Before I head back to my version of reality, I take in all there is to see in the great south of Israel. To be honest, a lot of people I’ve met in Israel rarely even venture south. Since I spent nearly 3 months here, I really love it. I love how deserted it is – I feel like I’m in some movie. The Arava desert is truly magical.
En Gedi = Dead Sea
Honestly I don’t know what it is about this place but it has a knack for allowing you to clear your mind and really take a load off.
So if you make the trek down south…what should you see?
First off, I would recommend a trip to the Dead Sea along the way. It isn’t all the way south but it is a few hours drive from Tel Aviv/Jerusalem. I’m sure most of you have heard of it but the Dead Sea has the lowest sea level in the world. It is called the Dead Sea because it is full of salt. The big tourist thing is to go into the water and literally float completely. I’ve done it and it is pretty cool. There are also a number of spas and hotels – with world-class treatments, sulfur pools and deadsea mud baths. It is absolutely amazing for the skin and the mind. For more information, check out http://www.deadsea.co.il/.
South of Ketura there is still a lot to see and do. One place I recently visited is called Timna Park. It is a national park with a lot of history. This, apparently, is the land that Moses walked through when he led the Jews back to Israel from Egypt. Throughout Timna, there are lots of sites to explore that date back to these times. Outside of the history, it is a lovely place to just go for a camping adventure or to do some miraculous hikes. The park is easy to find and about 25 minutes north of Eilat. If you are headed towards Eilat, it is right off the motorway. Inside ,there is also an area to grab a bite to eat, go for a short paddle boat ride and even create a keepsake from sand – all nice things to do for the whole family. I really enjoyed it as a day out. I love nature and being in an area with so much history and beauty around it really makes you realize what life is about.
Timna Park
The final stop on this tour of the south is a city most people have heard of – Eilat. I will probably have more to say about this city in other posts but here is a brief overview of things to do here. Eilat is on the Red Sea, bordered by both Egypt and Jordan and is a tourist mecca. To be honest, I am not so into cities anymore but Eilat does have things to offer a tourist. First of all, the sea is lovely. On my many trips to Eilat, I was always amazed at how warm the water was and calm. A very nice place to go f
Eilat sunset
or a swim and just relax. There is also a nightlife here – with a number of bars, restaurants and some nightclubs, Eilat is lively especially in the summer. The weather is really nice around March – June. Before that it can still get cool in the evenings and I am told the summertime is almost unbearable – can get up to the mid-high 40s (degrees C). Shops are aplenty in Eilat too so bring those credit cards for all your shopping adventures. Most of all, I am a fan of the Eilat sunset…it is heartwarming. That is me though – I’m a bit of a romantic and this really stirs those romantic juices. 
I’m heading back up to the big city later today so watch out for tales of this glorious country.
Stay tuned…
