Palestine Travel Forum

Marhabba,

I will be attending Birzeit University in Ramallah, and so I have a few questions:

1. What development-oriented volunteer work is there available in Ramallah (preferable close to the Birzeit area)? I am looking for something involving development or human rights type stuff.

2. I will be there for one year, what is involved (and what are your suggestions) in terms of getting a Visa?

3. What are good areas to live near Birzeit University (by good I do not want to be isolated from real palestinian people)?

4. What is there to do for fun in Ramallah? Where can I meet a lot of Palestinian people? Where can I meet university-aged palestinians? and lastly what is there in terms of a nightlife in Ramallah?

Shukrun!

Hi There

I’m travelling to Palestine for the first time alone. I’m a young lady and will be going to do some charity work in Bethlehem. I will be there for a few weeks. I have arranged to stay with an organisation who im at full ease with.
My concerns:
I am travelling to Tel Aviv on a UK passport, I am a British citizen but of Indian origin. I have been told many things about what to expect and im quite nervous now. Is it true once you arrive at the airport everyone is questioned? Also that they have your files to hand so they basically know everything about you. That they can deport you if your answers don’t match what is on file? How intense is the questioning?

The other thing is I will be having a taxi collecting me from the airport to the base. Going from Tel Aviv to Bethlehem are there check points etc?

I know these questions sound silly but going alone to the Middle East esp. to Israel/Palestine if I know what to expect I think it will really help.

Any help of information would be appreciated

Many thanks

Hi all!

I'll be in Israel and the West Bank for about 4 days. I will start my trip in Fureidis to visit some friends, then will go on to see Nablus, Jerusalem, Ramallah, and finally end in Bethlehem.

Does this sound too ambitious? I have no idea how long traveling by bus/crossing checkpoints will take; perhaps I should just stick with Fureidis and Jerusalem? Or if you have a suggestion of a totally different town/village/area I absolutely must see, please let me know!

Thanks~

I'm from Barcelona, Spain, and we are planining a pilgrimage to Holy Land next year with a gruop of friends. For me is not the first time, I have been already there, but always it's fantastic to comeback. I read in your note, that is very nice to see Bethelem from the top of the university, exactly , from the restaurant of the university, Is it possible to take dinner there?.
There are students studing Spanish language?
I'm sorry for my bad English, and thank you very much,
Mª Esther
my mail is: maedequadras@gmail.com

Hi guys, I'm planning a trip back to Suriye and Jordan next month and also want to include the Palestine Authority, I plan to cross the border at Jordan. I have a venue in mind for accommodation there, Bustan Qaraaqa,a permaculture farm/hostel just outside Bethelem, (sourced via Hostelworld and Hostelbookers etc.,), it looks great!! has anyone visited and stayed there?? I hope to have local assistance at the crossing between Jordan and Palestine,and maybe in situ, if not, are there any problems I should now about?? I am a British Citzien, (but live in Istanbul), I have a British Passport, what about the stamp??? I've been told that I can ask the officials to stamp a piece of paper?? or is that just for visitors to Israel?? any advice/helpful hints etc., regarding travelling around the Authority etc., would be great.

Thanks in advance

Georgie

Salam W Alaikum
Peace be unto you

I wish to know of any way to enter the Gaza Strip/West Bank coming from the United States.
Whether it is with a humanitarian convoy or otherwise - any way AT ALL.
I have two citizenships (American & Lebanese) and I was born in the USA
So what should I know before attempting to travel to PALESTINE

Anyone with tips who has been before please contact me as soon as possible

I am planning to go alone but will be willing to go with Humanitarian convoys

Hi everyone,

I am planning a trip to the West Bank this summer, a fairly short trip as I can only get 2 weeks off from work. But with the recent attack on Gaza, I was wondering if anyone knows of any humanitarian convoys/delegations going to Gaza in the near future? I've volunteered abroad in the past, and my interest in getting to Gaza is not for any tourist reason.

