelling at 6m/20ft per second!) to the 49th floor Observatory of the downtown Azrieli Center. On a clear day, it is possible to see – with the aid of the powerful telescopes – Jerusalem in one direction and Haifa in another. Although its 84-window Observatory is the highest in Israel, this remarkable circular tower – with 50 floors above ground and seven below – is not quite the country’s tallest building, having already been exceeded by the City Gate Tower (opened in Ramat Gan in 2001). The Azrieli Center in fact consists of three separate buildings, housing hundreds of offices, three embassies and a shopping mall, attracting 40,000 visitors a day.

132 Petach Tikvah Road
Tel: (03) 608 1179.
Website: www.azrielicenter.co.il
Transport: Bus 63.
Opening hours: Observatory Tues-Sun 1000-2000 (Fri closes 1800).
Admission: NIS20.

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
One enjoyable way to discover Tel Aviv is to follow its ‘orange routes’, four marked itineraries that can be walked (or in one case driven) with the aid of information plaques and a leaflet for each route. The four ‘orange routes’ are: ‘Little Tel Aviv’ (focusing on the early days of the city, including Bauhaus architecture and homes of distinguished individuals), the ‘City Centre’ (looking mainly at cultural and artistic highlights), ‘Old Jaffa’, and ‘North Tel Aviv’ (a driving route taking in Eretz Israel Museum and the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora).

Further details, as well as the actual leaflets, are available from the main tourist offices. Each routes takes about 3-4 hours to complete, including time to visit museums and sights.

Bus Tours
United Tours, 59 Ben Yehuda Street (tel: (03) 527 1212; website: www.intournet.co.il/unitedtours), offers a half-day city tour, costing US$30 (NIS150) and departing at 1000 on Sunday and Thursday from Ben Yehuda Street and Hayarkon Street. It takes approximately four hours and attractions include the Eretz Israel Museum, Oppenheimer Museum, Yitzhak Rabin Square, Old Jaffa and the Shuk Hapishshpeshim (Flea Market).

Excursions

For a Half Day

Caesarea: One of the world’s greatest archaeological sites lies beside the sea some 50km (30 miles) north of Tel Aviv. It is a quick and easy drive on the coastal freeway. Alternatively, frequent buses (number 921; usually every 15 minutes) go from Tel Aviv to the bus station in the town of Hadera (journey time – 1 hour 15 minutes). From here, bus 76 goes to Caesarea (eight daily each way; journey time –40 minutes).

The site – administered as Caesarea National Park (tel: (06) 636 1358; fax: (06) 626 2056; website: www.parks.org.il/parksENG; opening hours: Apr-Sep daily 0800-1700, Oct-Mar daily 0800-1600; admission: NIS22) – is extensive, impressive and makes an enjoyable and rewarding half-day excursion.

Caesarea was a major Phoenician port from the 4th century BC onwards, conquered and taken over by Alexander the Great, coming under the control of Herod in 22 BC and soon afterwards becoming the Roman capital of Judea (as Israel was called then), which it remained for hundreds of years. During the period of Roman rule, thousands of Jews lived here together with the Romans, the town representing the commercial, secular and assimilationist Jewish world, as opposed to the religious and traditional Jewish life being carried on in Jerusalem. The crushing of the Jewish Revolt was masterminded from here and the great Jewish scholar Rabbi Akiva was publicly tortured to death here. Israel was then renamed Palestine and the Jews expelled. After the fall of Rome, the town remained important under Byzantine rule. Following the 7th-century Arab conquest of Palestine, Caesarea was abandoned and fell into ruin but was partly restored by the Crusaders. A small 19th-century mosque on the site was built by Muslim refugees from Serbia.

