Tel Aviv: Being proud of your city

Apr. 05 2018

by Saverio

This couple of hosts from Tel Aviv discovered how lucky they are living in the gay capital of the Middle East. Shachar and Tomer are proud of their experience and they shared how much being a host can pay back. Read their story and discover how you too can become a host to experience your pride. 

Hi guys! How is the hosting experience for you? Do you enjoy hanging out with your guests as well as hosting them?

We always enjoy a good talk and getting to know a bit about our guests. Our schedules don’t always allow us to, but sometimes we do get to talk over a glass of wine, or dinner at our place. There was one guest who even joined us for a yoga class at our gym!

What are the main things your guests love doing in your city?

They usually spend a lot of time at the beach, which is very close to where we live. Tel Aviv is pretty easy to explore on foot, so they usually walk a lot, including the old city of Jaffa. At night they tend to go to the bars, restaurants and parties in the area.

© Flickr/Birgit

What have you learned since you started hosting?

It’s really nice and sometimes even inspiring to see Tel-Aviv through the eyes of tourists: we're very happy to play a small part in someone’s first experience with this great city.

Hearing all the positive things people say about their time here also made us appreciate the fact that we get to live in the gay capital of the Middle East. 

Do you keep in touch with your guests after they’ve left?

Occasionally, if there’s a good connection with a guest we exchange Facebook or Instagram profiles to keep in touch.

What’s the nicest thing a guest has ever done for you? Do they ever bring you gifts?

Yes, we did get chocolates a few times! There was also a guest who was kind enough to offer some of his luggage space in advance, in case we wanted to order something from his city!

© Flickr/Niv Singer

What makes a perfect guest – or host?

We believe good communication is the key, for both sides. The perfect guest would be respectful, easy-going, clean and communicative. As for hosts, probably trying to be as helpful as you can in terms of check in/out, local tips and making the guest feel welcome in your home. ●

Thinking of visiting Tel Aviv? Read some more Local Tips from our other hosts there and check out our City Guide.