Ski vacations can be both kosher and affordable

Travel companies have begun to put together kosher travel deals while keeping prices affordable.

By MOTTI ZIMRAT
People dogsledding at the Grandvalira ski resort in the Pyrenees Mountains. (photo credit: ANDORRA TOURISM OFFICE)
People dogsledding at the Grandvalira ski resort in the Pyrenees Mountains.
(photo credit: ANDORRA TOURISM OFFICE)
Kosher travelers understand the dilemma that goes along with traveling outside of Israel, especially with children.
Is it really worth it carrying suitcases filled with cans of tuna, vegetables, instant noodles and other kosher food, renting an apartment with a kitchen and cooking all day long? Or is it better to just go to a top of the line hotel with a strictly kosher kitchen that caters warm delicious gourmet meals to their costumers? The problem is that the solution is an expensive one that not everyone can afford.
In recent years, the kosher eating middle class has begun to speak up regarding comfortable travel. In response travel companies have begun to put together kosher travel deals while keeping prices affordable. One of these companies, Kosher Vacation, has made it their business to tend to the middle class, kosher communities.
Ziv Tor, CEO of the company, explained: “Throughout my career in hi-tech I did a lot of traveling outside of Israel, and each trip felt like a punishment. When everyone else was out dining in restaurants, I was alone in my hotel room eating whatever snack I brought along. I don’t think there’s a reason why kosher eaters, when traveling outside of Israel need to eat out of a tuna can for their entire trip. This is exactly why I have decided to open up a company that will cater to those who want to travel outside of Israel, eat kosher food and be able to afford it.”
Tor continued, saying, the most efficient way to do this is for the hotel to order prepared kosher meals before arrival, or, if there is a group coming at the same, to have a reliable chef turn over the already functioning fully equipped kitchen into a kosher one.
In these days, the peak of ski season, the strictly kosher middle class are looking for solution to the problem as well. They wish to spend the day skiing and at the end of the day have a warm, kosher, meat meal that is affordable without having to take out a mortgage.
Kosher Vacation saw the need to fulfill this wish and got in touch with the Plaza Andorra hotel chain, who have four quality hotels and asked them to make their kitchen kosher. The hotel chain complied and their kosher kitchen is run by a trust worthy chef hired by Kosher Vacation. This ski-vacation package includes a complete breakfast, and upon return from skiing a delicious, warm, meaty and of course kosher meal awaits.
The cost of this deal is approximately €845 for the 4-star hotel and €995 for the 5-star package that includes the flight, ski pass, equipment and more. (You can also take advantage of Barcelona while you are there, and dine in the Kosher restaurant Maccabi on the well known Les Rambles Street.) Plaza Andorra was so excited by the opportunity to cater to the kosher community that they are seriously debating turning one of their hotels to be kosher all year round.
Andorra, is a magical hotel based in the Pyrenees Mountains located in between Paris and France that has recently opened ski attractions. They are on par with the most quality ski resorts in Europe.
However, their prices are significantly cheaper than other resorts.
Andorra’s ski mountains are located in the Grandvalira and the Vallnord (300 km. of trails that are mainly geared toward families and have plenty of extreme trails for experts). In addition to skiing, the mountains offer many recreational activities such as snowshoeing, snowmobiles and dogsledding (an experience you don’t want to miss). The longest mountain slide in the world (5 km. of continuous, fast sliding) can be found in Naturlandia, an amusement park that has a rope course, a zip line and more. At the end of a long day of skiing, give yourself a spa experience at the beautiful and spacious Caldea Thermal Spa located in the heart of the city, Andorra la Vella (highly recommended). And since the deal is geared towards the middle class, let’s not forget about the shopping that can be done in the city, which hosts a festival of over 1,500 stores all at discount prices.
(Andorra is considered the largest duty free store in the world.) There are those that might say fulfilling a promise of an affordable and yet luxurious kosher vacation is just as likely as politicians fulfilling their many promises, but in the world of travel agencies, promises are kept.