Shopping

Eilat stones, a form of green and turquoise polished malachite, are sold throughout Israel in settings that range from contemporary to traditional Yemenite. They were popular in the 1960s and 1970s, less so now. Most hotel gift shops offer a selection of Eilat stone jewelry. You can visit Malkit (tel. 08/637-3372), an Eilat stone jewelry workshop in the Ha-Dekel part of town, Sunday to Thursday 8am to 7pm and Friday 8am to 1pm. The Egyptian Bazaar at the Hilton Nelson Village offers the chance to peruse Egyptian crafts and souvenirs you'd otherwise have to travel to Cairo to find. Some stock is tourist stuff; a few really beautiful crafts and objects will be found amid the stalls. It's easy to cross the border at the southern city limits of Eilat. Luxury shopping can be found at the Cardo Mall in Herods Palace; the North Beach Promenade runs the gamut from street fair booths to stylish shops that Israelis love because there's no VAT in Eilat.