Israel's own stories from tourists. How to travel to Israel from Russia on your own. Buying a universal SIM card

Approximately 2-3 months before the planned departure date. This time we were lucky to catch an excellent option within a month. Departure from Sheremetyevo (the airport closest to me) with AirSerbia with a transfer in Belgrade. For only 26.4 tr. for two round trip and without night flights. Citizens of the Russian Federation do not need a visa to Serbia, as well as to Israel, so on the way to Tel Aviv, between flights, we managed to go out into the city and also get to know Belgrade. And eat crazy delicious local food in the nearest Serbian cafe for 3 kopecks!

By the way, the food on board is also excellent, and in the evenings the menu includes wine, gin, beer and Jack Daniels! 🙂

2.Housing
We saved 100% on housing, because... visited local guys through Couchsurfing. We spent one night in Belgrade in the apartment of a funny Serbian guy, Alexa, who loves Russia very much and has traveled around it a lot. For the next 2 nights we lived in a working-class neighborhood of Tel Aviv with Sergei and Yana, refugees from Ukraine, who treated us to delicious vegan chickpea soup and organized gatherings for us with beer and hookah on the roof of their apartment. We stayed for another 4 nights in the center of Tel Aviv with a local Israeli couple of physics scientists, Lily and Oren, who themselves traveled the world for a whole year and even published a book from their photographs taken during the trip. Lilya was born in Baku and speaks Russian well. She also cooks very tasty Middle Eastern dishes, we tried them too. Naturally, we did not go to all our coaches empty-handed, but brought them magnets, Alenka chocolate, a guide to St. Petersburg and other gifts from Russia (about 1,500 rubles for everything).

Alexa is in the center. And Volodya will have a good ride for a Serb, he’s also dark-haired.
Roof for gatherings.
Lily and Oren's apartment. In our opinion, this is a “living room,” but the Israelis call it a “salon.”

3.Currency and prices.
The currency of Israel is the new Israeli shekel (ILS). 1 shekel = approximately 20 rubles. At gas stations, in supermarkets, museums and even in some eateries, Visa and MasterCard are accepted for payment without any problems, but sometimes there is a minimum for paying by card - 20-25 shekels. Take out a little cash and immediately exchange it for small bills, or better yet, coins. Useful for tips, parking and other everyday expenses.
Prices in Israel are very high, especially with the current exchange rate for us - homeless tourists who receive salaries in rubles. When planning the budget for your trip, budget for everything at a cost that is 2 or even 3 times higher than if you spent money on it in Moscow.
For example,
a glass of beer at the bar - 30 shekels (600 rubles), coffee - 12 shekels (240 rubles)
liter of gasoline - 5 shekels (100 rubles)
shawarma/kebab/falafel in a snack bar - 20 shekels (400 rubles)
room in the cheapest hotel from 200 shekels (from 4000 rubles)
train from the city center to the airport - 16 shekels (320 rubles)
pack of Marlboro - 34 shekels (680 rub.)

4.Transport, parking
Having planned our itinerary for a week in Israel, we figured that it would be more profitable to rent a car and not depend on public transport. Which, by the way, is quite comfortable and convenient, but also not cheap. We made no mistake here. Renting a car in the city from a local Eldan rental car for 3 days cost only 100 bucks (8,000 rubles) with all insurance. At the same time, we reserved the most a budget option— a baby Fiat 500 with manual transmission, but they still gave us a robot :)

The parking situation in Israeli cities is the same as in Moscow. In the center - everything is paid, in residential area— park on their heads. But this is not the first time we have completed this quest. If you live in Khimki, you will learn something different. You can find a place for your “baby” everywhere and even for free. During all this time, we only paid for parking once, because we really wanted to walk along the embankment and stood closer to the sea. The price for 1 hour is 5 shekels (100 rubles), almost the same as in the center of Moscow. Have some change ready for the parking machine; it doesn't accept cards or give change. I advise you to look carefully at the road signs, even though they are in Hebrew, but you can intuitively guess that the parking lot belongs to a school/kindergarten or residents of a nearby house.
In 3 days we covered more than 500 km, went to Jerusalem, Haifa, Acre, the Dead Sea and Mount Masada, refueled 2 times for 150 shekels (2 x 3000 rubles = 6000 rubles).
In total, the car cost 14,000 rubles, but we saw half of Israel.
The roads, by the way, are very good, and there were traffic jams only in the center of Tel Aviv.

