Hiking in Israel: 36 of Israel's Best Hiking Routes [Paperback]

I'm an enthusiast for Israeli hiking trails and have covered quite a few of them, including the Israel National Trail. As such I've had quite a bit of experience with the several English-language hiking guides available for the country. This one is very nice in that it includes a variety of hikes throughout the length of the country, and many of them really are worth being called the best hikes in Israel. That's the good - if you want to hike here, this book will be an adequate guide.

But the complaints are always more important for potential buyers. First, the book's maps are sorely inadequate. There is absolutely no topographical information, and everything is drawn on very sparsely, making it impossible to navigate except by means of which marked trail you're on. The trails all are marked, of course, but in case of the blazes being faded, damaged, missing or covered by tall grass in spring, the maps are of little help. I think they're supposed to just be supplements to the topographical hiking maps, but those are available in Hebrew only and thus a problem for the English-speaking market, and besides, it's just lazy to publish a book and then tell people that in order to use it, they need to purchase an additional map for eighty shekels.

The way the section descriptions are laid out is calculated to cause headaches. They're written as narratives, with one sentence or paragraph describing the route, then several more telling some story (albeit an interesting one) or history about that part of the trail, followed by more directions - and so on. It makes perfect sense to have the route description listed separately at the beginning so it's easy to locate directions when you need them, but apparently that didn't occur to the authors, so you're stuck digging through the trivia and tales to find which way you're supposed to turn at this next junction. And, of course, they didn't bother showing the routes on the maps they made, either.

Finally, the book assumes that you have a personal chauffeur who will drop you off at the beginning of each hike and pick you up at the end. Few of the hikes start or end in places where public transportation is accessible, and no information about bus routes or times is listed. For those of us who don't have a chauffeur and can't afford to pay two taxis to drive to the middle of nowhere to retrieve us, the book is of no help in figuring out logistics.

Other than that, the hikes here are good and not a bad way to get started hiking in Israel. However, the price as you can see is between absurd and prohibitive. As of this writing, used copies are selling for 50 dollars American, and a new one for over 200. Neither of these are worth it. However, if you can find a copy for a reasonable price, go for it.

Whether you are Jewish, Christian, or Moslem, or just one who watches the news, you have imagined Israel all your life. Most people who visit go for a religious experience or to see the Holy Land sites mentioned in the world's sacred literature. Most tourists go by bus and see the cities only. But they miss the wonders of getting out in nature in the places trod by the ancients we have read about all our lives. This little pocket sized book has beautiful color photos and maps and excellent instructions for taking 36 different hikes within Israel's countryside, mountains, river pathways, and valleys, including a couple of hikes in and around cities. A unique planning tool for a trip to the Holy Land, this book is worth a read, even if you are not planning to take any of the interesting hikes. If you are a hiker, heed the careful safety instructions in the beginning of the book.

This book provides some great hikes for all skill levels. There are easy strolls, such as the 4km walk along the promenade between Tel Aviv and Jaffa, to difficult multiple day hikes. It covers all regions of the country, and supplies excellent pictures to help make a decision. My SOLE complaint, and the only reason for giving the book only 4 stars, is that the authors don't provide ways to access these hikes via public transportation. Many travelers and hikers in Israel do not rent cars and thus need to rely on public transportation. For many of these hikes, I had to research how to arrive at the access points - and many of them require either a car or hitchhiking. So if you are not going to have a car in Israel, I would pause before you buy this book. Still, this was overall an excellent reference.