Summer Trip - Amsterdam, Israel, Petra

My family and I (wife, two kids, my parents, and my in-laws) are traveling again this Summer. Two Summers ago we went to Israel and went Tel Aviv->Golan Heights → Jerusalem. This time we are starting in Amsterdam for a few days, flying to Israel and going Jerusalem → Eilat → Petra → Tel Aviv.

Looking for fun things to do, sights to see, places to eat, etc. Wine is not a priority at all on this trip given who I’m traveling with, but fun meals are appreciated. Since we were recently in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, we are skipping some of the main attractions that we hit last time and are looking for more off the beaten path ideas…culinary tour, graffiti tour, etc. I’ve never been to Amsterdam or Petra so any suggestions are appreciated.

I found it worthwhile to stay right outside the gates to Petra (a Movenpick I think)

The other hotel in town is the Marriott, and it’s not close. We stayed at the King Hotel because it was cheap. Clean. Not fancy. Stay at the other places if you want fancy. The evening before in Eliat, we stayed at the Hilton Queen of Sheba in Eilat. I don’t think it’s associated with the brand anymore.

We did Eliat/Petra/Eliat. Many do this as a day trip. I hear that’s killer. We did this as an overnight trip. We left early in the morning; went to Wadi Rum, then continued to Petra (town). The Petra everyone talks about is the ruins, and it’s spectacular. One our first evening, we went to the night light show at Petra. Very important to bring a flashlight and comfortable shoes. It’s a serious walk in on unpaved paths. It was also a long walk back out. It wasn’t wheelchair accessible in 2013. You can google info on the evening show. When you head back during the day (bring lots of water), you’ll be amazed at what you’re looking at. Lots of interesting things to see that you walked past the evening before.

We hired a guide in Israel, who hands you off to a Jordanian guide at the border (all the same company). Wadi Rum is like being in a Lawrence of Arabia movie. Petra itself is cheaper if you stay overnight vs a day trip. With such a big crowd, that might save you some money. In Petra, there was one restaurant all the way in the back. And I mean all the way. The to/from walk from the entrance to the first place your mouth drops is far, and even further if you keep walking to other sites within Petra. There were places to get snacks, nothing fancy.

We were back in Eilat by 5:00 the following day.

Mike, go to the travel forum and search Petra. There may be information there.

Check out the Middle east forum on Flyertalk > http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/search.php?searchid=38169957&query=petra

There was a thread recently here on Amsterdam dining, so worth picking over that.

Are there any things you feel you ‘must see’ in Amsterdam? Although it’s reasonably easy to get around on the trams, it may make sense to be close to some of the key interests.

Personally we like to stay out well beyond the Museum Quarter (itself regarded by many tourists as the edge of the city or even beyond it). Somewhere between Vondelpark and Beatrixpark. This is more leafy suburb, or at least as much as a large city allows. The shopping is good, and it’s cleaner and more pleasant than the at times gritty / garish centre.

However for a first visit I think being nearer the centre makes a lot of sense, say inside the Prinzengracht canal.

I’m always loathe to say anything is a must see, as our tastes always vary, but I would encourage anyone to walk through the red light district to allow an opinion to be formed about whether this is sanitising an industry that exploits, or giving safety and security for an industry that is as old as time. Early/Mid evening is a good time to go, as there are usually lots of people walking around and there is a generally fun vibe to the area. However:

• around midnight the atmosphere seemed to change quite radically, as the crowds drift away and a definite edge emerged.
• Much as the coffee shops and legalised prostitution was meant to decriminalise and make the softer/safer options easy to access and this remove the shadier elements, the reality is they are still there to varying degrees (there are irregular ‘cleanups’ but I don’t know what the latest situation is). If there are street dealers offering ‘Charlie’ etc. then just show disinterest / ignore them and move along. This and the occasional (drugged out of their mind) street prostitute disturbed me, as I saw the whole point of the decriminalisation was to make the lesser stuff safer, but then focus on that which is patently unsafe.
• Always have your money somewhere very safe. Pickpockets are often rife and a teammate on our cricket tour had his wallet stolen (from inside jacket pocket) in early evening / daylight and when with 2-3 other teammates. Taking an idea from another forum, keep big money somewhere really safe (e.g. under insole of shoe) and then carry around smaller amounts that are more accessible.

This sounds like I’m warning you off this area, but I’m definitely not. It’s an important part of Amsterdam and helps us consider issues that we normally prefer to not think about.