5.Food
We didn’t go to restaurants, if not eateries, and bought food at the supermarket. We didn’t notice the difference in money, so we gave up on the idea of cooking ourselves. The portions in hummus/kebab/falafel shops are huge, and the dish comes with flatbreads, sauce and a snack in the form of pickled olives, cucumbers, etc. We eat little, so we often took 1 serving for two. On average, a meal for two with tea or a cold drink will cost 50 shekels (1000 rubles). In a cafe, coffee with dessert for one is 25-30 shekels (500-600 rubles). Fantasize about the bill for dinner at a restaurant yourself :)

6.Entertainment
Entrance to museums and galleries is about 50 shekels (1000 rubles) per person, but various discounts apply. For example, according to the ISIC (international student card), a ticket to the Masada fortress cost me 10 shekels cheaper.
A ticket to a club for a concert of a local band is about the same - 40 shekels (800 rubles)

You can walk along the embankment and work out at work out sites, and use the city beaches for free. Walking along the street with artists and craftsmen like our Arbat - Nahala Vinyamin and listening to street musicians is also free.

Do you want to feel the real oriental exoticism and are not afraid to go to Auchan on the weekend? Then head to nearby A-Carmel Street. Along it stretches the main market of Tel Aviv with a bunch of different junk, food, spices, etc. There’s no crowding of people; grandmothers with carts and mothers with double(!) strollers scurry about in the narrow rows. And the sellers shout to each other across 2 rows and invite them to their tents. Honestly, entertainment is not for me.

Along the embankment you can walk to the old city and the port of Jaffa. It's a picturesque place in itself and free Art Gallery, where you can also buy souvenirs.

7. Other useful things
If this is your first time in Israel, your adventures will begin right at the airport when going through passport control. Due to historical circumstances, the country has enhanced security measures. Crossing the border is accompanied by intense interrogation - who you are, where you work, how long you have been married, who you are going to Israel to see and why, give the address and telephone number of the people with whom you will stay, etc. and so on. I was even invited to go with the officer, take a photo and give my fingerprints. And this is the norm, be prepared. When leaving the country everything is the same.
Almost half of Israel speaks Russian; you can hear your native speech here all the time - in cafes, pharmacies, supermarkets...
Alcohol can be bought in stores until 22.00; they may ask for a document confirming your age.
There is another stupid, in my opinion, system at gas stations. When you tell the gas station attendant that you have a full tank and pay by bank card international Visa or MasterCard systems, 200 shekels are automatically blocked. Even if you only need 5 or 10 liters to reach a full tank. A check is issued for exactly the amount you were charged for. The difference is automatically returned to the card within 30 days. Our money arrived in 3-4 days. This does not happen when paying with cash or a local payment system card.
We didn’t know about this feature, and the gas station employee couldn’t really explain anything to us and said that this was a problem with our bank. We got the impression that we were simply duped and brazenly cheated out of money. And we refueled twice. We asked local passers-by how this could happen. To which the guys themselves were surprised and said that there are cameras everywhere and usually they don’t deceive anyone, they issue checks. Only later in the rental car, when returning the car, they told us about this system. We breathed a sigh of relief. They don’t report this right away because they already give out a lot of information to clients when renting a car, according to them. But in vain. The detail is important.
By the way, the services of a gas station add another 6.5 shekels to your check.
From Friday evening to Saturday evening is Shabbat. A day off on which Jews do nothing, many establishments are closed, trains and buses do not run, etc. But not everything is so scary, the city is not dying out completely. In Israel, not the entire population professes Judaism; there are both Muslims and Christians. They work as usual.

So:

26,400 rubles – round-trip tickets for two

RUB 14,200 – car rental for 3 days + gasoline + parking for 2 hours

1,500 rubles - gifts to people with whom we visited

2,000 rubles – 2 tickets (adult and student) for the funicular with a visit to the Masada fortress

RUB 1,280 – 2 round-trip train tickets between the airport and the city center

Total for two adults for 7 days: 45,380 rubles
I did not take into account food, but I advise you to take into account 1000 rubles / day per person. Shopping, souvenirs and other entertainment also depend on your tastes, needs and capabilities.
In fact, a regular trip through a travel agency for 1 person costs the same amount. But this amount will only be shown to you by the tourist Israel from the guidebook. And you won’t get to know his life and everyday life from the inside, you won’t discover many new and interesting things for yourself, like we did! 🙂

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Israel is the country in which I live, which I know and love. I am not a professional guide. But I know the history of Israel well, Interesting Facts about Israel. Every time we travel with friends, I act as a guide. Several times I had the opportunity to speak in front of in large groups tourists.

