Mention Palestine to many western Europeans and the images that come to mind are those of conflict – intractable political problems, perceived historical injustice and an embattled nation state chafing at borders defined by a foreign power, writes Max Hall.

But away from the talk of intifada, Occupied Territories and decades of hobbled peace processes, the crowded, colourful streets of the West Bank, peopled with street sellers hawking all manner of traditional street foods, the constant cacophony of car horns and the regular melodic cry of the imams issuing the call to prayer provide an enchanting backdrop for the adventurous traveler prepared to cast aside their preconceptions.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah is keen to attract foreign visitors and show the world its often overlooked charms and that pride is mirrored by the citizens of the nascent state whose eagerness to welcome tourists into their home embellishes even further the Arab tradition of hospitality.

This particular corner of the Middle East is a place where situations can change in the blink of an eye so potential visitors should stay abreast of the state of affairs in the period during which they plan to visit and any travel to Hamas-controlled Gaza is discouraged by the Foreign Office in the strongest terms. But the West Bank is an altogether different story with a state of relative calm in the areas under the supervision of the Fatah political leadership, opening up the opportunity to visit important Biblical sites such as Bethlehem and the ancient city of Jericho as well as the busy, bustling streets of Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron.

With direct flights not an option, I crossed the Israeli border from Jerusalem, the fascinating divided city that itself deserves a three or four day stay to appreciate and is so clearly criss-crossed by physical and cultural fault lines.

From the Damascus Gate bus station in Jerusalem there is a regular bus service to Bethlehem but I headed around the corner to the old Arab bus station to take the service to Ramallah, a shared minibus costing eight New Israeli Shekels (NIS, about £1.35). Passing through the Qalandia checkpoint on the road to Ramallah is so hassle-free it would be easy to miss for a tourist but for the jarring sight of the concrete security fence built around most of the West Bank by the Israeli government a decade ago, but visitors should note the return journey involves leaving the bus and passing single file through turnstiles and scanners and care should be taken to remove all belongings from the bus as you may find it has departed without you on the other side.

The network of bus and taxi services into Ramallah, the seat of government for the PA, makes it a handy base for the West Bank and for those seeking a luxurious retreat, the Grand Park Hotel is an oasis of calm away from the chaotic bustle of the nearby city centre. Immaculate sun-drenched suites offer a panoramic view of the city skyline from the high end – literally – neighbourhood of Al Masyoun Heights. Although the West Bank is a dry area, the well-stocked bar downstairs has no such prohibition and for those whose love of falafel does not extend to wanting to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as many Palestinians do, the Grand Park offers a satisfying approximation of a full English breakfast - although the traditional Palestinian zaater pastry is also recommended.

With a pool and gym available to guests at the luxury hotel, the Fakhr-El Din Lebanese restaurant offers a selection of superb meals which, although pricey by Palestinian standards at around NIS100 per head, are unlikely to break the bank for tourists.

Everything in Ramallah is a short taxi ride away (NIS20) but walking through the city centre, particularly the riot of colour and noise that is Al Ersal street, is more of an experience. The city was founded by five families, each represented by a lion at the Al Manara roundabout but there is little doubting who is the figurehead most associated with the city as murals, posters and - at Al Manara - a huge banner, of Yasser Arafat overlook proceedings.

Feted for his role at the head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and seen as the father of Palestine for his role in the Oslo Peace Accords which gave the PA a degree of self-determination in the mid 1990s, Arafat is revered across Palestine but particularly in Ramallah, his former seat of government and where he spent his final days in a compound. Arafat’s tomb can be visited in the compound unveiled by Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas in 2007 but visitors to Ramallah more inspired by the pen than the sword can take in the Mahmoud Darwish Museum, dedicated to the former journalist and national poet who in 1988 drafted the manifesto intended as the Palestinian people’s declaration of independence.

A visit to Ramallah’s Al Amari refugee camp can give a less tourist-orientated insight into daily life in the West Bank although, as with any of the long-established camps in the region it is advisable to hire a guide. The Al Amari Cultural Center may appear ramshackle from the outside but manager Samir Baderan, a former Asian Games weightlifter, is rightly proud of his half-sized Olympic-specification pool, which is used by at least one of the Palestinian Olympic swimming team, as well as the on-site gym, with all facilities open to different sexes on different days of the week.

