Israel Highlights

The Dead Sea is one of the world's most extraordinary natural phenomena — a hypersaline lake at 430 metres below sea level (the lowest point on earth), with a salt concentration of 34% (nearly 10 times that of the ocean) that makes it impossible to sink. Floating in the Dead Sea — reading a newspaper while lying on the surface of the water — is one of the most extraordinary experiences in the world. The mineral-rich black mud of the Dead Sea has been used for therapeutic purposes for thousands of years. The western shore of the Dead Sea is in Israel; the eastern shore is in Jordan. Masada — the extraordinary Herodian fortress on a clifftop above the Dead Sea — is 20km to the south.

Tel Aviv is one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in the Middle East — a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its extraordinary collection of Bauhaus (International Style) architecture, with the world's largest concentration of Bauhaus buildings. The city has 14km of Mediterranean beaches, a world-class restaurant scene (Israeli cuisine is one of the most exciting in the world), the extraordinary Carmel Market, the ancient port of Jaffa (Yafo), and a nightlife scene that has earned Tel Aviv the title of "the city that never sleeps". The combination of the beaches, the food, the architecture, and the extraordinary energy of the city makes Tel Aviv one of the most enjoyable cities in the world.