I really love traveling around Israel. Having lived in the north of Israel for 10 years, I traveled almost the entire north, the Golan Heights.

But I am also familiar with other areas of Israel - I have been to Jerusalem dozens of times, to nature reserves and beautiful places center and south of the country.

All this gives me confidence to open this site and hopes that it will be interesting and useful to you.

As a reader of the site, I see both tourists from abroad and Israelis.

The main thing is the desire to do well.

I understand that it is difficult and probably impossible to create a route that will suit everyone. But I am sure that the route, which is in the right menu of the site, will help you create your ideal route around Israel, in accordance with your preferences and interests.

In addition, I am ready to answer your questions and help you plan your route.

The feedback form is below.

And here is the very version of the route that my friends and I outlined:

Day 2-The day begins with an inspection: the tomb of the prophet, a German colony,

And continues with a visit to the historical reserve -

Day 3 –

If you have time, go to Achziv beach.

Day 5– the same hotel in northern Israel

Old town, holy places

Day six – continuation of the examination

Day 8 —

Day 9– in the morning – relaxation at the Dead Sea

In a longer version (if someone travels around Israel for 10 or more days) - rest in all.

In the short version and in the long version, after Eilat – return to the center –

The tiny state, surrounded by three seas, is usually called Hollyland, because it is here that all the main shrines of the three main world religions are collected. Organizing independent travel to Israel, many consider it a journey into the past. However, in reality, when you set foot in the Holy Land, you go straight to the year 5773! After all, chronology is calculated from the moment of the creation of the world!

But of course everything here is steeped in history. Stones scattered off the coast of Jaffa witnessed the battle between Perseus and sea monster Kraken; the walls of the Hospitaller fortress in Acre have kept the secrets of the knightly order for centuries; in the Negev desert, the remains of the ancient kingdom of the Nabateans are preserved; not far from there is still a sign “Sodom”; Skeletons of Neanderthals are found on Mount Carmel, and under the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem, a little far from the Garden of Gethsemane, lies the Fiery Hyena.

Israel is probably the only country in the world whose history is the common heritage of mankind, and the names of the ancient rulers of these lands are known to almost every person on the planet. That is why millions of tourists come to Israel every year to see with their own eyes the places where the most exciting events in human history unfolded.

But despite such a rich past, resort Israel cannot be ignored. The Red Sea tempts tourists with diving, the Mediterranean with windsurfing and nightlife Tel Aviv, Dead - unique healing properties, and the Sea of Galilee, indicated on the map as Lake Kinneret, offers thermal baths and stunning views.

It took Moses forty years to bring his people to the Promised Land. And today an Aeroflot, Transaero Airlines, Natur Air, Israir Air or El Al plane will deliver from Moscow to Tel Aviv in just four hours. And the preparations won’t take much time, because Israel has long abolished visas for citizens of Russia and Ukraine. Unfortunately, the Odessa-Haifa ferry is also a thing of the distant past and we can only get to the Holy Land by air.

Often, carriers make the mistake of indicating prices in advertising brochures without taking into account airport taxes, because this way the ticket price looks twice as attractive. But in reality, $200 won’t fly you far, and in reality prices start from 11 thousand rubles. And on low-cost charter flights, only those who have purchased a full package of travel agency services as part of their ticket are usually allowed on board. But we are used to exploring the world on our own, so the all-inclusive option is left out.

Another interesting option has recently become available. Israel has finally allowed . And already in January a ticket from Wizz air to Tel Aviv from Budapest will cost only at 35 euros. But in this case, problems may arise with the connection and the Schengen visa itself. Therefore, it’s easier to still choose direct flight from Moscow or another Russian city.

Safety first

For more than 60 years, since the formation of the State of Israel, a small triangle on the Middle East map has been considered a hot spot. The first thing that catches the eyes of visitors is very young girls and boys walking around with small machine guns at the ready. shopping centers, beaches and even clubs. Soldiers undergoing military service do not have the right to be separated from their weapons for even a second. Vigilance is the basis of safety. Therefore, no one objects to the mandatory search of bags at the entrance to shopping centers.

Ben Gurion Airport, increased security measures

IN international airportBen Gurion also apply increased security measures. The first thing a tourist should remember is to never leave your bag unattended, and certainly not agree to look after a stranger’s luggage. Every package left behind is potentially considered an explosive...

