Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

The Black Flag Cafe is the place travelers come to share stories and advice. Moderated by Robert Young Pelton the author of The World's Most Dangerous Places.

Moderator: coldharvest

Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby Rouge99 » Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:36 pm

Part 1

Hey, advice sought. Am in Kuwait wanting to visit Tel Aviv.
Found direct flights from Q8 stopping in Amman, then onward to Tel Aviv.
Was a little surprised, but hey...was more surprised when I discovered I could do a return trip back into Kuwait from Tel Aviv (via a stop over in Amman)

Why is this possible?

Will i be blocked from re-entering Kuwait.
Or will they only see my Jordan portion of my ticket out and in again ??

What are the alternatives?

Any ideas on alternatives flying into Aamman then getting the bus / or a private taxi to the BRIDGE to Tel Aviv check point??
COST??
TIME??

Info which comes from personal experience is mucho appreciated.

going on a holiday...and want it to be risk free....as much as possible.
Advice sought.
Rouge99
mach
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:24 pm

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby Dr. V » Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:33 pm

I've never had any problems in and out of Kuwait from Jordan.

I think it something to do with the Israeli stamp which will be in your passport on your return and so not something which can be circumnavigated by getting on a bus. However you might be able to get round this by getting them to not stamp your passport which is what they do in Northern Cyprus and I think I've heard of this for Israel too.
User avatar
Dr. V
Academikus Seductresus
 
Posts: 1567
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:03 pm
Location: UK

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby diamondcutter13 » Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:20 pm

Depending on the crossing/entry point they'll stamp a separate slip of paper but its been 4 years since I've crossed back and forth. The Israelis generally do not care about Arabic stamps but the Syrians would freak out over any sign of an Israeli stamp. Jordan, no problems at all. I had the luxury of three different passports but none of my international friends traveling with me had any troubles.
Tacuero ceruisa, vigilate hoc
User avatar
diamondcutter13
BFCus Regularus
 
Posts: 377
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:14 am
Location: The Great White North, Loyalist Township.

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby Mikethehack » Fri Feb 03, 2012 3:05 pm

Depends how much time you have. Fly into Amman, grab a bus or shared taxi from (I think) Abdali. It works out about the same in the end. Or hire a car.
It's a relatively straight run from there up to the border (King Hussein/Allenby). You might have a bit of aggro at the border if your name sounds vaguely Jewish or Arabic, depending on which side is checking you through. I know people who were held up for the better part of a very long, hot day because of the usual and expected profiling. Allow a full day for the trip, even though it can be done in a few short hours on a good day.

Ask them to put the stamp on a piece of paper, and don't be afraid to explain why, where you work and what you do. Let the ink dry before you stick it in your passport, or it will print onto another page, something which has caught out a few people when travelling elsewhere. Bored immigration types will find those little things and entertain themselves by making you miserable.

Once you are through the usual checks, it is a fairly dull run through to Jerusalem. After that, you can get a taxi or bus to Tel A from around the Damascus Gate near the old city. You will hear them yelling out the various locations. Or you can hire a car.

Tip: Israel is very bloody expensive these days, so budget wisely. Even well-paid people are moaning about the prices.
Tip #2: Post or courier any souvenirs home (not Kuwait) because Kuwaiti customs have sharp noses.
I'm not really a proper reporter, due to the chronic lack of discipline, negligible attention span, and a certain juvenile difficulty taking serious things seriously.
Andrew Mueller.
User avatar
Mikethehack
Pimpmasterus Generalismus
 
Posts: 8405
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2004 6:34 pm
Location: The Irish colonies

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby rickshaw92 » Fri Feb 03, 2012 3:14 pm

Allow a full day for the trip, even though it can be done in a few short hours on a good day.


