Vacation For Life

A First Time Hostel Experience with Israel’s Abraham Hostels

Never say never. That has always been one of my mantras. And yet, there was one thing I said I would never do. I said I would never, ever, ever stay in a hostel. Hostels are for solo travelers, super budget travelers, backpackers, and kids in their late teens or early twenties, right? We don’t fit into any of those categories. The thought of sharing a room with strangers and sleeping in a bunk bed frankly makes my skin crawl. However, when we spoke to Abraham Tours and they offered to host us both on their tours and in their hostels, how could we say no? Thus started our first time ever staying in a hostel.

There was one condition. That condition was that we would stay in private rooms for the duration of the trip. We might be willing to try something new, but we weren’t willing to completely alter our travel style. That condition wasn’t a problem as all of Abraham Hostels’ locations offer private rooms in addition to the traditional shared rooms.

Israel is expensive, so even if you’re not normally a hostel traveler, a private room at one of Abraham Hostels’ locations might be the perfect option if you want to travel on a budget. Plus, one of Abraham Hostels’ slogans is, “Abraham, the first backpacker,” so it seems fitting to stay at a backpacker’s hostel in Israel.

Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv

Our very first hostel experience was at Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv for two nights, the newest of Abraham Hostels’ offerings. We’d been traveling for almost 24 hours when we arrived, so it was quite a relief when we walked through the door and found that our room was big, clean, and quite comfortable. It’s a hostel, so we weren’t expecting anything too fancy. The room was sparsely decorated and lacked the amenities of a hotel like shampoo or a hairdryer. But what it did have was comfortable beds (two twins pushed together), nightstands, a desk, a wardrobe, and a whole lot of space both in the room and in the bathroom. If you don’t bring your own hairdryer, there’s one at the front desk you can borrow.

Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv also has some nice public spaces. The rooftop provides a great view of the city as well cozy seating areas. That’s also where you’ll find the laundry facilities. The other main common area is the lounge/dining room. Here is where everyone gathers for breakfast or a drink at happy hour. There are refrigerators for people who want to buy and prepare their own food. There’s a bar with local Israeli beers. There are hammocks and couches for relaxing. In addition, there are TV rooms if you want to catch up on the news, though we never saw those in use.

Something we always look for when choosing a hotel is location, and Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv is in a great location near Rothschild Boulevard. We were able to walk from the hostel to wherever we wanted to visit, both attractions during the day and restaurants at night.

Because Tel Aviv is Israel’s business center, Abraham Hostels recently announced Abraham Business to accommodate business travelers. Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv now offers co-working spaces and meeting rooms in addition to the comfortable rooms, daily events, transportation, and tours.

Related: What to Do With One Day in Tel Aviv-Yafo

Fauzi Azar Inn

If it weren’t for the fact that there are shared rooms, Fauzi Azar Inn wouldn’t even seem like a hostel. Fauzi Azar Inn, located in the center of Nazareth, is a guesthouse inside a 200-year-old Arab mansion.

Fauzi Azar Inn Lounge Abraham Hostels Review

The 15 rooms include typical hostel dorm rooms and private rooms, some with en suite bathrooms and others with shared bathrooms. The public spaces are absolutely gorgeous. There is an inner courtyard with stone walls, greenery, and an ancient fountain. The lounge upstairs has arched windows, marble floors, and a high painted ceiling.

Fauzi Azar Inn Courtyard Abraham Hostels Review

Fauzi Azar Inn is the first of the hostels of Abraham Hostels. When owner Maoz Inon, now one of Abraham Hostels’ partners, first opened the guesthouse, people thought he was crazy as the tourist market in Nazareth was pretty much non-existent. But Fauzi Azar Inn helped revitalize Nazareth, and now there are many hostels in the city. Abraham Hostels is hoping to have the same success in the Arab town of Jizr az-Zarqa with Juha’s Guesthouse.

Related: A Tale of an Arab Village, ER Visit, and Israeli Kindness

Fauzi Azar Inn Traditional Cooking Workshop Review

In addition to exploring Nazareth, Fauzi Azar Inn is a good place to stay in order to visit other parts of Galilee. Abraham Tours offers a number of tours from Nazareth including the Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights, Haifa, Acre and Rosh Hanikra, and the Jesus Trail. The guesthouse also offers a Traditional Cooking Workshop where guests gather together and learn to prepare Maqluba, a traditional Arab dish made with chicken, rice, vegetables, and local spices.