Regardless of being able to enter Gaza or not, I will be volunteering in the West Bank in July. But any information on humanitarian groups going to Gaza that are open to foreign volunteers would be of great help!

Hello people,

Just got a quick question. I am british citizen and planning to travel to Israel probably in few months time. I found out that British citizens do not require visa to Israel. So basically I just want to ask do you need your passport to be stamped at the airport in Tel Aviv if you want to go the west bank or a stamp on a spearate piece of paper would do as well? I am quite confused about this procedure, if someone could help.

Thank you in advance!

hi, i wanna go to ramallah. i'm from indonesia. n i don't find any way to get there. plz tell me what'm i suposse to do, what's airlane that i should take, i really need the info. is that true we can go direct there by plane?
coz i don't like travelling by bus. if any one have some info, plz send to my mail....andreinisalu@yahoo.com

thanx be4

Can I use public transportation from the Church of the Nativity to Rachel's tomb? If not, how do I get there?
Thanks for your help!

OK, here's a question for the people who know....how do I get a package of items that I purchased in Jerico actually sent to me. I paid for the shipping, but there seems to be a problem actually mailing a package from Palestine to the US. I've tried calling the company (yes, it's a big legitimate company), but my phone carrier will not connect me to the company. (it's in Palestine). This is becoming absurd. The purchases were made over three weeks ago in person and I expected them to be here when I got home. The postal service says they haven't received anything and I'm having problems getting ahold of the store in Jerico. Any suggestions?
Susan

I will be spending Christmas in Bethlehem this Christmas and was wondering if anyone had advice on going to a service and/or finding a hostel/ hotel. Would it be easier to stay in Jerusalem.. if so, what time does the border crossing close? Thanks!

Hi,

Myself and 2 other male friends (Mid 20's from Australia) are heading to Israel in late July for a couple of weeks and really want to go in the Gaza Strip. I want to know what our chances are of doing this and how to go about this? Also how far is it from Tel Aviv? Is it a bus ride, Cab etc.

i'm hoping to engage in some volunteering oportunities around bethlehem in summer 2009.

i'm British so i dont need to apply for an israeli visa do i?
i was thinking of flying into ben gurion airport
is this the best choice?
and how do i cross over into the west bank from there?

what are the best/cheapest/safest methods of transport
and what would stop me from gaining access firstly to israel and then to the occupied territories?

thankkkkk yoou!!

I want to go to ramallah and be with the one I love so much..i will be married over there..question is..Do i need to have a visa to go there from Canada??

About how far is Manger Square from the checkpoint when coming from Jerusalem? Is it in walk able distance and is it advisable to walk?

marhabban!

I'm a US graduate student who will be traveling to the West Bank this summer to do some interviews for my dissertation research. My Arabic isn't great--and it's MSA, anyway--so I'll likely need an interpreter at least part-time. Can anyone give me a rough estimate as to the daily pay for an interpreter? (or even better, some leads/contact info for interpreters?)

Ideally, I'd be looking for a Palestinian university student who was fluent or near-fluent in English. Now that I think a bit more, an Israeli student might be a good idea, as I worry a bit about travel restrictions within the West Bank.

I'll be staying in Ramallah, but I anticipate that my plans can change.

thanks in advance!

Joseph (aka Yusuf)

Will be touring the Middle East next week, and Bethlehem is in the itinerary, specifically the Nativity church. I'd like to know if the postal service in the West Bank is reliable enough to actually mail some postcards from there instead of from Israel? I will actually mail the postcards to my own home and I just wanted the cards to bear postmarks from the actual places where they were mailed. Thanks.

Hi,
Im planning a trip to Ramallah,and have plans to reside in a palestinian village.What are the requirements to be able to do so. Also, for how long am I allowed to stay if im only a tourist....Please help, if you are from america, what exactly is requested from Israel to obtain a visa, I am told that a return ticket is not a requirement as it states at the website for state.gov .
Your input is greatly appreciated...

sandy
USA

Maybe next year i will visit Israel and West Bank.

I need special visa for enter west bank i want visit Bethelem, Ramallah and another cities?

