Estylo Visits the Holy Land Story by El Don • Photography by Mike Zee Supplemental images courtesy of goisrael.com

If you are waiting for peace to exist in the Holy Land before you visit, you may never get to Israel. People have been fighting over that little bit of turf for centuries, although that hardly seems holy. Safety was one my concerns for my friends as they journeyed there. Steve of George’s International Tours of San Diego assured me that in their many decades of travel organizing, they have never had an incident with any of their guests. The sites are heavily protected. All residents of the Holy Land know and value the importance of these places and damage to them would result in a massive loss of tourism, upon which the economy is heavily dependant. That’s reassuring.

What most visitors to Israel don’t realize is the close proximity of one shrine to another. The whole area is heavy-laden with history. You can’t help but appreciate how events that occurred here thousands of years ago have shaped our world and affect millions of people, even today. But far from being just a place of devotion, there is a hip and happening side to this country too! Tel Aviv, the incredibly cosmopolitan Mediterranean city on the beach, draws fun seekers non-stop. You would be hard pressed to find a richer culture than this, with a wide variety of activities and events that assure something for everyone.

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Thanks to Steve and Linda at George’s Tours—the ultimate source to plan an unforgettable visit, www.georgesintl.com, and Mark Liebermann of Geoffrey Weill Associates, who encourages you to visit www.goisrael.com for an informative look at what’s happening in Israel tourism.

For the entire story, read the April issue of Estylo magazine.