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Western Galilee, Israel 2019

Writer: אילנה כהנא אילנה כהנא
Mar 9

Matan's Bar Mitzvah task was a combined mission: a budgeting task along with planning the family's summer trip. The trip had to be a tourist trip in Israel. Matan chose the Western Galilee region.

The budget needed to cover accommodation, food, entrance fees to sites, and attractions. The plan had to be a "hub trip" — staying in one location and going on trips from there. It needed to combine nature, history, culture, and attractions, like any respectable tourist trip. This time, we are tourists in Israel.

The chosen accommodation — the ANAI hostel in Shlomi, including breakfast.


And the trip begins... Four days, three nights.

Packed, happy, and excited, we set off. Matan and I stick to the plan, updating the group that we’re heading to Ramat Hanadiv.

At 8:30 in the morning, we park in the lot opposite Rothschild Park. A spacious park with a playground, seating benches, and a view.

We pulled out the coolers with sandwiches, chopped vegetables, and fruits. We ate, drank, and the kids burned off some energy on the playground equipment.


We packed everything into the car and cleaned the area, then climbed the stairs to the entrance of the gardens. The beautifully designed gardens are stunning. Signs tell the story of the benefactor's life and work. An amazing view toward the sea. Well-maintained and designed vegetation. Comfortable walking paths. (We took sooooo many photos!) We entered the magnificent burial cave. We also reached the herb gardens—dozens of types of herbs with incredible scents. Toward the end, we watched a film that was screened, telling the story of the Baron. Impressive.

A must-visit tour.

There is a restaurant and a shop on-site for those interested.

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From there, we jumped to visit the studio of "Gal Natural Soap" located in Zichron Yaakov. Gal crafts soaps from natural breast milk and by personal order. Everything is natural and handmade. We received an explanation about the products and the uniqueness and benefits of soap made from breast milk. We saw the display of soaps at various stages of the process. Everything looked "yummy"—I swear it looked like slices of a delicious cake. And the scents were simply intoxicating.

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From there, we headed to the pedestrian promenade in Zichron Yaakov. After strolling through the alleys and the main promenade, we started feeling hungry. On our way to "Falafel Zichron" for a warm and tasty meal, a group stopped us and asked for our help with a task for "The Amazing Race," where we had to dance the Hora with them. Of course, we joined in. It was so much fun :-)


Then we ate hot and delicious falafel at "Falafel Zichron" and from there, we continued north.


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We arrived at "Fall in Love with Nature - Self-Picking" in Matzuba.

We paid entrance fees for the right to enter. You’re allowed to taste what you pick, but anything collected in a bag must be weighed at the entrance, and you pay according to the weight. The advertisements stated that you could pick and taste Panama berries (caramel fruit), red strawberry guava (a sweet fruit without the guava smell), grapes of various types, including Isabella grapes with a mango and lychee flavor.


In reality, when we arrived, most of the trees were empty of ripe fruit. The grapes were unripe. We managed to "scrape together" 4-5 Panama berries to taste. Finally, we found a tree that still had lychees on it. We were pretty disappointed. They could have told us at the entrance that there wasn’t any fruit for picking and sold us a small amount of lychees by weight.


The site has a petting zoo, seating areas, herbal tea/black coffee, and hammocks. Open from 9 AM to 5 PM (closes at 5). The place seemingly has potential as a recreational spot, but if they were honest, they could have informed us at the entrance and let us decide.


I recommend checking with visitors in advance to see if it’s worth going. I’m sure there are dates when the trees are full and abundant with fruit.


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From there, a short drive brought us to the ANAI Hostel in Shlomi. We received our room, unpacked our gear, took showers, and rested a bit.

A room for five, with the beds grouped together (a double bed created from two connected beds with a single bunk bed above it, and opposite, another bunk bed). A bathroom and a shower room with clean towels and linens. A coffee corner with an electric kettle and a coffee kit. A mini fridge. A wardrobe, a writing desk with a night lamp, and a small balcony with a small coffee table and two chairs. The view overlooks the sea and the border.

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From there, a short drive brought us to the ANAI Hostel in Shlomi. We received our room, unpacked our gear, took showers, and rested a bit.

A room for five, with the beds grouped together (a double bed created from two connected beds with a single bunk bed above it, and opposite, another bunk bed). A bathroom and a shower room with clean towels and linens. A coffee corner with an electric kettle and a coffee kit. A mini fridge. A wardrobe, a writing desk with a night lamp, and a small balcony with a small coffee table and two chairs. The view overlooks the sea and the border.



