Discovering Israeli Cuisine
Israel is a multi-faceted country with a fascinating history, endless holy sites, magnificent landscapes, and amazing stories. It is a true melting pot of immigrants from around the world who brought with them their cultures and cuisines. Their culinary traditions have melded together to create a cuisine that is uniquely Israeli.
In recent years, Israel has been recognized for its intriguing culinary scene. Join us on this gastronomic adventure. Meet the chefs, street food vendors, winemakers, cheese-makers, farmers, and restaurateurs behind the current trends in Israeli cuisine. Tour markets, wineries, distilleries, breweries, olive presses, and sesame seed mills. Discover what researchers and farmers are doing to advance desert agriculture. Join in hands-on experiences in Israeli kitchens and homes. Meet some of the key players on Israel’s dynamic food scene, in intimate settings, as we sample the best of Israel’s culinary landscape.
Israel is a multi-faceted country with a fascinating history, endless holy sites, magnificent landscapes, and amazing stories. It is a true melting pot of immigrants from around the world who brought with them their cultures and cuisines. Their culinary traditions have melded together to create a cuisine that is uniquely Israeli.
In recent years, Israel has been recognized for its intriguing culinary scene. Join us on this gastronomic adventure. Meet the chefs, street food vendors, winemakers, cheese-makers, farmers, and restaurateurs behind the current trends in Israeli cuisine. Tour markets, wineries, distilleries, breweries, olive presses, and sesame seed mills. Discover what researchers and farmers are doing to advance desert agriculture. Join in hands-on experiences in Israeli kitchens and homes. Meet some of the key players on Israel’s dynamic food scene, in intimate settings, as we sample the best of Israel’s culinary landscape.
|
What taxes can I expect to pay in Israel?
VAT (“Value Added Tax”) is added onto many of the items and merchandise tourists purchase while visiting Israel. Currently the VAT tax in Israel is 17% but tourists may be able to qualify for a VAT refund before leaving the country. To qualify, your purchase must have been made at a store that participates in this refund (it is easy to check this, there will be a “tax refund for tourists” sticker on the door or window of the shop). Your purchase must have cost more than 400 shekels (including the VAT tax). You must be taking the items out of the country and they must be for personal use. For more information check out www.touristisrael.com/vat-refund-in-Israel. Can I use my smart phone in Israel? Some carriers have provisions for overseas travel, and you should check with your carrier. If that is not a satisfactory option, you will need an Israeli SIM card. You can rent these prior to departure or upon arrival. We can help you rent a SIM card. Renting a cell phone is very useful and very affordable. Just ask Lynn for more details. Do I need any vaccinations? If you have visited a country prior to coming to Israel where cholera, typhoid, or yellow fever is endemic, you will need a vaccination certificate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend you get a Hepatitis A vaccine 4-6 weeks prior to travel. Check with your physician for other suggested vaccines. How do I access the internet during my trip? Most hotels in Israel have free Wi-Fi available for hotel guests. Many cafes and restaurants offer a complimentary Wi-Fi service. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem offer free Internet “hot spots” throughout the cities. Is there an inexpensive way while I am in Israel to keep in contact with people at home? Yes. WhatsApp Messenger is freeware that can be placed on your mobile phone or desktop. It allows sending of text messages and voice messages, making voice and video calls as well as sharing images, documents, user location and other media. Download it to your mobile phone before you leave home and have those you want to stay in contact with download it to their mobile phone or desktop. Just open the app, choose your contact, and proceed with your text message or call through the app. How do I change dollars to New Israeli Shekels? Israel’s currency is the New Israeli Shekel (NIS). The exchange rate varies and we recommend an exchange rate app on your iPhone/Android, called "Israel Money" which will give you the exact daily exchange rate. Israeli shops, restaurants, gas stations, and other providers of services accept major credit cards such as Visa/ MasterCard/American Express. For cash, Israel regulates ‘change points’ and generally tourists get fair exchange rates at money changers through Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. ATMs are almost everywhere and local currency can be obtained from them. We recommend using bank front ATMs to withdraw shekels without fees (on the Israel side). Your hotel will exchange money but their rates can be uncompetitive. Israeli currency can be re-converted in airport or border banks at the end of your stay. Can I use my credit cards while in Israel? In Israel, you can use your MasterCard, Visa, or American Express cards just like in the U.S. Be sure to check with your credit card company to be aware of any international transaction fees in advance, which tend to be around 3%. Discover Card is not widely accepted in Israel. Most of your purchases, hotel, and restaurant costs can and should be made with any major credit card. Some credit card companies require that you notify them if you will be using your credit card while you are traveling, especially internationally. This can typically be done online at the company’s website. |
Will I need an adapter for my electronics in Israel?