Visiting today, it takes a few moments to understand what one is seeing at the site: the area consists of the extensive ruins of four superimposed walled towns – Herodian, Roman, Byzantine and the smaller Crusader enclosure. The most visible are the Roman and the Crusader periods, which dramatically dominate the site. The Roman city includes a huge horseracing track (or hippodrome) and a fine theatre where concerts and opera performances are now held, as well as the remains of the magnificent aqueduct that brought drinking water into the city. The best relic of the subsequent period is the Byzantine Street, once lined with shops. In the 13th century, French Crusaders constructed the Gothic fortifications on a small part of the site, of which the superb walls and moat survive, along with part of their cathedral.

The adjacent modern town of Caesarea (pronounced Kessaria) is one of Israel’s ‘smartest’, with expensive homes, luxury restaurants and the country’s only golf course.

For a Whole Day

Jerusalem: It is possible to reach almost any part of the country for a day trip from Tel Aviv, except Golan and Eilat, but the one great unmissable excursion is to Jerusalem, the capital of modern Israel and historic capital of the Jewish people. It is best to choose to explore either the Old City or the city centre (west Jerusalem) and the great museums, although at a pinch it would be possible to see both all in one day. United Tours, 59 Ben Yehuda Street (tel: (03) 527 1212; website: www.intournet.co.il/unitedtours), offers a wide variety of one- and two-day tours from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, some themed as Christian tours or art tours, several also including other places such as Masada and the Dead Sea. The popular one-day excursion number 222 leaves at 0800 from Tel Aviv and costs US$58. Alternatively, public buses, operated by the Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888, English speaking; website: www.egged.co.il, Hebrew only) from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem leave frequently throughout the day and take about one hour.

Jaffa Road, where Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station is located, is a busy, hectic narrow street lined with small old-fashioned shops. It leads to Jaffa Gate, the massively fortified main entrance into the Old City, via the centre of west Jerusalem. The main sights are within the imposing Ottoman walls of the Old City and the Jerusalem City Guide offers more information on all of these sights. They include the Tower of David (or Citadel), which houses the Museum of the History of Jerusalem; Temple Mount, on which stands the magnificent Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem’s most famous landmark, and the Al Aqsa Mosque, the oldest mosque in Israel; the Western Wall, a prayer site of paramount importance in Judaism; and the Via Dolorosa, believed to have been walked by Jesus as he carried the Cross to his crucifixion. It leads to the Calvary in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest sites in Christendom. The main museums are on the western outskirts of modern west Jerusalem, including The Israel Museum, the nation’s leading showcase for its archaeology, anthropology and art, part of which is The Shrine of the Book, displaying the Dead Sea Scrolls. Close by is the extensive Yad VaShem, Israel’s principal Holocaust memorial.

Masada: Situated on an isolated flat mountain top in the Judean Desert and overlooking the Dead Sea, Masada (pronounced ‘matzada’ in Hebrew and meaning ‘fortress’) was the scene of the final heroic Jewish resistance against the Romans. The group of Jewish zealots (as the resistance army were called) who had fled with their families to Masada realised that they faced imminent defeat and, rather than surrender to the Romans, all 967 men, women and children committed suicide. The extensive ruins include Herod’s Palace (tel: (08) 658 4207; fax: (08) 658 4464), the synagogue, the fortress, an elaborate bathhouse and much more. Guided tours are available.

Masada (tel: (07) 658 4117/8; website: www.parks.org.il) is run as a National Park. It is open Saturday to Thursday 0800-1700 (until 1600 Oct-Mar) and Friday 0500-1500 (cable car operates from 0800). Admission costs NIS20 (NIS56 with cable car). Masada lies on Route 90 close to the Dead Sea, 22km (14 miles) east of the desert town of Arad, and 20km (12 miles) south of Ein-Gedi. Approaching from the east, the road ends at the parking lot at the foot of the mountain. From there the ascent is either by the cable car, or by walking up the Snake Path – a tiring climb taking just under an hour. From the west, the road ends at the western parking lot, from which there is a 15- to 20-minute easy climb to the top. Visitors should make an early start as the site becomes very hot and crowded in the middle of the day and it is worth allowing enough time to include a dip in the Dead Sea. United Tours, 59 Ben Yehuda Street (tel: (03) 527 1212), run full-day excursions to Masada from Tel Aviv, including a dip in the Dead Sea, for US$74. Masada can be reached by bus 444, 486 or 487 from west Jerusalem – and there are frequent non-stop buses from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Sport