Although Ramallah has its attractions, Bethlehem, site of the nativity is undoubtedly the biggest draw for foreign tourists and, once visitors have run the gauntlet of taxi drivers promising the earth and squabbling for trade, the small city delivers.

Most visitors are drawn to The Church of the Nativity, commissioned by the Emperor Constantine in 326 and the oldest continuously operating church in the world. The church, which is divvied up to the smallest detail between the often hostile Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic Christian communities, is entered through the aptly named Gate of Humility, a tiny doorway through which most visitors have to stoop. Although of huge significance to the Christian world, the more spiritual visitors may find they are given scant opportunity to pray and reflect thanks to the Greek Orthodox priests ushering through a constant flow of tourists but there is less hurry at the Milk Grotto Chapel, where Mary is said to have breast-fed the infant Jesus. Legend has it a drop of milk fell and turned the red stone walls of the grotto white and, regardless of the geological realities of the site, the play of light on the chalkstone walls alone justifies a visit.

Although the religious significance of Bethlehem is known in every corner of the Christian world, there are secular attractions in the friendly city too, not least the promise of ‘a tea you will never forget’ from Sami Khamis. It would be almost impossible to find the broom cupboard off busy Star Street that functions as Sami’s emporium without asking the friendly locals but the owner can be spotted scurrying around nearby collecting the empty glasses that testify his claims are no empty boast. And the proud Sami is happy to demonstrate to visitors how his ‘special teas’ are made, making his novices repeat every ingredient to the delight of the two or three patrons somehow shoehorned into his tea room.

Although anyone wanting to visit the Aida refugee camp nearby will have to take a taxi – haggling is taken as read – the trip is well worth the visit and is rewarded by a surprise highlight of any West Bank visit – the presence of original pieces of Banksy street art on a heavily decorated stretch of the security fence, including the iconic image of the Palestinian protestor preparing to hurl flowers. Find one of those vociferous taxi drivers familiar with the Banksy trail and see a number of works by the world-famous tag artist, one of them a copy of the little girl ascending the grim concrete wall on a handful of balloons, with the original a little further along, near the Bethlehem checkpoint It pays to be mindful of the only warning issued by the Foreign Office regarding West Bank travel when visiting such camps. My taxi driver was unruffled when a handful of young boys started hurling objects at members of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in the camp but such incidents can quickly escalate so it is wise to insist firmly on taking immediate evasive action.

For gastronomes, no West Bank trip would be complete without venturing north to Nablus to sample kunafeh, the ultra-sweet cheese-based dessert which is the city’s gift to the world and the Tawfiq restaurant is rated highly by residents.

Nablus clings to the slopes of Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, the latter dominated by the palatial residence of statesman and Palestinian tycoon Munib al-Masri, the Duke of Nablus and former right-hand man of Arafat. The city’s ancient quarter dates back to the pre-Biblical land of Canaan and Ottoman era dwellings almost touch above the narrow souq which is jammed with the bustle of daily commerce every day of the week except Friday, when an eerie quiet descends. Visitors can see the minaret in the old town square and men can visit the Turkish baths where locals still go to hang out, smoke nargileh pipes, indulge in massages and leave behind the worries of daily life under the organic-looking Ottoman domed ceilings.

A trip into the West Bank offers visitors a striking contrast to the more familiar, European-facing world of Tel Aviv and, although the sheer press of life on the street and rough-around-the-edges appearance of urban centres like Nablus and Ramallah can present an initial culture shock, the sheer human vitality of the region, not to mention the Biblical and archaeological heritage and year-round summer temperatures experienced in Jericho, make a trip into this oft-misunderstood corner of the world the opportunity of a lifetime.

Factbox: Max Hall stayed as a guest of the Grand Park Hotel, in Ramallah, www.grandpark.com; info@grandpark.com For more details of attractions in the West Bank, go to www.visitpalestine.ps