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How To Survive A Year In Israel: Top 10 Things To Do In Tel Aviv

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Tel Aviv, often called The City That Never Sleeps, has slowly evolved over the past few years into an enthralling and engaging city, a city that will amaze, delight, and have you begging for more! Here are a few tips, based on my own experiences over the past few years. Tel Aviv is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s a beach city, which already naturally elevates it to ‘favorite’ status, but the endless food and drink possibilities, the shopping, the atmosphere and the people push it up that little bit higher.

RelaxHang out at the Port:

The Port Harbor in Tel Aviv is one of those exciting ‘hubs of activity’ all the best cities have. This one is just that little bit cooler though with an indoor food market– both unique and chain restaurants and shops, a quaint beach, an outdoor cinema and loads of space to sit around and watch the port life go by. As the lights go down on the port area the day time crowds disappear only to be replaced by a different set. Young Tel Avivians and locals alike swarm the port at night in search of the next best party. Tel Aviv port is fast becoming one of the city’s most popular drinking spots and it is easy to see why. Check out Galina Bar at Hangar 19, or the neighboring Uptown dance bar to immerse yourself in the vibrancy of the port’s nightlife.

Take in the view!Out of The Box: Escape Rooms

Test Your IQ with one of Tel Aviv’s Escape Rooms! An awesome new trend spreading across Tel Aviv are Escape Rooms – you must have already heard of escape rooms, and probably more than once, but you still might not be 100 percent sure—what are escape rooms, exactly? What are they all talking about?

Escape

Imagine that you yourself are in this game, physically, and you only have one hour to complete the mission. Together with your friends you will enter another world, where you will need to examine your surroundings, cooperate, and eventually return to the real world, before you run out of time.

Spend a fun day at a waterpark!

Take a day off from the hustle-bustle lifestyle, and enjoy a day of pure fun at one of Israel’s amazing water parks! Most of them are around an hour drive from Tel Aviv, so make a whole day trip out of it, it is the perfect way to spend some time with the family or friends on a hot summer day. The most popular aquatic playground in the country, is Shefayim water park, which is the perfect place to spend a scorching summer day. It has a wide variety of activities that are guaranteed to keep people of all ages satisfied. There are multiple restaurants, as well as a few places to do some light shopping. The park also includes: a motor park complex, and an adventure and paintball complex. There’s no better place to spend a day hanging out with your friends and soaking up the rays and the fun.

Paintball: Pump up your adrenalin! 

If you are into adrenalin sports, you can’t miss the change to playpaintball at army-like fields (where real soldiers train!) Paintball is awesome. We all know it. It’s one of the most fun ways to get the adrenaline pumping. Humans have an inherent obsession with warfare, and this is the closest we’ll get to it without being involved in a real battle. Test your marksmanship and survival skills during this unique activity! But don’t be afraid to get a few bruises here and there!

Skydiving In Israel:

We’ve all thought about it before… jumping out of a plane at over 10,000 feet in the air. If you’re a thrill-seeker, this is something that you have to try. Kick something off your bucket list, and take the ultimate leap of faith! Seriously, if you’re looking for something just that little bit extra, that something that will leave you gasping, that something you’llnever ever forget, a skydive is definitely one to add to that list of once-in-a-lifetime experience. Imagine looking out of the plane’s door, your head is spinning while the strong wind slaps you back into reality. Green fields, mountains and buildings are scattered below you like tiny Lego pieces, but, amidst all the chaos you are air-bound without even a second thought. The rush from the free-fall sweeps through you like an electric current and before you know it, you are experiencing the ultimate rush of your life.

take the dive

Skateboarding:

The skate scene in Tel Aviv is no doubt thriving. This cool trend is common among both boys and girls and is just growing in popularity in this awesome city. The great thing about this experience is the sheer number of places; the activity is becoming so trendy that there are numerous skate parks to choose from. One of the more popular parks is the Galit Skate park. This park is complete with ramps, half-pipes, rails and ledges that make the park incredibly versatile. If you’re not into skateboarding the park is also great for bikers. If none of this appeals to you, you can always just sit back and watch the people practicing and enjoy the cool and unique graffiti lining the park walls.

get crazyAbove the metropolis:

Here’s a challenge for you: Running up to the top of Israel’s highest skyscraper, the Azrieli Tower in Tel Aviv. It started as a wager between a few local nutcases, and has since developed into every wannabe hunk’s rite of passage. The super-fittest can make it up the 1,144 stairs and 54 floors in seven minutes.

don't fall!

 Catch some rays on one of Tel Aviv’s gorgeous beaches:

One of the first things that’ll put a smile on your face when you arrive in Tel Aviv are the long stretch of sandy beach that run parallel with the city. Especially those of you coming from colder climates. The place to be in the summer (and the summers are long in Israel!), the beaches of Tel Aviv. It’s hard not to fall in love with them! What’s also quite amazing is the proximity of the city to the beach. Just a step away from the hustle and bustle, you can suddenly find yourself sitting opposite the Mediterranean, the gentle lull of the waves tempting you in for a dip.

Hit the Rays

I won’t tell you how many times I’ve been tempted to jump in, when I should have been, elsewhere. Just a step away from the noise and hustle of the city, it’s always a pleasure to find yourself opposite the blue, sparkling Mediterranean. The long stretch that makes up Tel Aviv beaches are actually split into a number of beaches, each with its own sights and sounds and smells (usually coming from restaurant kitchens, fortunately), as well as its own crowd. Remember, don’t forget your sunscreen!

Graffiti Tour and Workshop:

This rare experience offers two thrilling parts. First, you will be taken to the back street of Tel Aviv and discover some of the latest, greatest and oldest examples of street art. Graffiti and mural work. The tour will open your mind to things you probably have never noticed as well as some of the prime pieces the city has to offer. All of the guides are street artists and graffiti writers who have real life experience, you will leave the tour with a fresh perspective on art.  Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better the graffiti workshop begins. During this workshop you will get to work with a professional artist who will teach you all of the fun and special techniques that real graffiti artists use.

Can you do this?

Tel Aviv’s Bike Share Program: Fun, Convenient and Cheap!

Tel Aviv’s bike share program has become a huge hit for tourists and locals alike. Just hop on one of those green bicycles! You can pick up and drop it off at stations all over the city with no advance notice. All you need is a credit card. Known as TeloFun, Tel Aviv’s ecofriendly bike system is similar to other city rentals cropping up around the world in Paris, Boston and Buenos Aires (just to name a few).  More than that it’s one of the easiest ways to get around and discover this uncommon city.

 

I hope that you are able to partake in some of these one of a kind experiences, in one of the most vibrant and cultured cities today, that has become a hub of creative people who are full of life and sunshine. I look forward about your own trips and please like always feel free to give feedback.

Beth Zuckerman
Beth Zuckerman
Beth is a former Upper Westsider, who made aliyah 8 years ago. She is a coffee addict and a lover of classical rock. Beth is the content and marketing manager at talknsave, in that order.

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