We have the same motto.
This month I was invited by Abraham Hostels to experience Israel with them. At first like you may be, I was hesitant. There is so much fear and terror in the world and Israel for us Americans is one of those on the list, but as always, I like to experience things myself before I pass judgement on a place. That is just what I did. A quick flight over from Greece, less than 100 Euros later, I was in Tel Aviv (you can also take a direct flight from NYC, easy peasy!). To my surprise this place is BUZZINNN’ and I didn’t want to leave!
Hipster Abraham.
First off all, if you are tired of organizing travels (me currently) and you don’t want to bother with a bunch of planning the Abraham Hostel route is perfect. Well known and well connected throughout the nation of Israel, Abraham hostel is the place to be when visiting the middle east, and here is why:
1. Pick your place, or do all three! (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nazareth)
Like any other country, I like to see different cities and parts of the area to really get a feel for the place. Fortunately for us, Abraham Hostels has a location in the 3 most popular cities in Israel so you can do just that. Each location is unique and fits the vibe and expresses the culture of the city/town they are in perfectly.
Not only do they have a shuttle bus that takes you between each location door to door, you also get a discount for booking at the other locations, making your trip that much easier.
In my 4 months of travel, I have never seen a system like this, so well organized and executed with seamless and timely scheduling and coordination between the three. After being on the road for 4 months it was nice to have staff that really took care of mostly everything for you, leaving me to enjoy the sites and tours they had to offer without the headache of planning every little detail out.
Abraham Hostel - Tel Aviv
Abraham Hostel - Jeruselem
Abraham Hostel - Nazereth
2. Meeting fellow travelers is endless.
For me the best part of visiting all three locations is the people. You start to connect and meet people, staff and volunteers that shuffle between the different locations whether they are on a tour or just traveling around the globe, there is bound to be someone that fits your style that you can connect with. I found everyone to be super open, and friendly making the experience that much more fun. Once I left the Jerusalem hostel, I saw familiar faces at the Tel Aviv and Nazareth locations. This was perfect as it allowed me to not only make friends but gain a few travel buddies to venture around with.
Renee and I met in Jeresalem hostel, reconnected in Tel Aviv and decided to venture to Jordan on our own together.
3. Tours, tours, tours!
By staying in the hostel you automatically have access to their amazing tour company/partner Abraham tours. At each hostel there is a tour desk, that will help you organize tours to anywhere you can possibly think of. And of course, because you are staying at the hostel there are advantages. The tours pick up right in the lobby and can even drop you off at one of the other hostel locations if you are staying there next. It just makes experiencing the country more hassle free which lately has been a big deal for me.
I was able to take advantage of the Holy City tour, the Masada sunrise tour (which includes the Dead Sea) and the guy at the desk helped a friend (that I met at one of the locations) and I, plan our trip to Jordan on our own. They also offer tours to Jordan, the West Bank and tons more in the area. Click here to see all of their offers! Depending on your budget and what you want to see and do, you can customize your experience anyway you want it. Their knowledge and information is endless, which was perfect for me as I just showed up. It saved me hours of research.
Top of Masada- Masada Sunrise tour
Temple Mount - Holy City Tour
4. Never run out of things to do!
The hostel does an excellent job at organizing events. Each night there is something going on and most of the time it is free (or cheap) for guest to attend. I am not talking about a small little hostel event either, no. They seriously pull out all of the stops, with everything from cooking classes, rooftop BBQs, and pub crawls to full blown concerts.
Drink and Draw night at Abraham Hostel - Tel Aviv
Funk concert - free for hostel guests Abraham Hostel - Tel Aviv
5. This ain’t your average hostel.
Okay so cool events, amazing tours, and dope people. There can’t be more? Oh yes but there is, and it is just as, if not more, important than the above. The facilities are super clean. I literally saw a cleaning person every other corner I turned. The hostels also have full bars (with cute bartenders – important to note), lounge areas, roof tops, laundry and endless facilities. The place is so cool that locals actually come to the hostel to hang out, not even kidding, it’s a thing. The included breakfast is pretty hearty and no matter what you are into you can find a spot to chill, or a place to party. It is really up to you.
Shabbot Dinner - Tel Aviv
Israeli beer - Jerusalem.
I found Israel (and Jordan – separate post coming soon) to be very easy and safe to travel around. Tel Aviv is a metropolitan beach city and if I didn’t know it, I could have very well been somewhere in the US like Cali or NY. Abraham hostels and Israel itself, also attracts a certain type of traveler, that I found really easy to connect with. It is not the typical vacationer but more of the backpacker, longer term, frequently visited, well versed traveler that I really learned a lot from. Stay tuned for my next post on what to do around Israel, and why you shouldn't be scared to travel there.
How to book: Go directly to their site and use code TRAVELFRO for 5% off!
This post is a result of a partnership with Abraham Hostels, however this is from my own personal unbiased point of view.
xo - Jakiya