On a lighter note, the cheese shop on Runstraat (Kaaskamer) is exceptionally good, but these 9 ‘animal named’ streets are all worth exploring for quirky / quality shops, including the remarkable toothbrush shop.

Also on the food+ side, the long Albert Cuypstraat market is worth a look though I’m told it gets ever more touristy every year.

I note there are walking tours of Amsterdam, and these should be a very good way to explore in a shortish period of time Jordaan District in Amsterdam | Amsterdam.info For the more adventurous, I recall little electric boats available to hire, and seeing Amsterdam from such boats will give a unique perspective on the city. That said, with the amount of drunken people in mid-late evening in the red light district, this is one area I would avoid at that time of night. The canal is sometimes an all too convenient rubbish bin or toilet.

regards
Ian

Barry,

Can you elaborate on why you suggest staying right outside the gates?

Thanks.

Mike

Dan,

I’m not sure of our exact plans yet. I know the hope was to see the light show and then do the day stuff early the next day to avoid the worst of the heat. When you say the Marriott is not close, are you saying its not close to the sites? My F-I-L is a Marriott time share owner so he is partial to Marriott when it works but won’t be militant about it if it’s not convenient. Is the light show worth it? I’ve heard some very positive things and some so-so things. Definitely bringing flashlights as these were handy on our last trip to Israel in the water tunnels. My Parents and In-Laws are all in their early 70’s and young at heart and fit for their age, so for the most part, the walking and the activity will be okay.

Thanks,

Mike

From a first time visitor’s perspective the Anne Frank house and the Van Gogh museum are definitely worth the effort. Buy tickets in advance. Amsterdam overall is not my favorite large European city. There are some neat little towns like Edam North of the city. There is a wonderful B&B/inn just outside the city with easy access. http://www.innonthelake.nl/page.php?id=front&type=0

The bus and tram system in Amsterdam is very nice and easy to use.

George

Amsterdam wasn’t my first choice either, but making 8 people happy can pose it’s challenges. The AF House and VG Museum are high on our list. We all have calendar reminders to buy tickets at the first moment they are available. Since we have been to Israel together recently we wanted to “jazz up” this trip and thus a European city and Petra. Both my parents and my in-laws travel extensively with my in-laws going mostly to Europe so they’ve been to many of the major cities already. Prague was our first choice, but coordinating the flights EWR to Prague to TLV and back to EWR was rough.

The Sunday night planning dinner for this trip was hysterical with people throwing out numerous ideas. The original plan was Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, etc.). My wife and I thought this was a done deal. We also want to incorporate some of the Jewish aspect as this trip is to celebrate my youngest daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. But as with all decisions made by a group, it wasn’t so easy. People started throwing out ideas: Iceland, London, Prague, Italy, Alaska, Germany, Vancouver, California, etc. There were pros and cons to all of the ideas. What we could all agree upon was what a wonderful time we had in Israel and it’s very easy to tour with a private guide and thus, we are heading back.

For Amsterdam, I’ll add Rijksmuseum to your list. It’s a 2-minute walk from the very fine VG museum, but it has more variety of art and artifacts.

Do take the half-day canal boat tour for a nice, leisurely and different perspective of this fine city. You can board anywhere, but we boarded at the AF House canal stop right after our very early tour of the house.

Speaking of AF House tour, try to book for the earliest available. The crowds and lines around the house starting at mid-morning didn’t endear to us.


Eats:

Wolf Atelier – modern tasting menu, well priced, good service, and the food’s very good. Nicely assembled small wine list. http://www.wolfatelier.nl/en

Restaurant C – anothern modern restaurant with plenty of grilled fresh seafood and meats within the non-stop action in the open kitchen built in the middle of the restaurant. Delicious and fun if you sit at the counter around the kitchen. BAUT Oost, open for lunch, drinks and dinner

Foodhallen - a food-market & food-court that’s at the outskirt of the beaten paths; locals (office workers, mostly); good many choices including Japanese, Thai, Spanish and local/regional. A foodie getaway, with sufficient choices for everybody with different tastes. http://foodhallen.nl/

Awesome! Thanks!

The Marriott is just a couple of miles outside of ‘town’. I say town in quotes because it looks more like a Hollywood set. It’s a short ride to the parks entrance. The Movenpick was the only game in town back in 2013. I’m not sure of the current hotel situation.

