Hi Mitzpe Ramon Hostel

Getting up to watch the sunrise over Ramon Crater was breathtaking. The hostel itself is mediocre at best, so don’t expect anything fancy. There’s wildlife nearby, especially ibex wandering around the surrounding area and even inside the hostel grounds without being afraid of people.

All you get is a clean bed and a warm shower after a day in the desert. We gave their dinner a try because there aren’t many restaurants open in the area on Friday evenings. It was a terrible choice: the food was greasy, and some dishes had been left out for hours and were cold. Never again. The price is outrageous, like accommodation everywhere in Israel.

The room was comfortable, clean, and well maintained, and the balcony had an excellent view. But the place was highly overpriced, breakfast was poor, and there were no vegan options at all. Some of the dishes were disposable, which was disappointing for somewhere that promotes nature. We’d booked two adjacent rooms but ended up on different floors. As Seinfeld once said: “See, you know how to take the reservation, you just don’t know how to hold the reservation and that’s really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.”

The location is hard to beat, right at the crater’s edge, and this recently renovated youth hostel is highly recommended. It mainly caters to families with young children. The food is plentiful and good, and there’s a synagogue on site with a Sefer Torah. Prices are reasonable, but with so much going for it, you’ll need to book well in advance to get a room.