11 of the coolest things about Israel

Before traveling to Israel, the only thing I knew was that I really enjoyed the company of the Israeli people I had encountered on my travels. Going by this, I assumed that Israel would make a great place to visit. Before even boarding the plane, an Israeli lady had started a conversation with me and welcomed me to visit her pizza joint on Ben Yehuda street (one of the main roads in Tel Aviv). Landing at midnight might seem a scary time to arrive in a dark and foreign land, but I instantly felt at ease. Not because of the army guy standing next to me, whose huge rifle nearly hit me in the face as he swung round, but because of the relaxed vibe, the abundance of hipsters on customized cycles and scooters hopping from bar to bar and the still busy restaurants with flocks of local night-owls eating al-fresco and chatting enthusiastically. There are many ways in which Israel both lived up to my expectations and exceeded them:

Tel Aviv Beach

When I…