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Itinerary
for tour of Israel with optional Petra extension |
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Included meals are indicated as B =
Breakfast, L =Lunch, D = Dinner |
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| 14.11.10 |
Depart Brisbane at
11.50pm on MH 134, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 6.10am.
On arrival you will be met and transfered to the Piccolo Hotel or
Equivalent in central Kuala Lumpur
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15.11.10
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Depart Sydney at 3.40pm on MH122, arriving in Kuala
Lumpur at 8.50pm.
Depart Melbourne at 3.40pm on MH148, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 8.40pm.
On arrival you will be met and transfered to the Piccolo Hotel or
Equivalent in central Kuala Lumpur |
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16.11.10
B,L
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This morning there will be a Kuala Lumpur City tour followed
by lunch.
Visit the National Mosque or in Malay the Masjid Negara, which is the
most distinguished mosque in Kuala Lumpur. Another must see is the Tugu
Negara or War Memorial, where we honour those who perished in the war.
Chinatown, located in Petaling Street is full of good bargains and
deals, food of sorts and rich Chinese culture. You will also pass the
Moorish-styled Federal Court, the old Railway station which is a
striking piece of Mohammedan architecture, the Tudor-styled Cricket
Club and the King's Palace. Visit the Thean Hou temple situated in
Robson Heights, which is the home to patron Goddess Thean Hou of the
Hainanese community, This striking six tiered temple is regarded as one
of the biggest Chinese Temples in South East Asia. |
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17.11.10
B,D
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Morning free in Kuala Lumpur. Early afternoon departure for
the Royal
Selangor Pewter Factory & Showroom. Then we depart for Kampung Tour
and Firefly Watching. Kuala Selangor is only 1 1/2 hours drive from
Kuala Lumpur and yet it has much to offer, especially to those who wish
to take a peek at Malaysian rural life. Fishing and farming are main
occupations here, although a large part of the area has also been
cultivated with both palm oil and rubber. Upon arrival you will visit
Bukit Melawati, an ideal site for monitoring shipping in the Straits of
Melaka, Bukit Melawati once contained two forts. continue your tour to
Taman Alam Kuala Selangor. With almost 150 sighted species of birds,
makes this an ideal nature park for bird watching. This is followed by
a sumptuous local seafood dinner, after which you will be treated to
the highlight of the evening - firefly watching. You will be rowed
upstream to watch thousands of fireflies flickering like Christmas
lights in mangrove trees which line the banks of the river. After this
tour, you will be driven back to the airport. |
18.11.10
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All passengers
depart Kuala Lumpur at 12:30am on MS 971 arriving in Cairo at
5.30am transfer to your next flight on 4D54 (operated by Egypt Air) at
9.00am arriving in Tel Aviv
at 10.10am. You will be met at the airport & transferred to your
hotel in Tel Aviv. The rest of the day is free to recover from your
flights. |
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19.11.10
B,D |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Tour Tel Aviv, known as the 'city that never sleeps'. Visit the
multi-media Palmach Museum to learn of Israel's struggle for
independence. Then visit the Old City of Jaffa and stroll through the
renovated artistss colony and ancient port. See the home of Simon the
Tanner. Enjoy a traditional Shabbat (Sabbeth) dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation at the Grand Beach hotel or similar in Tel Aviv for
overnight. |
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20.11.10
B,L,D |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Depart Tel Aviv and drive to Caesarea , one of the Land of
Israel's most important cities during the Roman Empire; visit the
Herodian theater and newly excavated hippodrome, palace and bathhouse
and explore the 900-year-old crusader city built on the same site with
its new hologram interactive activities centers. Continue to Mt Carmel
and enjoy a traditional Druze lunch and hospitality. Drive to Haifa for
a breathtaking view of Haifa Bay and the magnificent Bahai Gardens.
Conclude the day with a visit to the Church of the Annuncation of
Christ in Nazareth. Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation at the En Gev
Kibbutz hotel or similar. |
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21.11.10
B,D |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Enjoy a wooden boat cruise on the Sea of Galilee. Continue the
day with a visit to the Church of the Beatitudes located on the
traditional site of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Then continue on to
Capernaum, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the site of
Jesus' teachings and the remains of a second century synagogue. Visit
Tabgha, traditional site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fish, and
site of a modern church built on the remains of a Byzantine church from
the fourth century. Drive to Safed to see a center of Jewish mysticism
for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artist' colony; visit the
many unique synagogues, stroll through the quaint art galleries and
shop in the artists' colony. Return to the hotel for dinner.
Accommodation at the En Gev Kibbutz hotel or similar. |
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22.11.11
B,D |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Visit the Talmudic synagogue at Katzrin. Head up the Golan
heights to Mt Bental and peer deep into Syria. Further north visit
Banias and Caesaerea Philippi. Take a short hike at Tel Dan (weather
permitting). Return to the hotel for dinner. Accommodation at the En
Gev Kibbutz hotel or similar. |
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23.11.10
B,D |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Continue onto Beit Shean to see the archaeological excavations
in one of the largest Roman-Byzantine cities uncovered in Israel.
