Nature of Palestine - national parks and reserves for active recreation

The territory of Palestine is not big. Urbanites and residents of big megalopolises might feel that everything is so small here. Nevertheless, there are still many secluded areas for fans of backpacking. While there are not many hiking or trekking routes in the territory, the most interesting offer – the Flying Camel – is described below. One more thing to consider – all tourists worry about their safety when traveling abroad. Palestine is not as dangerous as some media tries to picture. Foreign tourists are generous buyers, and so local people are friendly with them.

In the coastal area of the Dead Sea (relatively close), tourists can stay at hotels in Israeli settlements, for example, in Kalya that has a population of a little more than four hundred people. There are a hotel and a guesthouse here. If you are not a fan of the desert, then the exploration of the area will not be very exciting. The Qumran National Park lies not far from Kalya. This area has wooden observation platforms built above the archaeological excavation sites and passages that connect them.

Scientists discovered ancient baths, pottery workshops, and some priceless artifacts here. The latter are famous as the Qumran scrolls, and they were made several thousand years ago. These scrolls describe the events mentioned in the Bible. The scrolls are in Jerusalem, but tourists can watch a film about the scrolls at the excavation site. Fans of archaeology will find it particularly interesting to visit this place because there is a pedestrian road close to the excavation area. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The Dead Sea area has mostly sandy to stone earth surface with small mountains. It is hard to call local rural areas cheerful, but many tourists change their minds once they visit them together with a guide. When backpacking in the countryside, do not forget about the safety measures – there are many snakes and spiders. Such poisonous snakes as the viper and its different subspecies are common here. Vipers in Palestine usually have a color similar to the stone surface. They are yellowish-grey with two rows of light brown spots. Echis, another poisonous snake, is sandy yellow. It has golden sides and white and brownish spots.

To minimize the danger of encountering snakes and spiders, it is better to avoid the places where they normally live such as stone piles, bushes, and crevices. If you plan to sleep outdoor in a tent, carefully check your clothes, shoes, backpack, and tent in the morning. The weather is different in Palestine and depends on the season. June, July, and August are the summer months, and so the temperature can be up to 38°C. July is the hottest month, and January is the coldest. The average winter temperature is +8°C - +11°C at night, the daytime temperature is ten degrees higher. It can snow sometimes, but the snow usually melts in one day. The east of the territory (Jericho, the Dead Sea) is hotter than the west.

The Flying Camel project offers a shot of energy and good mood. To understand what this project is about, we need to mention its history briefly. Fifteen years ago, a group of enthusiasts started organizing trekking excursions in Israel and Palestine. These short weekend tours were an attempt to forget about the routine office work in front of a monitor. If people managed to feel united with nature and forget about the office, the tour was considered successful.

The first trekking tours were mostly about the admiration of local nature. However, the participants soon felt that it was not enough, and so they spent several years studying history and archaeology. Slowly, the organizers of these tours turned into professional guides. Over the past years, the team has prepared more than 500 different routes, many of which are unavailable in all other excursion agencies. Today, every tourist in the Holy Land can participate in a trekking tour together with the Flying Camel project.

The easiest way to find all answers about the schedule, equipment, and plans is to visit the Facebook group or the website of the project. As a rule, all excursions last one or two days. The price is not fixed – people simply donate the sum that is comfortable for them. As a rule, this is 50 to 100 shekels. Bring your own food and water, and head to a new journey. Mountains, desert, and caves – you will see them all during several tours.

Here are some facts: the Flying Camel project organized several nighttime tours to the Dead Sea to meet sunrise in July 2019 alone. Seeing the sunrise on the Mount of Temptation or exploring the Cave of the Leopard is no less interesting. Traditionally cooked lamb for dinner makes any tour even more pleasant. Finally, it is important to talk about safety. Staying in Palestine is not as dangerous as some tourists think. Moreover, the majority of the territory is the so-called C area that is controlled by the Israeli army. For foreigners (everyone except Israelis), staying in the A area controlled by the Palestinian police is not dangerous at all. Actually, it is significantly safer than in most countries of the Arab world.