don't have designated "honeymoon suites," for example. Nevertheless,
newlyweds are genuinely treated like VIPs and receive special services.
"Some hotels have so-called honeymoon packages," says Neger. "Your
agent can arrange for special things like flowers, fruit baskets, choco-
lates in the room. You may also get a more private table at dinner."
The Isrotel chain, with several hotels in Eilat, goes one step further,
offering a dinner on the house, free T-shirts, and other small gifts.
Regardless of which hotel
you choose, you're
bound to be re-
garded with affec-
tion. Israelis love
weddings and new-
lyweds, so bring a
wedding photo to
pass around, just in
case someone asks
to see one.
Couples usually
average 10 days to
two weeks to see
Israel, splitting their
between
time
Eilat, Tiberias and
Jerusalem.
Ester and Jay Caplan turned a trip to a family wedding in Israel
into a three-week second honeymoon (the Baltimore couple were
married 10 months and "first honeymooned" in St. Thomas). They
mapped out their trip in advance so as not to waste precious time
once in Israel, and chose Tel Aviv as their base and toured from
there. "The hardest part is figuring out what you want to see,"
says Mr. Caplan. "A lot of people wait until they get over there,
but you're still dealing with a foreign language and things can re-
ally run rampant"

r.

The Western Wall is a holy and special site.

Th e
Siegels suggest avoiding Israel during Passover. They went to Is-
rael without any reservations because they didn't want to feel tied
down. But they ended up shut out of good accommodations. 'That's
a big holiday time for Israelis, so the hotels are packed," says
Sharon, a national radio sales
rep. "And they're very
strict about the rules of
Passover— there was no
alcohol, no elevators."
JERUSALEM
No matter how you
plan your trip, Jerusalem
is the must: see stop for all
visitors. The holiest and
most exotic of Israel's
cities, it is a unique blend
of the old and the new, the
sacred and the secular. Ul-
tramodern hotels stand
watch over historical sites
dating back to biblical
times, while female soldiers
stand alongside side-curled
Chasidic Jews at bus stops.
Jerusalem's winding
streets, with their hard-to-
pronounce names, can seem
a little overwhelming. But armed with a good map and the comforting
thought that most Israelis speak at least fair English, you'll get the
hang of it in no time. Neger recommends a guided tour, which al-
lows tourists to see the popular sites while avoiding any dangerous
situations under the watchful eye of a trained tour guide. 'The tour
guides know where it is safe to go," says Neger who also suggests
travelers arrange tours in advance through their travel agents.
HISTORY: Nearly 3,000 years old, Jerusalem has a wealth of his-

Tel Aviv is a wonderful city to visit.

Security

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STYLE: • 1-112113ES 1995

• 25