Organised sports in Israel trace their roots to the Maccabi movement, an international Jewish sports organisation with its own four-yearly ‘Olympics’ (called the Maccabiah) that began in Europe in 1895. In 1932, for the first time the Maccabiah was held in Palestine and has been held there ever since. The second Maccabiah garnered the support of more than 500 athletes, many of whom later chose to stay in Palestine to escape the Nazi persecutions that had engulfed Europe. The Maccabiahs became more than a tradition – they became an inspiration and a catalyst for organised sports in Israel. Recent games have attracted around 4000 athletes from 40 countries.

Basketball is the national passion. The Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, 193 Hayarkon Street (tel: (03) 605 9333; fax: (03) 605 9992; website: www.maccabi.co.il) is the first and most successful in Israel. The team became the first national champions when the league started in 1954. Since then, it has won the Israeli Champions Cup 42 times – including a streak of 23 consecutive titles – as well as various other cups. Season tickets to watch Maccabi play at the Yad Eliyahu Sports Palace, 108 Ben Yahuda Street, Ramat Gan (tel: (03) 527 2112; fax: (03) 527 3277), cost NIS800-NIS3300, depending on seating, and can be purchased from Maccabi offices or by telephone.

Hiking is a major recreation in Israel. The whole country is criss-crossed by a network of well-maintained long-distance footpaths. The Society for Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), Hashela 4, Tel Aviv (tel: (03) 638 8653; fax: (03) 537 4302; website: www.spni.org), provides tours and educational materials and maps for hikers and ecotourists.

Fitness centres: Gordon Pool (tel: (03) 527 1555), on the waterfront near the Sheraton Hotel, is a popular spot for healthy locals, with a saltwater Olympic pool and fully equipped fitness centre. The complex opens at 0600 and entrance is NIS45. All the major hotels have outdoor swimming pools and many have fitness equipment.

Golf: The only complete authorised PGA-standard golf course in Israel is the 18-hole Caesarea Golf Club (tel: (04) 636 1174/2, website: www.caesarea.fm/pages/golfmain.htm), next to the Dan Caesarea Hotel, on the Haifa/Tel Aviv motorway (30 minutes from Tel Aviv). The club organises package deals for foreign visitors, such as US$500 for ten games (and thereafter US$50 per game).

Tennis: Tel Aviv has many tennis centres for all levels. Tel Aviv National Sports Centre, Hadar Joseph, 2 Shitrit Street (tel: (03) 649 6465), has 18 courts. More avid players should visit the Israel Tennis Centre (tel: (03) 645 6666; website: www.tennis.org.il/english/index.htm), situated half an hour from the city centre, in the affluent suburb of Ramat Hasharon. It has helped put Israel on the international tennis map and has 25 courts open to the public, as well as a selection of highly qualified trainers. Public tennis courts may also be found in many of Tel Aviv’s main hotels. The Israel Tennis Association (tel: (03) 649 9440) can provide additional information.

Watersports: The main centre for outdoor watersports is at Marina Atarim (tel: (03) 522 4079), at the north end of the beach between the Carlton and Hilton hotels. Sailboats, windsurfers, boats and catamarans are all available for hire. The marina is open daily 0900-1700. Also at the marina is the Octopus Diving Centre (tel: (03) 527 1440). At the southern end of the beach, Leonardo Dive Centre (tel: (03) 510 5871), is located by the Dolphinarium. The Israeli Diving Federation is based at 94 Hayarkon Street (tel: (03) 523 6436; website: www.diving.org.il).

