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| Eliat and the Red Sea | |||
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Timna Park – About 20 minutes north of Eilat,
this is the site of King Solomon's copper mines (probably the world's oldest). The Pillars of Timma were created by water streaming through a crack in the rockface, but Egyptians built Hathor's temple 3,400 years ago and made the drawings of chariots. Thousands of artifacts have been found here, such as workrooms, galleries, and a copper-smelting furnace. Timna Park is a great place for kids, with an open air museum with rock carvings, a multimedia exhibit about the copper mines and demonstrations of smelting copper, hiking trails, camping in tents, pedal boats and camels rides. |
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Coral Nature Reserve – At the northern tip of the Red Sea's 2,800-mile coral reef you only need a scuba mask to watch the see exotic fish swimming through coral of every color and shape. The Moses Rock is a large coral formation that especially attracts fish. | |
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Dolphin Reef – Home to pods of bottlenose dolphins, who seem to enjoy exploring humans as much as we like them. Check out the Virtual tour | ||
 Literally
drop into the dive center – Snorkling in guidedgroups of four people, minimum age age for kids is 10. Masks, snorkels, fins and wetsuits are provided to snorkel in the sea (up to 45 feet deep) for about half an hour. You may meet nose-to-nose with a bottlenose. |
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| Underwater
photography – A great place for it, you don't have to invest heavily in equipment. There are relatively inexpensive point-and-click underwater cameras that do a great job and you won't flip when the kids want a turn. |
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| Special
Programs – The center offers programs for children over 7 who have
Down syndrome, autism, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, deafness, blindness,
etc. |
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Birdwatching central – On a major migration route, in spring and fall thousands of birds pass through between the Sahara and Siberia! You'll see may see a flock of storks or flamingos but don't forget to bring binoculars and you may want to take a tour. The best time is just before before sunset. | ||
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Yotvata Hai Bar – No, not that kind of bar. It's actually a safari park 3,000 acres big, stocked with gazelles, ibex, oryx, addax, onager, the leopards, hyenas, wolves... Take the bus tours that leave every hour. | ||
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Take a hike – Lots of trails in every direction through dramatic desert landscapes. Check out these: Wadi Gishron, Wadi Shehoret, Wadi Yoash, Ein Netafim, and the Red Canyon. | ||
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Mitzpe Ramon – The Visitor’s Center is the place to get oriented, there’s so much to explore here, from walking tours to a "round" of archery. | ||
| Ramon
Crater – Hard to believe this is a crater, it seems more like a
canyon at first glance. Tour the site in your rental car, or join one of
the walking tours, either way you'll be fascinated by the swirling colors,
and tell the kids to keep an eye out for the larks and chukars. |
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| Lotz
Wells – At certain times of the year there’s a walking tour that includes a refreshment break in a Bedouin tent where you’ll
sip herb tea, coffee and munch on dried fruits – plan for about two hours.
There are also over-night tours available that feature spending the night
in a Bedouin tent – but most expect you to supply your own sleeping
bag. |
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| Camel
tours – Rather ride a camel then a Mustang? There are camel
tours available as well. |
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| Archery
park – This is restricted to adults and kids over the age of nine
– but if you love archery, don’t miss this stop. You can do anything from
a one to a four kilometer circuit designed to mimic a round of golf, with
convenient resting spots along the way. Modern archery equipment is available
for rental. |
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Eshkol National Park – A huge oasis where the Kibbutz Tze-elim features Israel's largest swimming pool as well as an artificial lake where the kids can fish! Once a year it’s also the site of a competitive sports festival featuring obstacle courses, climbing, and archery. But no matter when you go, the suspension bridge, pool and paths make for a fun day. |
travel for kids | israel | southern israel |
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