A Night in the Desert

October 26, 2009 - 5:36 PM by

Sukka BamidbarIt’s been a couple of years since we last visited Succa Bamidbar, but as fall inches slowly towards winter, a visit to the magical “Succa in the Desert” would be warmly welcomed.

Succa Bamidbar is so far off the beaten track, there’s barely a road to get there. Located 5 km from Mitzpe Ramon, the establishment, founded in 1990 and run by the amiable Avi Dror and Chen Hadar, consists of 8 small succot – cabins made of wood and fabric – scattered across a barren rocky hillside. Don’t worry – they’re enclosed on all sides to keep the cold out.

Each succa is set no less than 150 meters from the next. There is no running water and many of the succot have no electricity either. You sleep on mattresses or low beds. Two eco-friendly outhouses are located at the center of the site.

The most striking element of Succa Bamidbar is the solitude. With no lights at night, you walk the narrow paths between the guest succot and the central “Succa of Abraham,” where two meals a day are served, with just a lantern.

Silence is also a major player in the uniqueness of the place. That is until 6:30 PM, when Avi and Chen ring an enormous gong, which sounds over the entire valley – the call for dinner. On our last visit, we had a delicious lentil soup with home-made croutons, macaroni and assorted vegetables. Our second night included freshly baked bread and home made sweet wine with a ginger cinnamon kick. The sweet potato soup and zucchini goat cheese casserole were both to die for.

Breakfast is also served: a panoply of home made jams, yogurts and cheeses, hard boiled eggs and a fabulous chunky humus (with an accompanying schug to warm up even the toughest desert denizen).

Succa Bamidbar is a 45-minute drive from hiking in the Machtesh Ramon; there is also a pleasant 25-minute hike from the Succa Bamidbar campsite to the edge of the crater with its breathtaking view.

Prices are not cheap but it’s worth it. You can find details on their website. But don’t look for an email – they don’t have a computer – or for that matter a cell phone. Now that’s roughing it!

Tags: • Category: Environment, Travel 

Comments

3 Comments on A Night in the Desert

  1. A Night in the Desert | JewPI on Mon, Oct 26th 2009 7:37 PM

    2. [...] welcomed. Succa Bamidbar is so far off the beaten track, there’s barely a road to get there. Read More » Share and Enjoy:Tags: Bamidbar, beaten track, desert, Succa Categories: Blogs, Israelity, jNet [...]

  2. Dr. Ir. Agung Nugroho, M.Sc. on Wed, Dec 16th 2009 9:44 AM

    3. May I introduce my self, my name Agung NUGROHO, I am a lecturer staff at Faculty of Agriculture, Brawijaya University, Malang, East Java, Indonesia.
    Dear Editors,
    This article is usable to my students
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    Thank you very much. God bless You and your Country.
    Amin

    With my deep sencerelly
    Dr. Ir. Agung NUGROHO, M.Sc.
    Fac. of Agric. Brawijaya Univ.
    Malang, Indonesia

  3. A Night in the Desert on Tue, Dec 29th 2009 10:00 AM

    4. [...] A shorter version of this article was originally posted on the Israelity blog. [...]

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