How Tel Aviv Women Stay So Thin!

Photo Credit: ג'קי יעקב 

Tel Aviv has been labled one of the top cities with the most beautiful people by travel magazines and travel blogs everywhere.  Beaches are filled with beautiful bikini-clad women and nightclubs and cafes brim with trim girls. When it comes to good looks, Tel Avivians just seem to "have it". They are tan 75% of the year, they live life mainly outdoors, and they are known for being fashion-conscious and fashion-forward.

But  how do Tel Avivians maintain their svelte figure!?

While I'm still trying to figure out how Tel Aviv is overflowing with so many gorgeous people, I think I've done my best to whittle down a list of the top 4 reasons Tel Aviv Women stay so thin! So here we go:

Fresh Produce

PhotoCredit: Smitten Kitchen

Israel has some of the most affordable and tastiest local fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce stands abound as do larger open-air markets. The Carmel market in the center of Tel Aviv is the most popular, but the Tikvah market is a close second.  Fresh juice stands are littered throughout the city with seasonal fruit switching up their shake menus. People know when the local vegetables are in season because nearly all is locally grown and produced. And this means that the Israeli salad- whether it be fruit salad or vegetable salad or a mix- is a staple in the Israeli Mediterranean diet.

Walking/Biking Culture

PhotoCredit: Hibino

Unlike Jerusalem, Tel Aviv is pretty flat making it a fantastic city to walk or bike. Combine that with the terrible traffic and high gas prices, and all Tel Avivians seem to have strong incentive to choose waking or biking over driving.  What's more, the Tel Aviv municipality has introduced a brand new rent-a-bike system this past May and it's already seen tons of success. This means people are moving around most of the time in the city, if not out of the city on a hike or walk through nature ( another practice deeply ingrained in Israeli culture).


Coffee and Cigarettes

Photo Credit: Maariv

Yes, it's true. Just like the French, the Israelis love their coffee and cigarettes. Their coffee, by the way, is absolutely fantastic- so I definitely give them that one. But, they love their cigarettes so much, that even after a law was passed banning smoking in bars, the people are still smoking everywhere: indoors and out. Why this smoke-affair exists is a topic for another time, but as we all know, coffee and cigarettes have long been known to help people control their weight and as terribly unhealthy both can be- it can't be overlooked. And no, I am not condoning cigarette smoke as an effective or practical weight-loss method in any way!


Year-Round Beach Season

PhotoCredit: Walla

Right now it's early July and Tel Aviv beach season is at its peak, but in Tel Aviv, the beach is always the place to be. In fact, The Environmental Protection Ministry rated Tel Aviv and Herzliya beaches the best in all of Israel. Now this not only means that nearly year-round it's hot-hot-hot- a factor that typically suppresses the apatite- but it also means that the Tel Avivian is in bikini-season year-round. And with such a youthful population, its no surprise that beach-goers do their best to look their best.  That's not to say that Tel Avivians never indulge in junk food. One look at the multitude of falafel stands and ice-cream shopswill put that myth to rest. It simply means that Tel Avivians are aware of eating healthy and staying fit.

Ramat Gan Safari Night Tours: Great Way to Spend A Summer Evening

It was nearly a year ago that I discovered there was a Safari not too far from where I live.  In fact, its only a bike ride away from my apartment in Schunat Ha Tikva, being located in Ramat Gan's "National Park" or "Park HaLeumi".

The Safari has normal daytime hours during which you can enter and wander the car by foot, or drive your own car and watch animals from the window. Bus tours are also available, but I have heard that they leave something to be desired.

At the very center of the Safari there is an enclosed Zoo with chimps and elephants, and just beyond is the Lion territory.

Now, I'd thought about going during the day, until I heard that the Safari runs guided night time tours of the park of two kinds: Safari Layla (Night Safari) and Safari Chatzot ( Midnight Safari).

Both tours are approximately two hours long, with the Night Safari being slightly more tame, oriented towards families and visitors of all ages (5 and up) while the Midnight Safari is specifically geared towards young couples and groups of friends, with Sex and Reproduction being the main topics of discussion.

