There is so much to see and do in Tel Aviv that one could easily spend one week and still not see it all. We stayed five days in Israel and needless to say, needed about 1 years vacation to experience what the entire country has to offer. 

We made Tel Aviv our base during our stay, choosing the Hotel Dan Tel Aviv (www.danhotels.co.il/danSite/eng/hotelHomepage.asp?hotelNo=1) .  The hotel was located right on the beach, offered huge, comfortable rooms and the most incredible breakfast spread I've experienced.  We were one block from the major street, Ben Yehuda, lined with shops, restaurants and bustling with activity. We didn't realize until our arrival that the Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, had been murdered 12 years to the date of our visit.  As a result, people gathered from everywhere to attend a memorial service in the city center...I believe the number in attendance was somewhere around 150,000.  Rabins' daughter, Dalia, has been busy building a memorial museum dedicated to Rabin and it is due to open in a few months.  We visited the museum and although it was closed, the kind folks there allowed us to take a sneak peek and it's absolutely lovely.  Put it on the top of your list, should you visit Tel Aviv.  A couple other must-sees while in Tel Aviv:

Diaspora Museum (www.bh.org.il) - History of Jewish life for the last 2,500 years.

Palmach Museum (www.palmach.org.il) - A museum dedicated to the underground youth defenders of Israel during WWII.  An absolutely phenomenal museum!

And of course, the beach!  The sand is as soft as flour and everyone is active: swimming, running, jogging, watersailing, walking....it's beautiful.  And if you like Falafel, Tel Aviv is your place. There are falafel stands every ten steps...for $3, you get a huge pita stuffed to the gills with freshly made falafel, hummus and veggies. Messy and oh-so-delicious!

 

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