Vacation Royalty
These are the places to stay if you want to feel like a prince in Israel
Brigit Grant is the Jewish News Supplements Editor
In the land of King David, it is fitting to want to vacation like royalty, and that’s possible if you stay at one of the dream villas created by Hayokra. Properties this magnificent don’t come cheap, but their size allows for groups of family and friends to enjoy the residences together while spreading the cost.
Take the Aqua Boutique Villa. Situated between a lake and the sky in the Kinneret landscape, it overlooks the Galilee, Golan and Hermon, and has been designed to offer a holiday experience beyond imagination.
Spacious enough to accommodate five families, each of them will have their own suite and private bathroom as well as a spacious central space (living room, kitchen, dining room and garden) along with an additional guest house on the lower floor.
The villa’s kitchen is so well equipped it is worthy of the talents of Nigella or Gordon, but it’s worth noting there are two ovens (milk and meat), a huge refrigerator that is useful if you choose to use the 20-seat dining room.
There is also an option to book a private chef or organise a cooking workshop, although you may prefer one dedicated to chocolate, wine or laughter.
With so much to keep you at the villa – BBQ, Jacuzzi, outdoor pools with benches in the water – getting out and about takes willpower, but it is worth the effort. The Sea of Galilee is a 30-minute drive, and closer still is the Hula Valley lake and nature reserve (touristisrael.com/hula-valley) which is home to thousands of migratory birds. Hermon also has many public parks, restaurants and cafés and you can do a Jeep safari or horse ride before heading back to the palatial villa for an evening in the starlit garden.
With additional facilities such as baby cots, showers and children’s beds and an active synagogue within walking distance, it won’t be hard to persuade your family to join you. Should you need more space, Hayokra also has the Don Refaelo Estate in the western Galilee area of the new Moshav Peki’in, which is 20 minutes from the city of Nahariya. The attractions around the estate include Monfort Lake in Ma’alot, horseriding and nature trails. Each suite on the estate spreads over 70 metres and is surrounded by gardens, thriving lawns and a huge swimming pool. This villa has eight luxurious bedrooms, but if it’s a real castle you want, opt for the seven-bedroom Elysee and four-bedroom Versace villas in the centre of the settlement of Sadot Micha. Also available for bar/batmitzvah and events, it is built in the shape of a castle. Pools, marble and pizzazz of the kind one only sees in presidential suites, this is a royal location befitting King David’s ancestors.
https://www.Hayokra.co.il or call 00972 073-2158329
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