Abraham Hostel Jerusalem

Abraham Hostels Jerusalem has been around a lot longer than Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv and it does show in the rooms. The private rooms are much smaller. The bathroom is split into two tiny rooms, one with a toilet and miniature sink and the other with a shower stall and sink. Our room showed some signs of wear as a lot of repair work was done in the bathroom and the heater sounded like it was on its last legs (which I reported so hopefully it will be fixed for the next guests). However, the room was still comfortable.

We enjoyed hanging out in Abraham Hostels Jerusalem’s lounge and bar, sipping on Israeli beers, talking, looking through our photos, and listening to guests play the piano.

The hostel is also very well situated, close to public transportation and within walking distance of lots of restaurants. There are also a number of tours offered from Jerusalem including Masada, Ein Gedi, and the Dead Sea, Hebron, Bethlehem, plus two-day trips to Jordan.

Related: Baby Jesus and Banksy: A Half-Day Tour of Bethlehem

The People

In addition to the affordability, a huge appeal of a hostel is the ability to get to know other travelers. This is especially important for solo travelers, a few of which we befriended on our trip through Israel with Abraham Tours. We had so much fun exploring Israel and Jordan with our new friends, and have even kept in touch with some of them. Because Israel is such a unique, conflicted place, spending time with other travelers is an especially welcome addition to a trip to Israel because you can get different perspectives on the experience in the moment.

So, have we converted to hostel travelers, throwing away our spinner luggage in preference for a heavily loaded backpack? No. But we will consider staying in a hostel again, as long as we have a private room of course. We certainly have more open minds to the hostel experience and won’t overlook a potential accommodation possibility just because it is a hostel. Our very first hostel experience was a good one and we can without reservation recommend staying at Abraham Hostels to other travelers who are either looking to travel to Israel on a budget or want to meet some fun travel buddies. It just goes to show, never say never.

Thank you to Abraham Tours and Abraham Hostels for hosting our trip to Israel and making this post possible. As always all opinions are our own. This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards running this website and bringing you more travel stories.

The Best Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Moosehead Lake Fall Foliage Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

We visited Moosehead Lake in Maine for two main reasons: hiking and fall foliage. But these aren’t the only things to do in Moosehead Lake, and fall isn’t the only season to visit. There are a number of great things to do in Moosehead Lake, most involving the great outdoors, and many can be done in any season.

Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit

The main reason we traveled to Maine’s Moosehead Lake region was to complete part of the Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit. The Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit is a hiking challenge to peak six mountains in the area: Mount Kineo, Borestone Mountain, Big Moose Mountain, Number Four Mountain, Whitecap Mountain, and Eagle Rock. These hikes are challenging, but completely doable, and they offer stellar views as a reward. We were able to accomplish three of the six during our long-weekend visit and hope to return to finish the rest someday. For an extra challenge, hike these peaks in winter to collect the Winter or Winter Ultra badge.

Related: Maine’s Hiking Challenge: Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit

Moose and Wildlife Safari

Moose Lone Wolf Guiding Services Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

You can’t go to Moosehead Lake without looking for moose. Moose is literally in its name! Any time of the year is a good time of year to look for moose. There are over 70,000 moose in the state of Maine, so there’s a pretty good chance of seeing one. June brings the most street sightings of moose. However, you have to be super careful driving at night because moose are so tall, you can’t see a headlight reflection from their eyes. You are more likely to have moose in the water sightings in the summer because that helps keep away the mosquitos and black flies. In the winter, it’s easier to see the moose because the trees are bare. There are no Christmas trees grown in the area because the moose eat the new growth.

Beaver Lone Wolf Guiding Services Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

The best way to ensure a moose sighting is to hire a moose guide. There are two types of mouse tours, the kind with multiple people in a van and the kind with a private guide. We suggest the second option. Driving in a smaller vehicle means following more backroads, and having a private guide means looking more places for moose rather than following a set itinerary. Now, we did hear good things about a group tour from some other travelers we met, who didn’t see moose but had fun canoeing on the lake. But with Ashley of Lone Wolf Guiding Services, we saw two adult female moose, one baby moose, and a beaver. Plus we learned about moose and the area and had a lot of fun.

Fall Foliage

Fall Colors Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

If you don’t live in New England, Moosehead Lake will fulfill all of your fall foliage fantasies. While fall is an entire season, there is a very brief window of time when the autumn leaves are the most colorful, blazing mixture of red, orange, yellow, and purple. Arrive too early and there’s a lot of green mixed in with those colors. Arrive too late and the leaves are a drab brown, hanging on by a thread before they flutter to the ground.

