Tours to exotic holiday spots
'We recently took more than 100 people to Iceland, which has become one of the world’s hottest travel destinations, and the feedback was excellent.'
WHETHER it’s holiday hot spots such as Japan, Cuba, Iceland, Morocco, Hawaii, India and the Arabian Gulf at the top of your travel wish list for 2023, Kosher Travelers’ group tours provide the perfect solution.
And fully kosher ocean or river cruises are offered in the summer months.
All Kosher Travelers trips are enhanced by visits to Jewish heritage sites, Shabbat programs and prominent guest speakers.
In 2008, Melbourne couple David and Chana Walles and their family made aliyah and purchased Eddie’s Travel and Tourism Ltd, which was established in London in 1979. Rebranded as Kosher Travelers, the business expanded rapidly to cater to English-speaking Jewish travellers from around the world.
“Our clients come from places such as USA, Canada, Britain, Europe, South Africa and, of course, Australia,” David told The AJN by phone from Israel.
“People who join our tours do not have to be Orthodox. There are no religious criteria for joining our tours, cruises or hotel programs; we don’t ask any questions about your religious observance. The one common denominator of our guests is that they enjoy high-level kosher cuisine and sublime Shabbat programs.
“We design tours to destinations that are hard to navigate on your own. We bring our own team of chefs to prepare kosher meals wherever we go, and we visit Jewish heritage sites where relevant.
“We recently took more than 100 people to Iceland, which has become one of the world’s hottest travel destinations, and the feedback was excellent.”
Kosher Travelers has four 10-day Iceland tours scheduled in 2023 between June and October. The tours start in Reykjavik, the capital, and include natural wonders such as glaciers, hot springs, volcanoes and lava fields, snow-capped mountains, waterfalls and the aurora borealis (northern lights).
Other popular Kosher Travelers destinations are Cuba, India, Italy, Japan, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. Each tour is accompanied by an expert English-speaking local guide.
“It is the tour guide that makes or breaks a tour. We secure the best available guides through careful research and proven experience,” said David.
Following the signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020, which normalised relations between Israel and the UAE, there has been strong growth in the number of Jewish travellers visiting Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including on tours organised by Kosher Travelers.
“We call our tours to the UAE ‘missions’, as they include special speakers such as David M Weinberg, who is a brilliant strategic analyst and well-known diplomatic columnist, as well as Emirati guests,” said David.
“We have organised four tours to the UAE since December 2021, with our latest sold-out tours this month and next [November and December]. These tours feature a special family track which emphasises the incredible adventure and water parks in Dubai.”
Dubai is home to the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building; Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island shaped like a palm; an indoor ski field; and theme parks, as well as magnificent markets and historical sites.
Abu Dhabi is billed as the world’s richest city, with attractions including the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum and the Presidential Palace.
Morocco’s fusion of French, African, Arab and Islamic cultures, along with its rich Jewish history, make it a fascinating destination. Kosher Travelers tours the famous cities of Fez, Marrakesh and Casablanca and takes you overnight glamping in the Sahara desert.
Last year Kosher Travelers launched educational tours of the Israeli wine landscape with two-day and three-day tours to high-end wineries, accompanied by a scholar and accredited wine connoisseur.
Kosher Travelers will soon announce tours for 2023 to wineries in Binyamin and Shomron, the Upper Galilee, Southern Hebron Hills and Central Israel.
Next month David and Chana head to Hawaii to host a tour with Rabbi David Fohrman. The four-island tour with 70 people will spend 10 days visiting Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island.
“Everyone participating has told us that this Hawaii tour has been on their bucket list for decades, but they never have been able to do it fully kosher at the highest level until now,” said David.
For more information and to receive a free newsletter, visit koshertravelers.com
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