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zenbabytravel · 5 years

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With plentiful of flights from London and Europe mostly less than 5 hours, vibrant and cosmopolitan Mediterranean vibes, adrenalin sporty options, tones of hip beach bars and cool parties, great gastronomy and incredible cultural highlights, holidays to Tel Aviv are more appealing than ever. We’ve been first time 12 years ago with Israeli friends; we found it on this occasion even more alive, boho and filled with fine dining, great playgrounds by the beach and cool terraces. So here are our top ten things to do in Tel Aviv with kids or without, put together with our Israeli friends based in London and visiting on regular basis.

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Tel Aviv teaser ❤️ #alexanderhoteltelaviv Sunset in the gorgeous city of contrasts 💙 Greek myths, Judaism, first Christian church, mosques, Turkish palaces, Napoleon, the crusaders, Pharaoh and Ramesses, Peter the Great, one of the most famous flea markets #telaviv ❤️ ********************************************* #telavivsunset #telavivwithkids #boutiquehotel #greathospitality #mediterraneanlifestyle #wanderlustkids #parentswhotravel #telavivboutiquehotel #alexanderhotel #Londonkids love #EasterHolidays

A post shared by Zenbabytravel (@zenbabytravel) on Apr 11, 2019 at 7:43pm PDT

Where else to start but the beach? I spent most of my time on this time on this occasion by Hilton beach Tel Aviv : sophisticated service by the beach bar and cool crowd, chill out music and playground within my sight for kids to run around and play as they wish.

Tel Aviv Hilton beach bar

Tel Aviv seaside

Our friends swear by Metzitzim beach and cafe and to quote them, whenever in Tel Aviv they don’t do much except eat, go to the beach and playground ! For crowded beaches with great vibes check out the Gordon and Bograshov beaches. And if you want to relax like a local check out some of the southern beaches.

Culture. Founded in 1909, Tel Aviv is all the things Jerusalem is not. It feels secular and tolerant, is packed with modern architecture – including the highest concentration of Bauhaus-style buildings in the world. Old Jaffa is a must: The other sites are also close to one another: St. Peter’s Church, the galleries in the alleyways, Independence Hall on Rothschild Boulevard, The Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv Art Museum.

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Gastronomy. Couple of aperols and hours playing and culturing in the sun, the whole family surely built an appetite. And the good news is that one is spoilt for lunching and dining options in Tel Aviv ! For brunch and breakfast we absolutely loved our hotel rooftop terrace – Alexander hotel, one of Tel Aviv’s coolest boutique hotel. The food was exquisite, the views over the Mediterranean therapeutical, the chill out music and professional staff just right. For dinners our Israeli friends advised the Port 12 years ago as well as now, so we took their advice on board again. We picked one evening Youlia for dining and wining, the fish and seafood were brilliant and the Israeli wine superb. More gorgeous seafood at Manta Ray till midnight or if you are after the best houmous / masabaha place: Abu Hassan in Jaffa is a legend!

Tel Aviv markets. Whilst a stroll down Sderot Rothschild is a quick, easy introduction to the city’s café culture, diverse population and eclectic architecture, our Israeli friends swear by Carmel market for street food. Sarona market is another must, open daily until 11pm, lots of great food, shops, 2 playgrounds and even a mini train for kids! Gelateria Anita in here is another must for our friends. More shopping especially as reported by friends by Shenkin!

Nightlife. Tel Aviv’s nightlife scene has some top clubs (The Block), amazing venues (Barby), hipster hangouts (TEDER & Kuli Alma) and cool little local bars every corner. We need to go back again sans kids to write this section better!

Spa. For party filled day and bights, there’s no better charge in my eyes than the spa. Alexander hotel has a cute one plus a very instagramable bar ground floor, just in case you fancy something stronger than tea following your massage. Wineries. Lots of wonderful wineries to choose from and vineyards to be spotted from your roadtrip. One of the most famous, Carmel is within easy distance from Tel Aviv, less than an hour drive. Founded by Baron Rothschild in 1882, Carmel winery boasts at Zichron Yaakov a wine shop, restaurant, two specialist-tasting rooms, guided tours, a small cinema, and a barrel room in an underground cellar.

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Water adventures. From sailboats and windsurfing and SUP, to catamarans and jet skis, it is possible to rent and take lessons along the coast. One of Tel Aviv’s top surfing schools is Topsea Surfing Center, where lessons are available whether you are a beginner of expert.

Floating in the Dead Sea

Tel Aviv day trips. Should you go for holidays to Tel Aviv for longer than 5 days, our 3 recommended day trips are (i) Jerusalem, (ii) Bethlehem – feasible also as a half day trip and (iii) the Dead Sea, Ein Gedi and Masada. And if you need to pick just one, go with Jerusalem – 1 hour drive, leave a prayer in the Western Wall, gaze at the Dome of Rock and light a candle at the Church of Holy Sepulchre.

