Returned from Holyland on Wednesday evening. What a fantastic trip! This is one trip I would like to do again and hope I will get a chance to do so. It is a busy tour and you are on the go all the time - there is so much to see. We had a fantastic local guide Jan, a very experienced driver Arek and a great UK Tour Manager, Jackie Saunders. Israel is a very safe country - the media does not do justice to it's reputation. We could have done with a couple of extra days in Jerusalem, but I guess this would put the price up by a bit. Personally I would not mind paying extra to spend more days in Israel. The weather was nice and not humid. We did get some rain on day three but not enough to spoil the sightseeing. Visiting Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum and the Children's memorial was a very moving experience. I am so glad I decided to go despite this being optional. One does not have to be religious to experience the magic of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. I thoroughly recommend this trip. If you have been considering this trip and have been undecided so far, I would urge you to go. You will not be disappointed. Happy to answer any questions.

Jaya

Jaya

This is a tour I have had my eye on for a while, being a Christian I have been trying for a few years to get a church group to go as I feel I would like to be with Christians. If I do not achieve this at some point then I think I will go independently, perhaps with JY if they are still running it. I Am glad you had a good time.

Cindy

Cindy, you will love this tour. There were many groups who had come with their churches from as far as Sri Lanka, South America and USA and it was lovely to see one group singing hyms at every Station of the Cross along Via Dolorosa to the Holy Sepulchre and one group was also carrying a large cross. I am not very religious and neither am I a Christian, but I found the whole trip and experience very spiritual and fulfilling. The atmosphere is such that no matter what religion you follow, you will really feel blessed to have done this trip. I will definitely go back. I am so glad I was able to light a candle at the Church of Nativity and leave a prayer at the Western Wall.

Jaya

Hello Jaya

Glad you enjoyed your trip to the Holy Land. The question that I would like to ask you is what happens if in the future you want to go somewhere that will not let you in if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport. Do you just throw your old passport away and get a new one or is there anything in the system that allows you to have 2 passports.

Peter

Jaya

Tanks for your comments, I think that's why. Would rather go with a church group as I know people that have been and it had a different feel as in more CHURCHY!!! Which obviously is not where JY are in terms of feel. Which is as it should be as they are not catering for the CHURCHY feel....

But a good report back from you and I will see how things go ....

Cindy

Hi Peter

You will only need a new passport if you have an Israeli stamp and want to visit either Pakistan or Malaysia! Actually you can request them not to stamp your passport - they would then stamp a piece of blank paper you keep till your return and then throw it away. You can have two passports as well - i.e. if you have an Israeli stamp and want to visit a country not 'friendly' with Israel then the passport office will issue with another passport - I guess you would have to pay for it though. I would not stop this small matter from visiting Israel. It is a great experience. I definitely would go back one day.

Jaya

Hello Jaya

Thank you for that piece of useful information about the passports. I think you have made my mind up for me!!

Peter

Hello Peter

Am glad I have made up your mind. I have decided to do the Nile cruise next year instead of Peru as still need to get 100% fit and checked to see if I will have any problems going to Egypt with an Israeli stamp and apparently not. I think the other countries you can't visit are Yemen and Sudan and perhaps other Arabian countries - but I doubt if you want to visit Yemen or Sudan!! Unfortunately Just You are not offering Holyland for 2013, but Travelshere is. Definitely go if and when you get a chance and you will have no regrets.

Jaya

so pleased to locate people that have been or are going to visit Israel.. I've been there once but wish to go again as I felt I didn't have enough time at each place visited.

Meg