And don't forget to show up drunk.
Im reallly fuclimg pissed but fespite that I can still hit a tarfet at 1000m plus. mayVRVe bnot tonight but it qint beyond the wit if man. Nowhammy.
User avatar
rickshaw92
Pikey Bastard
 
Posts: 9165
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:28 am
Location: Airport Inn trailer park

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby buffybot_in_beirut » Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:37 pm

Officially, Kuwait will not allow you to return if your passport contains an Israeli stamp. The topic of avoiding Israeli (and certain other) passport stamps, or other evidence of travel to Israel (such as a combined air ticket with a Kuwait-Amman-Tel Aviv itinerary!) has been discussed in all its nuances ad infinitum at the Lonely Planet discussion board (Thorn Tree), Middle East branch. Read the postings, they are likely to answer all your questions. Better still, log in and ask for recent experiences from Kuwait. Only Syria and Lebanon are apeshit paranoid about Israel and will not bend the rules the slightest, in other Arab states it may all be negotiable, but I don't follow developments in every single country constantly.

Amman-Tel Aviv by air is easy, but absurdly expensive.
"The bridge" is a pain in the ass, maddening and time-consuming, but an experience in itself, just for the hell of it.
The Eilat/Aqaba crossing is much easier, but a massive detour unless you have stuff to do in the south.
Option 1 gets you stamps, which aren't a problem as long as you avoid the one from the Israeli side.
Option 2 gets you no stamps at all (bingo) - if you are lucky (oops).
Option 3 definitely gets you a certain Jordanian stamp, which is just as bad as an Israeli one. Why? Read all about it on Lonely Planet, see above. (Stamp has border post name in it; a look at a map tells anyone which posts border Israel.)

Not a single option is a 100% guarantee of "no stamp". Have a plan B for that scenario, like returning from Israel or Jordan to your country of nationality to get a new passport. Or being banned from Kuwait forever and paying a local fixer to send you all your belongings by DHL. :-)
buffybot_in_beirut
BFCus Regularus
 
Posts: 495
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:02 pm

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby Athena » Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:51 pm

I did the Aqaba crossing about two years ago. What should have been a few hours for the ferry crossing was more along the order of 30 hours. It almost seemed to run like minibus, waiting for the thing to fill up for both classes of boats. I understand this is typical. The beaches aren't bad in the area, and it's not a bad place to overnight. I don't know your gender, but if you go this route you really want to man to deal with the ticket purchase.
Athena
BFCus Regularus
 
Posts: 130
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:40 pm

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby Mikethehack » Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:29 pm

Forgot to mention two things. One is to get the Jordanian exit/entry stamps put on a piece of paper if you are going overland. They are always quite good about it, especially if you show them you work in another Arab country.

Apart from the Bridge and Aqaba, there is Beit She'an in the north, which is almost as arduous a trip as going via Aqaba, but marginally closer to Amman. It is also a bit closer to TA and you don't have to go via Al Quds.

Finally, flying out of TA is a pain in the plughole. Lyndsey Addario of the NYT had a rough time not so long ago. She was strip searched and harassed, despite having a bun in the toaster which was about to pop. She got a very rare apology, which probably speaks volumes about the cock size of the NYT. LA was one of a group of NYTers who was napped in Libya last year. She is a tough and very capable snapper, so if she was pissed off by that, then it must have been rough.

Having Kuwait stuff in your passport will not make life easy if you are flying through Ben Gurion. Better practice your zipless fuck method of undressing. You will probably need it.
I'm not really a proper reporter, due to the chronic lack of discipline, negligible attention span, and a certain juvenile difficulty taking serious things seriously.
Andrew Mueller.
User avatar
Mikethehack
Pimpmasterus Generalismus
 
Posts: 8405
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2004 6:34 pm
Location: The Irish colonies

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby Mikethehack » Fri Feb 03, 2012 8:10 pm

Nuther fing wortf bearing in mind is that if the Izzies zap Iran, then you can wipe your ass on all that advice cos the mood will have changed ever so slightly significantly.
I'm not really a proper reporter, due to the chronic lack of discipline, negligible attention span, and a certain juvenile difficulty taking serious things seriously.
Andrew Mueller.
User avatar
Mikethehack
Pimpmasterus Generalismus
 
Posts: 8405
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2004 6:34 pm
Location: The Irish colonies

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby nowonmai » Fri Feb 03, 2012 8:38 pm

Mikethehack wrote:Finally, flying out of TA is a pain in the plughole. Lyndsey Addario of the NYT had a rough time not so long ago. She was strip searched and harassed, despite having a bun in the toaster which was about to pop.


