Page 23 - Holyland Magazine - 2015 edition
P. 23
Land of milk and honey. Photo: Tal Glik
Farm (www.shaked-s.co.il), pick your own
organic vegetables, make your own pickles
or bake pizza in an outdoor oven (tabun).
You can also tour the moshav and take a
peek at the Gaza Strip across the border, or
do a bit of shopping at the Vintage Bus Shop
(Tel. +972-54-805-5618), an old bus turned
into a quirky shop with a little café nook.
5
The Salad Trail is an unforgettable
experience, in the greenhouses of the
Besor region in the northern Negev. The
guides here are all agronomists, luent in
several languages, and at every stop on
the tour, you’ll also get to pick and eat fruit
and vegetables. Learn why tomatoes grow
G rowing up in southern Israel was a the Kibbutz is one of the largest producers carrot. You’ll also get to try some medicinal
upwards and all about the history of the
veritable tale of two cities. I spent my of honey in Israel, and you can visit the Yad
herbs, send a message using homing
pigeons and bake pita bread with za'atar
childhood in the attractive seaside Mordechai Apiary. It’s one of the best-known
and olive oil. The tour lasts 2-3 hours, and
town of Ashkelon, boasting a marina brands in Israel, and you can buy their
and six miles of pristine beaches with products right here, as well as ride a tractor,
mitzvah celebration (Tel. +972-8-9982225,
breathtaking sunsets, not to mention some visit the cowshed, tour the local museum and
4,000 years of history. I also spent time in the see a reconstruction of the Yad Mordechai is perfect for a special birthday or bar/bat
www.salat4u.co.il/).
6
university town of Beer-Sheva, the capital of Battle during the War of Independence (Tel.
the Negev, where my grandmother lived. So +972-8-6720559, www.ym-tayarut.co.il, in El Hayaen Ostrich Farm is a secluded
I thought I knew the area pretty well, but farm near Ein Habesor, on the banks of the
Hebrew).
3
recently, when asked to write a piece on Besor River. Join the guided tour to learn
how the ostrich grows to its remarkable size,
tourist attractions in southern Israel, what Kokhav Michael, between Ashkelon and
I found was nothing short of a revelation. I Kiryat Gat, looks like any sleepy moshav,
discover the special physiology that made
was especially struck by the many hidden but it is actually chock-full of family activities it the biggest lightless bird on the planet,
and attractions, from Reuma's pottery and
gems in the southern countryside, from and enjoy some fun activities - you can feed
rural and agricultural tourism to quaint little clay sculpting workshop (Tel.+972-54-
the ostriches, paint the eggs, pet the chicks
one-of attractions. The combination of sea 7707830) to the Mosaico art studio (Tel.
and more. After all that fun, relax a bit at the
and desert, lush nature and barren vistas, +972-8-6726389,www.mosaico.co.il),
Ostrich Cofee House, where only local and
history and heritage, and a vast array of organic ingredients are used (Tel. +972-8-
where you can learn the craft of making your
9987327, www.el-hayaen.co.il, in Hebrew).
opportunities for creativity, learning and just own mosaic. There is also a soap-making
7
plain old fun, gives visitors a real sense of workshop, a boutique lour mill, an archery
discovery. Here are 15 must-see sites in Bahatzer shel Ora (In Ora’s Yard) is a
club, a café and much, much more.
4
southern Israel. restaurant-cum-tour of a unique orchard in
1
Netiv HaAsara, the southernmost moshav
Kfar Maimon. This is the place to go if you
In early springtime, don’t miss the anemone on Route 4, is another gem of rural and
want to know what a ketembilla tastes like,
in bloom in the ields around Kibbutz ecotourism. You can visit the Shaked Veggie and if there is such a thing as a chocolate
Gvar'am and north of Sderot. The Red
South Festival (Darom Adom in Hebrew) Picking pomelos.
has become a real tourist attraction - with Photo: Tal Glik
guided tours to see the wildlowers in bloom,
antique and craft fairs, concerts and other
family-oriented activities, every weekend
in February-March. For more information,
drive a few kilometers south of Ashkelon, to
Yad Mordechai Junction, where a makeshift
information kiosk is set up (Tel. +972-52-
9991003, www.site.daromadom.org, in
Hebrew).
