The Sights and Sounds of the Negev Desert

 

• Introduction to Israel
• American Airlines LAX Flagship Lounge
• Chicago O’Hare American Airlines Flagship Lounge
• American Airlines ORD-LHR 777 Business Class
• American Airlines Arrivals Lounge at London Heathrow
• Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel Review
• Intercontinental Bethlehem (Jacir Palace) Hotel Review
• Le Meridien Dead Sea Hotel Review
• Park Plaza Orchid Tel Aviv Hotel Review
• Is Israel Safe for Tourists?
• The Sights and Sounds of Bethlehem
• The Sights and Sounds of Jerusalem
• The Sights and Sounds of Masada
• The Sights and Sounds of the Dead Sea
• The Sights and Sounds of the Negev Desert
• The Sights and Sounds of Tel Aviv
• Scam City: Israel Edition
• The Various Eats in Israel
• Tel Aviv Airport Dan Lounge
• Paris CDG American Airlines Admiral’s Club Lounge

During trip planning, I wanted to see a camel up front and close since I will be in the Middle East. I quickly fired up Google to find out where the camels were located in Israel and I found the Negev Camel Ranch which was really close to the Dead Sea Beach area.

Follow the signs to the Negev Camel Ranch from the dirt road and you will be led to a small dirt parking lot where you can park your car for free. When I got out of the car, it was amazing to see how many camels the owners raised.

They Negev Camel Ranch offers various camel rides in intervals of one hour, two hours, and four hours throughout the day. I opted for the one hour camel ride which was 65NIS ~ $18USD and available every hour. Keep in mind that you do need to register inside the little house half an hour early before each session.

The Negev Camel Ranch is family owned and the owners were very hospitable. Since a session was already in progress, I was offered complimentary hot desert mint tea during the wait.

One of the earlier sessions was just getting back from their camel riding experience.

The camels at the Negev Camel Ranch are all raised on site and nurtured with care by the owners. I was reading about camels and how they are very abused and spit frequently, but these camels were well behaved and did not spit once throughout my observations. The camels at the Negev Camel ranch have been trained by the owners and know up to 40 different commands. When you first hop onto the camel, hold the handle with two hands and lean back to get the camel to stand upright.

One of the owners led the one hour camel ride expedition and was giving a history lesson about the Negev Desert and the surroundings of the Negev Camel Ranch. The whole experience was very educational and it was definitely exciting to be camel riding which was on my bucket list. Now, I will leave you with breathtaking and serene views of the Negev Desert.