A trip to Palestine is not a ‘standard travel’ for most people. We receive a lot of questions about safety, customs and circumstances as such. We have listed these recurring questions for you, together with our explanation.
"My image of Palestine is that of a ‘conflict area’, is it dangerous to go there as a tourist?"
We are visiting the West Bank. The West Bank is occupied territory and that is obviously noticeable and something we take into account. There are conflicts and violence is taking place. Sadly, this is the reality Palestinians are dealing with. For travelling purposes, conflict often happens at fairly predictable times and places that we stay away from. We are in contact with local guides at all times, so we are aware of the situation wherever we go. We will always avoid dangerous places we do not join demonstrations. In some cities there is tangible tension because Palestinians and colonists live close together, or military presence is close.
Palestine is a conflict zone. The intensity of tension changes over time, and we can never fully predict this. We try to deal with the situation as consciously as possible. There is always the chance that somewhere an incident will occur that we could not have foreseen, but it is very rare that anyone feels personally threatened during a trip. We have to make an agreement to behave non-violently at all times and not interfere in conflict situations. As a traveller you are never a 'target' but we have to be at all times considerate of our influence on the local situation.
Palestine is a conflict zone. The intensity of tension changes over time, and we can never fully predict this. We try to deal with the situation as consciously as possible. There is always the chance that somewhere an incident will occur that we could not have foreseen, but it is very rare that anyone feels personally threatened during a trip. We have to make an agreement to behave non-violently at all times and not interfere in conflict situations. As a traveller you are never a 'target' but we have to be at all times considerate of our influence on the local situation.
"Your travels focus on Palestine: is not it important to also highlight the perspective from Israel to understand the situation there as well?"
We deliberately choose to show mainly the perspective of the oppressed party, and not that of the oppressor. This is not to say that we don't hear anything from the Israeli (government and settler) perspective; on the contrary, the Israeli perspective is necessary but our trip pays less attention to it. A reason is the difficulty for Palestinians to get a reasonable voice in international media and it is (historically) typically easy for the Dutch, for example, to get Israeli perspectives or even travel to Israel if you would like. It is the Palestinian story and perspective that we want to share. Mainly though, it is not a 'neutral' thing to do: listening to the perspective of an oppressor can be very painful for Palestinians. We do often meet Israeli people that fight for Palestinians, luckily there are still different perspectives in Israel.
"The majority of the population in Palestine is Muslim, do I have to change my clothes accordingly?"
It is appropriate to take into account and respect the Palestinian culture and local norms and values. In Palestine, scarce clothing is considered offensive in some places. It is best to, this applies to women as well as men, cover shoulders and upper legs to the knees. When we visit holy places, there are slightly stricter clothing regulations and arms and legs must be covered completely.
“I hear a lot of stories about the customs on arrival in Tel-Aviv, how does it work exactly?”
Customs at Tel-Aviv airport check more strictly than most airports. After arriving at the airport, you are usually asked some questions, such as what the purpose of your visit to Israel is and whether you have been there before. After this, you will be given your visa for Israel and allowed to pass through. There are a few situations where there is a chance that you will be questioned at length. If you have an Arabic name or background or if you have a stamp of certain countries in your passport, an extensive check is unfortunately to be expected. Feel free to ask us for experiences and tips.
“I heard that when I have visited Israel, I can not go easily other Arab countries (such as Lebanon). Is that true?"
This is not true. At the customs service of the Israeli airport you don’t get a stamp in your passport but a little paper as visa.
“What can I expect from the travel guides?”
We have a lot of experience traveling in Palestine. We can tell you about the different places to visit, the history of the area and current political developments but most of all we listen to Palestinians. In each city we visit, we will meet locals who will take us into their daily lives and can tell us what they experience. So as tour guides we will take you to beautiful and interesting places, translate, but we give the floor to the locals.
“What should I bring?”
Don’t forget to dress for the occasion, in most places it is common to wear covering clothes. Also consider the temperatures, in the summer it will get very hot. In winter it can get quite cold, especially during the night. It is important to bring good shoes since we walk a lot, and possibly to work at the farm. Also, don't forget to bring swimwear for when we visit the Dead Sea, toiletries and a towel. Sleeping bags or mats are not necessary, but at the Tent of Nations they are always happy with sleeping bags you can leave behind. If you want to, you can bring some sweets or small gifts from your home country.
“I can’t join the upcoming trip, but I want to join another time. Are there any other trips planned yet?”
We do not have set dates that we plan far in advance, as it always depends on various factors whether a trip can be scheduled. But, please let us know if there is a particular time period you would like to go on the trip with us. Also, if you have a group that you would like to do the trip with at a certain time, please let us know. We'll see if we can arrange it!