Taiwanese food, Thai fragrance hotel and Japanese tea ceremony. Afraid of the Corona? You don't have to travel far for an Asian experience

• Photo: Dror Einav

Far Eastern countries have always been a popular destination for Israeli tourists. Thailand, China, Japan, India, Vietnam, and others have hosted many Israelis each year - up to the Corona's panic, the same virus that terrorizes the world.

"Many Israelis have decided to postpone or cancel their vacation, replacing it with the destinations of Europe, North America and South America," notes Gulliver CEO Ziv Rosen. "The outbreak of the epidemic also causes many Israelis to choose vacationing in Israel, and the number of holiday bookings in Israel has increased in the last two weeks. By 50 percent. "

So even if you are unlucky to have to cancel a trip to the Far East, or the Asian experience simply fascinates you, do not worry - even in our tiny country you can enjoy the Far East, but close.

Photo by Asaf Pinchuk

The Japanese experience

In a quiet, cozy house, in the artist village of Ein Hod, lives Novoya Yamaguchi and Melar-Yamaguchi song. He is Japanese, and is an Israeli who went on a trip to Japan after an army. Song: "We got to know during my trip. Nobuya had just finished studying sculpture and invited me to his exhibition. I admired his work and wanted to get to know traditional Japan, and he took me to places outside of Tokyo."

The two have been living in Israel for 20 years, and a song, which fell in love with traditional Japan, continues to engage here as well. "I studied the tea ceremony in Japan and I wanted to share my love of Japanese culture, hold a tea ceremony and give people the experience of traditional Japan. For 14 years I have been conducting tea workshops. Until then, I worked at the Japanese Museum in Haifa as a training department coordinator.

"The workshop is held in our home, which has a traditional Japanese room, with a tatami floor (covered in mats) and paper and wood windows. In the workshop we explain the traditional house and the Japanese lifestyle, demonstrating the wearing of traditional kimono on the participants, engaging in Japanese writing, origami and paper folding. A traditional tea ceremony is held. The workshop is accompanied by musical pieces by Novoya, which in the last decade has created special musical instruments, really musical sculptures. "

The workshop is suitable for anyone who enjoys getting to know other cultures, adults and children. The "Japanese Experience" takes place every third Saturday, at a cost of NIS 40 per participant. For details and pre-order: 050-7548009.

And the experience doesn't stop here: the Melar-Yamaguchi poem also serves as an exhibition curator at the Wilfried Museum of Oriental Art at Kibbutz Hazorah. The exhibition, entitled "Breath Space," shows the simple need of humans in our time - to breathe.

The three museum halls feature works by 17 artists who draw inspiration from the teachings of the Far East, especially yoga and Buddhist meditation, where breathing is an anchor for mindfulness (attention), connects the body with consciousness, empowers life energy and allows one to look deeper into its changing states. This Sunday, February 23, a workshop called "Breathing in the Museum" will be held, which includes training in the exhibition, breathing practice and lecture. Cost of workshop: NIS 70. For more information: 04-9899566.

sweet and sour

Asian food is popular and very popular in Israel, and some Asian restaurants serve mixed dishes that represent different places in the East. The owner of Nitan Thai Restaurant, Naomi Horwitz, who grew up in Thailand, together with restaurant chef Shahaf Saturn, decided to have a meal every Sunday consisting of Horwitz's childhood dishes, which she will cook herself.

Horowitz: "I grew up in a Thai village, where everything is about relaxation, and the culture I know is based on respect, smile and peace. The Israelis are very warm, so I think the combination of the two can do well for the world. Clients say to me 'Thank you for bringing Thailand here' , And it's worth everything. "

Photo: Joshua Yosef

The menu dishes are traditional Thai and are based on healthy dishes with lots of vegetables, lemon and plants, and refreshing sauces. "It will be a different evening from the usual view of the restaurant, with classic Thai dishes and soothing Thai music."

Horwitz, who owns the Spa Seven branches, also added a new spa under the restaurant. "I want people to feel that they are in northern Thailand, so it is possible to schedule a spa treatment and an hour of treatment to schedule the meal time. My recommendation is to schedule the meal before the meal."

The first Thai evening will be held on March 1 at a cost of NIS 150 for a meal that includes a main course, main course, dessert and light drink. Nitan Thai, 4, 21 Tel Aviv.

Specific local food can also be found at the old Peking Restaurant, and by the end of March, a pop-up menu will be served with Taiwanese food, in collaboration with cook Pei Lun (Penny) Xia.

Xia grew up in Taichung City, Taiwan, lived for a decade in China, and emigrated to Israel in the wake of love. She is a member of Peking's kitchen team, equipped with recipes she learned from her mother and grandmother, to convey the flavors she grew up with. Xia: "It is important for me to expose Taiwanese food. Much of the Asian food that is recognized in Israel is based in general on American Asian food, as served in the United States, and not on its authentic form in the countries of origin. I was excited to show what this food should be in terms of visibility and taste.

"In China, Thailand and other countries in the area of ​​flavors are very strong. In contrast, Taiwanese food is not very strong in flavors, but more balanced. For example, most people do not know that the popular banana bun comes from Taiwan, it was invented as our street food, and today it can be found everywhere."

Sunbathing

Israeli tourists traveling to the islands in Thailand are mainly waiting for the luxurious resorts, the turquoise beaches and the perfect resting experience. So it is true that in Israel there is not a wealth of resorts of this magnitude, but here too you can get the experience of many such hotels, such as the Eilat Orchid Hotel, which is entirely built on the purity of Thai buildings.

Alongside the old orchid, Eilat was recently renewed at the Herbert Samuel Royal Hotel Scorched Eilat - a luxury hotel located on the top of the mountain. Hotel Manager Rani Sheetrit explains: "We have identified a demand for luxury rooms and a similar service among the public in Thailand's best resorts. Anyone who wants a Thai experience with the feel of the East can have it in Eilat."

The suites and rooms at the hotel are designed in Thai style, adjacent pool suites and the atmosphere and service accordingly. Hotel guests are welcomed in the parking lot and transported from the parking lot to the reception lounge, then to the rooms, via tuk-tuk. The tuk-tuk services are available to guests at all times to get from point to point at the hotel. The hotel also offers a quality spa, and you can get in-room spa treatments. Price of accommodation: NIS 651 per night in the De Lax Shrilla Room, up to NIS 2,090 per night in the Shrilla Villa.