Israel for Beginners

De Karina Chocolate Factory, located in Ein Zivan in the Golan Heights, was established several years ago by Karina, an Argentinian immigrant, who is a third generation chocolatier . All the chocolate is hand made (no machines). Our pre -arranged visit included a guided tour through the small factory, chocolate tasting and a chocolate making workshop. The entire visit took under an hour and was enjoyed by everyone. Be sure to buy some of the delicious chocolate at the shop on the way out. And there is a small cafe that looked lovely. De Karina Chocolate Factory - www.de-karina.co.il - 054-252-7040 - advance reservations recommended

The Israel Electric Company offers free Hebrew tours of its facilities in Haifa, Hadera and Ashkelon . The tours are offered during holidays and summer vacation and are labelled for ages 11 and above. However, our tour of the Hadera facility included many children far younger than 11. The guided tour begins in the visitor center where there is a short film and several displays explaining the theory of electricity in general and how electricity is produced and distributed here in Israel. The tour culminates with a bus ride through the facility grounds (including a stop at the adjacent port where coal is unloaded). Throughout the tour, the accompanying guide provides explanations. The tour runs for about an hour. My children were not particularly interested in the tour, but I thought it was well-done, interesting and educational. Since the tour is meant for the general public, the guide's explanations were on a very simple and understandable level. Private tours can be a...

Shai Agassi, a dynamic Israeli businessman, believes that the electric car is the wave of the future. To convince the rest of us, his company, Better Place, has opened a beautiful visitor center located at the Glilot interchange. Yes, there is no doubt that this is brand marketing at its best (almost at a cult level) but the 90 minute tour is interesting and a lot of fun. There is a short film followed by the opportunity for those with a driver's license to drive one of the demo electric cars. Children ages eight and above can ride in the backseat. Those of you fascinated with high tech and sources of energy will love this one. English tours can be arranged. And best of all, it is free! Better Place - www.betterplc.co.il - you can arrange sign up for tours online or by emailing visit@betterplace.com

One more fun factory tour is the tour of Roladin which is a family-owned business that has several cafes/bakeries around the country.   The tours are offered during vacation periods such as C hanukah and P urim .  The tours are located in the factory which is located in Kadima (small town about twenty minutes north of Raanana ).  It is a perfect combination - a short and interesting movie, a quick and informative tour of the factory and a baking activity at the end of the tour that is connected to the time of the visit. We visited around Purim time so we made hamentaschen ( Hamen's ears).   And, of course, at the end there is a Roladin cafe where fresh baked goods can be purchased. This is a nice tour for families. Roladin - 09-899-1001- tours must be booked in advance

Continuing on the review of factory tours, the Tnuva factory tour is actually one of the best factory tours I have seen.  It is extremely well organized and leaves no room for "bad Israeli behavior".  The tour guide even instructs each person where to sit.   Like the Coca-cola tour, there are a lot of sounds and lights and even a cool 3-D moving ride.  But, unlike the Coca-cola tour, you actually do get to see a lot of the factory but in an interesting way.  It is fun and educational.  The tour takes about an hour and a half and moves from room to room.  The tour is for ages five and up. Tnuva Tours - Derech HaYam Street, Rechovot - 08-944-4233 Advance reservations required.  Please note that the tours are in Hebrew and are only given to private groups during holidays and/or vacations.  

I have a friend whose family loves all factory tours. If there is a factory open to the public, she and her family are there. Perhaps it is the bad childhood memories of long and boring factory tours where the only upside was getting free samples, but, in general, I do not get excited about seeing assembly lines and learning some useless facts about any product - food or otherwise. That said, the Coca Cola factory tour in Bnei Brak is actually a lot of fun for both adults and children.   This may be due to the fact that the tour is very commercialized and done up and actually spends little time viewing the actual factory and a lot more time selling the product; in any case, there are lots of fun things to see and do as you move from room to room filled with lights and sounds and interactive games.  And you even learn a fact or two about Coca Cola.  The tour is recommended for ages eight and up and is appealing for all ages. Coca Cola factory - 129 Kahaneman Street, Bnei Brak - 1-8...