I decided on an Air BnB apartment in Tel Aviv as the prices of hotels are quite pricey, especially for a solo traveller. I chose a neighbourhood to the north of the city near the famous Hilton Hotel, which ended up being perfect.
Tel Aviv is well known for it's cafe culture and party lifestyle. There are cafe's on every street corner and I based myself at a local cafe called Benedicts for breakfast each morning before I started the day exploring. The food was de-lish!
From here it was a short walk to the beach and the many green cycle docking stations. Like a lot of cities, you pay a small fee on your card and you can rent these bikes to cycle around the city and drop them off at a different cycle docking station. Essentially, you pay for the time you use them and in Tel Aviv, it's an easy way to get around the city. The Tel-O-Fun website is below:
I cycled all the way from the Hilton hotel in the north, down the coastal cycle paths, and ending in Old Jaffa which is part of the Arab area, an old port city and the oldest part of Tel Aviv. With it's winding alleyways, cobbled streets and a maze of homes and shops, it's a beautiful alternative to the hustle and bustle of central Tel Aviv. A friend had recommended a lovely spot for lunch called 'Suzzane's' which did amazing food and was popular with the locals. So, I spent about an hour trying to find this place. I nearly gave up then stumbled across it down a side street. It's alfresco dining around a large tree so lots of shade from the heat. Good choice!
Tel Aviv is very much an outdoorsy type place, lots of people cycling, running, walking their dogs and has a very cosmopolitan feel. For the Middle East, it's actually very LGBT friendly and has a thriving lively scene. Definitely one on the list to come back to with friends!
Check out my Tel Avi video here or on my Vlog page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMyzPb-TD1M&t=3s
