Khans: The Inns and Outs

Kfar Hanokdim is one of the most well-maintained and most innovative khans, and is an exceptionally large Bedouin-style holiday village. The place, which is in a constant state of change, is known for its locally-made wood and stone decorations. On every visit, you'll find something new to capture the imagination.

Where to sleep? A large complex offering 25 different tents. There are dividers between small groups or families in the large tents, picnic tables and a fridge near the tents, plus a cooking station with burners and a sink. The village also has a camping area, with a roof in the winter, and 50 guest rooms with attractive and authentic desert decor. Between the rooms there are seating areas, hammocks, dining tables and greenery. There are also nine special booths, which can be described as a room with tent-style accoutrements. There are campfire sites scattered around the premises, and two dining rooms, one for breakfast and one for the evening meal.  Plus, there is a coffee and tea station for guests at the entrance, and, of course, high-level restrooms and showers.

What to do? In addition to lodging, the complex offers a range of activities including tours, star-watching, night exploration and scorpion hunts, camel rides and more. Plus desert experience events for tourists.

Tour routes in the area: Nahal Rahaf, Brihat Sfira and Masada. Jeep tours of the surrounding area can be arranged. The khan's own application maps out tours, with information and even missions for specific tours.

kfarhanokdim.co.il

Located in the Anvei Eitan settlement, in the southern Golan Heights, Khan El Al is situated on a cliff overlooking the El Al stream from which its name is derived. It's a veteran khan, 20 years old, which hosts many groups of touring visitors and students, but is suitable for families as well.

Where to sleep? The khan has 10 large Bedouin hospitality tents of different sizes, also called "shepherds' tents." The tents are made of goat's wool with floors of synthetic grass, heating in the winter and electric power outlets. Each tent is equipped with mattresses, and it's possible to put up dividers to ensure privacy between groups. There are a few other lodging options as well - grassy camping areas where it's possible to rent tents, two small hospitality tents for families of up to five, equipped with simple beds, and 15 wooden rooms for couples or families.

What to do? The khan offers picnic tables, grilling facilities, restrooms and showers as well as mini-kitchens with gas burners and fridges for cooking and cooling. There's an activities area suitable for families and groups, and activities like donkey tours, archery and bike rentals. It's worth noting that Anvei Eitan is a religious community, so that activities don't take place on Shabbat and vehicle travel in the settlement is not permitted on Shabbat as well. 

Tour routes in the area: Nahal El Al, including the Black Waterfall and the White Waterfall, as well as the Gamla Nature Reserve, the new promenade, Ein Pik and more.

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The youngest khan on this list, Khan Hagalil is located at Kibbutz Beit Haemek, offering desert hospitality with a Galilean landscape.

Where to sleep? The complex includes six large and authentic tents, including synthetic grass and mattresses inside. There are also 30 simple, but pleasant, guest rooms with private showers, refrigerators and a TV, as well as large accommodations for those with extended families and groups.  

What to do? The complex contains a 50-dunam (12.5-acre) area mostly planted with trees that's suitable for camping. There are picnic tables in the yard, and near them an area with toilets, showers and a large shared kitchen that's well-equipped and spacious. Refrigerators, work surfaces, cooking stations with burners, grilling facilities and sinks are all on-site. Hospitality includes breakfast served in a large dining room suitable for gatherings as well, and a kitchen. Khan guests can reserve natural therapy sessions, and enjoy the kibbutz pool in the summer. 

Tour routes in the area: The Western Galilee is rich in touring routes, among them Nahal Yehiam and Nahal Ga'aton, the Ga'aton Convoy Monument, Yehiam Fortress and farther north Nahal Kaziv, Rosh Hanikra, the beach and more.

chan-hagalil.co.il

Khan Hashayarot, the Khan of the Caravans, is located between Sde Boker and Mitzpe Ramon. A veteran establishment, it has grown over the years but still maintains its simplicity.  

Where to sleep? There are 12 tents of various sizes, all in Bedouin style, for families and groups. Each one has plenty of mattresses and mats, some also have partitions inside. There is heating in the winter. There's also a camping area with 13 very basic rooms in prefabricated structures that are duplex units sharing a kitchenette that is suitable for couples or families.   

What to do? There's a seating area near each unit with picnic tables and a special facility for campfires every evening. There are two buildings with restrooms and showers, a central tent where an authentic Bedouin evening meal is served, and a separate building for breakfast.  There are benches, greenery and fruit trees located near the rooms in addition to a camel farm, which offers camelback tours of the area, and is a great experience for kids.

Tour routes in the area: Nahal Zin, flowing east of the khan, is rife with tour possibilities, the very popular Nahal Havarim flows above it through Ein Avdat, Ein Akev, and the ruins of the Nabatean city of Avdat. 

shayarot.co.il

The Antelope Ranch, adjacent to Moshav Zofar in the Arava, is a special place offering the African experience in Israel. The farm was founded to create a kind of private zoo that would also protect different species in danger of extinction. The hospitality khan was set up to reinforce the farm.

Where to sleep? The lodging tent area is very large, together with five huge tents, with partitions, capable of accommodating as many as 250 people. It is heated in winter, with mat and mattresses on the floor. Upgraded showers for guests, picnic and work tables, BBQ'ing facilities, sinks, burners and places for campfires are all available. Alongside the hospitality tents, there's a large camping space providing mattresses, and 12 pleasant guest cabins suitable for couples and families, with a range of facilities, including a Jacuzzi bath.

What to do? A large warm sulfur bath (32 degrees Celsius) is located near the cabins area, which is pleasant in springtime and surrounded by hammocks. But the main attraction is the farm, featuring Noah's Ark, a large vessel that's an attraction in its own right, even more so with its display of animals and a petting area for domestic creatures. (The ark's denizens include small mammals, birds, scorpions and other creatures.) An open safari is located nearby, with a total of around 200 species, including all kinds of antelopes. There is a snack bar, games for kids, and plenty of open spaces.

Tour routes in the area: The ranch, as we've said, is a tour all on its own, and there are also quite a few attractions in the vicinity - the Vidor Center in Hatzeva, the Shitim Farm offering a "farmer for one day" experience picking tomatoes and peppers, tours in the Vardi and Barak canyons, and more.

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