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SITES IN PALESTINE

Guidebooks, Guides & Travel Agencies

• Alternative Tourism Group, Beit Sahour
• Guiding Star Ltd.
• The Ramallah Online Travel Guide
• Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange (PACE)
• United Travel of Jerusalem
• Visit Palestine
  
  
  Hotels
  
• Alcazar, Jerusalem
• Alyasmeen, Nablus
• American Colony Hotel, Jerusalem
• Capitolina Hotel, Jerusalem
• City Inn Hotel, Jerusalem
• Commodore Hotel, Jerusalem
• Golden Walls Hotel, Jerusalem
• Grand Park Hotel, Ramallah
• The Jericho Resort, Jericho
• Jerusalem Hotel, Jerusalem
• The Hotels of Palestine
• Meridian Hotel, Jerusalem
• Mount of Olives Hotel, Jerusalem
• Mount Scopus Hotel, Jerusalem
• Nativity Hotel, Bethlehem
• Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem
  
  
  Restaurants
  
• Angelo's Restaurant, Ramallah
• Askadinya Restaurant, Jerusalem
• Al-Bardouni Restaurant, Ramallah
• Flamingo's Restaurant, Ramallah
• Lambada Restuarant & Coffee Shop, Al-Ram
  
  
  Sites of interest
  
• Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Rotunda Inauguration Commemorative Website
• Why not also check the Arts & Culture section of this guide for information about organisations that hold events?

RECOMMENDED SITES OUTSIDE PALESTINE


• Qalqilya Homepage

Guides & Agencies

Alternative Tourism Group, Beit Sahour: http://www.patg.org/ - The Alternative Tourism Group "specialises in organising and supervising trips to Palestine" and will "take you deep into this and supervising trips to Palestine" and will "take you deep into this unique land far from the well-trodden tourist trails and long queues to see the famous landmarks. Traveling with the ATG is intended to give insight into how people in the Holy Land think, work and live." The ATG can arrange meetings with scientific, poltical, religious and social organisations, from Palestinian and Israeli backgrounds. Info about student, tourist and volunteer trips is available with sample itineraries, a list of Palestinian organisations and associations, a collection of photos for the alternative tourist, and a Roots section, under construction, offering "discover your roots" tours to various agegroups of Diaspora Palestinian youth and reactions from people who have been on the tours. Added to Complete Guide: 6 January 1998. Top of page.


Birzeit University, Around Birzeit: The Ramallah Online Travel Guide: http://www.birzeit.edu/ramallah - Happily adopted by Birzeit University as part of its own website, this online travel guide researched, written and HTMLed by 1995/96 Birzeit Palestine and Arabic Studies student Ann Snow offers the most up-to-date travel information on what to do in the region around Birzeit University. It provides information on how to get to Ramallah, and secondly and most important, what to do when you get there! Includes information about museums, art galleries and cultural centres, hotels, shops and restaurants, going as far in some cases as to include complete menus. During the last couple of years, new restaurants, hotels, shops, and other tourist attractions have sprung up everywhere in Ramallah and the surrounding areas - and the Travel Guide is due to be updated in late 1999 - don't miss it! Review last updated: 16 September 1999. Top of page.


Guiding Star Ltd: http://www.guidingstarltd.com Guiding Star is "a Christian family-owned tour company and operates in the Holyland, Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. The company is specialised in Christian pilgrimage and multi-country regional tours for groups or individuals." A nice looking site with good information for anyone planning to visit the region and wanting to know details about border crossings, maps, holiday times and places to see. Also has a section with letters from Guiding Star staff which give a personal feel to the places they can help you visit. Added to Complete Guide: 8 April 1999. Top of page.


Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange (PACE): http://www.planet.edu/~pace - PACE is a registered Palestinian non-governmental, non-profit organization that exists to establish and maintain cultural contacts between the Palestinian people and the peoples of the world. Its main goals are to "promote awareness of the importance of the Palestinian cultural heritage, and help protect it; and promote cultural tourism in Palestine, local and international, through scientific research, public education and awareness programs, and through organizing guided tours to tourist and cultural attraction sites in Palestine." The website has developed and information is now available on their publications - one of which is a new Tourist Guide to Palestine. Only the German option of the promised Arabic, French and German pages is currently available.Added to Complete Guide: 5 February 1997. Review last updated: 16 September 1999. Top of page.