Shopping

Tel Aviv shopping is interesting because of the extremely wide spectrum of goods on offer, ranging from old-fashioned traditional craft goods to the height of designer fashion. Popular purchases include fashions, leather goods, souvenirs, artworks and paintings, fine silverware and jewellery, Judaica and antiques, especially on Ben Yehuda, Allenby, Dizengoff and Hayarkon Streets. As there is no distinction between tourist and residential areas, shopping venues are generally aimed at locals and are therefore reasonably priced. These range from outdoor markets selling food and clothes to chic European and Israeli designer boutiques.

There is something of a struggle going on at present in Tel Aviv between shopping streets and purpose-built malls. An effort is being made to revitalise Dizengoff Street, once the epitome of Israeli style but now sadly neglected in parts. The Dizengoff Centre at Dizengoff Square and the Azrieli Center on the Shalom junction are both styled on the traditional American mall, providing indoor shopping, dining and a cinema complex. The layout of the Dizengoff Centre – which crosses the street in overhead walkways – is confusing. Designer names – such as Gucci, Prada and Versace – are concentrated on the huge circle of Hamedina Square, while Sheinkin Street (between Allenby and Rothschild) is the ‘trendiest’ street, where many fashionable Tel Avivians buy their clothes and just hang out. For more upmarket shopping, the Diamond Exchange, 1 Jabotinsky, Ramat Gan, is one of the largest Israeli exporters of diamonds, precious stones and jewellery worldwide.

Visitors seeking a more unusual shopping experience should venture to one of Tel Aviv’s daily markets. Carmel Market (see Further Distractions) is located a few minutes’ walk from the southern part of the beach. It is an ideal place to soak up the smells and sounds of the city’s cultural diversity. Alongside it is the colourful craft market of Nahalat Binyamin. Shuk Hapishpeshim, Jaffa’s flea market, sells a fantastic assortment of second-hand items – odd shoes, electrical equipment, furniture and jewellery. Among this arbitrary collection, visitors may be lucky enough to spot some genuine antiques. Local gifts include hand-blown glass, ceramics, wood carvings and watercolour paintings.

Most shops are open Sunday-Thursday 0900-1900, although some close for a midday break between 1300 and 1600. Markets are open Sunday-Thursday 0800-1900. Both shops and markets close early on Friday afternoons (1400) for the Shabbat (the Sabbath), opening again on Sunday.

Value Added Tax (VAT), at a current rate of 17%, is quoted in the price of all goods and services. Tourists buying goods at shops listed by the Ministry of Tourism may be entitled to claim the tax back, provided the purchase cost US$50 or more and payment was made in foreign currency. Shoppers must obtain a special invoice at the time of purchase. The form must be filled out and submitted at the airport and the refund is generally issued by post.

Culture

Although less than a century old, Tel Aviv is imbued with the great cultural heritage of the diverse communities that built it. In particular, it attracted refugees from the most highly cultured Jewish communities of central Europe. As a result, Tel Aviv is renowned for the high standard of its classical music. The city offers world-class opera and classical concerts several times a week. These are generally staged by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Israeli Opera and the Israel Chamber Orchestra. For ballet and modern dance, the Habima Theatre, the Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre and the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center are all important venues. Simultaneous translations into English is the norm in Tel Aviv.

Tickets for most major cultural events and performances can be purchased through Castel–Global Tickets, 153 Ibn Givrol Street (tel: (03) 546 7085; fax: (03) 605 0766; e-mail: israel@castel-tickets.com). Tickets for shows at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center can be purchased by telephone (tel: (03) 692 7777) or in person at the box office, 19 Shaul Hamelech Boulevard, Sunday-Thursday 0930-2030, Friday 0930-1300.

The official Tel Aviv website (www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english) has a full guide to current and upcoming cultural events in the city.

Music: The city has long been and remains home of many of the world’s leading classical conductors and soloists, including Zubin Mehta and Itzhak Perlman, as well as Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and Isaac Stern (1920-2001), and attracts many guest musicians and conductors of the standing of Lorin Maazel, music director of the New York Philharmonic, and Pinchas Zukerman (a native of the city), Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada.

