Your Holy Land Trip!

I first started sharing my plans to visit Israel almost 5 months ago. Since then I’ve had several people ask for my suggestions on planning a trip of their own. First, I am in no way an expert on Holy Land travel, but I can give you my thoughts as a first-timer and put you in contact with people who are the experts. Second, I am not making any money on this blog. It started simply as a way to journal about my trip and to get a conversation going. So any suggestions, are just that…and not a sales pitch.

#1 Definitely, use a tour company

I would not have known where to begin planning a Holy Land adventure on my own. It was so wonderful to get on the tour bus in Israel each morning, knowing that the itinerary was planned, meals were arranged, and safety issues had been addressed. I saw some tourists who appeared to be “winging it” and while that may be fun on some adventures (perhaps Europe), I think traveling with an organized tour group is the way to go here, at least for your first time.

We used Educational Opportunity Tours. They’ve been in the business a long time. Here’s a link to their website if you would like to check them out. They have lots of trips besides Israel, too.

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/#eotours

#2 You can do it alone

While my husband considered going on this trip with me, we later decided it would be better if he stayed home. I had lots of friends from my church in our group, but even if I hadn’t I think I would have been fine. There were several singles and wives/husbands who traveled without their spouses for different reasons. The tour group becomes such a family that you’ll quickly make friends. Plus, this trip in particular is one where you won’t mind some quiet time to yourself, to think about all you’ve seen and experienced each day.

I did partner up with a sweet lady I did not know before the trip. Laura Doramus of Little Rock did not bring her husband along either, so I called her my “Holy Land Wife.” We had so much fun together and are friends forever now.

#3 Take me straight to the hotel!

Pick a tour that does not take you sightseeing…not even one site… as soon as you land in Tel Aviv. After spending the better part of two days getting to Israel, all you want is food and a bed! Some tours hit the ground running to get in an adventure on that first day. Trust me, you won’t enjoy it, remember it, you may not even realize where you are! A good night’s rest and you’ll be a much happier pilgrim to start the next morning.

#4 Check with local pastors and professors

Lots of Arkansas pastors and professors host Holy Land tours as a sort of “side gig.” Many have been to Israel 10-15 times or more. There’s nothing like going with someone who knows the Land and most tours will also have a local guide who is licensed by the Israeli government after years of training and study.

Siegfried Johnson, pastor at Christ Of The Hills UMC in Hot Springs Village was our leader. He used to be my pastor at St. James UMC in Little Rock. It was his 14th trip to Israel. Sieg works with EO Tours a lot and he can help you in setting up a tour with them if you like. His email address is sieg@cohumc.com. Be sure and tell him Melinda sent you! Haha! I love him.

#5 Do a little homework

Almost everyone I spoke with who had been to The Holy Land before told me it is quite a whirlwind your first time. All the info, sites, and experiences can be a bit overwhelming. So, it helped me to read up a little bit before we left. I also went through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to refresh my mind on the important Bible stories. And our group held 3 meetings in the weeks prior to leaving where we discussed the history and culture of Israel, as well as the sites we would visit. All of this helped me have a better grasp of where I was on my trip.

In my next post I want to share some of the things I packed for this trip that worked out well, whether you’re going to Israel or somewhere else abroad. Plus some of the advice I received that proved to be helpful.

Also, big news! Our Israeli tour guide, Rafi is coming to visit Arkansas soon! We’re planning a reunion dinner with him and deciding how to best entertain him while he’s here. I can’t wait to share some of that with you, too.

So give us some ideas! Where would you take Rafi while he’s in Arkansas? I’ll look forward to your comments.