Middle East, Africa; Our correspondents' best tips for globe-trotters

Last week we covered Rome with Christine Spolar, Moscow with Alex J. Rodriguez and London with Tom Hundley, now posted in Chicago. This week we're on to the Middle East and points in Africa.

\ Joel Greenberg, Israel

1. My favorite place: Metulla, a quiet village at Israel's northern tip, within view of the snow-capped (in winter) Mt. Hermon on the Golan Heights and set among the rolling hills and orchards of the Upper Galilee region. Stroll the quiet main street, with some historic homes built by the early pioneers who settled the spot, or hike to the nearby Ayoun waterfalls not far from the Lebanese border.

2. Best place no one knows about: In a small country like Israel, most every place is discovered, but Khirbet Tsura, a hilltop ruin surrounded by fields of flowers and a blossoming almond tree in springtime is as close as you can get to a spot of isolated beauty, if you go on a weekday. It's off the highway south of the town of Beit Shemesh, about half an hour from Jerusalem but unmarked, so consulting a map is advisable.

3. Best meal for taste and ambience: A Place in Sejera, at the farming village of Ilaniya, serves a mouth-watering array of hormone-free meats from locally raised livestock. Set in a stone farmhouse built in the 1800s, during the early days of the community, the restaurant also serves a rich selection of organic, homegrown vegetable salads and other dishes. Tables and chairs are fashioned from slabs of wood, and historic photos on the walls add to the weathered feel of the place, about 20 minutes from the town of Tiberias in northern Israel.

4. Why you should come here: Israel offers a rich mosaic of people, sharp geographic contrasts and natural beauty packed into an area the size of New Jersey, all easily accessible, with English widely spoken. There is much to discover beyond the widely reported Middle East conflict.

5. A shopping tip: Jerusalem's Old City market, a colorful Middle Eastern bazaar with goods from near and far, is a place to find anything from rugs to olive-wood carvings to spices. Bargain before you pay; it's expected.

6. Best way to get around: The Egged bus company has routes that link all major (and minor) cities and towns, with stops at major sites along the way.

7. Safety/security tip: Israeli cities are safe to walk in day and night, and the halt in suicide bombings has removed a major concern in crowded places. But keep an eye on the newspapers for any change in the security situation.

8. When friends come to visit I always take them to ... The beach, either in Tel Aviv or the beautiful strand at Beit Yanai near Netanya. The Mediterranean is warm and inviting most of the year, and there is ample opportunity for long strolls on the sand and viewing brilliant sunsets.

9. Best photo-op: The stunning view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, or, from another angle, at the Sherover Promenade, preferably a little before sunset.

10. Don't miss: A dish of hummus, salads or grilled meats at a Middle Eastern restaurant. Sima's is a major favorite in west Jerusalem, and Abu Taher or Abu Shukri in the Old City are famed hummus emporiums.

Liz Sly, Mideast

1. My favorite place: The Old City of Damascus, Syria, a warren of ancient cobbled streets, mosques and churches that evokes the Orient of the imagination.

2. Best place no one knows about: Maaloula in the hills above Damascus. It claims to be the last place on earth where the people still speak the same form of Aramaic spoken by Jesus. Even non-Aramaic speakers will be captivated by the ancient stone churches and sweeping vistas of a place forgotten by time.

3. Best meal for taste and ambience: The rooftop of Abdul Wahab on Monot Street in Beirut. Look out over the red rooftops of Beirut's traditional old stone houses. Marvel at how little the Lebanese women manage to get away with wearing. Try everything, but especially the mousaka, a tangy dip of eggplant and tomatoes that bears no relation to Greek mousaka.

4. Why you should come here: It's the cradle of civilization. Drive from the urban cosmopolitan center of Beirut, past the ancient walls of Old Damascus, through the Bedouin wilderness of the Jordanian desert, and you will find yourself asking: But whose civilization? And you will start to understand why there is so much conflict in the Middle East.

5. A shopping tip: In Lebanon, buy food -- flavored honeys, fresh nuts and bags of zaatar, the ubiquitous local thyme flavoring that will take you back to the Mediterranean. Damascus is best for souvenirs. If you own a camel, you will find many brightly colored accessories for it to wear in Jordan.

6. Best way to get around: By taxi. It's cheap, and you get to see the scenery.

7. Safety/security tip: Syria and Jordan are almost entirely crime free. The biggest challenge is wriggling out of invitations to lunch with the families of taxi drivers, souvenir sellers, etc. Best to keep an eye on the news in Lebanon, in case of sudden disturbances.

8. When friends come to visit I always take them to ... the Phoenician port of Byblos, Lebanon, for a fresh fish lunch overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean.

9. Best photo op: The old souk, or market, in Damascus, for a slice of life as it used to be.

10. Don't miss: Petra, the majestic, rose-red city carved 8,000 years ago out of inaccessible mountains in the Jordanian desert. It's too breathtaking for words and too old to wrap your head around. Tip: Rent a donkey for a few dollars; the distances are great.

Laurie Goering, Africa

Laurie now is posted in London

1. My favorite place: It's nearly impossible to choose just one place in a continent so diverse and wonderful, but Madagascar's lemur-filled forests, Namibia's silent deserts and Chapman's Peak scenic drive in Cape Town, South Africa, are contenders.

2. Best place no one knows about: The Matapos Hills outside of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, a conservation area that is home to some impressive cave paintings by the ancient San people. The hike to the paintings, through gorgeous bushland, can't be beat either.

3. Best meal for taste and ambience: Mussels and fresh bread at the cozy and always crowded Olympia Cafe in Kalk Bay, outside Cape Town. Don't miss something sweet from the bakery for dessert.

4. Why you should come here: Africa has some of the most impressive wildlife on earth and some of the warmest people, not to mention superb artwork and crafts.

5. A shopping tip: If you want to shop for beaded Nigerian belts, Dogon doors, Masai gourds and Ethiopian jewelry but don't have the time to crisscross the continent, stop in at Amatuli Fine Art in Johannesburg for the best of the continent under one roof at reasonable prices.

6. Best way to get around: South African Airways has a reputation as one of the safest and most reliable ways to get around a continent rife with airlines that have questionable safety records.

7. Safety/security tip: When flying, securely lock your bags, and don't put valuables in checked baggage. Theft from checked luggage at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and some of the continent's other airports can be a problem.

8. When friends come to visit I always take them to ... Lower Sabie or Olifants rest camps in South Africa's Kruger National Park. The park is one of the most accessible game parks in Africa with great wildlife and comfortable, reasonably priced "rondavel" huts and lodges where you can throw your own steak on the grill at night or, if you're feeling particularly decadent, have someone else do it. Don't miss the night game drives to see lions or the walking safaris.

9. Best photo op: Decorative coffins in Teshie, Ghana, where fishermen are buried in giant carved fish, soft-drink guzzlers in soda bottles and shoe salesmen in giant shoes.

10. Don't miss: Rwanda's mountain gorillas. The gorillas can be spotted after a wearying hike through Uganda's aptly named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or while dodging another sort of guerrilla in conflict-ravaged Congo. But Rwanda is the easy route; the gorillas are rarely more than an easy two-hour hike away, and rangers keep tabs on them.