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The best of Tel Aviv
Written by: Anita Lišková & Todd Shaw
Photo by: allphoto images
Not yet a century old, Tel Aviv sprung up from the desert near
Jaffa, soon becoming a sanctuary for refugees from all over the
world. While the lively avenues, big squares and buzzing nightlife
draw comparisons from locals to New York, the climate leaves no
doubt to its Mediterranean setting.
Michal Pacovský
owner of legal office M. Pacovský a spol.
Favorite hotel: Sea Tower, 1 Trumpeldor str., tel.:
+972 3 795 3434
Favorite restaurant: Sea Tower restaurant, 1 Trumpeldor str.,
tel.: +972 3 795 3434
I feel really good in this hotel, so I take the advantage of
its restaurant as well.
Favorite attraction: Marina Club in the Jaffa harbor where
you can sit and chat into the late hours, or you can put to
sea on a sailboat.
Advice: Visit the Ramat Ganu district of Tel Aviv, where you
can see the diamond exchange and some of the local grinderies
for these precious stones. |
Petr
Nebeský
secretary, Czech-Israeli Chamber of Commerce
Favorite hotel: Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers,
115 Haayarkon str., tel.: +972 3 521 9300. Situated on
the seashore, with a very good restaurant, Olive Leaf,
suitable for business lunches.
Favorite restaurant: Manta Ray, Alma Beach near Dolphinarium,
tel.: +972 3 517 4773. Relaxed atmosphere, splendid sea
view, fine appetizers, seafood soup.
Favorite attraction: Dolphinarium at Alma Beach, 1 Kaufman
Str. +972 3 510 6670
Advice: Tel Aviv Museum of Art, 27 Shaul Hamelech. Huge
collection of famous impressionists and post-impressionists,
in addition to the classics.
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Coby Lapidot
owner, Cybex health club & spa
Favorite hotel: Hilton Hotel, Independence Park, tel.: +972
3 520 2222
Favorite restaurant: Chimichanga, 6 Kriminitzky str., tel.:
+972 3 561 3232
Favorite night club: Ha'oman 17 , 17 Ha'oman str., Talpiot
Industrial Zone, Jerusalem
Favorite attraction: Arena Shopping Mall, Hertelia Pituach,
tel.: +972 9 955 6185
Advice: Find an Israeli friend to take you around. |
Karel
Zalský
president, Interprospekt Consulting Real Estate
Favorite hotel: Dan Panorama Tel Aviv, 10, Kaufman str.,
tel.: +972 3 519 0190
Hotel at the seashore, well-equipped for conferences.
Favorite restaurant: Forel, 10 Frishman str., tel.: +972
3 522 2664
Excellent antipasta, trout, and other fish stuffed with
spinach.
Favorite attraction: Visit Jaffa, only two km away, with
its unique monuments from Egyptian pyramids to the time
of Napoleon. Also, picturesque houses from the period
of the Ottoman empire.
Advice: Don't forget to take your swimsuit with you.
Sometimes you can go down to the huge, well-maintained
Mediterranean beach directly from the hotel elevator.
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Basic facts
Location: Sharon plain, Mediterranean coast of Israel
Country dialing code: 972
Population: 359,000 (city); 2,843,900 (greater metropolitan
area)
Ethnic mix: 96.1% Jews, 3.9% other
Religion: 96% Jewish, 2% Muslim, 2% Christian
Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from March to September)
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz; unique Israeli
three-square-pin plugs are standard in newer buildings
Average January temp: 13° C (55° F)
Average July temp: 29° C (84° F)
Annual rainfall: 532 mm (21 inches)
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Where on the web?
For further information, we suggest the following websites dedicated
to Tel Aviv:
www.chamber.org.il - the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce
can provide advice and information on doing business in Israel.
http://www.go2israel.org/telaviv.htm - at-a-glance travel and tourism
guide that's not too in-depth, but a good place to start.
http://www.virtualtourist.com/vt/1a102d/1/21d7/ - mostly links
here, focused on hotels and travel packages.
http://www.iagora.com/itravel/icities/israel/tel_aviv/ic_index.html - site allows visitors to log in and chat with locals about specific
details of their city.
http://www.worldroom.com/pages/cg_telaviv/telaviv_main.phtml -a
nice, cleanly designed site with info, tips, photos and links.
http://www.israel-travel.net/travel.htm - useful link page, as
well as info on discounted airfare and accomodation.
Business profile
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Prices
· 1.5-liter bottle of mineral water: NIS 3
· 33-cl bottle of beer: NIS 6
· Financial Times newspaper: NIS 9
· 36-exposure color film: NIS 23
· city-center bus ticket: NIS 5
· adult football ticket: NIS 100
· three-course meal with wine/beer: NIS 100-200
1 Israeli New Shekel (NIS 1) = CZK 6.48; EUR 0.19;
GBP 0.14; USD 0.23
Source:
http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com
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· Tel Aviv is Israel's economic and financial center. The national
stock exchange is located here, along with the head offices of
major banks and almost all the country's insurance and finance
institutions. It has a booming high-tech venture capital industry
and is particularly strong in the areas of telecommunications equipment,
software, internet and semi-conductors. High-tech medical instruments,
innovative pharmaceuticals and the diamond trade (including cutting
and polishing) also contribute substantially to the economy.
· Major industries include clothing (much of it for outlets in
Europe and America), food processing, metal and engineering, printing
and publishing. Israeli manufacturing has a reputation for high
quality and innovation. Tourism is another important contributor,
comprising a significant source of foreign exchange earnings.
· A procedure known as "Dual-listing', launched in July 2000,
permits larger Israeli companies to be listed both in New York
- on the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ or American Stock Exchange
- and on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Around 50 international Israeli
companies have taken advantage of this possibility.
Source: www.cityguide.travel-guides.com
Business etiquette
· The business community in Tel Aviv is highly sophisticated,
with an international outlook. There is a strong preference for
informality and plain-speaking. Business attire is generally "smart-casual",
jacket and open-necked shirt. Women dress stylishly but relatively
informally, usually trousers or a skirt with a blouse or shirt.
After introduction, it is customary to use first names. English
is generally spoken well by businesspeople and is used out of politeness
if non-Israelis are present.
· Business opening hours in Tel Aviv are generally 8am-6pm Sunday
to Thursday. On Fridays, businesses shut at 12:30 for Shabbat (the
Sabbath), which starts Friday at sundown and continues to Saturday
evening. Increasingly, Shabbat is being extended so that the whole
of Friday is added to Saturday as a day off work.
Source: www.cityguide.travel-guides.com
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