******************************************** Monday morning - heading to Akko.


After getting ready and having breakfast (excellent!!) in the dining hall,


we set off toward Old Akko.

We arrived at the visitor center to exchange the tickets we had pre-ordered. We purchased a combined ticket for the Knights' Halls, the Templars' Tunnel, the Hammam, and the museums.

It turned out that the Hammam wasn’t operating today... After a quick inquiry, they took my details to arrange a refund for the proportional part of the ticket we purchased (and indeed, they refunded and made sure to notify me about it via email). We added an extra 50 shekels for the virtual reality glasses in the Knights' Halls and set off.


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We started at the Knights' Halls. A guided tour (headphones for simultaneous guidance. At each point in the halls, there is a number, and the guidance corresponds to the point where you are, in the language you choose in advance).

We wandered through the halls and exhibits. Finally, we reached the fortress courtyard and from there returned to the entrance hall. There, we received the virtual reality glasses. We sat on chairs and watched a simulation of the halls from the Middle Ages. A nice experience.


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From there, we went to the promenade and arrived at the Okashi Museum, a museum showcasing rotating exhibitions of Israeli art alongside a permanent display of works by the late artist Avshalom Okashi (1916–1980). There was an exhibition of paintings. A short tour, and we left (the air conditioning was excellent).

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We continued our way through the alleys and arrived at the Templars' Tunnel. The Templars were a military-monastic order that, in the name of the Pope, assisted pilgrims coming from Europe to the Land of Israel to visit the holy sites.

Their name, "The Templars," means Guardians of the Temple (temple). The Templars established their headquarters in Akko.

At the entrance to the tunnels, there is a film that tells their story and the story of the tunnels. A walking path inside the tunnels. A nice experience. The tunnels are low, and most of the walk (for adults) requires bending your back... Take note!





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From there, we continued toward the marina and found a lighthouse—since in my work with integrative coaching I use the lighthouse so often, I was so moved...


********************************* At the marina, we were approached and offered a boat ride. We stopped to eat sandwiches and snacks, and then went on a short sail around the walls.


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From there, we continued strolling through the alleys and passed through the colorful market—fresh fish, pickles, fruits and vegetables, sweets, clothes, toys, darbukas, and backgammon... Wonderful.



******************************* Later, we found a clothing store and stopped for some "shopping," which turned out to be much more than just shopping. The boys found shirts and pants for themselves. I sat to rest on the couch, and the shop owners didn’t rest. They spoiled us with cold water, homemade coffee, and stories about Akko, its residents, and the tourists. If there’s something you can truly experience on a trip, it’s this moment—when you meet the locals and hear their stories about daily life. A lovely couple. We enjoyed it very much.

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We still had to visit the "Treasures in the Walls Museum," so we set off.


The "Treasures in the Walls Museum" in Old Akko is located right in the heart of the eastern wall of Old Akko.


The experience was amazing—for us and for the kids, who were exposed to professions they know but looked different back then, and to professions they didn’t even know existed (a hatter, a leatherworker??? A locksmith???).

We also found an incredible room with an exhibition of memorabilia that took us back to our childhood—rotary phones, Dan Haschan, a siphon, and more...

The pictures speak for themselves..



****************************** In our original plan for the day, we wanted to visit the Bahá'í Gardens in Akko... After a long day, we discovered that visiting hours had already ended, so we decided to skip it and head back to rest a bit. On our way back to the hostel in Shlomi, I decided to surprise everyone with a Druze meal. I started searching online and found Druze workshops and meals by Ibtisam Faras in the village of Hurfeish.


A lovely woman answered the phone. I asked if we could come that evening for a workshop, but I understood from her that there wasn’t enough time for a workshop, and besides, the hungry kids might not be so interested... So we ordered a meal for 8:00 PM—and she agreed! She explained how to get there, and we ended the call. We didn’t tell the kids. We decided to surprise them.


We returned to the hostel for showers and rest. In the evening, we headed to the village of Hurfeish.

We arrived in Hurfeish, and Ibtisam guided us over the phone to park across from their house. We went inside and saw a blooming garden with a fountain in the center of the courtyard. Ibtisam and her husband welcomed us warmly, set a table fit for royalty, and explained the dishes to us. They told us about life in Hurfeish, about the Druze community, about their family, their children, and grandchildren. Her husband is studying to become a tour guide, so of course, I asked him for a recommendation for a good viewpoint in the area toward Lebanon. He recommended the Mount Adir lookout (which I wrote about in a separate post). I’m sure we’ll hear more about him in the future.