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (website: www.ipo.co.il) was founded in Tel Aviv by Jewish settlers as the Palestine Orchestra in 1936 in the midst of anti-Jewish violence. Many leading European musicians dismissed from their jobs due to the rise of Nazism fled to Israel and found positions with the Philharmonic. The Indian conductor Zubin Mehta took over in 1969. The orchestra, now considered one of the world’s best, gives more than 150 performances each year and is today housed at the main music hall, Frederic Mann Auditorium, 1 Huberman Street (tel: (03) 629 5092).

The Tel Aviv Symphony Orchestra is located at the city’s Ohel Shem Auditorium, Balfour Street (tel: (03) 525 2266). The orchestra plays an active role in the cultural life of the country and of Tel Aviv, participating in various annual events including Vocalisa (a choral festival held at different venues around Israel at Shavuot) and Jaffa Nights. With only 800 seats it is best to book in advance. The Israel Chamber Orchestra (tel: (03) 696 116) is based at the Tel Aviv Museum, 27 Shaul Hamelekh Boulevard (website: www.tamuseum.com). For opera, the New Israeli Opera is housed in the new Opera House – Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, 28 Leonardo Da Vinci Street (tel: (03) 692 7707 or 7777; fax: (03) 692 7733; e-mail: opera@mail.israel-opera.co.il; website: www.israel-opera.co.il). Each season the company stages seven productions, often with internationally reputed foreign directors, conductors and singers.

Theatre: Despite the lack of foreign visitors in the last two years, theatre in Israel continues to thrive and productions at the Cameri Theatre, 101 Dizengoff Street (tel: (03) 527 9888; website: www.cameri.co.il), and Habima Theatre, 1 Tarsat Street (tel: (03) 629 6071; website: www.habima.org.il), are impressive. About 60 of Israel’s leading actors form the Cameri Theatre’s permanent company, which puts on a diverse selection of original Israeli creations, selected world classics and contemporary dramas. The company annually stages 10 to 14 new productions attracting a wide audience in addition to its 27,000 subscribers. The Habima National Theatre of Israel was founded in 1917 and today stages 15 productions per season. Touring widely, the company has performed at major drama festivals including those in Paris, London and Berlin. Audiences seeking an alternative evening’s entertainment will enjoy the Israeli Yiddish Theatre Company, frequently on stage in Tel Aviv, usually at ZOA House, 1 Daniel Frisch Street (tel: (03) 695 9341; website: www.zoa.co.il). Gesher Theatre, 4 Nahmani Street (tel: (03) 566 4888; website: www.gesher-theatre.co.il), founded by Russian immigrants, specialises in both Russian and Hebrew plays.

Dance: The city’s main venue for modern and classical dance is the Suzanne Dellal Centre, 5-6 Yehieli Street, in the Neve Zedek quarter (tel: (03) 510 5656; fax: (03) 517 9634; website: www.suzannedellal.org.il). Home of the Inbal (tel: (03) 517 3711) and Batsheva (tel: (03) 517 1471) dance companies, the Centre has four performance halls surrounding a square used for outdoor performances. Founded by Martha Graham in 1964, the Batsheva Dance Company is Israel’s most acclaimed contemporary dance troupe. Another interesting modern dance company is Bat Dor, 30 Ibn Givrol Street (tel: (03) 696 3175; website: www.batdor.co.il), featuring works by renowned modern choreographers.

For classical dance, the Israel Ballet company performs at Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, 19 Shaul Hamelech Boulevard (tel: (03) 696 6610). Comprising 30 dancers, this much-acclaimed company performs an international repertoire of classical, neo-classical and contemporary works. There is a website that provides more information on dance in Israel as a whole (website: www.israeldance.co.il).