The light show consists of hundreds of placed candles near the Treasury area. I don’t recall what they did for the show part. You’ll be seated on the ground for the length of the show. The reason this is interesting is because these candles provide the only light. When we returned the next day, we were in awe of what we were looking at. If you google pictures of Petra, you’ll see what I mean. Pictures don’t do Petra justice.

I spend a month each year in Amsterdam and have found it to be a fabulous city with numerous and various levels of appeal and an overall resonance of “freedom”. With your entourage, it would be essential to keep it simple and touristy.

I assume you know English is their 2nd language and it is easy to converse with most all locals.

Definitely do the canal trip. You will see areas not approachable on foot and different aspects of those that you can walk through.

The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are must dos if you fancy fine, historic art. The Amsterdam Museum is fascinating and offers an in-depth look at how the city was formed in conjunction with water and land conservation which is truly genius.

For a local pancake treat, called pannekoeken, go to The Pancake Bakery at Prinsengracht 191 near the Anne Frank house. Reservations are strongly advised. They have good omelettes and other options as well.

For numerous options for good, tasty and family eats, go to Mata Hari at Oudezijds Achterburgwal 22.

Near good shopping on Kalverstraat, is Dam Square, a focal point with large crowds, hotels, stores and much more. The Square is filled with creative artists, mimes and all sorts of characters.

Enjoy

An enjoyable off the beaten track canal tour is https://www.thosedamboatguys.com/
They leave from a restaurant/bar across the canal from the Anne Frank House, Cafe Wester.
Which is also a great outdoor cafe to watch the boat traffic. You can BYO on the boat as well.

It was cool to step out and walk right into the park and made it easier to get there before the crowds.

Mike:In Amsterdam,make sure you talk to your hotel about purchasing a"museum card." It saves you a lot of money and time on line.

Cheers!
Marshall

Mike,

I really enjoyed Tel Aviv, just walking around, going to Carmel Market, eating in Jaffa, etc. I also really loved Independence Hall. It was one of the most moving parts of being in Israel. There are some good restaurants in Tel Aviv, but you may just want to get Schwarma in Jaffa.

In Jerusalem, make sure to go to the Israel Museum, if you have not already been there. It has the dead sea scrolls and some really neat old stuff. Then, I enjoyed shopping in the Cardo in the heart of the Old City. Wonderful art gallery for Israeli art and place to buy Judaica. Near the Arab market.

One thing we did not have time to do in Jerusalem that seems neat would be the City of David. Just south of the Temple Mount, this is the original Canaanite city. I want to go there next time. I would also love to get out of the city and see some archaeological sites - don’t know how possible it is but would love to see the digs at Hazor in Northern Israel.

If you want a good day trip from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, go to Sfat and see the old synagogues and the art.

There are some neat Byzantine era synagogues being unearthed in the Galilee, we saw Beth Alpha israel byzantine synagogues - Bing Strange to see a floor of a synagogue with a zodiac and pictures of people. Would never see that today.

Howard,

We (the same group of us) were in Israel 2 summers ago to celebrate my oldest’s Bat Mitzvah and we did all of the above. I can’t wait to go back. I’m sure we will repeat a few of the things we did, but I’d like to take a deeper dive into TLV and Jerusalem as we’ve done a lot of the “first trip must do’s” I absolutely loved TLV and would spend a week there if we had time. To me, TLV is like South Beach on steroids. Last time, our four dinners in TLV were Manta Ray, Kitchen Market, Claro, and North Abraxas. All of them were really enjoyable, fun meals. North Abraxas was probably my favorite and the most interesting. I’d say that Kitchen Market was closest to fine dining, and Manta Ray was right on the beach. Claro was in Sarona and very nice, but more conventional than the others.

Mike, I don’t think this is what you want , but here is a link for a culinary tour of Israel. Error 404 / Page Not Found May give you ideas.

For Petra, bring an umbrella or a wide brimmed hat and plenty of water. It gets really hot and the walks are long and tiring. Be careful especially for the elderly or young children with the heat. At the end there’s a gift shop that sells items from Queen Noor’s Foundation. Worth a look. The silver necklaces by the pound are worth the $.

We did a day trip from Amman and also stopped at some crusaders castle ruins along the way on the Kings Highway.

We also really loved the Movenpick at the Dead Sea on the Jordanian side. Great thalassotherapy. I haven’t visited a spa on the Israeli side, but if you go again remember sunscreen and hats. The sun is really intense on the Dead Sea.