What to Do During Your Free Time in Palestine: Palestine is a land rich in historical significance and natural beauty. When you are not busy studying or participating in your designated volunteer program, you will have plenty of free time on your hands.
In the evenings and on Fridays, which everyone has off in Palestine, you will be able to explore the area on your own
Staying in the dorm of the Excellence Center in Palestine
As a male staying in the dorm of the Excellence Center in Palestine, you will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy your free time in the city of Hebron.
Located near Dawar al-Manara, a bustling hub of local activity, you are just a few minutes walk away from the Souq (market), several bakeries, and several general stores where you can find many other basic foods and drinks- all inexpensively. Some of your time will be spent cooking unless you eat out exclusively (not recommended), so this location is extremely convenient.
Cafe, for tea or coffee
Once your shopping is complete, there are several other options for activities. The city and its surrounding area are beautiful, so long walks are a wonderful opportunity that should be taken advantage of whenever possible Locals are especially friendly, and many will invite you into their places of work, or a cafe, for tea, coffee, and conversation. If you are lucky, some may bring you, sweets, too.
Sightseeing trips
In addition, sightseeing trips to other parts of Palestine are relatively inexpensive- a shared taxi to Bethlehem, for example, is just nine shekels per person. Lastly, there is a local football team, Shabab al-Khalil, that plays every week or so. Their stadium is right across from the center, and tickets cost between 0 and 20 shekels, depending on the game.
Free time in Palestine will be spent with your host family
As a female, more of your free time in Palestine will be spent with your host family. You will be fully immersed in Palestinian home life, including childcare and cooking. In addition, you will be able to attend large celebrations for weddings and family events.
Many opportunities to travel with other volunteers
On days off, you will have the opportunity to travel and sightsee with other volunteers. Ultimately, your trip to volunteer to teach English or to learn Arabic at the Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine will be interesting and immersive. You will experience a completely different culture and be able to use your free time to explore its ins and outs.
Are you into sports?
If you´re into sports, the city offers many gyms in Hebron, Palestine of different price ranges. The gyms have separated schedules for women and men – women usually go from the morning to afternoon and men go in the evening.
Many of them have saunas, aerobic classes and some of them even swimming pools. For those who love shopping the city has a surprisingly big variety of shops for finding new clothing from abayas and hijabs to the Western-style fashion.
Food?
What comes to food, Hebron is definitely not a culinaristic capital in the Middle East. However, you can find I couple of nice restaurants that offer menus with far more variety from the everyday falafel and hummus.
These restaurants can often be found in the rooftops so you can enjoy the view while eating. And smoking shisha of course.
Conversation with the local in Palestine
n your free time, simply walking the streets, making conversation with the locals in Palestine, and enjoy the surroundings can be one way to spend your time. Travelers can stop into a coffee shop, go to the gym, or head to the mall or market to shop. Abraham’s Oak and the old city, including the Tomb of the Patriarchs, are a couple of popular sights to see while in Hebron.
These are great places to explore and simply wandering around. Discovering hole-in-the-wall wonders and meeting new people can provide great opportunities for you to practice your Arabic with locals as well.
Traveling within Palestine
Outside of Hebron, there are even more beautiful and historical places to travel within Palestine include Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, Ramallah, and Nablus. Bethlehem is a short bus ride away and spending an afternoon or full day in Bethlehem can easily be done. ‘
There, travelers can see the Church of the Nativity, St. Catherine’s Church, Manger Square, Aida refugee camp, the separation wall, and so much more. If you have been eager to visit Jerusalem during your time in Palestine, you can find buses in Hebron that will take you right to the city.
Final remarks
During your free time in Palestine, you may also wish to hike to Jericho through Wadi Qelt, visit the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Ramallah, or take a trip to Nablus.
As you can see, there are limitless possibilities when it comes to spending your free time in Palestine. Stay and explore Hebron or hop on a bus and journey to various parts of the West Bank. The choice is yours!