Film: Israel does have its own movie industry but most films being shown are foreign imports. These are usually subtitled in Hebrew, while maintaining their original soundtrack – American films often reach Israel before the UK, giving British visitors a chance to enjoy sneak previews of the latest Hollywood blockbusters. By contrast, the arthouse-style movies screened at the Tel Aviv Cinemathèque, 2 Sprinzak Street (tel: (03) 691 7181; website: www.cinema.co.il/cin_page_cinematheque.htm) are mostly subtitled in English. The Cinematèque screens premiers of short and full-length Israeli films every evening and also holds a variety of film festivals including the Student Film Festival, the Jazz, Film and Videotape Festival and Salute to Israeli Cinema. The mainstream cinemas in the city centre are Dizengoff 1-3, 1-3 Dizengoff Centre (tel: (03) 620 0485), and Gordon (tel: (03) 524 4373) on the corner of Ben Yehuda Street and Gordon Street. New films always start showing on Thursdays. Current movie listings can be seen in Ha’aretz and the Jerusalem Post.

Cultural events: Held annually in mid-August for four days and comprising over 70 music, theatre, dance and art exhibitions, Jaffa Nights is Israel’s largest street-staged event. In the evenings, Old Jaffa is closed to traffic as stages are erected in squares, plazas and alleyways. All events are free and visitors number tens of thousands. For classical music lovers, it is well worth making the short trip up the coast to The International Opera Festival in Caesarea (usually in June). Launched in 2000, the festival is located in the spectacular Roman amphitheatre at Caesarea, south of Haifa. Visitors who come to Israel in October should take a trip to Rishon Le-Zion (situated 40 km/25 miles south of Tel Aviv) to indulge in Israel’s two-day Wine Festival. While sampling wines from the country’s best vineyards, visitors can enjoy performances by some 2500 musicians.

Literary Notes
Haim Nahman Bialik (1873-1934) is celebrated as the first Hebrew literary figure of the modern age. He was Israel’s national poet but also an essayist and a champion of the Hebrew language. In the City of Slaughter (1904) was acclaimed as a powerful statement of anguish at the situation of the Jews during the early part of the 20th century. His house has been renovated and opened as a museum (22 Bialik Street; tel: (03) 525 4530). More recently, In the Land of Israel (1982), by Amos Oz (born Jerusalem 1939), is a timeless poignant work, drawing from encounters the author made with religious Jews, Palestinians and new immigrants to convey the plight of the Israeli people. Almost rivalling Oz in his collection of international accolades is David Grossman (born Jerusalem 1954). Grossman’s See Under: Love (1997) is a heartfelt novel, whose central character, Momik, is the only child of two Holocaust survivors, confronting the darkness of his ancestry. His novels have drawn comparison to Gabriel García Márquez for their sombre, yet poetic rendering. More accessible, more popular than either Oz or Grossman, the novelist, poet, playwright and essayist A B Yehoshua (born Jerusalem 1936) also deals in varying ways with the difficulties of the Israelis’ situation. His early work having been more allegorical, he moved to a realistic style with The Lover (1975), about the Yom Kippur War. One of his most admired novels, Mr Mani (1993) is a six-generational epic of a wandering Jewish family. Nahum Gutman (1890-1980), winner of the coveted Israel Prize, was one of the country’s most influential painters and writers. Born in Telenesty, Bessarabia, he immigrated to Palestine with his family, at the age of seven, in 1905. Although he is largely known for his work as a visual artist, Gutman was also an accomplished writer of children’s books. His former home has recently been converted to a museum in the Neve Zedek area of Tel Aviv (21 Rokach Street; tel: (03) 516 1970). Interestingly, the house also served as the editorial offices for the political newspaper, Young Laborer, from 1907 to 1914, and was the home for several other renowned authors, including the political writer Y H Brenner.

