The Organic Botanical Gardens of Eilat

The Organic Botanical Gardens is a new, peaceful way to spend the morning of your Eilat vacation. Shmuel and I were down there last month and were thrilled to be able to walk through a lush green chemical-free rainforest in the middle of the desert.

The gardens just opened this past June, after 12 years of hard work.
We walked in through the main gates and the sand. A twisted tree greeted us and the guide informed us that this tree was one of only 3 trees there that predated the Organic Botanical Gardens.

Walking along the path, there was a cool breeze, and the trees whispered. I did not feel like I was in the middle of a desert, but instead, in the middle of a rainforest. The plants were labeled with hand made boards.
This site was an observation point for the Israeli Army during the 1973 war with Egypt. The plants surround the remains of the guard post.

In the rainforest we got a cooling mist as the sprinklers went on-- not enough to get us very wet, but enough to bring relief from the heat. We ended our visit in the cactus garden, before making our way down the steps and back to the main gate.

All furniture, gates and hand rails on the stairs were recycled from plants in the garden. We stopped and looked at the nursery before leaving, wishing we had room in our car for a plant to take home. This self sustaining, organic, desert botanical garden is truly an oasis of beauty in the middle of a sandy desert.

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IsraelExperts is a fully-licensed Israel tour operator; our head office is in Israel. Comprised of experienced Israel destination professionals, logistics experts, informal educators and accredited tour guides, IsraelExperts works with major organizations around the world in the field of Israel-Diaspora relations and Israel education, and offers you its ability to provide quality innovative programs. You can find us on line at www.israelexperts.com or contact us for more information.

Eilat: The Red Canyon- It's not just in Utah

Next to Eilat is a trail that leads through a red canyon-- literally the stone that arches up on either side of us as we walked through the canyon is red. Smooth to the touch, the layers of history are clear to the naked eye in the layers of the rock.

The hike takes about 45 minutes and is normally perfect in the spring or fall. The weather is comfortable with just a little bit of a breeze through the rocks- something normally lacking in the desert. It is necessary to bring water, but the crevice can be reached by car.

The trip to the Red Canyon from Eilat is also interesting. The Egyptian boarder is on your left and Israel stretches to the right, divided only by a road.

Good for children and adults, the Red Canyon is a beautiful hike through the desert.

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IsraelExperts is a fully-licensed Israel tour operator; our head office is in Israel. Comprised of experienced Israel destination professionals, logistics experts, informal educators and accredited tour guides, IsraelExperts works with major organizations around the world in the field of Israel-Diaspora relations and Israel education, and offers you its ability to provide quality innovative programs. You can find IsraelExperts on line at www.israelexperts.com or email us at education@israelexperts.com for more information.

Rosh Chodesh- (New Month) /New Moon- Cheshvan

When I look out of the window of my house in the Castel neighborhood in Mevaseret, it's starting to look like fall. It's not the fall of colored leaves or dying trees. It's the fall of a new beginning. Now that the holidays are over, the pomegranates have reached their peak. The oranges are just starting to take shape and the flowers, which have gotten their first rain of the season, are finally starting to bloom. The greenery that has hidden all summer is starting to peak out of the branches as it prepares for the rainy season. The new year has truly started.

Cheshvan, which some people consider the second month of the Jewish year, is sometimes called Marcheshvan. There are two different etymological explanations for the name. The word Marcheshvan is taken from "eighth moon/month" -- the eighth month of the Jewish year (if you count from Nisan, the beginning of Passover as many do for counting the months). The "mar" -- bitter -- at the beginning of the word may have been added because there are no holidays in Marcheshvan.

So we have the second month of the year, starting in the middle of the entire year, depending on how you count. It's a lot like IsraelExperts. We have been running trips for 12 years but are only now starting a blog-- to bring more knowledge of Israel to you-- our friends and readers. We'll look at places in Israel, traditions, customs and holidays as the year rolls by and we invite you to learn with us. We hope you will enjoy and learn from our blogs, and use them to work with us to build the best trips to Israel that you will ever participate in.
Welcome to the IsraelExperts blog.

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IsraelExperts is a fully-licensed Israel tour operator; our head office is in Israel. Comprised of experienced Israel destination professionals, logistics experts, informal educators and accredited tour guides, IsraelExperts works with major organizations around the world in the field of Israel-Diaspora relations and Israel education, and offers you its ability to provide quality innovative programs. You can find IsraelExperts on line at www.israelexperts.com or email us at education@israelexperts.com for more information.