Today, Israeli border guards have become much friendlier and, most likely, when entering the country you will not exchange even a few phrases with them. But for those who have stamps in their passport indicating their stay in the territory of Iran, Syria, Lebanon, the Emirates, etc. you need to be prepared for a small conversation.

When leaving the country, you should not wrap your suitcases in cellophane ahead of time. The customs service may well be interested in the contents of the luggage and who packed it. Also, Russian-speaking employees may ask where you lived, with whom you communicated and where you traveled in the country.

In case of increased attention of airport workers to your person, you need to keep calm. Yelling will not achieve anything here, and since an honest traveler has nothing to hide, it is better to politely answer all questions and return home with a clear conscience.

The laws of the host state must be respected. Moreover, in Israel these are forced measures, the purpose of which is solely your safety.

Weather and seasons in Israel throughout the year - when is the best time to go?

For residents of the middle zone, treacherously evergreen palm trees are a symbol of constant summer. However, not everything is so snowless in Israel. And in the literal sense of the word. In January-February Mount Hermon, for example, snow falls. And then thousands of Israelis set off to conquer the snow on popular resort. As a result, terrible traffic jams form on the roads in the northern direction of the country. Therefore, for guests of the country who have enough snow and a home, it is better to take a route in a southern direction, for example to Dead or Red Sea, where, fortunately, you can swim all year round.

For beach lovers

Lovers beach holiday, Mediterranean Israel awaits from May to November. The water in the sea will warm up at the end of April and there will be no rain in the region for the next six months. But in July-August the temperature tends to rise and sometimes rises above 40°C. Therefore, it is best to come to Israel in mid-autumn.

For pilgrims

Those who as P Travelers deciding to visit Israel for Christmas should be prepared for a year's worth of rain. The rainy season lasts from December to January. But short-term downpours in the north and center of the country are not able to tarnish the reputation of the resorts of the Dead and Red Seas.

By and large, the sun shines all year round in Israel and hundreds of exciting routes are waiting in the wings. But more on that next time.

Today I want to give some advice for people who want to come and travel around Israel on their own. In many ways, these recommendations are universal and suitable for any country in the world. But still, there are several nuances that are relevant specifically in the Promised Land. So, I will list them by topic.

Dear tourists. Book excursions with my participation, you will have a wonderful time, I guarantee it!!! I tell a lot, interestingly, and in human language:)

List of my excursions, routes , prices and photos:

Jerusalem+ Bethlehem

Travel time

Buy tickets in advance! Especially in summer. At the same time, it is better to buy return tickets too. Israel is a hot country. Therefore, if you are coming to swim in the seas (there are already 4 of them!), then summer is quite suitable for you. If you want to visit sights or holy places, it is better to come in spring or autumn. Description of the weather in Israel by month, please see

Accommodation

If you are traveling on your own, then get used to the fact that Israel is dear country. Book your hotel or apartment in advance. With the help of the Internet this is easy to do. As a rule, in the first and second cases you will be asked to give an advance (if you do not arrive for any reason, it will not be returned to you). I always recommend renting a hotel or inn. It may be more expensive, but the conditions there are usually better.

Cultural program

While still at home, make a rough plan for your trip by time. Think about what places or establishments you would like to visit. Believe that your eyes will run wild on the spot, and do right choice it will be hard. For example, if you want to take a tour of Jerusalem, Dead Sea or another place, contact the guide in advance. At the same time, ask about the cost entrance tickets, as well as how to get to the place. By the way, compilation cultural program- the most labor-intensive work at the stage of preparation for the trip.

Transport

You can move around Israel by public transport, taxi or rent a car, but it is best if you are accompanied by Private Guide with a car. This way you won't have to deal with the sad reality of Israeli road life, such as traffic jams, parking problems ( Ughhh I’m already traumatized by them: ) the fact is that they simply don’t exist, but when they do exist, the price for them ranges from one dollar per hour, if you’re VERY lucky, five dollars per hour if you’re less lucky, and up to unrealistic 8 dollars per hour if there’s no choice anymore:) To this we should add toll roads, terrible gas prices (about two dollars per liter) and not always honest taxi drivers. And the taxi prices themselves are quite unkind(A 10-15 minute ride will cost an average of $15) Israeli public transport, although very developed, but unfortunatelynot always effective (or more precisely, very not effective) a bus or minibus can take you in circles around a certain area in city traffic jams. I'm not even talking about the price of the transport itself and its congestion during rush hour, plus to all this it is worth adding that public transport simply does not operate in Jewish streets abbot (from mid-Friday to Saturday evening) and on Israeli holidays. There are special articles on the topic of taxis and car rental on my website. I advise you to watch them.