Great story but almost completely untrue.

1. It was the Erez crossing not Tel Aviv airport.
2. She opted for an X ray machine rather than remove her clothes to her underwear so she was not "strip searched".
3. She is so fucking grand that she thought that by phoning ahead she should get special treatment. Thanks to bureaucratic fuckup she didn't get special treatment so played the diva.

If she was so fucking concerned about her then 27 week foetus why did she: a. go to fucking Gaza and b. opt for an x ray machine rather than have the terrible indignity of removing her clothes to show that she was not packing a bomb? As anyone knows, age, gender, mental capability or pregancy are not reliable indicators of intentions or otherwise to blow shit up.
User avatar
nowonmai
BFCus Regularus
 
Posts: 11542
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:52 pm

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby Mikethehack » Fri Feb 03, 2012 9:05 pm

nowonmai wrote:
Mikethehack wrote:Finally, flying out of TA is a pain in the plughole. Lyndsey Addario of the NYT had a rough time not so long ago. She was strip searched and harassed, despite having a bun in the toaster which was about to pop.


Great story but almost completely untrue.

1. It was the Erez crossing not Tel Aviv airport.
2. She opted for an X ray machine rather than remove her clothes to her underwear so she was not "strip searched".
3. She is so fucking grand that she thought that by phoning ahead she should get special treatment. Thanks to bureaucratic fuckup she didn't get special treatment so played the diva.

If she was so fucking concerned about her then 27 week foetus why did she: a. go to fucking Gaza and b. opt for an x ray machine rather than have the terrible indignity of removing her clothes to show that she was not packing a bomb? As anyone knows, age, gender, mental capability or pregancy are not reliable indicators of intentions or otherwise to blow shit up.


I stand corrected. That's what I get for half-listening to pub gossip.
I'm not really a proper reporter, due to the chronic lack of discipline, negligible attention span, and a certain juvenile difficulty taking serious things seriously.
Andrew Mueller.
User avatar
Mikethehack
Pimpmasterus Generalismus
 
Posts: 8405
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2004 6:34 pm
Location: The Irish colonies

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby buffybot_in_beirut » Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:18 am

Athena, I think you are referring to the Aqaba-Nuweiba ferry, which links Jordan and EGYPT.

Mike, the Jordanians will NOT stamp a paper slip instead of a passport. Only the Israelis normally grant that favour. If you have a Jordanian stamp from the Aqaba/Eilat or the Sheihk Hussein Bridge (i.a. "northern") crossing everybody will know that you have been to Israel. Your only option is to hope for an illegible stamp. Fat chance - the Jordanian immigation bureaucrats are normally skilled stampers... Also, for anyone hoping to switch passports in Jordan: The Jordanians insist that you enter and leave the country on the same passport.

Only at King Hussein/Allenby Bridge do the Jordanians not, never stamp anyone's passport because they do not recognize the international nature of that border.
buffybot_in_beirut
BFCus Regularus
 
Posts: 495
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:02 pm

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby JITW » Sun Feb 05, 2012 9:16 am

It will cost ya - the last time I checked it was something like 1700 from Kuwait to Tel Aviv for coach, 4300 for 1st


~JITW
DEATH VALLEY MAGAZINE
The Magazine for Professional Adventurers and Interesting People
http://www.deathvalleymag.com
User avatar
JITW
BFCus Regularus
 
Posts: 978
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:28 am
Location: Virginia - Iraq - Kurdistan - Indonesia - Thailand

Re: Kuwait to Tel Aviv and Back Again ?!

Postby Athena » Mon Feb 06, 2012 3:34 pm

I'm some kind of tard. Of course that was Egypt. Everything about the misogyny, grime and chaos should have imprinted Egypt on the recollection.
Athena
BFCus Regularus
 
Posts: 130
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:40 pm


Return to Black Flag Cafe

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests

cron