Nightlife

As the Israeli saying goes, ‘Jerusalem prays and Tel Aviv plays’. Tel Aviv is undoubtedly the social hub of Israel and its range of entertainment from highbrow to hip cannot be matched anywhere else. Israelis of all ages and tastes take their weekend fun and socialising very seriously. Young people especially like to party with all their energy, especially those under 21 who are consigned to the army during the rest of the week (Israeli men and women continue to serve a mandatory three-year period of service until they reach their 21st birthday). There is little evidence in Tel Aviv of Shabbat as a time of quiet rest and prayer: in fact, nightlife is at its most vibrant after Shabbat starts on Friday night (the working week runs from Sunday to mid-afternoon Friday), while Thursday is another big night out. Strangely enough, though, drunkenness is rare – most Israeli kids think it’s uncool to drink. There is no bar-hopping or pub-crawling and while there is plenty of exuberance and noise, violent behaviour is almost unheard of in Tel Aviv.

Clubs and pubs come and go fast, with famous names disappearing overnight. Allenby Street is the central spot for bars and clubs, with more than 20 clubs within one small area, offering house, funk, disco and techno. A number of venues are gay. The scene here looks like Amsterdam, with a very international crowd keeping very late hours, sometimes aided by various stimulants. As in most cosmopolitan cities, the dress code varies from one club to another, however, in Tel Aviv casual wear is pretty much acceptable in most places. The chic and stylish ones, though, employ a ‘selectorit’ – a daunting doorwoman who decides if she thinks you’re cool enough to come in. For a more sophisticated or older crowd, plenty of other venues offer cabaret, as well as rock, jazz and folk music.

Most bars are usually open and licensed until 0300/0400, while clubs will keep their doors open until 0600/0700, charging anything from NIS50 to NIS80 cover charge. As a rule of thumb, most clubs in the city will not start warming up until after 0200 and not peak until 0400. The legal drinking age in Israel is 18 years and the average price for a drink is between NIS15 and NIS30.

Bars: Camelot, 16 Shalom Aleikhem Street, is stylish (dress up for this one) and famous for great live jazz and rock from Israeli bands. M.A.S.H., Dizengoff Street, is a favourite English hangout for a drink and burger, while sports-TV bar Wrigley, 114 Hayarkon Street, is popular with Americans. Allenby Street is hugely popular for nightlife. Joey’s Brothers Bar, at number 16, is an English pub complete with English beers – and English customers. For something more authentically Israeli, brace yourself for the decibels at My Coffee Shop – Bar 39, 39 Allenby Street, a hectic, fashionable all-day and all-night music bar. Sheinkin Street also hosts a selection of ultra-stylish café-bars – in recent years, this area has also become a fashionable shopping haunt for ultra-hip Israelis.

Casinos: Gambling is not permitted anywhere in Israel.

Clubs: The club scene will change from week to week and month to month – check local listings to find out what’s really hot. The section of Allenby Street close to Carmel market remains the heart of Tel Aviv’s clubland (though you’d never know it until about 2am). Allenby 58, 58 Allenby Street, Tel Aviv’s most famous nightclub, switches between its original venue at 58 Allenby Street and its summer venue, at Octopus in the Old Tel Aviv Port. Nearby, The Scene, at 56 Allenby Street, on Mondays is the number one spot for young gay Israelis and their friends, playing uplifting house in intimate surroundings. Fetish, 15 Rambam Street off Nachalat Binyamin, draws the crowds for deep house, jazz and funk (especially Saturday and Wednesday). The Dolphinarium, HaYarkon Street, now repaired after bomb damage, hosts FFF on Friday night, right beside the sea. Dinamo Dvash, 59 Abarbanel Street (website: www.dinamo-dvash.co.il), is a small very underground club in the heart of the trendy Florentin section of Tel Aviv. It is considered the place to go for cutting-edge electronic music, with international guest DJs. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night are crowded for techno, funk, groove and trance. The venue only holds 450 people, so it is best to arrive early. Lemon, also in the Florentin district at 17 Hanagarim Street, is an intimate space in vibrant surroundings, with an open terrace. It has gay nights (usually Mondays), as well as ‘over-28’ nights (usually Thursdays). Go further south into Jaffa for Moadon Hateatron, 10 Jerusalem Boulevard, popular with the younger end, this is a vast dance space and bar, sometimes hosting live bands.