While I don't think they offer either of these tours in English, I still think the experience is exciting and entertaining even if you don't understand what the guide is talking about.  I mean, we're talking about catching glimpses Zebras, Antelopes, Giraffes, Lions, Elephants, wide varieties of birds and even Hippos.

So, when Yotam and I decided it was time to check out the tours ourselves, we naturally went for the romantic, young-people's sex and reproduction tour.  I mean, it sounded the most.... unique.

The only way to order tickets is over the phone (03-6305328) .  When you call, note that the Midnight Safari runs during months of good weather only- September- October, April-May, and June-July and the starting time changes depending on the season.  Keep in mind, though that tours typically begin around 10:00pm- 10:30pm.

We ordered two tickets (each ticket is 89 shekels- a bit pricey, but we decided to spoil ourselves) and headed over at around 9:30pm.

The tour was absolutely delightful. We sat most of the time on a long, tractor-pulled train, and our guides drove us through the park shining night-vision light on most of the animals so as not to disturb them.  Look at the Giraffe below!

This was our awesome train that looked like a tractor-train-zebra all morphed into one

Girraffe right by our train!

Then they took us to the Lion's den where there were lions sleeping on on top of the other, petting one another and playing around:

How cute is this lioness?

And finally they took us into a unique taxidermy room filled with animals who died on their safari from natural causes.  The animals were unbelievably well preserved, and we were able to explore the room (which is not otherwise open to the public) while they told us all kinds of crazy things about the anatomy and reproductive instincts of all different animals displayed there. Check out the pics below:

Cheetas and Leopards

Bears! Oh My!

Kangaroos

And even chimps. 

Now that the weather is warm, its really the perfect time to go.  The mornings and afternoons are getting hot and crowded, so reserve yourself a fun, cool evening to wander around the awesome Ramat Gan Safari!

Safari Slideshow: Oksana’s trip to Ramat Gan, Israel was created by TripAdvisor. See another Ramat Gan slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.

Tel Aviv Hot Spot: The Stern1 Bar

This place is one of my favorite bars in Tel Aviv: Stern1. It's classy without yuppiness, it's mature without being agist, its got great beers, great food and a great playlist, and its smack in the middle of Florentine.

Video: Tel Aviv Nightlife is Hot Hot Hot!

Comedian Benji Lovitt, a native of the U.S.A who made Aliyah and now does stand up in Israel, goes into the hottest Tel Aviv nightclubs to find out what makes Tel Aviv such a super sexy hot spot.

Sponsored by "Size Doesn't Matter", a Canadian Israeli advocacy group, the "Man on the Street" video is actually really fun.  You should check out the Size Doesn't Matter website :  it's really nicely done, and there are some great shots of Israel- specifically Tel Aviv.

I agree with what most people say: the nightlife in Tel Aviv is hard to beat. People in this city work hard and party hard.  They like their dance clubs, their pick-up bars, their chic cafes, and their comfortable pubs.

Let's see how Benji tells it:

Tel Aviv Hot Spot: The Hoodna

I'm as surprised as you are that I'm writing up the Hoodna (הודנא), since, at this point, I think it's a well known Tel Aviv attraction of sorts. But, since it was my neighborhood Tel Aviv bar for over a year, and the first bar I ever sipped a beer at in Tel Aviv, I have to pay tribute.

Tel Aviv Hot Spot: Ze Pequeno on Ladies' Night

If you are a Tel Aviv female and you aren't going to Ladies' Night at Zé Pequeno, you are wasting your money somewhere else. Not only is this new Tel Aviv hot spot is a cool, fun, warm and friendly bar, but their lady's night special is simply unbeatable.

Ladies' Night Special:
I have never heard of a better deal. Every Wednesday night, they offer their famous Ladies' Night Special. It goes like this: if you are, of course, a lady, you pay 26 shekels for a pink plastic cup that must hold about 1/3 of a liter which gets you free refills all night. You can fill it with nearly anything you want all night (top shelf alcohol and bottled beer excluded). This means, you can start with a cup of Champagne, then move onto a Weihenstephan wheat beer on tap, top that off with a glass of red wine, and then ring in the whole night with a rum and coke or whisky and soda- all for 26 shekels. All you gotta do is fill your cup at the bar.

