Travel tips for Palestine - what to prepare in advance and what to obey

1. Make sure you always have a passport with you. Document checks are frequent in Palestine, and if you fail to show an identification document, you can be forced to stay for verification purposes. This can ruin your plans.

2. Try to avoid traveling at night, it can be not safe.

3. Check the state of the places that you plan to visit beforehand. There are areas with curfew restrictions.

4. All video equipment is subject to declaration. Used photo cameras are exempt from this rule.

5. Israeli customs officers perform passport and visa checks at the border with Palestine. When entering from Israel’s side, there is no need to pass through the check once again.

6. It is better to cross the border between Palestine and Israel by bus or car. Crossing the border on foot can be dangerous in some cases. This is particularly true about the nighttime because Israeli soldiers might label such people as terrorists.

7. Do not take pictures of soldiers and military objects. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

8. Never talk to anyone about politics. Act like a tourist interested in history, architecture, geography, but not politics.

9. Do not wear clothes, electronics, jewelry, and any other accessories that can be identified as Judaist ones. If local people consider you a Jew, a visit to Palestine can become unpleasant.

10. Do not try to look like an Israeli settler living in the guarded areas in Palestine. Many local people do not like orthodox Jews, and so there can be street battles between Jews and Palestinians.

11. Don’t forget about the basic rules when visiting sacred places. Take off your shoes before entering a mosque. Women’s clothing must be closed, and women need to cover their heads.

12. In order not to get into trouble, it is better to avoid all kinds of riots and demonstrations. Otherwise, you risk being trapped in a place with tear-gas, thrown stones, and even gun shooting. If some local advises to refrain from visiting a certain place, it is better to follow this recommendation. Palestinians are friendly with tourists and sincerely try to help.

13. Even though foreigners regularly visit sacred places, Palestinians are not used to tourists yet, so they might try to talk to you. They are simply interested in new people who live in other countries. Be polite and do not talk about Israel or politics.

14. If you live in another country but hold an Israeli passport, it is better to leave it in Israel when heading to Palestine. According to the Israeli laws, citizens of this country are prohibited from visiting Palestine. This is a crime, and violators are subject to imprisonment. Moreover, Palestinian soldiers have instructions to catch the residents of Israel.