The view back to Tel Aviv from the Arab city of Jaffa

If Jerusalem is a city of the spirit, then Tel Aviv is a city of flesh.

With over a million people crammed along 15km of coastline, Tel Aviv is a secular metropolis with its tits out and its boom box turned up full blare.

The party capital of the Middle East as well as Israel's commercial and cultural hub, this modern city has one eye on the Mediterranean and the other on the money.

Hedonism, liberalism and experimentalism rule and there's enough markets, boutiques, beaches, nightclubs, cafes, theatres and hotels to tempt the most pious of Jews out on the Sabbath.

Backed by gaudy high-rise hotels and apartments, Tel Aviv's sandy beaches and waterfront promenades are packed with hot young things preening, pashing and practicing their pick-up-lines.

With its palm-lined streets, Art Deco buildings and roaring traffic, Tel Aviv delivers a heady mix of seediness and sophistication. Away from the beach, most of the see-and-be-seen action centres around the shops and eateries of Sheinkin, Dizengoff and Allenby streets.

Peaceniks should be sure to pay a visit to Rabin Square where in 1995 a Jewish extremist assassinated the former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin during a peace rally.

Further afield, the fascinating Museum of the Jewish Diaspora (Beit ha-Refuzot) on the campus of Tel Aviv University outlines the history of the Jewish diaspora from the Babylonian exile to the present day.

Just down the coast from Tel Aviv lies the neighbouring Arab city of Jaffa. One of the world's oldest ports, its ancient alleyways are home to mosques, monasteries, Roman ruins and art galleries. There are panoramic views back to Tel Aviv's highrise waterfrontage as well as a great flea market where you can haggle yourself a selection of Middle Eastern souvenirs.

Tel Aviv lies 63km northwest of Jerusalem. Ben Gurion International Airport is the main international gateway to Israel and lies approximately 15km southeast of Tel Aviv.