You will need a plug converter for phones, laptops, and tablets, and a current adapter plus a plug converter for small appliances. A two-prong European plug converter is acceptable. Will our tour include free time? Tour guides try to balance the tour schedule and free time for shopping in certain areas; however, there will be days when there is very little free time. Most evenings we will have dinner as a group at various restaurants. See the itinerary for more information about this. I have never been to Israel. Do you recommend this tour for me? This tour is geared to those who have been to Israel previously and are looking for a more intimate look at the country. That said, everyone is welcome to join us on this tour. If you have never been to Israel before or even if you would like to revisit sites you have seen previously, you may be interested in doing some pre- or post-tour sightseeing. Contact Lynn for more details. Must I be Jewish to participate in this tour? Absolutely not. The places we will be visiting on this tour have little to do with religion. An optional visit to the Kotel for Kabbalat Shabbat has value culturally, not just religiously. Other than that, this is a very secular tour and should be of interest to any foodie, not just those who are Jewish. I keep kosher. Can I still come on this trip? Of course, you can come on the trip! You just may be limited in what you are able to eat. Even in Israel, there are different standards of Kashrut. Those who keep stricter standards requiring restaurant owners to display a certificate (called a hechsher) from the local rabbinate, proving that their kitchen has been supervised and thoroughly checked may choose not to take this trip. Those following a more relaxed standard of kashrut will be comfortable eating in places that decide on their own to keep kosher, but do not have a hechsher. Some restaurants are vegetarian friendly and/or offer vegan options, and for some, this will be acceptable. We will be going to some restaurants that are not kosher where those who keep stricter standards will not be comfortable. I am vegetarian/vegan/only eat gluten-free foods/have certain food allergies. Can my needs be accommodated? Absolutely! Please discuss your needs with Lynn as soon as possible so she can discuss this with you in more detail and advise what information she will need from you for the tour operator. I must be cautious about my intake of sodium. Can you help me out with this? Unfortunately, this is a far more difficult need to meet. Israelis tend to use a lot of salt in their cooking, especially in restaurants. While we would love for you to join us, it may be difficult to accommodate anybody needing to limit their intake of sodium on this tour. |
The land cost (double occupancy*) of the trip is $3660. The payment schedule will be as follows:
Deposit of $500
Balance due by March 12, 2020
*Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Single supplement rate available upon request.
The tour operator will add an additional 2% service charge to payments by credit card.
Deposit of $500
Balance due by March 12, 2020
*Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Single supplement rate available upon request.
The tour operator will add an additional 2% service charge to payments by credit card.
Lynn G Fenster Host |
Lynn Fenster has been traveling most of her life, starting with trips back and forth from Orlando to New York and New Jersey when she was three years old. As Lynn got older and became a teenager, she took two tours with her youth group, one around the United States and the other just before the Yom Kippur War to Israel. Over the years, as an adult, she traveled through much of the United States, parts of Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and Israel.
Lynn's passion for travel has continued to grow, as has the list of places she wants to visit. After practicing law and working in various positions in non-profit management, she decided to use her passion and become a travel agent. This way she gets to take her passion, learn a lot about places around the world, and help others experience many new adventures such as Discovering Israeli Cuisine. |
|
Robin Katzman is a retired dentist whose passion is travel in Israel. From her first visit, shortly after the reunification of Jerusalem, she has been drawn to return to this ancient and modern land. Having visited Israel over 25 times, for various lengths of stay, she has a depth of experiences on which to base a unique trip to Israel. She has provided weeks and weeks of volunteer dental care to the poor children of Jerusalem, staying in local apartments. She was a participant in many tours, with groups of varied ages, sizes, backgrounds, and missions.
Robin has planned many tours and hosted others. She has stayed in all varieties of lodging, tasted the cuisines of the various slivers of Israeli society, visited the tourist sites, enjoyed the varied landscapes, and marveled at the ingenuity and success of the Israeli entrepreneurs and farmers. Each time, she returns with a hunger to do more, see more, experience more of the current Israeli scene. As she states, “My goal for each trip that I plan is for the participants to come away loving Israel as I do, and yearning to return.” |
Robin Katzman Host |
Services included
|
|
NOT INCLUDED
|
|
Lynn can discuss with you whether you want assistance scheduling your flights to and from Israel. She can also assist with transportation to and from the airport if you are not arriving or departing with the group.
