Visiting the Negev in the Summer –

Escape from the humid summer heat to the Negev Highland (I kid you not).

You are coming to Israel this summer and you are going to skip the desert because of the heat?  That makes absolutely no sense.

I won’t lie to you. This is not Scandinavia and summers in the Negev are hot. But when it comes to Israel, surprisingly, the Negev highland might be one of the coolest areas in the country, especially at night. So if I tell you to pack a sweater, you’d better take me seriously!

In the Negev Highlands, we don’t get extreme temperatures. In fact, if during a summer day, temperatures rarely drop under 35°C, they also rarely rise above. And 35°C of dry heat feels much more pleasant than a mere 27°C in the humidity of Tel Aviv. Add the almost constant breeze for being 500m above the sea level.

Desert climate is also characterized by an important amplitude of temperatures between nights and days and temperatures at night drop to a very pleasant, even a bit chilly 18-20°C.

In fact, for the outdoor-loving local inhabitant, summer is by far the best and most active season.

In the summer, you will be able to take advantage of the longer days to hike in the early morning or late afternoon. If you are ready to start at the crack of dawn, you have five good hours for any adventure you fancy. Hiking, cycling, horse riding… And after 16.00, you are again good to make the best of the outdoors and still have at least four hours of daylight and a delicious breeze to boot.

 

At night, the desert wakes up and you can choose between a night jeep safari,

 

a star gazing tour, a walking scorpion tour

 

or if the moon is full, a hike in Nahal Havarim.

Don’t forget your evening gown if you want to go and listen to the free daily concert during the three weeks of the Tel Hai Piano Masterclass which takes place every August in Midreshet Ben Gurion.

During the middle hours when the sun is strong you can have several activities that are offered indoors. Negev Safari (a zoological collection of fauna of the desert), two escape rooms right behind Ben Gurion’s grave, one on the subject of the development of the Negev and the other one about the leaders who built the country, Ben Gurion’s home, of course, but also an indoor climbing room, several art activities (desert art workshop, recycling art workshop, ceramics workshop…) and very soon, a new, vastly improved interactive light and sound show on the life of David Ben Gurion and an indoor Bird watching center were you will find activities and informations to prepare a bird watching outing (both are scheduled to open in October 2020). Of course, having woken up early, you may just want to rest in your beautiful and comfortable air-conditioned room, read a book in our green shaded garden or plunge into the community swimming-pool. Even in August, the low level of humidity in the Negev Highland means that you can pleasantly sit in the shade at any time of the day.

Actually, the warmest days in the desert don’t occur during the summer. Want to know when?

Read the testimony of a French family who spent ten days in the Negev in July.