Your Kosher Travel Guide for Stress Free Vacations
Nothing beats taking off for a seasonal family vacation, whether it’s a carefully planned summer holiday, a luxurious autumn city break, or a well-deserved winter escape to a sunny tropical resort. Kosher family vacations can also be timed to spend the Jewish holidays in Israel or with family abroad. It’s also a lot of fun to celebrate the high holidays in other kosher holiday destinations, particularly if you have an ancestral connection to a foreign country or city.
The Jewish holidays follow the lunar calendar and the exact dates change every year, but as a rule of thumb we can say that Pesach and Shavuot are spring holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot are late summer or autumn holidays and Hanukkah is a winter holiday. This article provides some excellent ideas for kosher-friendly family trips abroad. It also offers some handy kosher vacation tips for stress free travel and exploring the world’s most exciting destinations without compromising on your kosher diet and religious observance.
Planning the Perfect Kosher Passover Vacation
Passover or Pesach is the biggest event on the Jewish calendar and it often coincides with the annual Easter break in the US. It can be a real adventure to attend a Passover seder in another country and experience how people from different Jewish traditions celebrate the holiday. Gil Travel can recommend a variety of luxury hotels and resorts around the world that provide a warm welcome and offer a memorable Passover vacation.
There are several exotic destinations for kosher family vacations where you can experience a completely different Passover – and enjoy the gourmet creations of some of the world’s top chefs. Not only is the food amazing, but you can take a break from the marathon grocery shopping and cooking sessions that come with every Jewish holiday, and let someone else do the hard work!
Enjoy a Traditional Moroccan Seder
One of the most exotic destinations for a Passover vacation is Morocco. The North African country was once home to a quarter of a million Jews – one of the Mediterranean’s largest Jewish communities. There is still a small but tenacious community and they maintain Moroccan Jewry’s centuries old Passover traditions. Some of the delights of a Moroccan Passover include dishes like lamb slow, cooked in a tejine with fruit and almonds or roast chicken coated in a dry spice rub.
Experience a Gourmet Passover in Paris
One of the best kosher holiday destinations in Europe is Paris. The thriving Jewish quarter of le Marais is a wonderful place to celebrate Passover, especially if the sunny spring weather has arrived. Paris arguably has the world’s best Jewish restaurants (although some Israeli restaurateurs will inevitably disagree). If you want a Pesach break that combines gourmet kosher dining with the chance to explore one of Europe’s great cities, Paris could be ideal.
Celebrate Passover in Tokyo
A surprising destination for kosher-friendly family Passover trips is Japan. Although the country’s Jewish community is tiny, Japan welcomed Jewish refugees in World War Two and has a history of friendly tolerance towards Jews. Depending on the calendar, Pesach sometimes coincides with Japan’s sakura or cherry blossom season. This is the brief period when millions of cherry trees bloom in a display of delicate natural beauty that draws the Japanese people to parks and gardens to celebrate nature.
It can be a real adventure to spend Passover in a luxury Tokyo hotel and attend a Japanese themed seder banquet with kosher Japanese food. In addition to gourmet dining, expect immaculate Japanese presentation and service. Gil Travel has expert experience at arranging kosher tours of Japan and has some excellent contacts in the Japanese hotel and food industries. Your custom itinerary can include visits to Tokyo’s most exclusive kosher-friendly restaurants, and private guided tours of traditional cultural sites and modern luxury shopping districts.
Top Destinations for Kosher Summer Getaways
Your choice of kosher summer getaway will depend on how much you and your family enjoy hot weather and sunshine. Some of the most popular destinations include family-friendly resorts in Florida, Greece, Italy, and Israel. Beach-based vacations with luxury accommodation and kosher dining can provide everything that you need for the perfect family holiday. If you’re not a sun person, a top kosher vacation tip is to travel to the Southern hemisphere (where it will be winter). You may find a mild Argentinian or South African climate more to your liking.