Related articles: Guide with a car in Israel, Cost of a taxi in Israel, Israeli trains and railways, Price and rental of a car in Israel, Car parking in Israel

Shabbat and holidays

This is a purely Israeli “trick”. From Friday evening until Sunday morning, public transport does not operate government agencies, as well as some shopping and entertainment venues. The situation is similar during major Jewish religious holidays. Therefore, when planning your trip, take this fact into account.

Additional articles

They say in modern world We are increasingly less likely to make decisions based only on our own desires. Falling for the tricks of marketing companies, we constantly grab onto what we didn’t really need. We buy, visit, watch, listen... Some find the strength to admit it, others don’t, and meanwhile the big marketing machine continues to work, gaining momentum. It seems to you that you only closed your eyes for a second, but now travel no longer belongs to you. In the era of globalization, social networks and low-cost air carriers are no longer our choice of holiday destinations, now they choose us. But this is, perhaps, that rare case when the choice made for you leaves the most pleasant memories in your memory.

What thoughts come to your mind when it comes to Israel? About God and faith, about Jews, persecution or Nazism, perhaps about a sun-scorched desert or war? Over many years of travel, I have realized one thing - there are no two absolutely identical opinions about the same place. Each of us, refracting light through our own worldview, experience and mood, creates our own vision of the whole country.

Our seven days in Israel flew by like one short November day in which you just woke up, but it was already starting to get dark. However, we managed to drive 2000 km in a rented car and see the country from south to north, meet amazing people, encounter ignorance and cowardice, get lost in the Arava Desert, dive to the bottom of the Red Sea and bask in the soft autumn sun.

First impressions

We first started talking about traveling to Israel when low-cost airlines introduced this route. But each time there were other countries that I wanted to visit more, and each time Israel was postponed to the next time. Only after 2 years of such transfers did we finally land at the former military airport Uvda, the smallest of all where we had ever been.

Forty minutes in line passport control, interrogation with passion, and here we are on bus number 282 along the road winding between the colorful Eilat mountains. Crimson with green veins, light yellow and deep brown, they arise and dissolve again in the Negev Desert.

Having made a small circle around the city, the bus took us in the direction of the border with Egypt, 3.5 kilometers short of which our “musical” hotel was located. Having received the keys ahead of schedule, we went up to our small room, hidden in the long corridor of the floor classical music. Having unpacked our suitcases, we quickly filled the clean and tidy room, overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba, with our belongings, hanging and arranging everything as we do at home. You can see a review of the Prima Music Hotel on my page.

At the end of autumn in these places the sun sets very quickly. Closer to 4, it begins to slowly roll over the tops of the mountains, and already at 5, the moon rises from the direction of Jordan and it becomes dark, as if in the dead of night. Without knowing this, we leisurely had lunch at a nearby fish restaurant, packed our things for the beach and prepared equipment for underwater photography. By the time we got there, the beach was almost empty, kite surfers were packing their parachutes, scuba divers were washing salt off their suits and masks, and vacationers were packing their bags and heading to their hotels to get ready for dinner. A strong wind was blowing near the water, making it seem literally icy. There was nothing left to do but walk along the shore and explore the territory. The shore quickly ended. We ran up against the fence of the dolphin reef and walked up to the road. Hotels, minimarkets, more hotels, underwater observatories, lonely camels belonging to the owner of a Bedouin hookah bar covered in carpets. After 30 minutes of a leisurely walk on the seashore, the lights of the barbecues began to flicker. The narrow strip of Migdalor Beach is a favorite spot for Israelis traveling around the country with tents in caravans. This spectacle is incredibly mesmerizing, you stand and, without taking your eyes off, watch how they sit on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba, fry sausages on crackling coals in the peaceful silence and admire the mountains of Jordan, illuminated by an unusually bright moon.

