From Wikitravel

The Negev [1] is a large desert that covers the entire southern half of Israel. The least populated area in Israel, it is a home to (among others) the nomadic desert people known as the Bedouin.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 5 Talk 6 Get in 6.1 By train 7 Get around 7.1 By car 8 See 9 Do 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Sleep 13 Stay safe 14 Get out

Regions

Cities

• Arad — lively modern town on the edge of the Negev
• Beer Sheva (Beersheba) — the Biblical City Of Abraham and de facto capital of the Negev
• Eilat — the southern-most Israeli city, located on the Red Sea coast, a major centre for domestic and international tourism
• Mitzpe Ramon — a small town overlooking the Machtesh Ramon crater.

Other destinations

• Avdat - the largest ancient Nabataean city in the Negev, now a National Park
• Yotvata- a large open Natural Reserve north of Eilat and a Qibbutz with the same name.

Understand

The Negev is a desolate region covering half of Israel and inhabited almost exculsively by Bedouin natives and a handful of stark Jewish settlements. Contrary to the usual view a "desert," the Negev is not covered with sand. Rather, it is a melange of brown, rocky, dusty mountains interrupted by wadis (dry riverbeds that bloom briefly after rain) and deep craters. The area actually was once the floor of a primordial sea, and a sprinkling of marine snail shells still covers the earth here. Aside from the natural wonders, the Negev plays host to a great number of ancient sites, displaying the rich history of this crossroads of trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Talk

Get in

By train

Trains connect Tel Aviv to Dimona, but no further.

Get around

By car

Three main highways cross the Negev from north to south:

• The eastern Jordan Valley route (Route <90>), from Jerusalem past the Dead Sea to Eilat
• The central route (Route <40>), through Beer Sheva and Mitzpe Ramon, merging with the eastern route near Yotvata
• The western route (Route <10>), running along the Egyptian border from Gaza to Eilat, built primarily for military purposes and the least used of the three

The two-lane highways are generally in good shape. The distance across the Negev from Tel Aviv to Eilat is around 360 kilometers, covered by Egged express bus in 5 hours.

See

• Ein Avdat. A spectacular desert gorge, accessed by trails - preserved as a National Park
• Mamshit Ruins. A Nabatean ruin, this is more accessible and well ordained then Avdat, also a National Park
• Machtesh Ramon. The largest erosional crater on earth, located near the town of Mitzpe Ramon.
• Sde Boker. A large Kibbutz north of Mizpe Ramon on Route 40, has several attractions, and also the "Field School of the Negev", which is a hostel and a tourist information center, they will advise you about trails and torus in the area.

Do

Eat

• Mifgash Nello, Gas StationSouth, Gedera, Tel: +97288591510. Romanian food.

Drink

Sleep

• The Orlyya Farm, Medreshet Ben Gurion, P.o.b 67 84990, Cell-phone: +972509800069, [2], [3].

• Levehad, Moshav Ein Habsor, Tel: +97289982146, Cell-phone: +972548014541, Fax: +97289982146, [4], [5].

• The Desert Olive Farm, P.O.Box, Halutza 85515, Tel: +97286571533, Cell-phone: +972522233035, Fax: +97286571533, [6], [7].

Stay safe

Nearly all of the Negev is an extremely arid desert that sees rainfall at most a few times a year. While winters can be pleasant, with temperatures hovering around 20°C, summers can be fierce with temperatures commonly over 40°C. Bring a large amount of water and register your plans at the nearest police station before going offroad for your own safety, as flash floods are likely to happen if rain does fall, and some parts of the Negev serve as the IDF's main training area.

Get out

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