United Travel of Jerusalem: http://www.accessone.com/unitedtravel - If you're planning to visit here as a tourist, this site has all you'll need to prepare yourself - map of the area, climate, holidays, currency, clothing, visas, food, and time zone information - plus quick references on the most important tourist sites in the Holy Land with more information added frequently. Also information about Bethlehem 2000 and Oberammergau 2000 (don't know what this is? Neither did I. Read all about it here). There's also plenty of contact information about tours and arranging one yourself. Added 6 January 1997. Review last updated: 16 September 1999. Top of page.


Visit Palestine: http://www.visit-palestine.com/ - This website from the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities was designed by the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem. It offers town by town listings of sites, hotels, restaurants, souvenir stores, cultural centres and tour operators in Hebron, Bethlehem, Jericho, Jerusalem, Nablus, Gaza and Ramallah, along with general information about travel, annual events and a map. Simple and attractive. Added 24 January 1998. Top of page.

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Hotels

Alcazar Hotel: http://www.jrscazar.com/index.htm "The Alcazar is situated in Wadi El Joz, within easy walking distance of the major and historical sites of the city." An attractive website and you can even reserve online! Added to Complete Guide: 15 September 1998. Top of page.


Alyasmeen Hotel: http://www.alyasmeen.com The first Nablus Hotel to come online. Information about Nablus and the Old City, what the hotel offers, and online reservation. Added to Complete Guide: 16 September 1999. Top of page.


American Colony Hotel, Jerusalem: http://www.americancolony.com - Perhaps as the website boasts, the Colony is indeed "the most beautiful of all hotels in Jerusalem". Rich in history as well as tasteful colonial grandeur, this East Jerusalem hotel is the favourite of journalists and official visitors to Palestinian Jerusalem. Lawrence of Arabia and Jimmy Carter are amongst its previous guests. The website has much detailed information on the building and its history, different rooms available and prices, a "reserve online" section, information about the several restaurants that the colony boasts and the food and services available, complete with pictures - plus links to other hotel websites and tourist information resources. Added to Complete Guide: 13 May 1998. Review Updated 16 September 1999 Top of page.


Capitolina Hotel, Jerusalem: http://www.east-jerusalem-ymca.org/hotel/capmain.htm - Part of the YMCA building in East Jerusalem, it has nice rooms, a roof with a good view, and a central location. You can also reserve online. Added to Complete Guide: 13 May 1998. Review Updated 16 September 1999 Top of page.


The City Inn Hotel: http://www.cityinn-hotel.com/ A simple website for this hotel in Jerusalem.Added to Complete Guide: 15 September 1998. Top of page.


The Commodore Hotel: http://www.compunet-jer.com/commodore This hotel is situated on the foot of the Mt of Olives, a short walking distance from the Old City of Jerusalem. The hotel is a four story building with 45 simply and newly furnished rooms, fully air-conditioned rooms and facilities. Facilities include large multipurpose Banqueting facilities and a beautifully designed and decorated Arabic like tent hall "Al- Khaiam" with live music three days a week.Added to Complete Guide: 3 March 1999. Top of page.


Golden Walls Hotel, Jerusalem: http://www.pilgrimpal.com/ - The Golden Walls Hotel is located in the Old City and has 103 rooms. You can reserve online Added to Complete Guide: 16 September 1999. Top of page.


Grand Park Hotel, Ramallah: http://www.ramallahgrandpark.com - The Grand Park Hotel was "the first hotel of its kind in the West Bank and Gaza Strip" - 'of its kind' meaning big and posh. This nice website has information about rooms and rates, facilities, how to reach the hotel from Ramallah, but its reservations section contains absolutely no information about reservations. Added to Complete Guide: 21 December 1997. Review Updated 16 September 1999 Top of page.


Jericho Resort: http://www.jericho-resort.com A four-star hotel with 58 hotel rooms and 46 bungalows located in Jericho. Their website is full of spelling mistakes and offers only two pages of information (but their food is good). Added to Complete Guide: 5 May 1999. Top of page.


Jerusalem Hotel, Jerusalem: http://www.jrshotel.com - An old favourite of those coming to visit contacts in the West Bank but wanting the convenience of being located in Jerusalem. A small but cosy hotel, with a variety of traditional and alternative tours arranged each week. Usual information about pricing and rooms with reservations possible by e-mail. Added to Complete Guide: 2 February 1998. Top of page.


