Taste of Palestine 2024
Tuesday 29th October to Friday 8th November
Subject to confirmation

The Booking process
Thank you for your interest in joining this trip. Please follow these steps to book your place:

Fully complete and submit the trip booking form.

• Each and every participant needs to complete a form.
• You will be asked to confirm you have read and understood the essential information given below when completing your form.

Once you have submitted your booking form you will receive an email from us confirming we have your information. This email will include two links which you will need to follow to complete the booking process.

• The first link will take you to a payment page for you to pay the deposit for the trip.
• The second link will take you to a code of conduct form which every participant needs to accept.

If you do not receive this email soon after completing the trip booking form, please check your email spam/junk folder.

Once we have received the details from your form, your deposit payment, and your acceptance of the Code of Conduct, you will receive confirmation of your place on the trip.

Please note that we only have 30 spaces available so please complete your form immediately to avoid disappointment.

We may contact you for further clarification in response to the information you give on your booking form.

1. Essential information

What are the dates of the trip?
Depart Tuesday 29th October 2024
Return Friday 8th November 2024

NOTE: These dates are subject to confirmation once flights can be confirmed with airlines. The departure and return dates may move forwards or backwards by one or two days depending on the availability of flights.

How much does the trip cost?
(((£1,900 per person)))

What is included in the price?

• Flights (on group flights booked by Amos Trust)
• Accommodation (based on sharing a twin or double room)
• All meals (note: you may have to pay for one or two lunches during free time in the itinerary)
• Group transport in Palestine/Israel
• Local tour guides
• Entrance fees & donations to the organisations we visit
• Tips to accommodation, guides and drivers

What is not included in the price?

• Travel to/from UK airport
•  Personal travel insurance (you need to obtain your own.)
• Hot drinks (apart from with breakfast at the accommodation), all alcoholic and soft drinks.
• Bottled water.

Can I have a single room?
Yes, at an additional cost of £250 to cover the single supplement charged by the accommodation providers.

What are the group flight details?
(All times are local.)

• Depart: Tuesday 29 October 2024
  Exact flight details TBC but most likely to be a morning flight from London Heathrow
• Return: Friday 8th November 2024
  Exact flight details TBC but most likely to depart from Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion in afternoon and arrive back at London Heathrow mid-late evening

Each passenger can bring one item of hold luggage weighing no more than 23kg plus one item of hand luggage.

Can I arrange my own flights to arrive early, stay later or travel from/to a different airport?

Yes. If you choose to do this:

• You need to confirm this on the booking form.
  
  
• The cost of joining the trip will be (((£1,400.)))
  
  
• We will confirm a date, time and location for you to meet the group.
  
  
• We will put you in touch with our local partner, Holy Land Trust, who can help you make any arrangements outside of the group itinerary. You will be responsible for all your costs before joining and/or after leaving the group and for paying Holy Land Trust directly for their services.

Does Amos Trust provide travel insurance?

No, you will need to arrange your own travel insurance for this trip. We will ask you for the details of your policy before departure. However, we would recommend obtaining your policy as soon as possible after your place on the trip has been confirmed to make sure that you are covered for any non-refundable costs should you need to cancel your place.

Normally we advise that off-the-shelf packages offered by your bank or the Post Office are fine. However, check that the cover includes the ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’. You will not be travelling outside of the main tourist destinations.

2. Further information

When will I know the full daily itinerary for the trip?

We will send you a daily itinerary for the trip as soon as possible — this should be no later than the beginning of September 2023. It will include full details of the accommodation we will be staying in.

What will the accommodation be like?

• We will stay in comfortable tourist hotels and guesthouses.
  
  
• All rooms are en-suite and towels are provided by the accommodation.
  
  
• There may be an opportunity to go swimming, so please bring your swimwear.

And the food?

• is at the centre of this trip.
  
  
• We will be learning how to make local dishes, sharing meals and exploring the situation with our hosts.
  
  
• Vegetarians are well catered for, however the availability of gluten free options is very limited. If you are requiring gluten free options please contact us before committing to this trip.

Can I drink the water?

• Though the water in The West Bank and Israel is generally safe, we would recommend that you stick to bottled water to avoid “traveller’s tummy”.
  
