This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Ramallah.
Just behind the Israeli wall lies Ramallah, Palestine. While Israel is pretty westernized, you will immediately see the difference when you enter Ramallah and realize you are in a Arabic country. For Arabic standards, Ramallah and Palestine in general are very liberal and you will feel welcomed by the locals.
Ramallah is the administrative capital of Palestine. Several years ago, Ramallah was often in the news for negative reasons during the second intifada, and armed violence was common. Now Ramallah is safe and a very pleasant city to spend time and experience the hospitality of the locals.
There are a few hostels in Ramallah, Palestine, and you can find high quality Ramallah, Palestine hostels here. Ramallah is less than an hour away from Jerusalem, but Ramallah, Palestine hostels are about half the price and of a similar or higher quality. Most hostels in Ramallah, Palestine, are located in the city centre and this is also where you should want to book your Ramallah, Palestine hostel, because there is not much out of the city centre. Ramallah’s city centre is small and everything is in walking distance, so this does not need to be much of an issue when choosing a Ramallah, Palestine hostel.
Travelers who stay in Ramallah are more adventurous than most other travelers. The travelers you meet often have a lot of travel experience. In the Ramallah, Palestine hostels, you may not only meet travelers, but also expats. NGO workers or expats who represent their country for their job sometimes come to the hostels in Ramallah, Palestine after work or on a day off to meet other Westerners, because there are not many Westerners living in Ramallah. Most hostels in Ramallah, Palestine, have a nice common room and most days you will find other people there hanging out, so it is easy to meet people. In contrast to most other Arabic countries, alcohol is widely available and a popular drink. Most Ramallah, Palestine hostels do sell beers for a slightly inflated price.
Ramallah is also centrally located in Palestine. Places you may want to visit in Palestine, like Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and even Jerusalem on the border with Israel are only one hour away. You can eventually choose Ramallah as your base in Palestine and make day trips from here. Minibuses to other cities are extremely frequent, so waiting time is limited.
Written by local enthusiast for Ramallah hostels
Martin Straatman
