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This is good guide but not great. I also used it in Tel Aviv for areas of interest.I usually use the Rick Steves books in Europe and this guide does not give the same sense of enthusiasm and love for the place. I used this guide on a week's trip to Israel. The book was OK and I used it for a walking tour and finding restaurants in Jerusalem.
As Israel continues to move foreword, what it truly means to visit the Holy Land is a blessing within itself for not just the site's; but the relgious harmony and love of the countries people. While "Frommers Israel" came out with an addition that is copywrited for 2009, it is one of those books that one would be better off saving their money then purchasing these particular guide books. They are full of extreme misinformation about the country, her history, current situation within the country, which included out-of-date maps and the true beauty, harmony and unity of her people and the country itself that have been apart of the fabric of the Holy Land for thousands of years.What one will find when visiting Israel is a post-internal-war (the war ended 14 March 2008) harmony that has not been seen in this manner for over one hundred and nine years, with the beauty and richness of the country and her friendly, helpful people that are Christian, Muslim, Druze, Samaritans and Jewish that the traveler can savor that also has not been seen for quite some time.
In addition, the book just wasn't fun to read. I have used Frommers in the past, and overall I have thought the information was useful. Unless you're booking your own hotels and the like, I'd probably stay away from Frommers. I so much more enjoyed Fodor's Exploring Israel, as it contained fun information and it was exciting to discover in graphics that were pleasing to the eye. However, this time I took a trip (to Israel for a week) that was put together by a company, so my hotels/restaurants, etc were already taken care of. Thus, the nitty-gritty info that Frommers provided was not needed.
For instance, the guide notes that the beaches in Herzliya are expensive, charging 20 NIS for entry. Info about the Israel Museum is current - most of the museum is under renovation and therefore is closed. I've been living in Israel for 2 years and have found the Frommer's guide to be very useful, especially for hotel and restaurant recommendations.
Also, I just tried to visit the Tomb of the Kings in Jerusalem - according to the guide, it's open, but upon finding the site, it doesn't look like it's been open for years. You can still visit the Shrine of the Book to see some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Also tried to find the Nekker Glass Company - no shop at the address given.
I was surprised that Frommer's came out with a new edition so soon and debated about whether I should buy this new edition or not - wish I'd have saved the money and stuck with my well-used 2006 edition. However, it is one of the few guides that includes Herzliya and I'd second the recommendations to dine at Terassa and Erez. Otherwise, I'd advise calling ahead to make sure that hotels/restaurants/shops still exist.
But be warned, much of this book has not been updated. There hasn't been a charge since I've been here and I understand it's been at least 3 years since there has been a charge.
The maps are surprisingly thorough. expeditiously received. Yad Vashem, Israels national Holocaust Memorial) Was disappointed that Frommer's ignored some of Israels most important sites linked to Jewish heritage, most likely for political reasons (i.e. did not find it incredibly easy to use to make an itinerary as my trip was very loosely constructed around needing to be in certain places at certain times. However, was great once in Israel to help narrow down decisions on where to go, and how to get there.
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