Sunset Mediterranean – Alexander hotel Tel Aviv

We stayed with Alexander hotel in a 2 beds chic suite. The welcome was royal, the hotel designery and boutique and the service just perfect. Location wise, one can’t ask for more. Just by the beach, a 2 minute walk to Old Tel Aviv port and 10 minutes walk to the Marina. We loved our breakfasts by the rooftop and popped every afternoon to see the sunset – holidays to Tel Aviv could not find a better base!

Top ten things to do in Tel Aviv with kids or without With plentiful of flights from London and Europe mostly less than 5 hours, vibrant and cosmopolitan Mediterranean vibes, adrenalin sporty options, tones of hip beach bars and cool parties, great gastronomy and incredible cultural highlights, holidays to Tel Aviv are more appealing than ever.

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zenbabytravel · 5 years

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The usual draw for holidays to Israel and Jordan is the plethora of famous landmarks and holy places, but these lands are also fantastic for adventures and as a hedonistic destination. In our 10 days Israel and Jordan we combined the hip beach bars and Bauhaus architecture of Tel Aviv; stopped to take in the tranquility of the largest natural crater of Mitzpe Ramon; and wrapped up Israeli adventures with the gorgeous dolphins of the Reef in Eilat. Israel Jordan border crossing was easy in Eilat – Aqaba; thereafter we spent 3 other days by the Red Sea Jordanian side sailing, snorkelling and chilling; 2 fantastic days in Petra trekking and hiking and then 3 more days indulging into Dead Seas’s salt rich waters.

Red Sea sailing and snorkelling

Petra Monastery backdoor hike

We flew London to Tel Aviv and back from Amman and rented cars both sides-to properly enjoy the roadtrip at our own pace and leisure.

Aperol spritz Dead Sea Marriott

Sunset Mediterranean – Alexander hotel Tel Aviv

Sunset Dead Sea Marriott

Founded in 1909, Tel Aviv is all the things Jerusalem is not. It feels secular and tolerant, is packed with modern architecture – including the highest concentration of Bauhaus-style buildings in the world, is hip and party-loving town. A stroll down Sderot Rothschild is a quick, easy introduction to the city’s café culture, diverse population and eclectic architecture. We’ve been first time 12 years ago with friends; we found it on this occasion even more vibrant, boho and filled with fine dining, playgrounds by the beach and cool terraces.

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A post shared by Zenbabytravel (@zenbabytravel) on Apr 11, 2019 at 7:43pm PDT

We stayed with Alexander hotel – one of Tel Aviv’s coolest and boutique hotel with a gorgeous roof terrace for breakfasts and sunset drinks. They utterly spoilt us in their 2 beds suite – very chic and functional. There’s also a very cool bar downstairs, a spa and a great location – by the beach, a 2 minute walk to Old Tel Aviv port and 10 minutes walk to the Marina. A dedicated article on Tel Aviv and Alexander hotel will be coming shortly.

Tel Aviv Hilton beach bar

Tel Aviv Alexander hotel roofterrace

Tel Aviv seaside

On these holidays to Israel and Jordan we opted for 2 days and nights in Tel Aviv and thereafter rented a car Israeli side for 2 days. Mitzpe Ramon proved a very exciting stopover for our boys and we took our time for them to play with the stones, soak in the dramatic rugged landscapes, indulge into a casual lunch and icecreams.

Mitzpe Ramon Israel – perfect stopover Israel road trip

Israel is a gem great to drive in, cross the country in few hours and so diverse – on our way we encountered the greens of Tel Aviv hoods, surreal rugged mountains and craters and ended up in Eilat for the night.

Eilat dolphin reef – welcome

Eilat dolphin reef – back after 12 years

A quick dip in the pools for the kids and we headed to Dolphin Reef – the super playful dolphins of Eilat greeted us a soon as we entered. 12 years ago we dove with them, on this occasion our boys were too young to snorkel or dive with. The excitement of the month were the purple jellyfish – huge, harmless and fun to play with. And yes, we also witnessed again a couple of dolphins jumping outside the reef but we know they will be back shortly!

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The super playful gorgeous dolphins of Eilat greeted us as soon as we entered 🐬💙🐬12 years ago we dove with them, our boys are too young on this occasion to snorkel, dive or swim with, so will have to come back! #eilatdolphinreef is one of those magical places that stayed in our hearts over the years and glad to see it's as gorgeous as we remembered. On this occasion the excitement of the day are the purple and pink jellyfish – huge, harmless and great to play with 😂 and yes a couple of dolphins jumped outside the reef, but we know they will be back shortly 😉 Link in the bio, no #3 🐬💙🐬 ***************************************** #dolphinreefeilat #magicIsrael #snorkelwithdolphins #kidslovedolphins #divewithdolphins #kidslovetoswim #swimwithdolphins🐬 #eilatwithkids #israelwithkids #magicdolphins #happychildhood #snappyhappybritmums #culturedkids #MondayEscapes #farawayfiles #countrykidsfun Thank you so much for the #invite 🐬💙🐬

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We continued our Red Sea adventures on the Jordanian side – the brand new Hyatt Regency Ayla is a great base for pampering and chilling. We sailed, we snorkelled, we jet skied, we sunbathed, relaxed and treated ourselves with some yum breakfasts and fine dining. The Executive Club is a fabulous option and we found ourselves most evenings sipping bubbles and local wines, snacking, reading their book collection and enjoying the sunsets. The Cascade is another fine option and their live jazz and happy hours made the perfect wrap up of the days and seeing the sun going down.