Location:
Aside from the fact that the name, taken from the 2002 Brazilian movie "City of God", is semi-unpronounceable, this bar is super fun. Centrally located in Tel Aviv on Ben Gurion Avenue just on the corner of Ben Yehuda Street, Zé Pequeno is slightly hidden behind its sister café, Buskapa. The two places are separate, but equally cool. Just know that if you're looking for the bar and not the café, you should choose the entrance behind the friendly Russian security guard hanging out on the sidewalk.

Ambiance:
Zé Pequeno's decor isn't much to write home about, which I kind of like. It's simple and relatively small. The central wooden bar is large and square and takes up most of the space with nice, tall leather bar chairs with backs running around its perimeter. It leaves room for about two small, high-seated tables for couples, 3 larger, high seated tables for 5 to 7, and one slightly cramped sofa area with two low, wicker sofas.

The place doesn't start filling up till about 10-11pm, so if you get there any time before then, the music is pretty mellow (think Van Morrison's "Moondance") and not too loud and the lights are dimmed, but not too dimmed. Once the crowds start rolling in, the music gets a bit more peppy, and much louder (think the Killer's "When you were young") and the lighting gets much dimmer. Personally I prefer getting there early,just because I hate it when a bar isn't completely packed to full capacity, but you still have to scream in order for someone to hear you. It ruins the conversation, and I always wake up with a sore throat.

Service:
There is usually a total of three servers- two cute bartenders and a hostess/waitress. On busy nights you'll find a hostess as well. In my experience, the bartenders have been sweet and seem to do their best to keep everyone happy, but when the place gets pack, there isn't much that can be done- two is too few. Also, the fact that there is only one waitress that wanders around the tables taking orders means that if you're sitting at a table, it will usually take a while for you to get your drink. So don't come super thirsty. The pace in this place is a bit slower. But, again, I also kinda like that too.

Summary:
All in all, Zé Pequeno is a good, chill place to grab a drink with friends in the center of the city and an AMAZING money saver if you hit it up on Wednesday evenings.

Adress: Ben Gurion 22, Tel Aviv Telephone: 054-222-6950 Hours: Mon-Thurs: 8pm-4am Friday: 8pm-4am Saturday: 8pm-4am

כתובת:בן גוריון 22 תל אביב  טלפון: 054-222-6950 שעות פתיחה: א' - ה': 20:00 - 04:00 שישי:  20:00 - 05:00 שבת:  20:00 - 04:00

Otto Bar on Rabin Square: New Tel Aviv Hot Spot!

Surprisingly stylish and well designed, Tel Aviv's Otto Bar (אוטו בר), or Otto 76, is a great place to grab a well-made drink with a lady-friend or pick up a billiards game with the dudes. The owners couldn't have picked a better location. The place is smack-dab across from Rabin Square at 76 Even Gvirol- the center of the white city near some of the hippest, coolest Tel Aviv restaurants and pubs.

Don't be surprised if you pass by the entrance several times on your first trip there. First off, I was certain the place was called "Auto Bar" and when I tried to look up the address, I didn't understand why there was nothing on the internet about this place. Then, once I figured out that "Auto Bar" was really "Otto bar" and I jotted the address down, I still had trouble finding it. The bar is hard to catch, being that there is no real door. The face of the opening corridor looks like a storage unit filled with crates of beers, and unless you know what you're looking for, you might have to do a double take.

The Entrance to Auto Bar, 76 Even Gvirol

The relatively new Otto Bar can be plagued with long lines, since that is the way of hot new Tel Aviv bars, but if you make it there during the week, you should have no problem waltzing right in. Passing the hostess, one enters the dimly lit storage unit and follows the music down a short flight of stairs. The stairs open up to a vestibule lined with light wood-paneled walls and glass windows. Behind the glass more aesthetically stacked beer crates, wine glasses, wine bottles and kegs sit peaking through iron metal fencing.

