Recommend May 2014 - (Page 27)

ISRAEL MINISTRY OF TOURISM Bedouin women weaving in the Negev Desert. Discovery #10: Desert Detour The Negev Desert takes up 60 percent of Israel's land mass. Apart from some Bedouin villages, army bases and the resort city of Eliat on the Red Sea, Negev was pretty much an empty quarter until recently when eco-villages, spa resorts, boutique wineries and organic farms began dotting the desertscape. During a marvelous day, driving with friends along part of the road from Beersheba to Eilat, we dropped into the tent-like building of the Museum of Bedouin Culture (our host, Dr. Clinton Bailey, was an original founder), which documents in life-sized tableaux the story of Bedouin traditions from carpet weaving to breadbaking to wedding ﬁnery. We also took some time to stop in several villages to sample Bedouin hospitality over sweet mint tea and cardamom-spiced coffee; enjoyed a buffet of fresh salads and meat dishes at the Naot Goat Farm, with a chance to buy local cheese, honey, wine and olive oil; and explored the ruins of the ancient Avdat, such as nearby Petra in Jordan, a Nabatean city along the ancient spice route connecting southern Arabia to the Mediterranean. Our grand ﬁnale was high tea at the new Beresheet Hotel (aka, the Genesis Hotel), located outside Mitzpe Ramon. It's built on the edge of the spectacular Ramon Crater, said to be the largest erosion crater on earth. Easily the most original, luxurious, award-winning designed and decorated property in Israel, Beresheet has 111 rooms, many with private plunge pools, all with WiFi, espresso machines and fabulous views. They occupy stone chalets that are spread over the rocky and hilly landscape, where wild ibex roam at will. With grand vistas in every direction, the main hotel building houses lounging decks, a dining room, spa and inﬁnity pool. At 2,600 ft. above sea level, the hotel offers a surprisingly comfortable climate for visitors to enjoy desert activities: hiking, biking, Jeep safaris into the crater, camel treks, and hot air balloon trips. Bed & breakfast mid-week rate per couple per room with a crater view starts at $550; weekend rates start at $780. Archived related articles (available on recommend.com /magazine/issue-archive): Touring Israel & Jordan (May 2013) contact information The American Colony: americancolony.com or lhw.com Artplus Hotel Tel Aviv: atlas.co.il Beresheet Hotel: isrotelexclusivecollection.com/beresheet Brown TLV: designhotels.com or designhotels.com/travelpro Hotel Monteﬁore: hotelmonteﬁore.co.il Israel Ministry of Tourism: goisrael.com King David: danhotels.com or lhw.com Mamilla Hotel: mamillahotel.com The Norman Tel Aviv: thenorman.com The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya: ritzcarlton.com Rothschild Hotel: the-rothschild.com W Tel Aviv-Jaffa: starwoodhotels.com Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem: waldorfastoria.hilton.com Land of the Pharaohs - 7 Days Fully escorted by a personal Egyptologist! 4 night Sonesta Nile Cruise, all inclusive luxury, plus 2 overnights in Cairo. $2599 per person, land arrangements. International and internal air additional Request our NEW 2015 Brochure of more tours & safaris. Invite your clients to experience Africa next year. W W W. G R E AT S A FA R I S . C O M 800 409 7755 CST 2070685-10 http://www.americancolony.com http://www.lhw.com http://www.recommend.com http://atlas.co.il http://www.isrotelexclusivecollection.com/beresheet http://www.designhotels.com http://www.designhotels.com/travelpro http://hotelmontefiore.co.il http://www.goisrael.com http://www.danhotels.com http://www.lhw.com http://www.mamillahotel.com http://www.thenorman.com http://www.ritzcarlton.com http://WWW.GREATSAFARIS.COM http://www.the-rothschild.com http://www.starwoodhotels.com http://waldorfastoria.hilton.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May 2014

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Le Meridien
Tour Talk: Contiki Vacations
Tee Off in Spain
Tee Off in Scotland
Jerusalem & Tel Aviv: A (Short) Tale of Two Cities
AmaWaterways Sails into Myanmar
American Cruise Lines is on a Roll
Venturing Through Bordeaux With Viking
Martinique Travel Planner
Ecuador Goes Luxe
Mexico Destination Weddings & Honeymoons
Saint Lucia
Australia
Salamander Resort & Spa, Virginia
PGA National Resort & Spa, Florida

Recommend May 2014