Live music: Large-scale open-air rock and pop concerts by international stars are often staged at Yehoshua Gardens, Rokach Boulevard, close to the University. Logos, Nahalat Binyamin, features Israeli rock and blues performances every night from 2300.

City Statistics

Location: Sharon plain, Mediterranean coast of Israel.
Country dialling code: 972.
Population: 359,000 (city); 2,843,900 (greater metropolitan area).
Ethnic mix: 96.1% Jews, 2.9% non-Jews, mainly Arabs.
Religion: 96% Jewish, 2% Muslim, 2% Christian.
Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from 7 April to 22 September 2004; changes every year).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; unique Israeli three-square-pin plugs are standard in newer buildings (many sockets also accept older two-pronged plugs).
Average January temp: 13°C (55°F).
Average July temp: 29°C (84°F).
Annual rainfall: 532mm (21 inches); almost all Nov-Apr.

Special Events

All Jewish religious festivals and holidays – like Shabbat – are 24 hours long, starting the previous evening at nightfall and ending at nightfall. Jewish religious festivals fall on a different date every year, specific dates have been given for 2003. Other dates for annual festivals are general rather than specific for 2003.

Please note: Some annual events may be cancelled this year due to the security situation.

Tu b’Shvat (‘New Year of Trees’), an annual celebration of nature, 18 Jan 2003, throughout the city
Purim (a day of parades, fancy dress and partying; the story of Esther is read in synagogues), 18 Mar 2003, throughout the city
Pesach (Passover), nothing with yeast or which is ‘leavened’ is allowed all week – that includes bread and beer, first and last days are public holidays, 17-23 Apr 2003 (starts with ‘Seder Night’ festive meal on evening of 16 Apr), throughout the city
Yom HaShoah, memorial day for victims of the Holocaust, 29 Apr 2003, throughout the city
Yom Hazikaron, memorial day for all who died defending the State of Israel, 6 May 2003, throughout the city
Israel Independence Day, celebrations of the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948, 7 May 2003, throughout the city
International Opera Festival, around 25 May-1 Jun, Caesarea
Tel Aviv Pride, Israel’s biggest, loudest, most ostentatious gay celebration, Jun, throughout the city
Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), celebrations of the reunification of Jerusalem and the return to Jewish rule in 1967, 30 May 2003, also celebrated throughout Tel Aviv
Shavuot (Pentecost), festival of first fruits and of the giving of the Torah to the Jews, 6-7 Jun every year, throughout the city
Tisha b’Av (Nineth of the Hebrew month Av), a religious fast day commemorating the destruction of the Temple, 13 Aug 2003, throughout the city
Jaffa Nights, annual four-day street festival of music, theatre, dance and art exhibitions, mid-Aug, Old Jaffa
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), 27-28 Sep 2003, throughout the city
Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), religious fast day, 6 Oct 2003, throughout the city
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), 11-17 Oct 2003, throughout the city
Wine Festival, Oct, Rishon Le-Zion, south of Tel Aviv
Rabin Memorial Rally, 3 Nov, Rabin Square
Tel Aviv Jaffa Festival, 10-24 Nov, Jaffa
Chanukah (Festival of Lights), 20-27 Dec 2003, throughout the city
Christmas Eve, 24 Dec, at Christian locations throughout the city
Christmas Day, 25 Dec, at Christian locations throughout the city

Cost of Living

Prices for tourist services are sometimes quoted in US Dollars. This is usually where the expectation is that a credit card will be used, for example when hiring a car. In these instances, the amount paid would be written in US Dollars.

One-litre bottle mineral water: NIS3
33cl bottle of beer: NIS6
Financial Times newspaper: NIS9
36-exposure colour film: NIS23
City-centre bus ticket: NIS5
Adult football ticket: NIS100
Three-course meal with wine/beer: NIS100-200

1 Israeli New Shekel (NIS1) = £0.12; US$0.22; C$0.25; A$0.29; ¬0.18
Currency conversion rates as of October 2005