General Information

Accommodation:

Most major Palestinian cities and towns offer a variety of conveniently located places to stay, including hotels; hospices and bed & breakfast and Bedwin Villages. Located in Christian convents, hospices offer the same facilities and prices as hotels. Bed & Breakfast is inexpensive and offers the visitor a unique opportunity to become acquainted with Palestinian family life.

Handicrafts:

Cross-stitch embroidery is an ancient art form in Palestine. Using natural homemade materials, women artistically embroider dresses, jackets, vests, cushions, tablecloths, and more. Jerusalem pottery is another art in Palestine. Ceramic ware decorated with geometric patterns, the stained glass made into crystal wine, and champagne glasses are very popular. Religious ornaments, handmade made from olive wood and mother-of-pearl with a painstaking attention to detail, are especially attractive.

Palestine's world-renowned olive wood artifacts are made from the local olive trees. Olive trees in Palestine are not only found in abundance but some date back to the times of Jesus. Exquisite olive wood statues, boxes, crosses, and other artifacts can be found at the numerous souvenir shops in Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Climate:

There are four seasons in Palestine. Winter is mildly cold and rainy while summer is usually hot and dry. Autumn is pleasant and spring is beautiful with the wide array of wild flowers and blooming trees. Average temperatures in Palestine range from 9-18 C in winter 26-30 C in summer. Regardless of the season, visitors are advised to wear modest dress especially when visiting holy sites.

Communication:

International calls can be made from domestic telephones, including public pay phones. Fax and E-mail services are available.

Currency:

In the absence of a Palestinian monetary unit, the New Israel Shekel remains in use. All major credit cards and travelers cheques are accepted. Foreign currencies can easily be exchanged at any bank or money exchange shop.

Language:

Arabic is the official language in Palestine. English is widely spoken, wile Italian, French and German are spoken to a lesser extent.

Transportation:

Car rental companies in major Palestinian cities provide self-driven cars at reasonable prices. Taxis are both comfortable and widely available. However, since taxis don't operate on meters, it is best to agree on the price before setting off. Shared taxis are also widely used.

Local Time:

Palestinian times is GMT +2 hours in winter and GMT +3 hours in summer.

Shopping:

Shopping in Palestine is an enjoyable experience, with customers and merchants often haggling over prices the country's main streets and old markets are filled with shops selling local and imported items. Especially appealing to tourists are the numerous shops selling exotic hand-made items, aromatic Middle Eastern spices, jewelry, tasty oriental sweets and much more.

Travel:

The recently opened Gaza airport offers scheduled flights to nearby countries. Direct air travel is also available through Lod Airport. Jordan and Egypt have open borders with Palestine. By sea, Palestine can only be reached through ferries to/ from Haifa, Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt.

Working Hours:

Government offices open from 08:00 a.m - 02:30 p.m. Banks open from 08:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. with some banks reopening again from 03:00 - 05:00 p.m. Most shops open from around 08:00 a.m. until around 07:00 p.m. Muslim shops close on Friday while Christian shops close on Sunday. The official weekend is Friday.