Read Sea Jordan sailing

Read Sea Jordan sailing Ayla marina

The kids loved Hyatt Regency’s kidsclub and graceful personal and were difficult to be extracted even to enjoy the fun designery pools. Which left the parents to relax and enjoy themselves – this is the perfect base for Red Sea diving or parasailing.

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Ode to the blue 💙 where state of art meets amazing hospitality, practicality, fantastic design and family friendly: Hyatt Regency Aqaba in Ayla marina. #designhotels #culturedkids #aqabajordan #farawayfiles #boutiquehotel #aqabahotel #hyattregencyaqaba #aylaaqaba #jordanwithkids #playandstay #wanderlustkids #kensingtonmums #countrykidsfun #Londonkids

A post shared by Zenbabytravel (@zenbabytravel) on Apr 16, 2019 at 10:39pm PDT

Recharged and rested, we left ready for some serious trekking and hiking at Petra. We started in the afternoon on the first day – took our 2 days Petra passes, admired Petra museum about to be open and opted for the main trail – enjoying the reddish tall and narrow canyons and the Treasury by sunset; the Royal tombs and the Sikh – with most of the crowds gone whilst the moon came out.

Petra canyons at sunset

We spent the night at a peaceful retreat away from the crowd at the remote Little Petra – Bubble Luxury Hotel – the ultimate glamping where the sunsets are magical and one can watch the stars at night from the comfort of their own bed.

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The place to stay in Petra: the magic bubbles @petrabubbleluxotel perfectly integrated in the magic setting just above #LittlePetra #bubbleluxotel #littlepetra #littleexplorers #littleluxuries #kidsandbubbles #kidswelltravelled #uniquestays #uniquehotelsintheworld #thefunwaytotravel #countrykidsfun #CulturedKids #lpkids #bbctravels

A post shared by Zenbabytravel (@zenbabytravel) on Apr 19, 2019 at 2:20am PDT

The next day we took the road less travelled to the Monastery – not for the faint hearted as the last part is unmarked and quite steep. It proved stunning and exhausting for the little feet but all worth it in the end, away from the all the tourists, mule handlers and souvenir stall sellers. We started from little Petra, drive off-road with one of the locals, ascent of a couple of mountains and some steep descents, breathtaking landscapes enjoyed in peace. And just as we doubted our choice, we spotted the majestic Al Deir – the Monastery. The backdoor to Petra is to be uploaded soon on Youtube. UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rose City of Petra was first settled around the 6th century BC by the Nabataeans and was rediscovered in 1812 – truly a lifetime experience. We got back to our car mostly on the main trail – more tombs, temples, an impressive amphitheatre and a Roman colonnaded street.

Petra backdoor to Al Deir

Petra at sunset

Dead legs and full of dust and broken back from carrying the toddler, we wrapped up our itinerary of 10 days Israel and Jordan with Dead Sea Marriott – the rejuvenating properties of the Dead Sea’s salt-rich waters are well known and the Marriott caters gracefully for families with their 6 pools, array of restaurants, spa and kidsclub.

Dead Sea Marriott view from the executive floor

Dead Sea Marriott sunset

My kids proved mostly too posh for the therapeutical mud but the adults embraced the wraps fully, including the glorious spa. Floating in the Dead Sea proved challenging for little scars or mosquito bites but once we were in, great fun.

Lowest point on Earth – Dead Sea Jordan

Dead Sea Marriott spa

We kept our rental car from Aqaba back to Amman airport and initially planned to see the Holy site of baptism or the natural reserve nearby. However the great hospitality, wines, massages and wraps proved too much of a deterrent to further Jordan adventure holidays – so we just soaked in the gorgeous shades of blue, chilled and spent some more quality time with the cheeky monkeys.

Floating in the Dead Sea

Jordanian Chardonnay

12 years ago we embarked on a 10 days Israel road trip for Easter and loved it; similarly now, we found Easter UK school holidays very busy but great for the weather. On our 10 days Israel and Jordan we encountered 24 degrees in Tel Aviv, up to 30 degrees in Eilat and Aqaba, a breezy pleasant hike temperature of 18 degrees in Petra and 25 degrees by the Dead Sea.

Red Sea sailing

Mitzpe Ramon crater & stones

More dedicated articles on our holidays to Israel and Jordan coming shortly. For further Middle East road trips inspiration, check our stunning Oman itinerary: Arabian Sea, Wahiba sands and gorgeous wadis, Al Hajar mountains, Ras Al Jinz turtles retreat.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Alexander hotel Tel Aviv and Marriott Dead Sea Jordan for the warm hospitality and media discounts. As usual, impressions and overexcited kids entirely ours.

10 days Israel and Jordan adventure holidays The usual draw for holidays to Israel and Jordan is the plethora of famous landmarks and holy places, but these lands are also fantastic for adventures and as a hedonistic destination.

#israel road trip #Jordan road trip #road trip with kids

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