2
Kibbutz Yad Mordechai is named after
Mordechai Anilewicz, who led the Warsaw
Ghetto Uprising. Just south of Ashkelon,
23
Farm (www.shaked-s.co.il), pick your own
organic vegetables, make your own pickles
or bake pizza in an outdoor oven (tabun).
You can also tour the moshav and take a
peek at the Gaza Strip across the border, or
do a bit of shopping at the Vintage Bus Shop
(Tel. +972-54-805-5618), an old bus turned
into a quirky shop with a little café nook.
5
The Salad Trail is an unforgettable
experience, in the greenhouses of the
Besor region in the northern Negev. The
guides here are all agronomists, luent in
several languages, and at every stop on
the tour, you’ll also get to pick and eat fruit
and vegetables. Learn why tomatoes grow
G rowing up in southern Israel was a the Kibbutz is one of the largest producers carrot. You’ll also get to try some medicinal
upwards and all about the history of the
veritable tale of two cities. I spent my of honey in Israel, and you can visit the Yad
herbs, send a message using homing
pigeons and bake pita bread with za'atar
childhood in the attractive seaside Mordechai Apiary. It’s one of the best-known
and olive oil. The tour lasts 2-3 hours, and
town of Ashkelon, boasting a marina brands in Israel, and you can buy their
and six miles of pristine beaches with products right here, as well as ride a tractor,
mitzvah celebration (Tel. +972-8-9982225,
breathtaking sunsets, not to mention some visit the cowshed, tour the local museum and
4,000 years of history. I also spent time in the see a reconstruction of the Yad Mordechai is perfect for a special birthday or bar/bat
www.salat4u.co.il/).
6
university town of Beer-Sheva, the capital of Battle during the War of Independence (Tel.
the Negev, where my grandmother lived. So +972-8-6720559, www.ym-tayarut.co.il, in El Hayaen Ostrich Farm is a secluded
I thought I knew the area pretty well, but farm near Ein Habesor, on the banks of the
Hebrew).
3
recently, when asked to write a piece on Besor River. Join the guided tour to learn
how the ostrich grows to its remarkable size,
tourist attractions in southern Israel, what Kokhav Michael, between Ashkelon and
I found was nothing short of a revelation. I Kiryat Gat, looks like any sleepy moshav,
discover the special physiology that made
was especially struck by the many hidden but it is actually chock-full of family activities it the biggest lightless bird on the planet,
and attractions, from Reuma's pottery and
gems in the southern countryside, from and enjoy some fun activities - you can feed
rural and agricultural tourism to quaint little clay sculpting workshop (Tel.+972-54-
the ostriches, paint the eggs, pet the chicks
one-of attractions. The combination of sea 7707830) to the Mosaico art studio (Tel.
and more. After all that fun, relax a bit at the
and desert, lush nature and barren vistas, +972-8-6726389,www.mosaico.co.il),
Ostrich Cofee House, where only local and
history and heritage, and a vast array of organic ingredients are used (Tel. +972-8-
where you can learn the craft of making your
9987327, www.el-hayaen.co.il, in Hebrew).
opportunities for creativity, learning and just own mosaic. There is also a soap-making
7
plain old fun, gives visitors a real sense of workshop, a boutique lour mill, an archery
discovery. Here are 15 must-see sites in Bahatzer shel Ora (In Ora’s Yard) is a
club, a café and much, much more.
4
southern Israel. restaurant-cum-tour of a unique orchard in
1
Netiv HaAsara, the southernmost moshav
Kfar Maimon. This is the place to go if you
In early springtime, don’t miss the anemone on Route 4, is another gem of rural and
want to know what a ketembilla tastes like,
in bloom in the ields around Kibbutz ecotourism. You can visit the Shaked Veggie and if there is such a thing as a chocolate
Gvar'am and north of Sderot. The Red
South Festival (Darom Adom in Hebrew) Picking pomelos.
has become a real tourist attraction - with Photo: Tal Glik
guided tours to see the wildlowers in bloom,
antique and craft fairs, concerts and other
family-oriented activities, every weekend
in February-March. For more information,
drive a few kilometers south of Ashkelon, to
Yad Mordechai Junction, where a makeshift
information kiosk is set up (Tel. +972-52-
9991003, www.site.daromadom.org, in
Hebrew).
2
Kibbutz Yad Mordechai is named after
Mordechai Anilewicz, who led the Warsaw
Ghetto Uprising. Just south of Ashkelon,
23
