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Travel Talk

With Vellinga's Travel / Cruise Holidays

Israel is certainly not what you see on the news....

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Before I visited Israel, I pictured in my mind a war torn country with soldiers everywhere, and an unsafe place to visit. My impression was mostly based on what I have seen on television.  The first group organized through our agency Vellinga’s Travel/Cruise Holidays went on a journey there in April of 2007.  Some were so excited about their trip that they wanted to go back.  We arranged for a second group in September of 2009, again with the same reaction.  I was given the opportunity by the Israel Tourist Board to visit Israel, in particular the Galilee Region and I accepted the offer.
 
I cannot tell you how wonderful an experience it was.  Our direct flight on El Al Airlines was excellent. We landed in Tel Aviv and were taken by coach to the Galilee Region for our 6 night stay.  Our tour included various sights where Jesus performed miracles, a trip across the Sea of Galilee, a car rally (yes I drove there) to the Mediterranean Sea coast, a speed boat ride, a walk through the tunnels of the white cliffs along the Lebanon border, a jeep tour through an agricultural area, a soak in the hot springs which have been around since the Romans inhabited the area and many of the ruins of cities that have been uncovered over the years. The land is so diverse.  On one side of a highway you will see fields and vineyards and orchards.  The other side of the highway will look like a desert.  In the winter you can snowboard on the mountains, or you can stay in Eilat if you want the resort/beach experience. Israel is modern and up to date, most people can speak English and it is truly a fascinating and safe place to visit.
 
 The people are friendly and are happy to have tourists.  With 35% of their economy based on tourism revenue, they do all they can to accommodate visitors.   I only saw a small portion of Israel and am excited to return again in February 2010.  Our agency is again taking a group to Israel where we will see more of the country.  This will be a Holy Land Journey, led by Pastor William Koopmans, with a focus on the Bible.  If you would like to join our tour, please contact our office 519-352-5150 or stop in at 244 Queen Street in Chatham.



Vellinga\'s Travel / Cruise Holidays is a full service travel agency taking great pride in our relationships with our customers. We love travel and cruising, and it is our aim not just to satisfy our customers, but to exceed all their travel planning needs. We have been providing excellent service for over fifty years to the Chatham Kent area.