Red Sea and Eilat beaches

We spent the entire next day in idleness - sunbathing, swimming, exploring undersea world red sea The beach across the road from our hotel is well equipped: sun loungers, showers and umbrellas. The first row of sun loungers at the entrance to the sea resembles double beds under awnings, and the mattresses covered with white sheets only enhance this feeling. Entrance to the sea from the shore. At the very edge of the water there are small pebbles, the size of which increases with depth. Without special shoes, you can injure your feet. The location of the beach is not the best; next to it there is a small area where swimming is prohibited, as this is a mooring area sea vessels, and although only one boat moored there all day, the place cannot be called safe. The fact is that with the sunrise, large multi-colored parachutes of kitesurfers soar up over the sea, the number of which decreases only with the onset of darkness. Of course, it’s very interesting to watch them from the shore, but few people want to get hit on the head with a board.

When choosing a hotel, we deliberately refused options in Eilat itself, where the beaches are sandy, and where the underwater world is either completely absent or represented by gray, inconspicuous fish that accidentally swam into those parts. Closer to the border with Egypt, the situation changes for the better: islands of multi-colored corals are scattered here and there on the sandy bottom, around which numerous marine inhabitants of all shapes and colors revolve. Armed with an underwater camera, we stayed in the water for hours, trying to capture all the fish we saw, and then, already basking in the warm sun, we shared our finds with each other. The day flew by unnoticed, and with the arrival of evening came the realization that it was time to decide on further plans.

Rent a Car

Contrary to popular belief that many states in the Middle East are not suitable for independent walks, Israel seemed quite trustworthy in this regard. We managed to appreciate the good road surface on the way from the airport. The entire parking lot in front of our hotel was filled with rental cars, which also gave us confidence. To calm our own souls, we studied all the information about rentals and roads available on the forums, and decided to stick to the standard option for getting to know new country— we rented a car.

In Eilat there are representative offices of the main international companies car rental, whose offices are located in the very center, close to the bus station and airport serving domestic flights. There are also local rental companies, and we took our Chevrolet Spark from one of them at a ridiculous price. But, as you know, free cheese is always in a mousetrap. Firstly, the Cal AUTO office is located in the new part of the city, or rather at the very exit from it. Secondly, their website is clearly underdeveloped. After the booking data was entered into the form and sent to the rental company, the page froze, I had to reload it several times, as a result, at some point the city for receiving the car changed from Eilat to Tel Aviv. We found out about this in the morning, a few hours before receiving the car. The call center employee assured us that he had made the appropriate changes to our reservation, but at the office we learned that he had simply created a new one, which is why the deposit amount of 4,000 shekels ($1,000) was blocked on our card twice. In the end, everything ended well: both amounts were unblocked, the rent cost us the amount indicated on the website, and the manager did everything possible to resolve the issue. But as they say, the spoons were found, but the sediment remained.

Our silver Chevrolet Spark could hardly be called new. This was evidenced by both his appearance and the number of kilometers traveled. But at the same time, a “Mobileye” system developed by an Israeli company was installed inside the cabin, which monitors road markings, speed limits, notifies about a decrease in tire pressure and much more. In fact, it is a “black box” for the car, which allows you to judge how safely and carefully the driver drives.

Having completed the paperwork for the car closer to 12 noon, we drove onto the longest Israeli highway number 90 and headed to national park Timna, located in the valley of the same name. The road in this direction is virtually empty, level, with good surface and markings, it goes along high mountains Jordan, date plantations and the sands of the Arava desert.

Timna Valley

After 25 kilometers, turning onto a single-track road, we entered the territory of the park, which is open year-round and daily. A ticket purchased at the box office for 49 shekels ($13) is valid for three days. By presenting it, you can watch for free the short film “Mines of Time” about the role of copper in this region, drink tea in a shop by the lake and fill the souvenir bottle given there with multi-colored sand. Entry to the national park is possible only by transport (car, bus or bicycle), which, in general, is logical, given the park’s area of 60 square kilometers, the distance of all natural attractions from each other and the harsh desert climate.

At the entrance, along with your ticket, you receive a map on which all the walking routes are marked, each of which is colored in its own color. On the ground, routes are marked in the appropriate color either on stones lying underfoot or on rock. I strongly recommend that you do not leave the car without this card. It’s better to have it fall unclaimed at the bottom of your backpack than to pass the next turn and realize that you’re lost.

A couple of years ago we went to organized excursion to the red canyon in Egypt, located closer to the border with Israel. It seemed to me that the Timna Valley would be essentially an identical place, and I even thought about the advisability of visiting it. Of course, if you look at it from a global perspective, it is so: orange-red sand against a blue sky, narrow canyons and endless desert. But this is only at first glance.

A narrow asphalt road led us deep into a depression shaped like a horseshoe. There ahead rose steep striped cliffs of light yellow, sometimes honey color. We drove past the highest hills fancy shapes formed by erosion.

