FCUS GUIDES

Tel Aviv is located on Israel's Mediterranean coast, in the region today known as Gush Dan.
  The city is one hundred years old in 2009. The city and suburbs have a population just over 1 million, making it the largest Jewish city ever to have existed.
  Under the impetus of extreme anti-semitism in 19th-century Europe and the consequent emergence of Zionism - the Jewish national liberation movement - Jews began their return to Israel in the late 19th century. Many settled in the ancient, squalid and hostile port city of Jaffa.
  Tel Aviv sprang into life in 1909 when a group of Jewish families quit Jaffa and decided to build a healthy, spacious, modern town of their own on the bare sand north of Jaffa. They laid out the boulevards and neighbourhoods of what is now central and southern Tel Aviv.
  In the 1920s and 1930s, the city grew rapidly as Jewish refugees poured in from an anti-semitic Europe. Much of the city centre architecture, in a Bauhaus (or International) style adapted to Israel's climate, dates from that period.
  In 1948 the modern state of Israel was declared in Tel Aviv, which was the new state's capital for two years (after which Jerusalem became the capital). Tel Aviv remains Israel's premier city and economic hub.

Tel Aviv's small tourist office is on the beachside boulevard at 46 Herbert Samuel Street (corner of Geula Street). It is staffed by volunteers.
www.tel-aviv.gov.il

Tel Aviv clings close to the sea and runs on a north-south axis, from upscale North Tel Aviv and the Yarkon River, down through the city centre, running a little further south into Tel Aviv's increasingly fashionable older neighbourhoods like Neve Tzedek, and eventually reaching ancient Jaffa, formerly an Arab port town, now an entertainment and nightlife district of Tel Aviv.
  For locals, Tel Aviv’s focal points are Dizengoff Square, Dizengoff Street and the nearby avenues, just two or three blocks from the sea, and Sheinkin Street, which links Rothschild Boulevard to Carmel Market.
  The main 'hotel district' is along Hayarkon Street between Ben Gurion and Allenby streets, though there are plenty of other hotels north and south of here, and inland.
  Discos, clubs and late dance venues are on and off Allenby Street, and in the southern half of the city centre.

Tel Aviv is brimming with crowds, energy, life, joie de vivre. The city centre is packed with arts venues, tempting shops, café culture and nightlife. Locals, as much as visitors, also like to cool off by the sea. Grab a falafel in pitta or a shwarma, Israel’s popular budget take-aways, and walk the wide seafront promenade beside the vast sandy beach,  where young Tel Avivans swim or play matkot (like ping pong with a hard ball and no net). Turn into the narrow streets of the Yemenite Quarter (or Kerem Yateimanim), named for the Yemeni Jews who settled here years ago. Push through the crowds in hectic traditional Carmel Market, which has a feel of 19th-century Jewish life. Explore Tel Aviv’s fascinating first neighbourhoods, like lovely Rothschild Boulevard, now lined with chic eateries and restored white 1930s Bauhaus buildings. Here too visit Independence Hall and see monuments to the city's founders. Head south to discover the ancient, picturesque port town of Jaffa, now a dining and entertainment district for Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv is easy, pleasant and safe to walk around. The city also has an extensive and inexpensive bus system; all bus drivers speak English up to a certain level, and despite an air of impatience they are always willing to help. If you get to know the routes they follow, sherutim (shared taxis following fixed routes) are very useful for longer journeys. Taxis are a fast, inexpensive way of getting around, and can be hailed in the street.

They say Tel Aviv ‘never sleeps’. Let's hope that's not literally true. But it does have terrific nightlife. You’ll find all-night clubs and a party atmosphere on Allenby St and in the vibrant Florentin and Neve Tzedek districts. The city’s entertainment also includes drama, world-class concerts and opera at such prestigious venues as Habima Theatre (Tarsat Blvd, +972 3 6295555) and Mann Auditorium (Huberman St, +972 3 5289163) and modern dance at Suzanne Dellal Centre (Yechieli St, +972 3 5105656).

Israeli eating has distinctive characteristics – especially the fondness for fresh, finely chopped salads, eaten at every meal including breakfast. Tel Aviv has hundreds of good, moderately priced eating places. Restaurants, bars and cafes catering for tourists usually have menus in both Hebrew and English. Portions tend to be generous, while the cooking is a fascinating fusion of everything from French to sushi, hearty East European fare to spicy Middle Eastern flavours. For dinner, follow locals to the city centre or Tel Aviv Port, where the top gourmet choice is Moul Hayam. At the beach, try big, popular, informal Yotvata fish-and-dairy restaurant (Herbert Samuel Blvd). Among several authentic, atmospheric places in the Yemenite quarter, try the roast meats at Shaul’s Inn (Eliyashiv St). For fresh fish with a sea view, head to Old Jaffa, packed in the evenings.
  The beachside hotels are expensive but reach a high standard. 5-star Dan (99 Hayarkon St) and Sheraton (115 Hayarkon St) are the city's top names. Head south for lower prices. Particularly good value is the large, family-friendly Dan Panorama (10 Kaufmann St). At almost all hotels, standard B&B rates include the huge Israeli breakfast of salads, cooked dishes and bakery items. A block or two inland, smaller, more affordable hotels includes the beautifully restored Bauhaus Cinema Hotel (Dizengoff Sq), a treasure-house of movie memorabilia.