The kids finished eating (everything was perfect!!) and the couple’s youngest son invited them to play PlayStation. (Yes!) So we were left to chat, just the adults. When they heard that I’m a parenting coach, the conversation naturally shifted in that direction. I won’t go into details, but parenting in every community and religion faces similar challenges—setting boundaries, education, the need to convey a message while also expressing love. It was a pleasure!


At the end, we said goodbye, and the lovely couple insisted on packing food for us. Since we couldn’t heat it at the hostel, we agreed to take only the stuffed grape leaves.


In summary—highly recommended. An excellent meal fit for royalty and a wonderful experience.

We said goodbye and returned to the hostel.


***************************************** In the morning, we got ready with swimsuits and appropriate gear. We ate breakfast in the dining hall at the hostel and headed out to the "Trek Yam Achziv" attraction for a tornado boat ride and snorkeling.


We had pre-booked tickets for the morning. We arrived at the location and found shaded areas, seating chairs, and cold water. We left most of our gear in the car. We received life jackets and boarded the boat with a guide who assisted us.


The ride was fast into the depths of the sea—a nice experience even for someone like me who doesn’t particularly enjoy extreme activities. The view was amazing. We approached the grottoes from the sea side, encountered a Navy ship, and stopped for snorkeling at the Wagtail Island Nature Reserve. A brief explanation from the guide, and everyone jumped into the water (not me!).


After about half an hour, everyone got back on the boat, and we sped back—not before the guide showed off some fast sailing skills and created a few serious splashes in the sea. It was so much fun!


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After a short rest, we brought the gear from the car and found a spot on the beach near a breakwater, just like a pool. We settled in and stayed there for a few hours.


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On the way back, we decided to drive to the Mount Adir lookout.

We stopped at a supermarket in Shlomi and bought some "finger food"—a few pastries, canned goods, snacks, drinks, and ice cream for the road.


Using Waze, we arrived in the area. The place isn’t very well marked. On the way up the road, it wasn’t entirely clear how to enter, and there’s no organized parking. We parked on the side of the road and walked up a path until the signs confirmed that we had indeed reached the right place.


Inside the forest, between the trees, the lookout appeared before us. A brown wooden deck and a transparent balcony adorned with the names of the fallen, with the story of the Second Lebanon War written in full before us. It was very moving, and I wrote a separate post about it—you’re welcome to click here to read it.


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After the visit, we returned to rest at the hostel—the exhaustion took over, and we decided to order food to the hostel instead of going out.


We asked the guy at the reception for a place where we could eat since the room was small and didn’t have a dining table. He arranged a table for us outside the dining hall on the condition that we leave everything clean. The food arrived, we ate, cleaned up, tidied everything, and went to sleep... Tomorrow, we head home.

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In the morning, we packed everything and went to eat in the dining hall for the last time.

We loaded the car, checked out, and hit the road. The morning’s attraction—a visit to the Extreme Park in Akko.

Thanks to my dear friend, Nati, I discovered the discount app for Mifal HaPais subscribers, where there’s a significant discount on tickets. The discount was really worthwhile.

I only paid for entry as an accompanying parent (not extreme—remember??), and the rest got full tickets. A wristband for 3 hours of extreme activities: climbing walls, a ropes park, a zipline, and bungee. There’s also an amusement park suitable for little ones if you’re a family with mixed ages.


There’s no doubt they had a great time. Me??? I watched the bags and took pictures of them having fun. (I admit I was pleased that, unlike parks in Europe where I had to pay full price even though I didn’t go on the rides, here there’s such an option...)



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From there, we continued to the Open Museum in Tefen, the last stop on our trip.

In the plaza of the industrial park, we found a sculpture garden and began our journey with the help of the map. The site includes an art gallery, the Heritage Center of the German Jews, a car collection, and the Industry Museum. The kids were very excited about the art gallery and the unique car collection.




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And that’s it... The trip has come to an end, crowned with great success. Matan experienced the planning in a unique way, was fully involved in all the decisions, stuck to the budget, and managed it successfully. We gained bonding, experiences, and family enjoyment, and we got to know in depth a region of the country that each of us may have encountered separately at some point in our lives, but together we rediscovered it all anew.


The Bar Mitzvah mission is complete, and now we’re ready to organize the Bar Mitzvah events, the celebration, and the official Bar Mitzvah trip planned for next summer. And of course, we also made sure to take a SAVE THE DATE photo.



We have a wonderful country! And I have no other country...


If you have any questions/comments, feel free to write here in the blog's comments.


Ilana Cahana




 

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Ilana Cahana








 

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