Veteran travellers to Tel Aviv say “there’s never a good time to go to Israel.” Even when things are going relatively “well”, regional confl ict, domestic politics and an uncertain economy ensure that tranquility remains elusive. But despite the nation’s seemingly nonstop bad news, things are finally looking up in the Holy Land. A new $1 billion airport terminal just opened its doors, a high-tech light-rail system connecting it to Tel Aviv recently came on line, a local edition of Forbes hit newsstands earlier this year and foreign investment is picking up pace. There is an air of optimism among the local high-tech scene, and after four years of terror attacks and recession, both the economic and social atmosphere is heading back into the black. Add to this a thriving restaurant scene, a sophisticated retail culture and that azure Mediterranean Sea, and Tel Aviv emerges as a cosmopolitan destination of world-class status. Travellers may understandably remain reticent to make that first visit. But when they do, they’re often the first to volunteer to return.