OUR DESTINATIONS
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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Middle East
- Israel
- Haifa
Haifa
The largest city in northern Israel, Haifa is an attractive
seaport and one of the most culturally mixed and cosmopolitan
cities in the country. The Israeli saying 'Haifa works, Jerusalem
prays, Tel Aviv plays' gestures toward the city's blue-collar roots
- however, in the 1950s a concerted effort was made to make Haifa
more culturally sophisticated, with the Haifa Theatre, the Krieger
Centre for Performing Arts and the Ein Hod artists' colony being
established. Haifa also hosts an annual (and well-attended)
International Film Festival, and the Haifa Rock and Blues Festival,
which has attracted performers of genuine calibre over the years
(such as Bob Dylan, Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, to name a few). The
majority of visitors to Haifa go there for the amazing gardens of
the Baha'í World Centre (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), although
there are numerous other excellent sights in Haifa, including a
wealth of museums, gorgeous temples and mosques, and sunny,
child-friendly beaches. For those fascinated with biblical history,
Tel Megiddo ('Armageddon' in Ancient Greek) - the supposed site of
the end of the world - is located about 20 miles (32km) southwest
of Haifa.
Information & Facts
Language
Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel.
Most of the population also speak English.
Money
The Israeli Shekel (ILS) is divided into 100 agorot (singular is
agora). Money can be changed in the small exchange bureaux found on
most main streets, or at banks and hotels. ATMs are prevalent
throughout the country and linked to American systems. Most banks
are open Sunday through to Friday until noon, and are open again
from 4pm till 6pm on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Major credit
cards are widely accepted, as are travellers cheques, though
commission on these is high.