点评:We came to Israel with four of our children, three of their spouses, and seven grandchildren who ranged in age from six to seventeen. We were sixteen people total. All of the adults except one had been to Israel before, many had been there several times and many of us had been there for extended periods of time. One adult and all of the children were first-timers.
Israel Maven provided an itinerary and transportation so that we had nothing to worry about except getting down to the lobby of the hotel in the morning. Some days were more strenuous than others; Israel Maven alternated these so that we had time to recover and gather our strength, and yet never get bored. Not only did we tour places, but we also participated in activities that we could not have done on our own. The activities were appropriate for all ages. Some highlights were: digging in the excavations at Bet Guvrin, planting trees in the JNF Ben Shemen Forest, baking pita and riding camels at Abraham's tent (not to mention the presentations there by Abraham and his man Eliezer and a delicious dinner), making chocolate at De Karina in Ein Zivan and preparing a delicious Israeli supper together. We rafted down the Jordan River and had an off-road adventure in the Golan Heights. Israel Maven masterfully alternated historical/archeological sites (e.g., Hezekiah's Water Tunnel, the Western Wall Tunnels, a walk on the ramparts of the old city, Masada, the excavations in Caesaria) with nature walks (e.g., a hike to Sataf Spring outside Jerusalem, Tel Dan Nature Reserve, Ein Gedi) with meeting people and hearing their stories (including Druze hospitality and many of the activities listed above). Our guide, Mitch Bertman, was (and still is, I'm sure!) knowledgeable, patient, unflappable, and charming. He recommended restaurants and activities and was flexible if we wanted to tweak the itinerary. Israel Maven was able to provide us with a worry-free trip of a lifetime. It was all good! --Perhaps just too short! Thank you, Israel Maven!
翻译:我们带着四个孩子、三个配偶和七个年龄从六岁到十七岁不等的孙子来到以色列。我们一共有十六个人。除一名成年人外,所有成年人都曾去过以色列,许多人都去过那里好几次,而且我们中的许多人已经在那里呆了很长时间。一名成人和所有孩子都是第一次来。
Israel Maven 提供了行程和交通,让我们除了早上下楼去酒店大堂之外没有什么可担心的。有些日子比其他日子更辛苦;有些日子比其他日子更辛苦。 Israel Maven 交替进行这些,以便我们有时间恢复和积聚力量,但又不会感到无聊。我们不仅游览了一些地方,还参加了我们自己无法完成的活动。这些活动适合所有年龄段。一些亮点包括:在贝特古夫林 (Bet Guvrin) 进行挖掘、在 JNF 本谢门森林 (JNF Ben Shemen Forest) 植树、在亚伯拉罕的帐篷里烘烤皮塔饼和骑骆驼(更不用说亚伯拉罕和他的手下埃利泽 (Eliezer) 在那里的演讲和美味的晚餐)、制作巧克力在 Ein Zivan 的 De Karina 餐厅,一起准备美味的以色列晚餐。我们沿着约旦河漂流而下,并在戈兰高地进行了一次越野冒险。 Israel Maven 巧妙地将历史/考古遗址(例如希西家水隧道、西墙隧道、老城城墙漫步、马萨达、凯撒利亚的发掘)与自然漫步(例如徒步前往耶路撒冷郊外的萨塔夫泉)交替进行,特尔丹自然保护区,恩戈地)与人们见面并聆听他们的故事(包括德鲁兹人的热情好客和上面列出的许多活动)。我们的导游米奇·伯特曼(Mitch Bertman)过去(我确信现在仍然如此!)知识渊博、耐心、镇定且迷人。他推荐了餐厅和活动,如果我们想调整行程,他会很灵活。 Israel Maven 能够为我们提供一生无忧的旅行。一切都很好! ——或许只是太短了!谢谢你,以色列马文!