Is safe going to west bank and return back.

What is the best city to know and talk whit the Palestinian people.

My brother and I would like to visit a friend in Ramallah while we're in the Middle East. We will be in Jordan and are planning on crossing at the King Hussein Bridge.
What is the best (in terms of time and money) way to get to Ramallah?

Thanks!

Hi, I am an American currently living near Haifa, and I'd like to travel to Mt. Gerazim for the Samaritan Passover on Monday. Does anyone know how I can do this via public transport? I know there is a little Jewish settlement called Beracha near there, which Egged might go to, but I can't find anything on their website. Anyway, I'd appreciate any help you could offer. Thanks!

I also wish to enter Gaza but I am a Canadian and not of Palestinian descent but my three year old son has grandparents there. Can some one give me some concrete advice abut crossing Erez? Is it possible to apply for entry in advance or do you have to gamble at the checkpoint and hope they give you permission?

Please advise,

My wife who is Australian, and myself who is travelling on both a Canadian travel document as well as Palestinian passport, would like to go visit family in Palestine this summer. I am not sure as I have not been back for 10 years to Palestine WB, if its ok for me to go to Tel Aviv airport using either Canadian travel document, or Palestinian passport. I have both Canadian residency as well as UK. I know I will be question as expected, however I do not know how much I will risk using this airport Tel Aviv. We will only be in Palestine for 2 weeks and have our return ticket. Is it best to go via Jordan or ok for me to go to Tel Aviv with my Australian wife?


Any advice of people recently visiting WB like Palestinians that hold residency in other countries would be most appreciate.

Is it essential to have a valid Israeli visa (I am from a country that does not have visa exemptions for Israel) in order to travel to Palestine? I am planning on going to the West Bank for summer 2007...is the only way in through Israel?

Thanks,
naseem.a

I'll be backpacking the middle east for the second time in only 10 more weeks!!! yayyy Heres my question: Do you think it would be ok to visit Hebron for 1 or 2 days? Good friends of mine have their roots in this city and also I would like to see the city. (Been to the westbank before just to ramallah and bethlehem though) I dont know yet whether I will go on my own or whether palestinian friends are going to join me. This is what I'd like to find out here as well. I'm 25 and obviously not arab plus I'm female. Any girls visited Hebron on their own for a day or two so far? What were your experiences? Should I catch a bus from east Jerusalem? What about visiting both Jewish settlements and arab parts of Hebron? Please share your experiences and if you have any advice please let me know! Waiting for replies!! Thanks :)

from my country i have 2 options i can get visa from the embassy or i can get at the airport.can you tell me how easy is it to get visa at the airport for canadian passport and how much do they charge at the airport and do they give multiple visa since i may leave turkey for 1 week to syria then back for few more days.what is your reccomendations.is english spoken at the airport so they will be able to undeerstand i need multiple visa.
thank you for your help

Hi,

Can anyone give me some information on how to enter Gaza? I know I have to enter from Israel via Erez. But do I need a special permit? Also, is it better to try to enter alone as a 22 year old female (American Born), or with my mother who was born in Palestine, but is an American citizen (we both have American Passports)? What's the best way to get in? Tell the border control officers that I am visiting family/friends, which is what I want to do...or should I say that I want to meet with a doctor to volunteer because I am premed (I do have connections with a Gazan doctor). Any information or direction would help, thanks =)

Anyone has sent or received a postcard from Gaza or West Bank. What type of postage stamp is used on the postcard. Thanks for any information.

I am considering going on a trip organized by Global Exchange/Reality Tours to Palestine, in which participants meet with peace activists both in Israel and the West Bank. Locations to be visited are Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Nablus or Jenin. My husband and many of my friends think I'm nuts because it would not be safe. However, Global Exchange says they have organized these trips four times a year for a while and have never had an incident. They say they are very careful, and change the itinerary as needed on a daily basis. Can those of you who have travelled to this region recently give me your perspective? How risky is this itinerary, given the fact that I would be "associating with activists"?

Pam