Flight time for flights from London to Tel Aviv is around 5 hours. British Midland operate low-cost flights from London to Tel Aviv. Other airlines include British Airways and El Al. Flights to Israel arrive at modern Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion Airport, on the Jerusalem highway 20km (12 miles) south-east of Tel Aviv. Airport facilities are open day and night.
  For travel from Ben Gurion Airport into central Tel Aviv, shuttle bus 222 serves Tel Aviv’s seafront hotels. Taxis can be found at the official cab rank on Level G. Cheaperr 'sheruts' (shared taxis) into Tel Aviv meet all flights to Tel Aviv. The journey into Tel Aviv by road takes around 20-40 minutes. There is a rail station in Terminal 3 with trains to Tel Aviv reaching the city centre in about 15 minutes. 

 Diaspora Museum (Beit Hatefutsot) 
Discover the music, costumes and cultural diversity of the Jewish people during their 2000 years of worldwide diaspora, including historic film footage, at this big museum near the university in north Tel Aviv.
www.bh.org.il

 Bauhaus Architecture 
Many buildings in Tel Aviv's older neighbourhoods are built in the distinctive 1930s modern style known as International or Bauhaus. The city has the largest number of Bauhaus buildings in the world. In July, 2003, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, proclaimed the unique urban and historical fabric of old Tel Aviv as a World Heritage site, under the name "The White City". Explore Bauhaus architecture along older central streets, some buildings handsomely restored, especially along Rothschild Boulevard.
www.white-city.co.il

 Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel)
Wander the packed, hectic alleyways of Carmel Market (daily except Sat). Evocative, atmospheric, old-fashioned, it fills a network of narrow lanes with a fragrant cornucopia of produce.

 Eretz Israel Museum
The huge Eretz Israel Museum in North Tel Aviv is a remarkable historical, ethnographic and archaeological museum. It encloses the site of an excavated tel - a hill consisting of remnants of civilisations layered one top of another, and  explores 3000 years of history on this site. Additional displays cover the history and culture of ancient Israel through folklore, Judaica, and traditional arts and crafts. More recent history includes wine and oil presses and a flour mill.
www.eretzmuseum.org.il

 Jaffa
Picturesque Old Jaffa, in south Tel Aviv, is one of the world’s most ancient town and, according to mentions of the town in the Old Testament, was the major trading port of ancient Israel. Today its steep stairways and narrow alleys edged by high walls climb between the waterfront and the central Kedumim Square, linking old and new districts, where there is an underground museum and a tourist information centre. Rising from the square is a peaceful park with open-air sculptures by Israeli artists and lovely views.

 Tel Aviv Museum of Art
With a major collection of 20th-century European art, the museum - first opened in 1932 in the home of Tel Aviv's first mayor, Meir Dizengoff - has long been Israel's leading modern art museum. It focuses especially on Modernism, Impressionism and Post-Impression, and has a growing collection of important Contemporary art. The museum also hosts classical and jazz concerts, performance arts, lectures, dance, and cinema.
www.tamuseum.com

Tel Aviv's main shopping experiences are the
big malls, atmospheric traditional Carmel  Market, and hip craft market
  Tourists benefit from a zero rate of VAT (a tax on transactions) on many items. When making your purchase, ask for a Tax Refund Invoice; then, when leaving the country, take the invoice to the tax refund desk at the airport for the VAT refund.
Judaica - City centre Tel Aviv shops and craft market stalls sell a wide variety of Judaica (hanukkiot, mezuzas, kippot, dreidels, etc) from classic silverware to innovative designs and materials.
Jewellery - Fine silverwork, gold, jewellery set with diamonds, are all locally made by talented craft workers, often with imaginative designs and very reasonable prices. .
Designer fashions - Israel is fashion conscious, with a stylish informality all its own. Casual clothes and beachwear are specialities.
Arts and crafts - Stroll the craft market at the northern end of Nahalat Binyamin for artworks and handmade jewelry by local artists. 
Shuk bargains - Wander the central Hacarmel lane through Carmel Market to find stalls selling cheap-and-cheerful souvenirs .

- At Jewish religious sites men should cover their heads (paper yarmulke or kippah usually available free if required).
- Shabbat shutdown: from Friday late afternoon to Saturday evening, many attractions are closed and there is no public transport.
- An excellent bus service with very low fares serves all of Tel Aviv. Or pay around 30% more to travel by sherut - a shared taxi plying a fixed route.
- The Hebrew word kosher means conforming to Jewish religious law. Many Tel Aviv restaurants are kosher. Kosher meat is killed in a prescribed manner ensuring no blood is consumed; milk (or milk products) may not be served in the same meal as meat; certain foods are prohibited altogether including pork and shellfish - although imitations are common and may be indistinguishable from the real thing.
- Note that haggling or bargaining is not usual in Israel (other than in Arab markets and Arab stores).

Abu Ghosh Vocal Music Festival
At Shavuot (May) and Sukkot (October).
6-9 May 2008 and 18-21 October 2008.
The hosts are Muslim, most guests Jews, and the venues Christian churches for four days of superb Baroque and Renaissance liturgical choral music at this village on the road to Jerusalem.
www.agfestival.co.il

Israel Festival
24 May-22 June 2008
Nationwide three-week festival with events nationwide, including Tel Aviv, celebrating Israeli and foreign contemporary performing arts as well as music from pop to classical.
www.israel-festival.org.il

AA Explorer Israel (by Andrew Sanger; 2006)
Tel Aviv City Guide (by Dalit Nemirovsky, 2007)