Our Journeys

Enjoy the Silence offers unique, quiet, simple and serene journeys in the Israeli desert. Our journeys are several days long and take place in the heart of the vast wilderness of the Negev desert. Most of our trails are unknown to the common hiker and therefore hardly trampled. Each trip is tailor made to meet the exact requirements of the travelers, and is suited for very small, pre-organized groups (2 to 10 participants). Quiet Journeys (not to worry, talking is allowed…)

Our trips are dubbed "quiet journeys" because according to our perception, the desert speaks for itself and does not require our stimulation ; In order to interact with and to feel the desert, we simply need to listen… Therefore, our guide will lead the way, point out interesting phenomenon and gladly answer questions, but he will not overwhelm you with detailed information. Instead, he will help facilitate your own desert experience.

For those interested, we can incorporate such activities as to deepen your desert experience, as well as your personal experience as individuals and as a group.

"Desert time"
We offer a wide range of trails in many areas of the Negev. In order to heighten the experience of these unique journeys and to make them more meaningful and long lasting, we suggest going on trips of at least three days. In this way, the experience of the withdrawal from the "fast world" will be amplified and the traveler will be enveloped by a sensation of a different time and space - "Desert Time"…
Our trips are usually planned as long weekends - from Thursday morning to Saturday evening. For those of you who find this to be too long (or too short…), a single day may be reduced, or a few could be added.

How will we travel?
From the moment we set off on our journey, we are parting ways with civilization for the entire duration of the trip, and will be travelling independently and self-sufficiently: A jeep will take us to our starting point deep in the desert, our basic equipment will be carried on our backs and at night we will sleep in sleeping bags out in the open. Nevertheless, in order to lessen the weight, an ATV will leave us firewood and water - for fire and cooking - at our night camps. (For those interested, by special request, a vehicle can be arranged to transport all of the gear to each camp.)

Who are our journeys suitable for?
Our journeys are suitable for any age, and to anyone who is able to walk freely and enjoys spending a few days in the great outdoors. A trip with us can suit a group of friends, couples, families, work groups of staff or management wishing to strengthen relations, those looking for a unique alternative for a "bachelor/ette party", wilderness lovers, and anyone seeking an inner experience of tranquility, stillness & peace of mind.Your trip will be personally tailored for you- to fit your exact needs and desires, in terms of length, duration, area, scenery, extracurricular activities and more. 

What do the journeys include?
A journey with Enjoy the Silence includes a private professional guide for the duration of the trip, a jeep to and from the depth of  the desert, full provisions, firewood and water waiting at every campground, camping and travelling equipment as needed (rucksack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad), open spaces, sunrises, sunsets and desert winds...

Who's behind "Enjoy the Silence"?

Enjoy the Silence was founded by Itai Harari, who is also its lead guide. Itai (30), is finishing his final year of B.Ed. in Democratic Education Studies. He teaches Bible Studies in an Anthroposophical school, is a licensed rappelling instructor and in addition, installs safety instruments on hiking trails throughout Israel:
 
"Ever since receiving my qualification as a tour guide, via the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), and even since my days as an instructor at the Sde-Boker Field School, my perception of the essence of the desert journey and of the substance of tour guiding has changed drastically. I felt that the overload of information caused me and my fellow travelers to miss out on that pristine, primal encounter with nature. I decided to forego the conventional, rationalistic, "the more the better", methods of guidance and started searching for new ways to reconnect with nature and with the desert. Ways that would enable a connection rather through the heart and the soul, - and not only the mind.

I found this connection the day I stopped trying to categorize and analyze nature. Instead, I started… listening to it, observing it and adapting to it. I had to put aside all the information about the desert that I had accumulated, so that I could, for a brief moment, become part of it… At that moment, I realized I had also renounced all that I knew about myself, but nonetheless- I was more "me" than I had ever been before."

Enjoy the Silence was created to enable other adventurers, including those who are not completely familiar with the Negev desert, to experience the Israeli desert in its natural form, without unnecessary mediation of words, information or 4X4s'… This, while leaving a minimal ecological footprint.

Destinations

All our Journeys take place deep in the Negev desert which is comprised of diverse regions, each one with its distinctive character and scenery. Below, we have attempted to describe the uniqueness of the different regions - in order to help you decide where to go on your next journey…

The Ovdat Plateau & the Zin Valley:
This area is situated, roughly, between the town of Sde-Boker and the Ramon Makhtesh (crater). Many natural water springs, flowing all year round, have turned the Ovdat Plateau and the Zin Valley into an area abundant with flora and fauna (relatively to desert areas…). Around 2000 years ago, the Nabataean trade routes passed through the Ovdat Plateau. We too shall follow parts of these ancient trails on our journey.

The Zin Valley was formed by the Zin stream, one of the largest seasonal streams in the Negev, which runs between the town of Mitzpe-Ramon and the Dead Sea. The northern boundary of the Ovdat Plateau, our main trekking area in this region, is constituted by the Zinim Cliff, which stretches out over dozens of miles. Throughout it, long processes of erosion have created many streams, short winding canyons, graceful dry waterfalls and magnificent cliffs. Many of these streams offer hidden water holes, retaining water long after the floods have passed. These water holes supply drinking water for animals and bathing basins for hikers.

In between the Large Makhtesh (crater) and the Small Makhtesh
Travelling in this part of the Negev desert is like being is nature's amusement park. The trails passing through it are diverse and rich with impressive natural phenomenon: deep wadis with breathtaking cliffs, unique vantage points, huge rock cracks cutting across the rim of the cliffs, majestic sand dunes, flowering sand-lilies, cool waters holes, shaded Acacia trees, relics from ancient settlements and of course - the Small Makhtesh with its abundance of colors and displays.

The upper Negev Mountain Range
This remote and solitary region, situated southwest of the Ramon Makhtesh, contains a fascinating wilderness landscape. This area constitutes part of one of the largest nature reserves in Israel. Its height granted it ideal conditions for the development of settlements and agriculture throughout history. The remnants of these civilizations, scattered all about this area, are easy to spot, even today, and lead us to try and imagine what existed here once upon a time…

Located in this region is the Ramon Mountain- the third highest mountain is Israel (1,030 meters above sea level), and Atlantic Pistacia trees, which originate in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, grow here freely. This area is characterized by flat topped mountains with cliffs at their rims, deep and wide valleys and winding river beds which create a relief - open, cutting and distinct. During the early months of spring (February- March) this area comes alive and fills with a blossoming rare to the desert, made possible due to its cool, high above sea level, temperature. Amongst the flowers there are a few that are endemic to this specific sub-region. There is also a good chance of finding here signs of wildlife activity and sometimes actually witnessing the animals themselves.

In between Makhtesh Ramon and the Aravah
This area, connecting the central region of the Negev and the Aravah (steppe) is sometimes nicknamed "The Land of Genesis". The trails passing through it enable us to encounter a powerful, secluded and well preserved primordial area, possessing the ability to awaken feelings of awe and majesty. As we exit the Ramon Makhtesh we encounter a rare view: gazing back into the Makhtesh on one side, while admiring the mountains of Edom on the other.
This area is host to several other vantage points, gullies rich with dry waterfalls etched in the flint-rock riverbeds, a water hole the size of a swimming pool, wide rivers outlined by tall, steep cliffs and smooth, spacious flatlands.

And yet, these descriptions are but a grain of sand in the dessert....