  
• It would be wise to bring some anti-bacterial hand wash for use before and after meals.

Do I need any inoculations?
No

Do I need a visa?

• British nationals can visit Israel for up to 3 months without applying for a visa in advance.
  
  
• Your passport needs to have an expiry date at least 6 months after the start date of the trip.
  
  
• You will be issued with a small, printed entry visa by the Israeli Immigration authorities on entry at Tel Aviv. Make sure you keep this in your passport for the duration of the trip. Your passport will not be stamped on entry.
  
  
• If you do not have a UK passport, you will need to check the visa arrangements to enter Israel for passport holders of your nationality.

Why does the booking form ask what stamps I have in my passport?

• There are a few countries that are likely to raise questions from the Israeli Immigration authorities if your passport shows you have visited them. We will contact you if we think the countries you have visited will raise any questions.
  
  
• If you have visited Iran, you may need to obtain a second passport to visit Israel, it is best to give us a call on 020 7588 2638 and we can chat this through.

What will the weather be like?

• November in Palestine is generally dry, warm and sunny with temperatures in the high teens to mid-twenties celsius. It can get hot. There may be some days of rain.
  
  
• Make sure you bring a hat, plenty of high factor sunscreen and drink plenty of water.
  
  
• We will make sure that we build sufficient toilet breaks into the itinerary to allow everyone to drink enough to keep fully hydrated.
  
  
• The evenings can be cool so you will need to bring a jacket or jumper.

What currency do I need to bring? And how much?

• November in Palestine is generally dry, warm and sunny with temperatures in the high teens to mid-twenties celsius. It can get hot. There may be some days of rain.
  
  
• The currency used in the West Bank is the Israeli Shekel; although places also accept US dollars.
  
  
• Please purchase your currency before the trip as time is limited once the trip starts.
  
  
• You will need enough money to cover one or two lunches (approx. £15 per lunch) during the trip, and your own beverages, alcohol, and bottled water, plus any souvenirs you wish to purchase.
  
  
• There are cash machines available but be aware of conversion charges.

Will there be wifi?

• Wifi will probably be available in the accommodation.

Mobile phone usage

• Please check the costs of calls, texts and data usage in Israel with your mobile phone provider before the trip. Coverage from Israeli providers is available across almost all of the West Bank.
  
  
• Ensure you know how to avoid unwanted roaming charges by adjusting your phone settings.

Will it be safe?

• There are cash machines available but be aware of conversion charges.
  
  
• The safety and wellbeing of our groups is always Amos Trust’s first priority.
  
  
• Amos has been taking groups to the Holy Land for more than 20 years and we have deep friendships and high levels of trust with our local guides and partners.
  
  
• The trip will be hosted by our partner, Holy Land Trust.
• We will be welcomed with incredible hospitality which is both a beautiful cultural norm and a response to how we choose to locate and shape our visits.
  
  
• Should there be a major deterioration in the local or regional security situation we will take careful guidance from our local partners and the UK FCO travel advice before proceeding with the trip.
  
  
• The itinerary will be flexible to account for unexpected events or concerns arising during our visit. 

How fit do I need to be?

• Palestine is a hilly place and some days will involve a fair amount of walking.
  
  
• Some of the projects, partners and places we visit are accessed by walking over stony or uneven tracks.
  
  
• We would suggest you give us a call on 020 7588 2638 if you have concerns over your physical fitness to join the trip. However, many people with minor to moderate mobility problems have been able to fully participate in the itinerary for our Palestine trips.

Are there cultural norms or expectations I should be aware of?

• There are cash machines available but be aware of conversion charges.
  
  
• We will be staying in a fairly conservative Arab society so you should generally dress modestly.
  
  
• Women should avoid strappy or low-cut tops and short skirts/shorts; men should stick to long trousers or shorts that come down well past the knees.
• We will be visiting local families and groups as well as churches, mosques and synagogues.
  
  
• Some of the religious places will insist on shoulders and knees being covered.
  
  
• If it is required for heads to be covered, suitable coverings are normally offered by the places of worship concerned.
  
  
• Alcohol is available in the hotel and in many restaurants and cafes.
  
