Israel Handbook: The Travel Guide (Footprint Handbooks) Book

It is interesting to watch certain destinations, once considered esoteric, become extremely popular. Israel is a classic example: at one time thought inhospitable, many now consider it very nearly the perfect tourist destination. Israel may be a compact land, but few countries can compete with the remarkable range and variety of the country's attractions. Those looking for an informative and user-friendly guide would be well advised to try this new edition of Footprint's Israel Handbook. The company has taken over two years to develop a new format (with their travel-proof paperback covers), and the hallmark of these guides is a more relaxed, discursive style for contemporary travellers.Think of Israel, and you think of the Red Sea, and this is one area in which David Winter's vivid and idiosyncratic guide really shines. The meditative beauty of the country is evoked, along with such active pursuits as skiing on Mount Hermon. Some may prefer a more colourfully illustrated volume, but there is a strong argument for making the text the crucial element, as Winter does here: no brief asides for him--this is closely typed, highly detailed information that leaves no stone unturned in pointing out just exactly what the wily traveller has to do to get the most from the country.Many will, of course, judge a book like this on its treatment of Jerusalem and the West Bank. These are areas in which the guide is at its surest: the Old City, the Via Dolorosa and Mount Zion are conjured with great skill, and Winter walks the tightrope of the West Bank with perfect judgement: nobody would want an anodyne treatment of the trickier areas, and that is not what Winter gives us. Throughout, Winter guides travellers away from the possible problems towards the smoothest and most enjoyable holiday experience. And what intelligent traveller wouldn't welcome advice like this nugget:The water of the Dead Sea tastes extremely unpleasant, and may make you feel sick if swallowed. Because of the high salt content, the water causes agony in every minute scratch and cut; thus the Dead Sea region is a haven for designer stubble and George Michael lookalikes, since shaving prior to a dip in the sea is not to be recommended. --Barry ForshawRead More