Hi everyone! 2020 is almost here and I guess it’s a good time to start summarizing the year of 2019. In 2019 I put a lot of focus on my Facebook page – Backpack Israel, so in order to summarize the year, I thought it would be a good idea to go over the posts I published on Facebook this year. Here are the top Facebook posts from my Facebook page in 2019:
1 – Eurovision has started today!
May 2019 – The biggest event in Israel was the Eurovision Song Contest. Tel Aviv was full of tourists, and the city was also full of events. So… I suggested 7 Things to do in Tel Aviv on Eurovision Week. Unfortunately, Israel didn’t win this Eurovision, but at least everyone had fun!
2 – “Do I have to get a Rav Kav?”
May 2019 – A lot of people ask me about public transportation and about the Rav Kav transportation card, so I decided to post about it. The post is still true – You have to have a Rav Kav in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (unless you use the light-rail train in Jerusalem, which you can ride on with a paper ticket). In other places, there’s still no need for a Rav Kav, although it’s recommended!
Read more about the Rav Kav here – Let’s Talk About the Rav Kav.
3 – After staying 3 nights in Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv
June 2019 – I stayed at Abraham Hostel – at my own expense – and posted about it. If you don’t want to read all about my stay, I’ll just say that Abraham Hostel in Tel Aviv, and also in Jerusalem, is of very high quality. But you should book a place early, as it gets full fast! Read my review – Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv: Cool Stay in the City Center.
4 – I stayed last weekend at Roger’s House Tel Aviv
July 2019 – About a month after Abraham Hostel, I was invited to stay a weekend at Roger’s House in Tel Aviv. The building in which the hostel is situated is an amazing old Templar house. Read my full review – Roger’s House: A Tel Avivian Hostel with Cool Vibes. Seems like a like to use the adjective “cool”.
5 – The new train station in Jerusalem is VERY deep
September 2019 – After overcoming my fears, I took a ride on the new train from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem. That line was inaugurated almost a year beforehand, on 25 September 2018. As I said, the new train station in Jerusalem, called Yitzhak Navon Station, is VERY deep – about 80 meters underground. The ride from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion takes about 25 minutes, and the way down to the platform about 10 minutes!
About two weeks ago started operating a new line which connects Jerusalem directly to Tel Aviv. I haven’t tried it yet.
6 – I finally ate at the famous Hachapuria
September 2019 – The Hachapuria is one of the most famous restaurants in Machane Yehuda, focusing only on the chachapuri, a Georgian dish which is made here with an Israeli touch. When I published this post, one of my page followers commented that it doesn’t look like a true Georgian chachapuri and that it needs to be with much more cheese and egg inside the middle of the bread. After eating at many of the market’s restaurants, I wouldn’t put Hachapuria at the top of my list, but it’s a nice place to eat if you like this type of food. For more restaurant recommendations, check out – My Favorite Budget Places to Eat in Jerusalem.
If you’re looking for a place which is a bit more expensive (around 60-70 ILS per meal), I highly recommend Azura and Manou Bashouk, both in the Machane Yehuda Market.
7 – If you’re looking for a cool place to stay in Jerusalem…
September 2019 – After sleeping at a lot of hostels in Tel Aviv, I decided to start sleeping at hostels in Jerusalem. The one I loved most was Cinema Hostel, a quite new hostel in the city, which has a great modern look. Like I usually do, I stayed here at my own expense, so you can be sure my review is 100{f224ba440c8e8489685f5be0eb52a1764ff3ab93b94d860236479bc3f69cbf7f} authentic. Read my full review – Cinema Hostel: Sleeping in Style in Jerusalem.
8 – Shalom everyone, This is Lior from Backpack Israel
November 2019 – I post this kind of post once in a while, because I really love to read your questions! Since opening Backpack Israel I have been interacting with dozens of travelers who came to see Israel on a budget, and am always happy to help anyone who needs it, whether it is with bus tickets, recommended places to stay or any other questions that come to your mind. The offer is still relevant, so if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at lior@backpackisrael.com and I will try my best to answer.
9 – Shabbat Shalom everyone
November 2019 – One of the most popular posts on my blog is Shabbat in Jerusalem: What’s Open? , so I sometimes post about it again on Fridays, just to remind you that there’s much to do on Shabbat in Jerusalem even though there’s no public transportation.
10 – For the last two days, parts of Israel gave been under missile attack
November 2019 – The Western Negev gets hit from missles quite often, but Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other touristic destinations are very rarely targetted at. In November this year, we had a short missle attack on Tel Aviv as well. Why? Because we killed one of the leading terrorists in Gaza Strip.
If you happen to hear about a missle attack on Israel in the news and wondering if you should cancel you’re trip, don’t cancel right away. In most cases, these missle attacks end after 2-3 days and we reach a ceasefire. So is Israel safe? Yes it is. Here’s the full post – Is Israel Safe to Visit?
Those were the top posts on my Facebook page this year. So we had the Eurovision, talked as always about the public transportation, and checked out some great hostels and places to eat in Israel. Was a great year!
Happy New Year everyone!
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Also, check out my Facebook page, Backpack Israel.
Want help with planning your trip to Israel? Check out the new app, Travel Israel by Travelkosh. You’re also welcome to contact me through the Experts tab.
Looking for a tour guide in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv? I’m a tour guide and I might be available! Send me an email – lior@backpackisrael.com.
Yours,
Lior