Autumn Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Moosehead Lake’s peak fall foliage typically occurs around October 6-11, right around Columbus Day. Maine provides a current fall foliage report on their website.

B-52 Crash Site

On January 24, 1963, nine crewmembers of the 99^th Bombardment Wing, Strategic Air Command, flew a B-52C Stratofortress on a training mission. As the bomber passed near Elephant Mountain, turbulence became so bad the vertical stabilizer separated from the aircraft. Three of the nine were able to eject and only Captain Gerald J. Adler, the navigator, and Lieutenant Colonel Dante Bulli, the pilot, survived. After spending twenty hours in negative 20-degree temperatures, Captain Adler was evacuated with severe frostbite. He survived the ejection without the parachute opening.

B-52 Crash Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Two of the ejection seats are on display at the Center for Moosehead History in Greenville. The rest of the wreckage is strewn across the forest floor at the site of the crash, reached by a short hike along a trail from the road. It is rather horrifying when you see in person how far spread the wreckage is.

Spotted Cat Winery

On the way out to the B-52 crash site, we made a short pit stop at the Spotted Cat Winery. You might be surprised to hear there is a winery in the Moosehead Lake region of Maine, but this is not your standard winery. Alan and Denise decided to do something a little different. Their wine isn’t made solely with grapes. The Spotted Cat Winery’s natural, organic, hand-crafted wines use fruit, berries, and wine grapes, most of which they grow themselves. Their wines include Wild Maine Blueberry and Kokadjolais. The winery is named for the cat, Aphrodite, but the dog chose to meet us instead.

Greenville

Kamp Kamp Moosehead Lake Indian Store Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Greenville is a small town with a population under 2,000, so it doesn’t take too long to explore. There are some cute stores, like Kamp Kamp Moosehead Lake Indian Store and Mud Puddle Mercantile. You can grab an ice cream at the Dairy Bar, and you can learn more about the region at the Center for Moosehead History.

Kokadjo

Kokadjo is a tiny town in the Moosehead Lake region, population not many. Seriously, that’s what it says on the sign. This is a picturesque spot on the shore of First Roach Pond, not the most flattering of names for such an attractive body of water, with views of Number Four Mountain, part of the Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit.

Lily Bay State Park

Lily Bay State Park is a pretty piece of protected land on the east side of Moosehead Lake. Lily Bay State Park can be a good bet for moose sightings, especially in the summer when moose head into the water.

ATV

Backroad Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Greenville is surrounded by undeveloped forest with trails that are perfect for ATVs. Northwest Outfitters provides ATV rentals as well as guided tours. We met a couple who had rented ATVs and they said it was the most fun activity they had done in the area. They took the ATVs out on their own and were given trail advice for their trip.

Water Sports

Moosehead Lake Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in the state of Maine. Depending on the weather and the calmness of the water, Moosehead Lake can be a great place for kayaking or paddle boarding. Canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and even fishing equipment can be rented at Northwest Outfitters.

Seaplane Tour

Seaplane Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

We saw a number of seaplanes on Moosehead Lake and learned that visitors can take seaplane tours. Taking a seaplane tour would be a thrilling way to view the mountains and lakes from the sky. A couple companies that offer seaplane tours in Greenville are Jack’s Air Service and Currier’s Flying Service.

Steamboat Katahdin

Katahdin Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

From June through Columbus Day weekend, visitors to Moosehead Lake can take a steamboat trip along the lake aboard the Katahdin. The Katahdin steamboat was built in 1914. The three-hour cruise leaves from Greenville and goes out to the widest part of Moosehead Lake, north of Sugar Island. During the cruise, passengers are provided with a narration of the region’s history.

Mount Kineo Golf Course

So, technically, I peaked three mountains while Rome only peaked two. That’s because when the Mount Kineo shuttle landed and we started walking through the Mount Kineo Golf Course, I could tell Rome really wished he could play golf instead. Secretly, I rather liked the idea of taking the hiking trail at my own pace, so I told him to stay and play if he wanted.