Depart Beit Shean and drive to Jerusalem passing Jericho on the way.
Upon entering Jerusalem, stop at the Haas Promenade to say the
traditional 'shehechiyanu' blessing, recited upon entering Jerusalem.
Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation at the Leonard Plaza hotel. |
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24.11.10
B |
After breakfast at
the hotel, begin youor visit of Jerusalem with an overview of the city
from the top of Mount of Olives, the traditional site of Jesus'
ascension to heaven. Walk down the side of the mountain to the Garden
of Gethsemane. Then enter the Old City through St Stephen's Gate and
visit the pools of Bethesda at St Anne's Byzantine and Crusader
Church. Continue along the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa to
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. After eating lunch on own in the Old
City enjoy a visit to the Western Wall (Kotel), the remaining wall of
the Second Temple and, today, the holiest prayer site in the world to
Jews. Explore the Western Wall Tunnel that runs along the entire length
of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. Finish the day at the Davidson
Center excavations at the Southern Wall. Tonight an opportunity to eat
out in one of Jerusalem's many fine restaurants. Accommodation at the
Leonard Plaza hotel. |
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25.11.10
B |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Visit the new excavations at the City of David which have
redefined the origins of Jerusalem. Walk though Hezekiah's 3000 year
old tunnel. Stop for lunch on own on Emek Refaim Street one of
Jerusalem's trendy cafe neighborhoods. This afternoon visit Yad
Vashem, the memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Stop at the
Israel Museum to view the Dead Sea Scroll. Dinner on own at the Ben
Yehuda Pedestrian and outdoor shopping promenade. Accommodation at the
Leonard Plaza hotel. |
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26.11.10
B,D |
Today you have the
choice of a tour to Bethlehem, the site of the birth of Jesus and the
Church of the Nativity or visit the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, the
ancient Roman Cardo, the newly restored Hurva Synagogue followed by a
stroll through the colourful Machane Yehuda Market. Return to the hotel
and take time to rest and prepare for Shabbat. Enjoy a festive Shabbat
dinner. Accommodation at the Leonard Plaza hotel. |
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27.11.10
B,D |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Depart Jerusalem in the direction of the Dead Sea Basin. Stop at
Qumran, walk through the impressive Dead Sea Sect community area and
see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and view the new
interactive audio visual program. Drive on to Masada, Herod's
mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the
Roman Legionnaires. Experience the weightlessness of the Dead Sea as
you
float in its waters. Enjoy a short hike to 'Nahal David' the freshwater
spring at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, a lush oasis in the Judean
Desert
overlooking the Dead Sea. Prima Oasis Hotel or similar. |
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28.11.10
B,D |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Morning free to enjoy the amenities at your Dead Sea spa hotel.
Afternoon departure for Eilat, Israel's Red Sea Resort. Stop at Timna
and King Soloman's Copper mines. Tonight enjoy dinner at an Eilat fish
restaurant and stroll the waterfront promenade. Accommodation at Prima
Music Hotel or similar. |
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29.11.10
B |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Optional tour to Petra the rose red city.
Relish in the 'Rose City's hidden beauty', deep within the mountains of
Wadi Araba. See the fantastic and impressive stone carvings and
stifling beauty of this amazing treasure and find yourself in a time
'half as old as time'. Pick up from the hotel lobby in Eilat at about
7.00am by our representative. Assistance at the Jordan border. Once on
the Jordanian side you will meet your local English speaking guide.
Transfer through the beautiful desert landscape past Wadi Rum (approx 2
hours) to the small town of Wadi Moussa / Petra.
Enter the magic of Petra through Al-Siq, a winding trail at the bottom
of a powerful, deep, natural canyon, following the magical trail to
reveal the simply breathtaking and monumental treasure. Learn about the
Nabateans who established Petra as their Capital on the 'Spice Route'.
Lunch break at a local restaurant on site. Afternoon drive back
Aqaba/Arava Border for border crossing to Israel. Our representative
will meet you on the Israeli side and take you back to your hotel.
Approximate Itinerary:
07.00 - Pick up from Eilat Hotel
07.30 - Cross ISR / JRD border and drive to Petra
10.30 - Enter Petra, visit site.
14.30 - Lunch at Petra Museum or similar
16.00 - Exit Petra and drive back to Aqaba.
18.00 - Estimated return at Arava border
Cost is $255 per person plus $55 required at border crossing for visa
fee.
Alternately enjoy a day at leisure in Eilat to snorkel, dive or enjoy
the beach.
Accommodation at Prima Music Hotel or similar. |
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30.11.10
B,L |
Breakfast at the
hotel. Visit the world famous Underwater Aquarium where the beautiful
tropical fish get a chance to look at you.