Walk through two swinging wooden doors to enter and you have a view of the entire bar before you. The bar is low and very central, taking up most of the floor space as typical Tel Aviv pick-up bars do. But this isn't a pick-up bar. Well, not completely.

The Bar.  

While the seating is tight and the bar area can get packed, there are some benches and booth-like seating off to the sides near the billiard tables. These are good for groups of friends, or simply side make-out sessions. But, their bar tenders are unbelievably good looking, so I recommend trying to get their early to stake out a seat at the bar.

High-quality beer appreciation culture is also taking hold of this Mediterranean city and Otto Bar caters to the beer lover without question. They have an extensive beer list in addition to their wine, champaign/kava and cocktail lists which I personally appreciate being a sel-proclaimed beer-o-phile. Apparently their prices are a bit steep (their 1/2 liters (Chetzis or חצאים are 400ml) but I don't expect any less from a hip new place like this.

Pretty wine.  Pretty cups. Pretty wood.

People, you can't find Sam Adams in most Israeli Bars- bug Otto Bar has got crates of it!

What makes the Otto Bar even more attractive is its fantastic decor. I do have to give them kudos on that. The Otto Bar has classy and warmly lacquered wooden paneling to give it a cozier, classier ambiance, while the walls are a rustic stone giving it a touch of "we're having a party in the basement" kinda feel. The seats are upholstered in dark brown leather (or faux leather) with those buttons that make the seats look like grandpa chairs from the 1940s and all supporting columns are tastefully tiled in black and white. If they had a piano and a lounge singer, it would bring the decor together. But they don't.

The music is good, though it isn't too unique. Lost of interesting 80s music like Squeeze, early Depeche Mode, Brian Ferry and the Police mixed in with some pop music of the 90s and Indie Rock of today. They are nice background tunes that make it easy to mix and mingle, but they don't make you want to get up and bust a move.

Overall, I'd say Otto 76 draws a crowd that ranges from their md 20s to late 30s which keeps the scene tame and charming and dress-code-free. I showed up in a tank top, jeans and sneakers, but I was eying a number of other women in tight mini dresses and stilettos.

Billiars.  Otherwise known as Snooker.

I'm crap at playing, but I must say, I always enjoy it.

Tacuma, Hagar and I smilin' it up. 

Tel Aviv Hot Spot: DJ Eliezer Rocks The Radio Bar

Went out last night to celebrate with friends at the relatively new bar, Radio E.P.G.B. Tel Aviv's equivalent to Time Out or the Village Voice, Achbar HaIr, has highlighted it as being one of the best bars in Tel Aviv. It's definitely got that Tel Aviv feel - the decor isn't exactly right, but its trying, and there is that residue of "pick-up-bar" in the layout.  It's one of those bars with two older Russian bouncers at the discreet entrance which isn't much more than the walkway to an apartment.

Radio is a basement bar with more space than you might expect when you first walk through the felt curtains into the dark, cellar-like room.  There's even a pool table in the back room. The walls are made-to-look-cruddy washed stone, which is meant to give it some sort of grungy New York feel, and the large bar sits low in the center with elevated platforms filled with couches, chairs and coffee tables lining the walls.  These are the corners you reserve for your party so you can have a corner all to yourself.  They are by far the best seats in the house.  You can easily see and be seen. But, if you're not on a platform, you're stuck swimming in the throngs of people below that crowd the bar and attempt at dancing despite the floor traffic.

Apparently their cocktails are also something special.  They have one called "Flaming Boey" which looks amazing -it comes in this sexy glass that looks like a large champagne coupe.  It's appropriately pink and the ladies love it.  I of course was just happy that they served half liters of beer.  Most new sexy bars in Tel Aviv only serve 1/3 liters.

What really makes the place special is the music.  Radio has live shows of all kinds each week that range from indie rock to punk to hip hop. Last night's DJ seriously rocked the turntables with some fantastic mixes - unique and classic, and some tunes of his own . I especially liked this original cover of Roxy Music's "Love is the Drug".

DJ Eliezer - Love Is The Drug

Courtesy of עכבר העיר

Courtesy of עכבר העיר

Courtesy of עכבר העיר

Me and my friend Arbel- DJ Eliezer right behind us