The Hotels of Palestine: http://www.palestinehotels.com - On this website from the Arab Hotel Association, you will currently find links to information about hotels in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Gaza, Nablus, Jerisho, Ramallah. A very useful site which is regularly updated. Added to Complete Guide: 21 December 1997. Review updated 16 September 1999 Top of page.


Meridian Hotel, Jerusalem: http://www.jerusalem-meridian.com - The Jerusalem Meridian is only a ten minute walk from the Old Walled City of Jerusalem and within walking distance from many historic and religious sites. Added to Complete Guide: 16 September 1999. . Top of page.


Mount of Olives Hotel, Jerusalem: http://www.mtolives.com - Good site, with usual hotel information - prices and reservations, as well as tourist attractions, tours, rent-a -car companies, and restaurant reviews. There is also a link entitled "And Now a Word From Our Olives," - which I couldn't resist following - links and evaluations of gourmet olive restaurants and products and companies all over the world! Highly amusing Review last updated: 16 September 1999. Top of page.


Mount Scopus Hotel, Jerusalem: http://tor-pw1.netcom.ca/ ~makishek/mtscopus.html - A simple website offering booking information about this four star Jerusalem Hotel. Added to Complete Guide: 13 January 1997. Review last updated: 21 December 1997. Top of page.


Nativity Hotel, Bethlehem: http://www.nativity-hotel.com/ - An 84-room hotel located in Bethlehem. Offers a conference room with a capacity for 120 people. Added to Complete Guide: 13 May 1999. Top of page.


Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem: http://www.assali.com/jti/panorama/ - Another hotel that is 10 minutes from the Old City. Their simple website offers some pictures and prices of their rooms as well as good information about local sites to visit. Added to Complete Guide: 16 September 1999. Top of page.

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Restaurants

Angelo's Restaurant, Ramallah: http://www.birzeit.edu/ramallah/angelos.html - A simple website for this Ramallah-based pizza place, including menu (with slightly out-of-date prices). Review last updated: 21 December 1997. Top of page.


Askadinya Restaurant, Jerusalem: http://www.bailasan.com/askadinya/ - A nice website for this Jerusalem gourmet restaurant, including map and menu (without prices). Added to Complete Guide: 21 December 1997. Top of page.


Al-Bardauni Restaurant, Ramallah: http://www.albardauni.com/ - Website for this traditional, garden restaurant, including menu (without prices). Apparently, actor Robert De Niro, and the former American trade minister Ron Brown have eaten in Al-Bardauni. The restaurant is described without irony as "one of Ramallah’s tourist sites". At the time of review this website was down. Added to Complete Guide: 21 December 1997. Review updated 16 September 1999 Top of page.


Flamingo's Restaurant, Ramallah: http://www.birzeit.edu/ramallah/flamin.html - A simple website for this Ramallah-based restaurant specializing in Mexican food, including partial menu (with slightly out-of-date prices). Review last updated: 21 December 1997. Top of page.

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Sites of interest

Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Rotunda Inauguration Commemorative Website: http://www.birzeit.edu/palnews/sepulchre - Two years ago the three heads of the Christian communities looking after the Holy Sepulchre got together and agreed on a renovation and decoration plan for the dome above the tomb of Christ, ending 16 years of scaffolding with a flourish on 2 January 1997. History of the Sepulchre, photos from the renovation process and photos of the really stunning new dome. Added to Complete Guide: 6 January 1997. Review last updated: 21 December 1997. Top of page.

RECOMMENDED SITES OUTSIDE PALESTINE

Qalqilya Homepage: http://www.qalqilya.com/ - Qalqilya is a northern West Bank town that forms part of the Palestinian autonomous areas, with a population of 45,000. This excellent English, Arabic, and French website was made by Mudar Nofal, a Qalqilyian studying Industrial Technology in Grenoble, France. You will find an introduction to the town, information about its infrastructure, over 43 photos, and a clickable map of the town. Other maps showing the location of Qalqilya, include one of the West Bank, one of Israel/Palestine and even a world map! Qalqilya has the distinction of being the only place in the West Bank or Gaza Strip with a zoo, although no information is available about it yet. Would you want to visit Qalqilya? If you are the sort of tourist who wants to see Palestine as it is, why not! Added to Complete Guide: 21 December 1997. Top of page.