Nice Travel Spots in the West Bank: Perhaps the falsest foreign impression of Palestine is that it’s a dead zone for tourists in the West Bank. In the collective consciousness of the average European or American, the very idea of traveling to the West Bank seems too logistically complicated, mentally draining or plain dangerous to contemplate, about as suited for a holiday as the Sahara Desert. Within minutes of arriving, however, you realize not only how ignorant this assumption is, but how sad and self-defeating this idea can be, when it prevents a host of travelers and tourists from ever experiencing one of the most exciting and welcoming places in the world.

For all the talk of power, politics, injury and injustice- all of which is integral to any discussion of Palestine and cannot ever be diminished- it can be easy to overlook a simple fact: Palestine is a really fun place to visit.

Ramallah

The most “western”-feeling city in the West Bank. Parts of Ramallah, especially the rows of bars and nightclubs beneath the shadow of the sprawling Carmel Hotel, give you the sense of strolling along an Arabic Ibiza strip. There are many American casual dining joints throughout the city, if you need a break from the daily rations of shawarma and falafel. Check out Buffalo Wings and Rings for some great chicken wings. Hostel in Ramallah is the best place for visitors to stay. There’s a pretty cool rooftop bar, if you can stand the sun, with all the trappings of a traveller hotspot; 70’s vinyl, acoustic guitar, a ponytailed patron.

Bethlehem

Despite its majority-Muslim population, alcohol is available throughout Bethlehem, regarded as a symbolic compromise to the city’s Christian past. As a result, the city is packed with bars and restaurants offering sustenance to tourists.

The city is built around the Church of the Nativity, believed to be the birth place of Jesus. The church itself is always busy, but is worth a visit if you can stomach the swarms of tourists.

One word of warning may be the cost; Bethlehem is much more expensive than Hebron due to the massive numbers of tourists and pilgrims who pack the city. It may only be a half-hour taxi ride to the city from Hebron, but don’t be surprised to see prices double. Three shekel falafels on Ein Sarah street will seem like a distant, cherished dream when you’re forking out 15 for one in Bethlehem.

Yasser Arafat Museum

Built upon his mausoleum, this was the compound where Yasser Arafat was forced to spend the final years of his life. Around a 20 minute walk from the main Sherut station, the approach to the compound makes the site seem like an endless concrete maze on the horizon. But inside, you’ll walk along the most spectacular gardens and pools surrounding the towering spectre of the mausoleum itself. The Arafat Museum is unmissable. It is not just a shrine to Arafat himself, but places his life within the wider contexts of the Palestinian experience in the 20th century, the Nakba, 1967, Yom Kippur and more, making the museum one of the most inspiring symbols of Palestinian nationhood, resistance and cultural memory in the West Bank. The museum is open from 10 to 5, each Sunday to Saturday, closed only on Mondays.

Al Ibrahimi Mosque

The fourth holiest site in Islam, and the second holiest site in Judaism (Jewish believers refer to the site as the Cave of the Patriarchs), the mosque is believed to be the resting place of the prophets Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, along with their wives Sarah, Rebecca and Leah.

There are few places in the world so revered, and so steeped in ancient tradition. It’s an awesome experience. To stand inside Al-Ibrahimi is to stand inside a sculpture which stood long before Alexander the Great, Plato and Julius Caesar. In recent times however, it has also been steeped in tragedy. In 1994, an ultra-nationalist Jewish American entered the mosque during Friday prayers in the midst of Ramadan, and shot dead 29 Muslims. After 1994, the Mosque was split into a place of joint worship. Muslims are prohibited from entering the Jewish side, and vice versa. Muslims are allocated 80% of the inside of the Mosque, however this is misleading, as the large gardens surrounding the Al Ibrahimi are almost entirely allocated toward Jewish worshippers, and this area is considered to be part of the mosque itself. Tourists can visit both the Muslim and Jewish sides of the Mosque, but be aware that the Mosque lies right next to a checkpoint, so bring your passport.

Dead Sea

Catch a bus or sherut from Hebron to Jerusalem Central Station, then get a bus down to one of the campsites or hotels which provide easy access to the sea itself. There are plenty of great nature spots and hiking trails along the route, too many to mention in a single article, but no single attraction can beat the sensation of simply being in the sea itself, looking across the sunset towards Jordan.