Afternoon at Leisure |
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01.12.10
B,L,D
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Today there is a
optional tour to St Catherine's Monastery and Mt Sinai. You will be
transfered by modern air conditioned coach with an English speaking
guide to the Israel/Egypt boarder at Taba, after the boarder
formalities you depart by coach for the 3 hour trip through the Sinai
desert to St Catherine's Monastery on the slopes of Mt Sinai.
St Catherine's Monastery was constructed by order of the Emperor,
Justinian between 527 and 565. It is built around what is thought to be
Moses Burning Bush, which has a Chapel built on atop it. It is a
spectacular natural setting for priceless works of art. including Arab
mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, Western oil painting, painting on
wax, fine sacerdotal ornaments, marbles, enamels,chalices, reliquaries,
including one donated by Czar Alexander II in the 19th century, and
another bt Empress Catherine of Russia in the 17th century. But of
perhaps even greater significance is that it is the second largest
collection of illuminated manuscripts (the Vatican has the largest).
The collection consists of some 3,500 volumes in Greek,
Coptic,Arabic,Armenian,Hebrew,Slavic,Syriac,Gerrgian and other
languages.The Monastery even has a small 10th or 11th century mosque
which was probably built to appease the Islamic authorities of the
time. There is also a small chapel; (the Chapel of St Triphone), also
known as the Skull House which houses the skulls of deceased monks.St
Catherine's has a rich history indeed. So rich that it is a sparkling
example of an undiscovered Jewell of travel. It has been called the
oldest working Christian monastery and the smallest diocese in the
world. The Monastery was originally ordered built by Empress Helen, the
mother of Constantine the Great, but was actually built by Emperor
Justinian to house the bones of St Catherine of Alexandria. St
Catherine, whose body was reportedly carried away by angles, was
discovered five hundred years later at the top of the peak that now
bears her name. Her relics are stored in a marble reliquary in the
Basilica.
St Catherine's is also a formidable fortification, with granite
walls 40 to 200 feet tall surrounded by gardens and cypresses. Prior to
probably the twentieth century, the only entrance to St Catherine's was
a small door 30 feet high, where provisions and people were lifted with
a system of pulleys, and where food was often lowered to nomads. It has
withstood numerous attacks over its 14 hundred years existence thus
protecting a rich store of art and today, while it is one of the oldest
monasteries in the world, its original preserved state in unmatched.
Through established and patronized most of its history by the Russian
Orthodox Church, it is now under a auspices of the Greek Orthodox
Church. Most of its monks are also of the Greek origin.
Lunch is included before heading back to Eilat.
NOTE: To climb to the
summit of Mt Sinai taken 4 hours in each direction, so there is
insufficient time there to do this.
COST: The cost of this
trip is $184 per person and this covers all transport, entrance fees,
service charges, lunch, visa cost & boarder taxes.
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02.12.10
B
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Early morning flight Eilat to Tel Aviv transfer to your
next flight,
Depart Tel Aviv at 11.00am on 4D55 arriving Cairo at 12.10pm.
Transfer
to the Movenpick Pyramids Hotel for a 3 night stay. The Hotel is
situated close to the Pyramids, designed as a bungalow village in
tropical gardens, the property resembles an oasis. |
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03.12.10
B
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Today there will be a full day tour to the Pyramid and
Memphis & Sakkara, First we visit the great pyramid of Cheops
dating back to 2,500 BC as well as two smaller ones built by Cheop's
son & Grandson, guarding these structures is the incredible Sphink,
with its Lions body and Human face.
Then continue on to the ancient capital of Memphis. there explore the
Necropolis of Sakkara, the location of the famed step Pyramid and
numerous archaic tombs. |
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04.12.10
B,D |
In the morning
there will be a visit to the worlds greatest museum the Cairo Museum of
Antiquities. Your guide will lead you through some of the best
treasures preserved form periods of the countries coulourful history
including there boy king Tutankhamen, Chariots, Gloves, Jewellery and
the famed Golden Mask. In the evening there will be a dinner cruise on
a traditional vessel while sailing down the Nile. This special
experience also includes local entertainment and a belly dancer. |
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05.12.10
B
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This morning there will be a half day tour of the Medirval
Citadel that houses a number of museums and ancient Mosquri, the
most famous being that of Mohamed Ali. Then visit the bustling Kkan El
Khalili Bazaar, where you will find everything from woodwork and
glassware to leather goods, gold and perfumes .
Late 6.00pm check-out form your hotel. |
06.12.10
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Depart Cairo at 12.15am on MS970 arriving in Kuala Lumpur at
3.50pm you will be transfered to a day use hotel at the Kuala
Lumpur airport.
Melbourne passengers depart Kuala Lumpur at 9.35pm on MH 149 arriving
in Melbourne at 8.15am (07.12.10)
Sydney & Brisbane passengers depart 10.40pm on MH123 arriving in
Sydney 9.35am (07.12.10)
Brisbane passengers will have connecting flights to Brisbane and the
Glod Coast
For the extra flight the extra cost will be $80.00 per person plus
airport tax. |