If you’re looking for something more stimulating than lying on the beach or lounging by the pool – or you have energetic kids – Gil Travel can arrange some amazing adventure vacations. Your family can take to the hiking trails, and nature parks and stay in kosher camping sites, luxury lodges or self-catering cabins. If you want to really explore the wilderness, you can sign up for guided tours, and even whitewater rafting or off road vehicle trips.
European city breaks can offer a special cultural experience for more sophisticated travelers. Cities like Berlin, Paris, Lisbon, Krakow and Rome have a rich Jewish heritage and some great kosher options. One of the top kosher vacation tips is to plan a European city break for either the beginning or the end of the summer vacation season. Not only will there be fewer tourists, and prices may be more competitive, but the weather will be gentler if you’re planning walking tours of the old Jewish quarters and historical districts, as well as famous parks and ornamental gardens.
Sukkot Travel: Where to Find Family-Friendly Destinations
Sukkot is up there with Hanukkah as a fun holiday for kids. Generations of Jewish children have enjoyed building sukkahs and eating and sleeping under roofs made of branches. If you’re looking for a kosher holiday destination for Sukkot, Israel beats all competitors hands down. Sukkot is a big event in Israel and almost every garden boasts a sukkah. The other advantage is that the fierce heat of the Israeli summer has usually passed and the Sukkot week is one of the most pleasant times of the year.
Kids in Israel love Sukkot, and adults also really enjoy sitting outside on a warm evening and enjoying the peace and quiet with a glass of wine and a dish of Israeli olives or other snacks. An amazing – and often overlooked – Sukkot option is to rent a luxury zimmer (cabin) or to stay in a boutique hotel in Israel’s North and to explore off the beaten track. There is a wealth of natural and historical sites, as well as the mystical city of Safed and the city of Tiberias (next to the Kinneret or Sea of Galilee).
Although Israel is the best Sukkot destination for kosher family vacations, Jewish communities around the world celebrate Sukkot. It is an autumn festival and counties with warm climates are definitely recommended if you want to eat and spend time in a sukkah. For a truly exotic Sukkot, talk to Gil Travel about a custom Jewish heritage tour of India or Central Asia.
Mid-Winter Kosher Breaks for the Whole Family
A mid-winter break can either be a chance to embrace the cold and visit a top ski resort with kosher amenities, or to fly to a warmer climate and escape the biting winds and snow drifts of North America and Canada. The US has some world class ski resorts, including a superb kosher-friendly resort overlooking Lake Tahoe. Whether you’re an expert skier or snowboarder, or an absolute beginner, Gil Travel can help you to find the perfect winter sports destination in the US, Europe or even Japan.
An adventurous day on the slopes, followed by evenings around a blazing log fire can be a wonderful family bonding experience. If your vacation coincides with Hanukkah, lighting the candles in a luxury mountain ski chalet is a truly memorable experience!
Winter sun seekers can jump on a flight to the Caribbean or Latin America and enjoy a luxury tropical paradise of beaches and rainforests. If you want something completely different, try a Jewish heritage tour of Cuba. It’s a fascinating place to soak up some sunshine while you explore Havana’s old Jewish quarter and meet members of Cuba’s resilient Jewish community.
Other top South and Central American destinations for kosher-friendly family trips include Panama (home to a really vibrant Jewish community and a great kosher food experience). Argentina and Brazil also have large and welcoming Jewish communities and are superb places to get away from the winter cold and spoil yourself with amazing kosher food, some of the world’s best beaches, and all the good things in life.
Plan a Kosher Vacation Today
Gil Travel can help you to plan the perfect seasonal break, almost anywhere in the world. You can tailor your itinerary to include any combination of Jewish heritage and history tours, adventure and nature expeditions, luxury city breaks, or a chance to join Jewish high holiday celebrations in another country. Talk to Gil Travel today about creating a dream kosher-friendly family vacation.
