The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is Israel’s largest art museum, with a large collection of permanent exhibits as well as temporary exhibits. In November 2011, the new 19,000sq meter Herta and Paul Amir Building opened to the public, transforming the visitor experience of the museum which originally opened in 1932, before even the state of Israel was established! The museum shows the works of both Israeli and international artists including impressionism and post-impressionism. Permanently on display include the works of Cezanne, Chagall, Dali, Monet, Henri Moore, Auguste Rodin, Archipenko, Picasso, Klimt, Kadinsky. If you want to go to just one traditional art museum when in Israel, make it this one!

On the outskirts of Tel Aviv lies the beautifully tranquil Yarkon Park (Ganei Yehoshua). What Central Park is to New York, the Yarkon Park is the green lung of Tel Aviv and straddles the Yarkon River in the north of the city. With a Rock Park, Tropical Garden, Petting Zoo, among the beauty its a great place to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle.

Holon a city just south of Tel Aviv is perhaps the last place you would expect to find a leading international design museum, but Design Museum Holon is just that, an architectural masterpiece in the center of this city, it is a state of the art museum dedicated to everything design, using the latest in multimedia and interactivity to give guests an amazing experience. Opened in 2010, the Design Museum Holon has regularly changing exhibitions relating to contemporary design from Israel and around the world.

Jaffa is the ancient port out of which modern day Tel Aviv has grown. The Old Port of Jaffa is reputed to be one of the oldest ports in the world, notably being the port from which Jonah set off in the famous Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale. Its long and fascinating history as strategic port in the Eastern Mediterranean continued until only recently when new ports were built south of Tel Aviv in Ashdod and north in Haifa, to cater for modern-day shipping methods. Today the port is used largely by local fishermen who continue the centuries old tradition of the area.

Namal Tel Aviv, the Tel Aviv Port has recently been restored and is now one of the hottest places in town. During the day, the cafes and stores at The Tel Aviv Port the host some of the city’s richest and trendiest, whilst at night, Namal Tel Aviv transforms into one of Tel Aviv’s most popular nightlife venues. Oh, and by the way, you wont see any big ships here, maybe just a few yachts.

Tel Aviv like most major cities, has a vast array of places for the traveler to stay ranging from big bulge-bracket hotels, to boutique hotels, and hostels, budget hotels, and B&B’s. A more authentic and often cost-effective way to stay in the city, is to rent a vacation apartment or room in an apartment in Tel Aviv. There are literally hundreds of apartments to rent in Tel Aviv, varying from luxury penthouses to more basic and economic choices.

Adam Groffman is a travel blogger who spent four months in Tel Aviv last summer and then into the fall as well. These are some of the coolest alternative things to do in Tel Aviv, especially if you’re a hipster, including Florentin, Tel Aviv’s Brooklyn, to an underground rock bar, a design center, and some great art in unexpected places…

The Mediterranean Coastline gives rise to loads of opportunities for surfing in Israel, ranging from urban surfing in Tel Aviv to surfing in the rural parts of the Mediterranean Coastal Plain. As well as traditional surfing, windsurfing in Israel is especially popular, with a number of recent Olympic medal winners coming from the country, whilst kitesurfing in Israel is also popular. Since the first surfboard was brought to Israel by a Californian doctor in the 1950′s, it is safe to say that Israelis have developed into a country which has embraced surfing, and as soon as the waves get good, the beaches become dotted with surfers of all abilities.

The Museum of the History of Tel Aviv-Yafo opened in 2009 in what was the old Tel Aviv Municipality building in Bialik Square, one of the most iconic public spaces in Tel Aviv. Chronicling the development of Tel Aviv from a suburb of Jaffa (Yafo), the main entrance point into the land, just one hundred years ago, to a bustling world-class metropolis and center of culture, commerce, and coolness, the museum uses visual and multimedia displays to show life in the city through the decades.

Another restored area of Tel Aviv, another great place to visit. Recently regenerated, HaTachana, the Old Railway Station on the Tel Aviv Coast, the original station on the Jaffa to Jerusalem Railway makes a great stop with its trendy cafes and restaurants, interesting boutiques, and fun atmosphere.