In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about trying to be more of a traveler and less of a tourist whenever you visit new places and that idea is worth considering if you plan on going on a bible lands tour. While the two ideas generally sound the same, the main difference is that a tourist wants to look at things and places while a traveler tries to go further and understand these places to build a connection. This is basically what any Christian wants to do when they get the chance to go on biblical Israel tours. So, how can you be more of a traveler and less of a tourist on your next trip to Israel? Below are some tips that should help with that.
Choose Fewer Destinations
One of the things that most tourists do when they visit Israel is to try and visit as many places as possible during their tour. But, the fact is that Israel is full of interesting places to visit and if you try to cram all of them into a tour that lasts just a couple of days then you will probably just be able to get a passing glimpse at the best. However, if you choose fewer destinations in your itinerary, you will have more time to explore each one of them and be able to understand them better, in addition to developing a more intimate connection with those places.
Stick to One Lodging
Unless the first lodging that you get is exceptionally miserable then you might want to stick to one place throughout your stay in a certain part of the country instead of trying to sample different hotels. The point here is that the longer you stay in one place, the more connected you will feel to the place. Plus, from the conversations that you have with visitors like yourself, hotel staff and even people like the taxi driver you will find out lots of interesting local tidbits.
Dine Locally
The best way to explore culture, it is said, is through its cuisine. When it comes to Israel you will be able to do that better by dining locally instead of dining at starred restaurants. For starters, the conversation at local eateries is more open and fluid which would give you a chance to interact with the people and learn new things every day. You may even leave with a couple of recipes for preparing local delicacies.