The two great deserts of Israel, the Negev Desert and the Judean Desert, surround Arad and its majestic landscape – just a stone's throw away from Masada and the Dead Sea. The city, not only renowned for its pure air but also for its quality of life, encompasses a rhythm of peaceful moments, multicultural aspects that have enchanted many artists, holistic therapists, and other spiritual and consciencious lovers gather into a multicultural community, made from Sephardim, Ashkenazim, Ethiopians, Russians and Bedouins. This dynamic immerses visitors into the magical richness and deeply welcoming desert region.
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Due to its proximity to the Dead Sea and Masada, many guest houses offer, in its authentic settings, charming guest rooms at more moderate prices than hotels in the area. Rachel Yanay offers a bed and breakfast accommodation at her holistic site where guest can enjoy a zen atmosphere with Tai Chi sessions and an excellent vegetarian breakfast. Her cooking (completely homemade!) is varied and made with love (050-5518756).
The Artists' Quarter opens the doors of its houses and the galleries of its inhabitants, offering visitors a look at art in its many forms and the opportunity to relax with eco-workshops, therapeutic days, aromatic plant seminars (yonat-midbar.co.il), watsu (Heavenly Water by Sivan Cohen Avitan 054-4927261) and other beneficial treatments.
On Friday evenings and during some week days, Eli and his wife welcome up to 40 guests in their beautiful villa. During the summer a candlelit dinner table is set up, sumptuously decorated with dishes for whom only the hostess knows the secret. Eli will talk about fascinating topics while delighting with his wines and smoked meats made to perfection (Culinary Experience in the Heart of the Desert, 050-4224777)
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For August, the Arad Regional Association has organized many activities including the observation of the meteor shower in the heart of the desert at Zman Midbar. At Kfar HaNokdim, less than an hour and a half from Tel Aviv, visitors will find a haven of peace, a hymn to life in the desert, and an oasis inspired by the spirit of its desert inhabitants, the Bedouins. At the same time, it is a paradisiacal corner, a village with comfortable Bedouin tents and luxurious rooms surrounded with greenery, a refuge far away from daily routine with breathtaking views, a warm welcome and traditional food from the region’s culinary. Kfar HaNokdim is also the opportunity to spend an extraordinary weekend in a hotel with 5 million stars, from August 10-11 and the 17-18. A program with an introduction to stargazing, through a telescope and naked eye, to learn how to recognize the stars’ names and their legends, followed by a night walk under the rain of the Perseids meteors, visible every year in Israel, visitors will be guided to marvel at one of nature’s terrific events from the heart of the Canaan Valley.
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