Things to Do in Israel

A site of pilgrimage, the Baha'i Shrine and Gardens contain the mausoleum of the first prophet of the Baha'i faith. With 19 levels of beautifully terraced gardens, it boasts fantastic views of the sea, and of Haifa's German quarter.

Established by the Israeli Parliament in 1953, this national memorial and museum of the Holocaust is made up of both historical and artistic sections. A particularly moving section is the Avenue of the Righteous, which remembers those who assisted and rescued Jews.

The childhood town of Jesus has a range of important spiritual sights. Perhaps the most important of these, though, is the Basilica of the Annunciation, which Roman Catholics believe was where the Virgin Mary learned she was bearing the son of God. The views from the Mount of Precipice, the city's highest point, are not to be missed.

At once laidback and lively, Tel Aviv is the place to be for excellent beaches by day and wild partying by night. Even in winter the weather in Israel's most cosmopolitan city is almost invariably warm and sunny.

A mud bath and a float in these mineral-rich seawaters at the lowest point on the earth's surface has various health benefits. There are also a range of archeological sites of interest, including the first monasteries of the Christian monks in the Judean desert.