Probably, for a casual person who is not imbued with the history of the place, it’s just beautiful nature or Martian landscapes. But once you delve into the events that took place here over many millions of years, everything takes on a special meaning. Even the very age of this place gives a feeling of eternity, which permeates every stone, every slope, every fault.

The unique geological section of the Timna valley allows you to read the history of its origins like an open book. Research has shown that many millions of years ago the modern territory of the park was under the waters of the Tethys Ocean. This fact for me is perhaps the most interesting part - just think, walking along the bottom of the ocean! Over time, the process of uplifting the entire region led to the gradual withdrawal of the ocean, starting a long process of erosion. Having finally formed as a result of the formation of the Syrian-African fault, the Timna Valley began to take on its modern shape. The only difference was that in those days the full-flowing rivers Timna and Nekhushtan were seething here.

People came to the territory of the Timna valley only during the Neolithic period, and approximately 6,000 years ago, during the Copper-Stone Age, copper mining began here. During the reign of the Egyptian pharaohs, Timna turned into a large copper mining center.

In the middle of the 20th century, the American archaeologist Nelson Gluck called the Timna valley the mines of King Solomon (10th century BC). True, later studies proved that copper was not mined here during his reign. But the name stuck with this place and many guides and guidebooks continue to mislead numerous tourists.

The first attraction we saw when we drove a little away from the ticket office was the “spiral” hill. The parking lot adjacent to the observation deck is located a little further, but we left the car at the side of the road and headed straight up the hill along the well-trodden path.

Here and there there were representatives of the local vegetation: wavy acacia, covered with sharp thorns and small green leaves. It’s simply amazing how life finds its way even where, by all external signs, it shouldn’t exist. The roots of these plants go deep into the ground, providing them with proper nutrition.

Having driven a little forward, we came to observation deck, from which an incredible panorama of the valley and a bizarre sculpture of nature opened up: a mushroom and a half-mushroom. After standing on the edge, blown by the hot desert wind, we jumped into the car again and turned on the air conditioning at full power. It’s hard to imagine what’s going on here in the summer, if even in mid-November it’s so hot.

Some parts of the road leading to the “Chariots” - rock carvings from the period of Egyptian rule - are not paved, but they pass by mountains, the sections of which show layers of rock.

During the work to transform the Timna Valley into a national park, organizers at the site where the chariots were discovered decided to create an exhibition of copies of all the wall paintings collected from the valley and nearby mountains. Among the copies at the “exhibition” are drawings of animals: mountain goats, leopards, cheetahs and, of course, scenes of hunting them. There is a drawing with ostriches, found near Kibbutz Samar, and a peculiar drawing of a woman giving birth.

For several hours we moved from place to place, from one attraction to another, until we arrived at the arches, which we were going to take a look at with one eye and head towards the Solomon's Pillars, because it was already time for the park to close. In the parking lot, besides us, there was only a bus, the drivers of which were chatting while waiting for a group of children conquering heights. Having slammed the map of the area and the water inside the air-conditioned car, we went out to take 1-2 pictures against the backdrop of the arch.

Step by step, and we ourselves did not understand how we ended up at the foot of the mountain, into which metal steps were driven. Curiosity and the spirit of adventure took over and we, throwing the camera over our shoulders, began to climb.

The higher we went, the more interesting it became, and now the bus and the parking lot seemed so small and so far away.

The walking route either took us up, then led us into dark caves, then suddenly took us down, where it led us through narrow canyons. Adrenaline and curiosity, curiosity and adrenaline - that’s probably all I was able to think about then.

I don’t know how much time passed, maybe 40 minutes, maybe less. And here we stand on the most high point, the whole valley is in full view, ringing silence, not a single soul around, even the bus with the children has already left the parking lot, delight, admiration and the desire to continue. The world through the eyes of flying birds - isn’t it great?!

The sun was starting to set, we clearly understood that we would no longer see any Solomon’s Pillars, we needed to get back to the car. Having gone down to half the route, we remembered how the children, who were waiting for the bus, returned along a gentle descent, as if going around the route with the steps we used to climb. Having jumped into the dry mouth, we headed, as it seemed to us, in the direction of the car. At some point, I noticed that the color of the walking route had changed, but there was still no parking. One turn, two, three.

