My Tel Aviv Travel Guide Diary

The excitement is in the air, the excitement that can only come from the news that you are going to the destinations you’ve never been to before. If you are like me and always wonder about the unknown then you will enjoy this post as I share with you my Tel Aviv travel guide and diary. I travelled to Tel Aviv on a press trip with Havaianas and as Tel Aviv is one of their top locations, I was excited to be guided by experts and people that have been to the city many times before.

I was up for the ride especially as I didn’t have to do much planning myself but rather enjoy what was going to happen and then decide whether or not I enjoyed it. Oh, the joys of being on an all planned trip. The truth is I thoroughly loved it and this is why I needed to share my Tel Aviv travel guide with you in hopes to help your research just a bit and inspire you to travel to this amazing place.

Shop all that I’m wearing in this post:

Safety

Tel Aviv for those that are not aware is the city that never sleeps and oh was I pleasantly surprised with the amount of fun to be had here. I didn’t want to do a lot of research beforehand especially as this was a guided trip however, safety kept on running through my head, the one question in particular is Tel Aviv safe? And it was more than safe and fun. People of Tel Aviv are not only friendly but very good looking, relaxed and there to have a good time. It felt like a great balance between Venice LA and East London where there are so many layers of culture and history hidden behind shirtless boys you see rollerblading on the beach. It felt more than safe, actually, it felt a lot of fun.

The Mediterranean culture present through pretty much every aspect of the city added another layer of a good old historical European town feel expect it was in the Middle East. The feeling of a mixed culture, tradition and modern life was almost overwhelming but amazing to experience.

Many that have been will want to return and that includes me. My itinerary on this trip covered Tel Aviv and Jerusalem but the next time I want to go to the Dead Sea and extend my trip to Petra in Jordan because it’s very close.

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Lighthouse which belongs to the Brown Hotels group. The perfect location and the view of the ocean mixed with a modern design and great entertainment in a form of their Sky bar and restaurant made me think that this is a great place to stay in Tel Aviv. The beach was mare 15 minutes walk and we got to enjoy it the entire day. The rooftop bar seemed to be popular with the locals which I must repeat at very good looking and I kept on finding myself people watching. Perhaps more than usual. If you visited Tel Aviv in the past then you will know what I mean.

The hotel offered complimentary refreshments and Prosecco every evening. The deliciously looking cakes and sweets served during the apertivo proudly presented by their lovely chefs. We ate breakfast here too, on the terrace overlooking the city and the ocean. The foggy morning ocean swell made me feel grateful and made me remember my summer in LA. I love when cities I visit evoke gratitude in me, it makes me feel more connected to the source and more excited to create and share.

Not surprisingly, there is a juice/coffee stand right next door to the hotel which I later found out is a massive part of Tel Aviv culture. There is a juice stand every 100 meters in Tel Aviv and they all manage to make a living. Then I realised this is why everyone is so fit, they must be sipping on green juice and coffee  every day whilst they actively stroll, run and cycle by what it seemed never-ending white sand beaches. There are more than 25 miles of bike paths but a lot of people were using electric scooters but I’m not sure whether these people are tourists and eager to get around the city quicker.

Weather

It was very hot and humid which is to be expected as I visited in early June. The ocean breeze made it so much more bearable and if I had more time, I would spend more time by the ocean. Depending on your preference really but Tel Aviv has a milder weather March through May and September to November.

Ancient History in Old Town Jaffa

It was like stepping into another world from the modern Tel Aviv to an ancient Jaffa which is one of the oldest cities in the world. Can you believe that? I strolled the streets of the oldest city in the world stopping at its pretty nooks and corners laden with flowers to take a photo or two. The old city felt very creative with an abundance of boutiques and independent jewellery makes all across the town. You can walk down to a harbour to get beautiful views of the Mediterranean or over to the market to shop for spices and typical middle eastern souvenirs. All in all, it provides a great place to experience where modern world and ancient history meet.

Places to Eat

With the Medditereaning culture at its epicentre, Tel Aviv provides a large variety of places to eat. It will satisfy most foodies out there because their food scene is massive and offers everything from street food to vegan and fine dining. Here are some of the restaurants we ate at and I can recommend.

-The Lighthouse Browns Hotel Sky Bar for delicious sushi and cocktails
-Dinner at hip restaurant Romano serving fresh and local meat, fish and vegetables
-Probably my favourite is cool Onza restaurant in Jaffa serving a Turkish cuisine with a twist

I hope I covered a lot about Tel Aviv Travel Guide Diary in this post. I honestly loved it and can’t wait to share my post from Jerusalem as it deserves a post of its own.

Until then!

Tania xxx