A bad press
Israel often gets a bad press. But that wasn’t going to stop us exploring a country sitting at the crossroads of three of the world’s biggest faiths – Islam, Judaism and Christianity and carrying more history per square metre than almost anywhere on earth.
Anya and I flew into Tel Aviv on a fairly unenjoyable flight, thanks to a pack of noisy Israeli teenagers who spent the entire journey kneeling on their seats, shouting over everyone’s heads to their mates behind us. A warm welcome to the culture.
Starving on arrival, we were greeted by unfriendly waiting staff at an airport café, followed by an equally unfriendly hire‑car rep. First impressions of Israelis: rude and miserable. Not the best start.
A Hair Raising Drive to Eilat
It was late afternoon, so we headed straight down to Eilat on the Red Sea – a four‑hour drive mostly in the dark. Overtaking lorries throwing up dust clouds so thick you couldn’t see a thing, no street lights, and roads that seemed to disappear around bends… it was basically: shut your eyes, put your foot down, and hope for the best.
We stopped for food and were joined by a truckload of military cadets, all carrying guns and all looking about twelve years old. A reminder of how insecure this region really is.
We made it to Eilat alive. The next morning we explored the northern beach on the Red Sea. The thermometer hit 37°C by mid‑morning and the beach wasn’t anything special, so we didn’t linger.
Petra: Pink Rock & Painful Tourists
The next day we joined a tour to Petra across the border, in Jordan. Limited on time, we reluctantly chose a day tour – not the best decision.
Two annoying Americans spent the journey asking questions like, “Do you celebrate Easter?” Once inside Petra, they bought “I ♥ Petra” hats and were the only ones taking the camel ride. Even the camel looked fed up.
Petra itself was fascinating. Built around the 1st century BC by the Nabataeans, it was once a prosperous regional city before falling into decline after the Roman Empire collapsed. Forgotten for centuries, rediscovered in the 19th century, and now one of the world’s most visited ancient sites.
The place is enormous – 264,000 square metres of pink‑hued rock mountains carved with tombs, temples and dwellings.
Our guide’s breath smelt so bad I’m convinced he sleepwalked at night and drank from an unflushed toilet, but the site was incredible.
After a few hours, we crossed back into Israel and headed for Masada.
Masada: A Pilgrimage at Sunrise
We arrived late at the hostel at the foot of Masada, greeted by an Israeli teenagers’ pool party with pumping music.
We headed straight to bed for our 5am start.
Masada is a pilgrimage in Israel. The 450m‑high plateau is where 1,000 Jews barricaded themselves against invading Romans 2,000 years ago. When the Romans finally breached the fort, the Jews chose mass suicide over capture – an act that symbolises the fight to be free in their own land.
The climb is steep and usually done before sunrise to avoid the blistering desert heat and to catch the incredible sunrise views. It was tough, but sunrise was sublime – even with hundreds of school kids running around our ankles.
The Dead Sea: A Lifelong Wish
Everyone knows the Dead Sea, and like most people, I’d been intrigued by it since school.
Finally visiting was a lifelong wish.
We chose a free public area near En Gedi. The rocks leading down were slippery with salt. You can’t just jump in as the water will blind you, so you have to lower yourself slowly and roll onto your back like you’re doing The Twist in slow motion.
The water was warm, the waves choppy, and it wasn’t long before I got a splash in my eye that stung like crazy. But floating effortlessly on the surface was surreal – defying physics. After five minutes, I was bored. Anya had a go.
Jerusalem: A History Like No Other
Jerusalem: one of the world’s most holy cities. Thousands of years old, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times (so Wikipedia tells me).
Its history reads like the cast list of a blockbuster: King David, Jesus Christ, Hadrian, Richard the Lionheart, the Prophet Mohammed… even Chinggis Khan’s grandson may have made a cameo.
Trying to explain the city’s history or its modern complexity would require another full blog (and I’m not sure I fully understand it anyway).
With so much history, the sights are endless.
Via Dolorosa
Believed to be the path Jesus walked carrying his cross. I’m not religious, but walking in the supposed footsteps of Jesus, the messiah to over 2 billion people, was fascinating.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Marks the spot where Jesus was crucified and buried. Packed with pilgrims doing strange things like carrying giant crosses or wailing loudly.
The Old City
Surrounded by 12‑metre‑high walls with eight gates dating back to the 16th century. Divided into Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Armenian quarters. Narrow streets filled with smells, sounds and languages – a melting pot of the world’s religions in a few square kilometres.
Dome of the Rock
The famous golden dome built in the 7th century. A religious site for both Jews and Muslims, temporarily converted to a church by Crusaders. A patchwork of history in one building.
Other sites include King David’s tomb, the Russian Church of Mary Magdalene, the Last Supper room, the tomb of the Virgin Mary, and the Mount of Olives cemetery with over 70,000 graves.
We absolutely loved Jerusalem – crumbling buildings, great bars and restaurants, and an overwhelming abundance of history meaningful to nearly half the planet.
A Failed Trip to Bethlehem
Short on time, we decided to visit Bethlehem. I’d read it was a 10‑minute ride to the checkpoint. After 30 minutes, I asked the driver when we’d arrive. Turns out we were on the wrong bus entirely.
By the time we corrected it, we’d run out of time. No manger, no bright star, no crib for a bed.
Tel Aviv: A Different World
Back to Tel Aviv – Israel’s secular, hedonistic party city.
Located on the Mediterranean, it feels more Southern Europe than Middle East, despite being only 45 minutes from Jerusalem.
Tel Aviv is perfect for a beach and party break: gorgeous beaches, cafés, beach bars, clubs, restaurants, shopping malls, and one of the few true 24‑hour cities where you can do anything at any time.
We spent a couple of days enjoying the beach, visiting the ancient port town of Jaffa, and hopping between bars and cafés.
We Couchsurfed with a friendly guy who had an awesome apartment in the centre.
Soon enough it was time for our own last supper – followed by bumping into a local who took us to a bar with swings hanging from the ceiling and an “all you can drink wine” night for £20.
Even Jesus would’ve struggled to turn water into the amount of wine we consumed.
Our time was up.
Israel had been one of the most diverse countries we’d visited – with a history like nowhere else.
About Roaming Wild
Having travelled widely as solo adventurers and as a couple, in 2025 we made a choice to go backpacking with our children and embrace worldschooling as a family.
Our philosophy has always been that life is for living, not for getting trapped on the hamster wheel.
This website brings together our past journeys and our current adventures as a family, with contributions from our kids plus other family members who love backpacking.
Come check out our blogs, guides, podcasts and gallery.
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