Mount Kineo Golf Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Mount Kineo Golf Course is believed to be the second oldest golf course in New England, having been built in the 1800s. The layout is easy, straightforward, with no surprises lurking around the corner. The golf course is filled with beautiful tree-lined fairways, especially during peak fall foliage, with Mount Kineo looming above. The tall trees seemed tiny compared to the wall of stone behind them. Goldilocks would have loved the greens, not too big, not too small, just the right size. The course is surrounded by water as it is on a tiny peninsula in Moosehead Lake. The easiest way to get to the golf course is by taking the short shuttle boat ride across the lake. The shuttle runs from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend.

Greenville Maine Restaurants

Kelly's Landing Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Kelly’s Landing has the best view of any restaurant in Greenville because of its location right on Moosehead Lake. This was where I planned on having a lobster roll, but the waitress warned us it just wasn’t going to be the same as one on Maine’s coast so, based on her excellent suggestion, we went for the scallops instead.

Stress Free Moose Pub Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

A fun and relaxing place for dinner and a drink is the Stress Free Moose Pub. If it’s too loud downstairs, there’s a quieter upstairs dining area, plus an upstairs outdoor patio, which gets used even if it’s cold outside. The beer menu has a number of local brews and the food is pretty good too. Haddock is a popular menu item in Greenville, and the Stress Free Moose Pub’s baked stuffed haddock is a good choice.

Auntie M's Restaurant Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Auntie M’s Restaurant is a popular diner-type restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. Auntie M’s is also a good place to get a souvenir t-shirt in bright orange if you’re worried about not having brought an orange shirt or cap during moose hunting season.

For the number one sandwich in Greenville, head over to Jamo’s Pizza for a Dagwood. The pita bread is made fresh daily and it comes in veggie, ham, turkey, roast beef, chicken salad, tuna, or chicken teriyaki, all with cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, mayo, oil, and mustard. The pizza is also good.

A couple other restaurants we didn’t get to try but heard good things about are Flatlanders, which specializes in broasted (pressure fried) chicken, and Rod-N-Reel Café.

Monson Maine Restaurant

The Lakeshore House Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

One night we took a short drive to the nearby town of Monson, on Lake Hebron, for dinner. The Lakeshore House is a restaurant in what looks like a house that was built in the 1800s. They call themselves a pub, but they have a unique menu which includes items like escargot and local scallops, plus local beer.

Greenville Maine Hotel

Moose Mountain Inn Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

We stayed at the cozy Moose Mountain Inn, with its patchwork quilts and wood paneled walls, located just outside of the main town of Greenville. It was clearly a popular spot to stay because when we ran into other travelers in town, it turned out that they were also staying at the Inn. The location of Moose Mountain Inn is convenient as it is a short drive into town for meals and it’s also close to a few hiking trails.

How to Get to Moosehead Lake

Moosehead Lake is an hour and 40-minute drive north from the Bangor International Airport. Rental car agencies are inside the airport and the cars are just across the street. We arrived in the evening and rental car rates were much more expensive from the rental agencies that stayed open later, so we spent the night at the Four Points by Sheraton – Bangor Airport, which is also just across the street.

Bangor International Airport is an interesting airport because it is a diversion destination. It is the first major American airport for flights approaching the United States from the east, so is used to handle hundreds of unscheduled landings (for fuel, weather, medical emergencies, unruly passengers, maintenance, or security reasons) every year. Just in our one night at the Four Points by Sheraton, we saw a female traveler from a diverted flight being loaded into an ambulance. The airport is also the first stop for many returning troops. The Maine Troop Greeters of Bangor, Maine have greeted thousands of flights with over a million service members and hundreds of military dogs.

Thank you to Visit Maine for hosting our trip to Moosehead Lake and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are our own. This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards this website and bringing you more travel stories.

Did You Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

Most people think of river cruises when they hear the Viking Cruises name. Did you know Viking has ocean cruises too? Viking only recently, in 2015, joined the ocean cruise ranks with the Viking Star, yet they are on track to be the largest small-ship ocean cruise line by 2019 and already one-third of their revenue comes from their ocean cruises. Viking has been named the world’s #1 ocean cruise line by Travel + Leisure and Cruise Critic. What is the secret of their success? They know who their customer is and they do everything to make sure that customer gets the best experience possible. Viking has reinvented ocean cruising. Here are three reasons to choose Viking Ocean Cruises for your next ocean cruise.

