National Parks of Israel

General Travel

http://www.goisrael.com/tourism_eng: Although most general travel sites are difficult to navigate, at first, Go Israel is indeed a revelation. Immediately, Go Israel directs its users in one of three directions, General Interest, Christian Interest and Jewish Interest. That way, you’re sure to find exactly what you’re looking for that much quicker.

http://www.tourplanisrael.com/: With so many interesting sights to see and places to go throughout the land of Israel (or Eretz Yisrael, in Hebrew), oftentimes planning a trip can feel somewhat overwhelming. Tour Plan Israel divides their site into six easy-to-use sections based on specific cities and regions such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Western Galilee, Haifa and the Negev in order to provide their users with a more concrete idea of where to travel.

http://www.israel-travel-tips.com/: Welcome to the “Google” of Israeli travel. Israel travel tips’ website provides their users with a unique search-bar feature, enabling members of the online community to quickly and easily search their site for all of their travel needs.

http://tourism.index.co.il/: Although Index Tourism’s website is riddled with advertisements and streaming video, perhaps their most valuable feature is indeed their interactive Israel map. Simply click on your region of choice and Index Tourism generates lists of useful travel websites for each specific area.

Hiking

http://www.backpackingisrael.com/: While Backpacking Israel’s website does indeed provide their users with ample information concerning hiking and backpacking in a more general sense, I found their coverage of the Israel Trail to be exceptionally useful. Who knew there was a 940 km hiking trail stretching from the Negev to the Galilee?

http://www.hiking-israel.com/: Although I found Hiking Israel’s website to be useful, especially in terms of hiking in both Israel and Jordan, I found their list of hiking links carefully hidden under the “Hiking News” link. Hiking Israel’s extensive listing of hiking-in-Israel related websites is sure to be of help to anyone interested in hiking.

http://www.negevjeep.co.il/english/negev-desert-hiking.html: If you’re interested in guided hikes or jeep tours of the Negev (or the southern Israeli desert), Negev Jeep is sure to please. I thought their manner of rating hikes in terms of their respective levels of difficulty to be an especially useful feature.

Skiing

http://www.skihermon.co.il/english-index.html: Skiing in Israel? Who knew? In addition to Israel’s beautiful deserts and sand dunes, Mount Hermon (located in the Galilee) remains Israel’s most popular ski locale. 

Dead Sea

http://www.deadsea.co.il: What’s a trip to Israel without a visit to the Dead Sea? Located at the earth’s lowest point, the Dead Sea remains the saltiest body of water on the planet, so salty, in fact, swimmers can float on the water’s surface with ease.

Scuba / Snorkel

http://scuba.eilatnature.com/: Home to a variety of fish and coral species, Eilat, located at the southern tip of Israel on the Red Sea has quickly become a popular destination for Scuba enthusiaists from around the world. Eilat Nature’s website provides its users with a convenient list of well-known Scuba shops and tour groups located in the Eilat area.

http://www.dolphinreef.co.il/: Have you ever wanted to swim with dolphins? Dolphin Reef, also located in the Eilat area, provides their patrons with the opportunity to swim and observe dolphins in their natural habitat.

Horseback Riding

http://www.dor-ranch.co.il/english.asp: If you’re looking for a new, fun way to discover Israel, why not try horseback riding? Dor Ranch leads guided beach tours on horseback for families, larger groups and couples.

http://www.ief.org.il/eabout.asp: If you’re interested in guided horseback tours that cover more than just beaches, feel free to contact the Israeli Equestrian Federation’s website. Simply click their “Contact IEF” button at the top of their homepage and they’re more than happy to lead you in the right direction.

Nature / Environment

http://www.aspni.org/aspni_field_schools.html: The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel’s website connects environmentally conscious travelers with Field School’s located in Ma’agan Michael, Nitzonim Beach, Ofra and Har Gilo. In addition to leading tours, SPNI also provides their patrons with dining and accommodations with the duration of their trip.

http://www.gogreeninisrael.org/: Go Green in Israel provides members of the online community with an extensive listing of environmentally oriented programs for those wishing to intern, to study or to volunteer. Interestingly, the website also provides information concerning scholarship and/or grant money information to those who qualify for such programs and require financial assistance.

Other

http://www.israelextreme.com/: Like other, more general websites concerning travel to a foreign country, Israel Extreme begins by dividing your queries into four distinct regions, the Golan/Galilee, the Judean Desert, the Eilat Region and Tsfat. However, Israel Extreme specializes in the so-called “extreme” outdoor activities such as rappelling, hiking, swimming, kayaking, biking, jeep tours and more.

http://www.sportx.co.il/int/?Category=9: Like Israel Extreme, SportX also specializes in providing their patrons with more dangerous (and yet, more fun) outdoor activities and adventures. SportX strives to connect its online users with intense programs such as Paragliding, Skydiving, Kite Surfing and more.

http://www.israelpetratours.com/atv_all_terrain.asp: With its vast, sandy dunes and seemingly endless stretches of vacant desert, Israel remains a popular location for ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) enthusiasts from across the globe. Israel Petra Tours provides its patrons with countless options of Petra tours depending group size, budget and location.

Newspaper Endorsed

http://www.jposttravel.com/attractions.html: Updated daily, the Jerusalem Post’s travel section provides readers with countless ideas of ways to explore the county. However, as one of Israel’s more liberally minded newspapers, be careful as to not over involve yourself in Israeli travel during your time abroad.

http://www.haaretz.com/culture/travel: As Israel’s more middle-of-the-road newspaper, Ha’Aretz’s website is bound to have at least a few useful stories and links relating to travel in the Israel area