The park is closing, the sun is setting, and we are in the middle of the Arava desert, without water, without a map, but with an absolutely useless phone, demonstrating the lack of communication. It was reassuring that we were walking along walking route, but the realization that some of them were looped again threw me into panic. Going back is not an option; you can’t get through these heights and caves in the dark. Forward into the unknown is the only chance. We are at the mouth, high steep banks and silence above us. It is unlikely to meet a random tourist; there were at most 3 cars and a bus here all day. All that remained was to climb up from the mouth in the hope of seeing the road. The plan worked, after 5 minutes we reached the asphalt, and having been guided by the location of the setting sun, after another 5 we reached the car. Already sitting in safety, we laughed at our stupidity and arrogance. The desert is a treacherous place, we are glad that, having taught us a lesson, it allowed us to go home, write to others and warn by example.

That day we only had time to pop into a cafe by the lake, created to protect the mines from the floods of the Nekhushtan River, drink tea and fill bottles with the colorful sands of the valley. The sun hid behind the high slopes of Timna, and we sat there, drinking sweet tea, thinking about the consequences of our own carelessness.

The second time we entered the park with our ticket a day later, on the way to the Dead Sea.

Limited by time, we hurried to the failed mines of King Solomon and the temple of the goddess Hathor. Of course, no photo will convey the scale of this place, but believe me, it is impressive.

On the way to the pillars, we again saw an arch and a metal staircase going up. Smiling at each other, each of us fingered the map of the national park in our hands.

There was nowhere to get lost here; after a couple of minutes we came down from the other side and saw the temple, or rather what was left of it. The Temple of Miners, or the temple of the goddess Hathor, the patroness of miners and treasure hunters, which was built at the end of the 14th century. BC e., after which it was destroyed and restored several times. The last item was sandstone, which, due to erosion, took the shape of a mushroom. Next to it you can see a smelting furnace and an industrial yard for copper smelting from the 14th to 12th centuries BC. e.

Our acquaintance with the park was over. There was still so much we wanted to see, so many routes to follow, but new adventures were already calling us to hurry.

Dead Sea

Highway 90 heading Dead Sea passes through the Arava Valley. The desire to stop at every turn and capture pictures characteristic of the desert and so new to us was suppressed by one single thing - time, which was sorely lacking. Two hundred and fifty kilometers doesn't seem like such a long distance until you drive it along this road. Smooth and completely unloaded, rightfully recognized as the lowest on our planet, it greedily absorbs time.

After spending 3.5 hours and an eternity in the car, we finally got to resort town called Ein Bokek. There are hotels along the coast that offer health complexes For everyone. Leaving the car in place spontaneously organized free parking, we went out for a walk and a swim in the Dead Sea.

Adjacent to the parking lot is an equipped beach belonging to one of the local hotels. A little to the left of it is a small separate building with a toilet and shower, where you can change into beach clothes. But we were less fortunate with the sunbeds: the caretaker said that the sunbeds and chairs are the property of the hotel, and you cannot use them even for money. We had to leave our things right on the orange sticky sand. In the middle of the beach there is an area with showers that can be used without restrictions. The warm oily water was not crowded. One elderly couple sat on plastic white chairs at the very edge of the water and, as I understand it, inhaled the oxygen-rich air. Several men, loudly discussing something, dangled like floats a little further from the shore, and their especially seasoned women rubbed themselves with salt raised from the bottom of the Dead Sea. A little later, several more people joined, like us, who looked at this beach only to take a dip and move on. Attention was drawn to the guys with machine guns, who took turns holding weapons while their brothers plunged into the water, and at the same time served as a photographer. After hanging out in the water for the allowed 15 minutes, we quickly had a snack and went for a walk.

The sun began to set, but it was still warm and calm near the water. The mountains on the other side, illuminated by the setting sun, turned pale pink. Their reflection in the water created an unrealistically beautiful picture of the surrounding world.

I thought what a shame it would be if future generations didn’t see this. And this is far from some surreal picture of the future. Just a hundred and ten years ago, a Jerusalem physician and secretary of the British-Palestine Society, Dr. Ernest Masterman, made the first ever measurement of the level of the Dead Sea. To do this, he sailed on a boat to sheer cliff and knocked out the risk at the water level. And today from this rock to the seashore is about thirty meters. In addition, Highway 90 already runs underneath it. And if the situation does not change, then, according to experts, by 2050 one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth may disappear altogether.

We walked along the embankments and photographed the salt marshes until dark. It was so wonderful and comfortable that I flatly refused to leave, like many vacationers who dangled in the water until the last moment.

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