Review: What It’s Like to Cruise with Viking River Cruises

Viking Ocean Cruises’ Ships are Comfortable and Elegant

Viking Sun Atrium Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

As soon as you board one of Viking’s ocean cruise ships, which are all exactly the same, you can see the difference between Viking and other cruise companies. You aren’t surrounded by gold and mirrors and crystal chandeliers. The Viking Living Room, as it is called, is understated elegance; a wood staircase wider yet reminiscent of those in their river cruise ships, a slideshow of photographs taken by their resident photographer from Viking’s destinations around the world, and multiple levels with lots of wood, leather railings, and the minimalism of Scandinavian design.

Viking Sun Main Pool Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

There are lots of public spaces around the ship perfect for quiet relaxation. At the top of the ship are a sports deck, pool with lounge chairs, outdoor seating areas, and the Wintergarden where afternoon tea is served. Scattered around the ship are cozy seating areas, some with shelves of books nearby.

Viking Sun Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

All staterooms on the ship have a veranda and are quite similar to the rooms on Viking’s river cruise ships. No interior rooms or tiny porthole windows. Bathrooms are small, providing just enough room to be comfortable, but not taking away room from where it’s important and not wasting space. Just like the Viking river ships, the bathroom floors are heated, one of my personal favorite features.

There are some things you won’t find on Viking’s ocean cruise ships: casinos, children under 18, umbrella drinks, photographers hawking photos, art auctions, formal nights, and smoking.

Viking Ocean Cruises Provides Experiences

Viking Sun World Cafe Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

Viking’s focus is not keeping guests on the ship to spend money, but rather providing them with amazing travel experiences. Because of this focus, their ocean ships are small, holding only 930 guests. Because of the ships’ smaller size, they can sometimes dock rather than having to shuttle passengers by boat. When only one day is spent in a destination, the ship arrives very early in the morning so guests have more time on land. They also sometimes overnight at a destination, allowing even more time on land.

Viking Sun Mamsen's Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

Viking Ocean Cruises destinations include the Baltic, northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, Central America, and South America. They even have an epic World Cruise, the first of which sailed out of Los Angeles on January 5, 2018. The 930 guests onboard the Viking Sun will spend 120 days visiting 27 countries. Some of those guests boarded 21 days earlier and visited destinations in Central America. Viking also has itineraries for a mix of both river and ocean, the best of both worlds.

Viking Sun The Kitchen Table Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

Even on the ship, Viking provides experiences. Local music and lectures about destinations are offered. The restaurants offer both standard fare and local specialties. There is also an excursion offered that visits a local market where passengers can sample new things and ask questions, and then return to the ship in the evening to have a meal prepared with what they discovered at the market.

Viking Ocean Cruises Offers a Truly All-Inclusive Package

Viking Sun Explorer's Lounge Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

One of the things founder and Chairman Torstein Hagen hates is that cruise companies fleece their passengers once onboard. He believes that cruises should be all-inclusive with no hidden surprises. Viking’s ocean cruises include in the price one free shore excursion in every port; unlimited Wi-Fi; spa access; beer, wine, and soft drinks at meals; specialty coffees and teas; port taxes and fees; alternative dining (including the Chef’s Table); 24-hour room service; ground transfers with purchase of airfare; and free laundry machines. Not included are extra excursions, liquor and premium wines, and tips.

Chairman's Choice Poached Norwegian Salmon Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

Dining at any of the ships' restaurants is included in the price, just some require a reservation. This even includes the Chef’s Table. One thing I noticed on the Viking ocean ship that is different from the river ships is that there are a number of two-person tables in the restaurants.

Viking Sun Nordic Spa Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

While there is a charge for spa treatments, all passengers can use the Nordic spa and workout facilities for free. The Nordic spa includes a pool with a water vapor fireplace, a steam room, a sauna, a snow grotto, a polar plunge pool, and even one of those showers where you pull on a rope and a bucket tips over, dumping freezing cold water over you, the quintessential Nordic experience.

Torstein and Karine Hagen Did you Know? 3 Reasons to Choose Viking Ocean Cruises

One more note about Viking Cruises, not specific to its ocean cruises. Viking is a family business. Torstein Hagen founded the company 20 years ago, and his daughter Karine Hagen, SVP, will one day head the business. The importance of family can be glimpsed in Mamsen's, the ship's Norwegian deli named after Torstein's mother and serving her recipes on replicas of her dishes. They care about their 2,000,000+ customers, and they care about their 6,000+ employees, and they want to be the best company they can be for both groups. The plan is to always stick to their high standards and provide the best experiences on oceans, rivers, and land for decades to come.

So now you know.