CANCELLATION POLICY
In accordance with the tour operator, all cancellations must be in writing via email. The following cancellation charges will be assessed for all written cancellations received prior to departure up to the scheduled time of departure.
Deposits are not refundable once processed through tour operator either when we reach 25 tour participants or on December 1, whichever occurs earlier. Should we reach 25 tour participants prior to December 1, we will notify you and process the deposits 48 hours after notice is sent out.
Deposits are not refundable once processed through tour operator either when we reach 25 tour participants or on December 1, whichever occurs earlier. Should we reach 25 tour participants prior to December 1, we will notify you and process the deposits 48 hours after notice is sent out.
- If cancellation is between February 7, 2020 and March 7, 2020, the penalty is 20% of the total price
- If cancellation is between March 8, 2020 and April 6, 2020, the penalty is 50% of the total price
- If cancellation is between April 7, 2020 and April 28, 2020, the penalty is 75% of the total price
- If cancellation is after April 28, 2020, the penalty is 100% of the price
Trip InsurANCE
There is really no better way to protect your vacation investment than by purchasing travel protection insurance. With the possibility of cancellations, flight delays, lost luggage or passports, medical emergencies, unforeseen evacuations and any other unexpected incidents, travel insurance can provide the reassurance and peace of mind that you need for an average cost of $35-40 per vacation day for a basic policy.
The medical insurance program you depend on at home often does not cover you once you leave the borders of the United States. Medicare assuredly will not cover you if you are hurt or sick. Without basic coverage, travelers should be prepared to pay for any care they require, by either credit card or wire transfer of funds to the provider.
Even a late or missed flight can unravel your plans. If you were expected to pick up a flight to a new city after a short layover but missed your flight altogether, for example, you could wind up having to wait a day to get to your destination – or missing your trip altogether.
It is possible that paying for most of your trip with your credit card will give you certain credit card travel protection benefits. You will need to check this with your credit card company and weigh the cost of travel insurance against the travel protection benefits of your credit card. Some people purchase a basic travel protection policy and then use the credit card benefits to supplement the policy.
Our Recommended Plans
Allianz Global or Travel Guard Insurance are two of the industry’s leading travel insurance suppliers that can offer you numerous benefits that can help your vacation experience stay positive, even if something unexpected occurs.
Remember, without the purchase of travel insurance, you could lose up to the full cost of your trip! Below are some benefits that Travel Protection
Insurance can provide you, depending on the type of insurance you purchase.
For a Travel Protection Insurance quote or a complete review of the policy details, contact Lynn.
The medical insurance program you depend on at home often does not cover you once you leave the borders of the United States. Medicare assuredly will not cover you if you are hurt or sick. Without basic coverage, travelers should be prepared to pay for any care they require, by either credit card or wire transfer of funds to the provider.
Even a late or missed flight can unravel your plans. If you were expected to pick up a flight to a new city after a short layover but missed your flight altogether, for example, you could wind up having to wait a day to get to your destination – or missing your trip altogether.
It is possible that paying for most of your trip with your credit card will give you certain credit card travel protection benefits. You will need to check this with your credit card company and weigh the cost of travel insurance against the travel protection benefits of your credit card. Some people purchase a basic travel protection policy and then use the credit card benefits to supplement the policy.
Our Recommended Plans
Allianz Global or Travel Guard Insurance are two of the industry’s leading travel insurance suppliers that can offer you numerous benefits that can help your vacation experience stay positive, even if something unexpected occurs.
Remember, without the purchase of travel insurance, you could lose up to the full cost of your trip! Below are some benefits that Travel Protection
Insurance can provide you, depending on the type of insurance you purchase.
- Cash-Back and Cancel for Any Reason benefits
- Full refunds for your tour or any other prepaid travel arrangements subject to vendor cancellation penalties
- Trip Interruption and Travel Delay benefits
- Excellent coverage for flight delays due to weather and mechanical problems with an aircraft
- Reimbursements for additional travel expense incurred due to flight delays (missed days on tours, hotel and meals)
- Baggage Delay benefits
- Includes reimbursement (limited) for the incidentals you need to get before your baggage is returned to you
- 24 Hour Business and Concierge Services
- Reservation for transportation services
- 24/7 worldwide service for a huge variety of issues (emergency medical evacuation, lost or stolen passports and more)
- $10,000 (possibly more) in Medical Expenses benefits
- Emergency Evacuation
- Medical – up to $1 million
- Non-medical – up to $25,000
For a Travel Protection Insurance quote or a complete review of the policy details, contact Lynn.
