For those of you who don’t know, the Sinai is paradise. I just stumbled across my photos from a visit there last year, and my long standing desire to return instantaneously turned into an all out attack. From Israel, it is easily the best, cheapest and most peaceful to relax and escape, right on the Red Sea (read: awesome diving, snorkeling, swimming) and just a few hours drive from home.

When I was there I stayed in what was essentially a Succah, thatched roof and all, for about $3 per day. I ending up pulling my thin little mattress out onto the sand to sleep most nights because of the heat and the fact that have never in my life seen stars like that.

There’s just something in the air there that kinda grabs you and gets you thinking spending 40 years here wouldn’t be so bad, if it was all by the beach, that is. I don’t remember the last time I felt that at peace. So if you’re in Israel this summer can can spare a few days, go. Trust me.

About the author

Laya Millman

21 Comments

  • I hate to sound like a wuss, but I wouldn’t feel safe there, and I hear the crossing of the border is a huge hassle.

  • jobber, staistically you are about a million times safer there than in, say, Jerusalem. The Bedouins are quite chill. and crossing any border is a hassle. Other than the fact that all of a sudden it’s the other side with the guns and they’re organized as much as power tripping kids dressing up in uniforms, it’s not so bad.

  • To laya, or whoever’s lovely feet are prominently displayed above–fercryingoutloud, use lots of insect repellent!

  • the border crossing is incredibly easy actually. negotating with the taxi van drivers on the other side is another story. of all the places in sinai, rash satan is still my favorite. though it was bombed a year ago.

  • The nice thing about Sinai for those who need a visa renewal, it’s not only a vaccation, it’s business. When your tourist visa in Israel is about to run out, a day trip to Sinai means a little border hassle, a slight disorientation, a relaxing day on the cheap, and then 3 more months hassle free in Israel.

  • I got in trouble coming back from Egypt, but that’s another story. Still, I’d risk the cavity search for a Jewlicious Sinai adventure. You just let me know when you’ve got the funding for my airfare, and your $3/day hotel stay’s on me! Plus, throw in a Jewlicious hat and I’ll upgrade ya to the $6/day hotel. Luxury, man. Luxury.

  • Let it be mentioned:

    1) The best sachlab ever.

    2) Waking up to beautiful sunrises.

    3) Witnessing amazing sunsets.

    4) Cool ass chilled out Bedouins.

    5) And I heard some people smoke stuff.

  • Wait! What did u just say? Smoking stuff? Isnt it like… asur??!! ck! Come over here! I know you re into that freedom shmutz but you still gotta filter these comments man!
    L’chaim!

  • And after ck calls laya, who is she gonna call?
    laya! My number is 3 50xxxxx. Hey ck! I saved you some job.

  • Uh, Harry (He Knows Thingsâ„¢) wasn’t actually advocating anything asur per se, he was just making an observation and may have been talking about the Bedouins who are not obligated under any dinah de malchutei dinah injunction. Because they’re uh… not Jewish, and under Egyptian jurisdiction. But for the record, I do not advocate smoking marijuana, if that’s what you were concerned about. Maryjane is too reminiscent of hippies and patchouli and I hate that. Smoking ganja is stinky and gross and totallt uncool. Fer chrissakes, I know parents that smoke that, I mean seriously! How uncool is that??

    As for the laya call, dude – you cou;ld only save me some job if you were adept at photoshop. Oy.

  • ck Dude! I m so happy that you ve never got into that pathouli reminiscent smoking business. 🙂

    As for the layacall dude – I guess me being the feng shui maven wont help, huh? So now it s not good enough for Jewlicious?
    L’chaim!

  • u should buy there. a friend of mine ot caught in a kind of ‘sting’ in Cairo. Wanted to buy some hash but the guy said he was a cop, wanted money, very ugly. You should never buy like that in the middle east they are out to suck Anglo blood wherever and whenever they can.

  • Hey CK, what’s wrong with hippies? And how do manage to spend time around Laya’s friends without going crazy if you have a thing against them. If you have a thing against weed, have it be because of the weed, not because some hippies smoke it.

  • Laya’s friends are fine people. When we ran the birthright trip, ezra hosted some of our participants for Shabbat lunch, we did Kabbalat Shabbat at the kotel with ezra and some other friends of Laya and it was all good. Because it was shabbat there was no marijuana smoking and I never even got a whiff of patchouli. Laya’s friends are awesome and while some of them like to front like they’re hippies, very few (if any) of them actually are. Oh and Laya lives in Jerusalem and I live in Montreal, so I’m not around her friends that often really…

  • ck just likes to pretend he hates hippies, he doesnt really. And come on purim hero, you know the crowd we’re tlaking about, how can you not find them positively adorable?

  • You’ve got me laya I love our friends, and ck, i’ve been a fronting hippy for a while now, so I know the type. Well not really a fronting hippie, more of someone who hangs out a lot with fronting hippies and occationally goes to gatherings where he may even see a real hippy in it’s native environment.

  • Sinai is a piece of peace of mind, where time is timeless, and the uneducated Bedouin carry more wisdom in their hearts then our mind can usually retain. Get the magic of the sea, the quiet of the desert and the music of once upon a time for about $15 a day (and thats if you eat really well!) Highly recommended, especially via hectic Israel where the noise can beat the Holy out of you!