"In Ramallah, Tourists Can Check Out All The Bars in One Night"

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Chris Alami, 42

Owner of  “Hostel in Ramallah“

Where are you from and when did you open the Hostel in Ramallah?
“I’m originally from Jerusalem. I moved to Ramallah in the summer of 2013 to open the first hostel in town, but I actually still live in Jerusalem and I have a hostel there too. The hostel in Ramallah was so successful in its first year that we had to triple in size. Then came the Gaza war in 2014 and we had a pretty bad year. By the time business recovered, the political situation became unstable again, with the stabbing and cars running people down in Jerusalem. It’s never easy here, theres always something and it affects the whole area”.

Do you have any business plan for the future?
“I’m always looking for locations for another hostel in other Palestinian cities, but it’s not the right time. So I think about opening a hostel somewhere far away from here, in a place where my hostel will be the first hostel, as it is here”.

What kind of tourists come to Ramallah?
“A lot of them are travelers that come to Israel and want to take the time to see the other side. They arrive here with open ears and eyes and see how different it is from what they see on the news. They come to see how Palestinians really live, and we give them cheap housing and a base for touring the West Bank”.

What makes Ramallah special in your opinion?
“Ramallah is very cheap compared to Tel Aviv and the tourists enjoy that. There is a lot of natural interaction with the people and visitors feel at home. Many people come for one night and then realize that there is more to see than they expected. It’s not a big city and most of the attractions are in one area, so it’s very friendly to tourists. You don’t need to ride buses or cabs, plus you can probably check out all the bars in one night”.

Where do you like to hang out?
“One of my favorite places in Snowbar – originally Snobar, which means pines in Arabic. It’s a true oasis. The owner of the place built a bar and an outdoor pool. It’s very relaxing, and also they let me in the kitchen so I can make my favorite food. In the winter I really like La Grotta – it’s a great bar with live music and many musicians hang out there”.

What spots do you recommend to visitors in Ramallah?
“I’ll divide my answer: on the political side, I think it’s very interesting to see Arafat’s tomb. The museum and mausoleum are worth the visit. For more everyday experiences I recommend lots of food – a walk through the souks, Falafel, Kanafeh, Palestinian ice cream with Arabic gum, just enjoying life itself. Besides all that, we organize many tours. From hikes to walking tours at the separation wall and meetings with refugees at the camps so people can see what life in the camps is like. People are very curious about that”.