  
• Whilst it is fine to drink in these environments, it is not acceptable to drink outside of the places serving alcohol or to excess.

Shall I bring gifts?

• Please do not bring gifts. If we are having meals with families as part of the itinerary, we will suggest some items you could bring, i.e. shortbread, colouring pencils, herbs/spices etc.
  
  
• Our hosts, Holy Land Trust, ask that you do not bring anything other than these items as they do not want people to start to assume that visitors will always come with presents.

3. Climate Justice and flights

• We are keenly aware of the dilemma of campaigning for climate justice whilst flying groups of supporters around the world to visit our partners.
  
  
• Our environmental impact statement outlines our considered response to this dilemma and confirms our commitment to donate 5% of the total amount that Amos Trust spends on flights each year to our climate justice work in Nicaragua. This meets the bulk of our offsetting costs over the course of a year.
  
  
• Myclimate.org calculates the carbon cost of return flights from London Heathrow for this trip to be 1.4t of CO2 per person for the 7,200km round trip. The offset cost for this is approximately £30.
  
  
• The confirmation email you receive when you have submitted your booking form will contain a link to a payment page for you to make a donation towards the carbon offsetting costs of your flights. A £15 donation would match Amos Trust’s 5% donation. A £30 donation would fully offset the carbon for your flights.

4. Payments

The due dates for making payments for the trip are as follows:

• Deposit:
  A deposit of (((£600))) per-person payment is due on receipt of an email confirming your place (your confirmation will include a link to make this payment).
  
  
• Balance:
  We will send you an invoice for the balance due, including a single supplement if you have selected that option. All balances must be paid by (((1st September, 2023.)))

Your invoice will include a link to make online payments using a credit or debit card or your PayPal account if you have one. The invoice will also have our bank details if you prefer to make a bank payment directly from your account.

You can also pay by cheque (payable to ‘Amos Trust’) and posted to:
Amos Trust, Room 11, St Margaret’s House, 15 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green
London E2 9PJ

You can also phone the office on 0203 725 3493 during working hours to make a payment over the phone with a credit or debit card.

5. Consent for photography/filminmg

Amos Trust is a creative organisation and we love telling stories. One of the ways we do this is through photography and film. There may be a designated Amos photographer and/or filmmaker on your trip to help us ‘tell the story’, so that we can share it with other Amos supporters and new audiences.

We do this across Amos’ print and digital media, including print publications, websites, e-marketing, posters, banners, advertising, film, and social media channels.

By confirming that you have read and understood the essential information for this trip:

• You consent to Amos Trust using photographs and/or video recordings, including images of you, to promote our work.
• You understand that images on websites can be viewed throughout the world and not just in the United Kingdom and that some overseas countries may not provide the same level of protection to the rights of individuals as EU/UK legislation provides.
• You understand that some images or recordings may be kept permanently once they are published and be kept as an archive of Amos Trust.

6. Your rights

If you feel uncomfortable being photographed or filmed while on your trip, please inform the photographer and/or filmmaker and they will happily stop photographing/filming you. If you prefer, simply ask your trip leader to ask the photographer and/or filmmaker on your behalf.

You can ask Amos Trust to stop using any images that you appear in at any time, in which case it will not be used in future publications but may continue to appear in publications already in circulation.

7. Cancellation

Cancellation by Amos Trust
If Amos Trust cancels the trip, we will issue a full refund of all monies paid by all participants.

Cancellation by participant
If you need to cancel your place on the trip after your participation has been confirmed, please let us know as soon as possible. 

8. Refunds

We purchase flights as early as possible to ensure availability and value. Your deposit payment is calculated to cover the average cost of a return flight to Israel at the time of booking plus our administration costs and is not refundable.

If you have paid your deposit plus one or more of the scheduled payments prior to cancelling your place, you will be refunded the amount you have paid up to that date less the cost of your deposit plus any other non-refundable expenditure Amos Trust has incurred. Amos will supply evidence of any non-refundable expenditure.

If Amos is able to fill the space on the trip made available by your cancellation, we may be able to refund the amount you have paid less the amount charged by the airline to change the name on the flight reservation. We may also be able to obtain a refund for airport taxes due on your flight costs.