At the end of July I stayed in a beautiful cabin in the Eastern Galilee.
The place is called Bayit BaTeva, which literally translates to House in Nature.
There are 4 cabins available at Bayit BaTeva, and they’re building a 5th, which is very exciting.
The complex is located in the Hula Valley, on a moshav called Sde Eliezer, meaning Eliezer’s Field. This amazing location means you’re just a short drive away from the Hula Nature Reserve, and from the Lake as well. So it’s a fantastic location if you’re into nature, or wanting to explore the area.
The Atmosphere
I loved the atmosphere of the place. It’s tranquil, quiet, peaceful, and beautiful. The sound of running water as you enter is very calming, and the place is full of greenery.
The Cabin in the Galilee
I stayed in the “Olive House” Cabin.
The cabin has a nice living room area, a kitchen with a small table for 2 to sit at, a new bathroom and shower, a bedroom, and a balcony.
But what really attracted me to this cabin in the Galilee is that it has both a Jacuzzi and a fireplace!! A dream fulfilled.
It was too hot to actually use the fireplace, since I had the AC going most of the time I was there. But just knowing that I could light it if I’d wanted to makes me happy.
And the jacuzzi. The PRIVATE jacuzzi. On the balcony. Just wow. Absolutely amazing. It’s one of those jacuzzis that you don’t need to turn on before you want to go in, it keeps the water at a constant temperature. You can change the temperature settings right on the jacuzzi, so if it’s too hot or too cold, you can change it. There are of course also the typical jet controls and the light controls for the lights inside the jacuzzi as well.
Before we get into the advantages and disadvantages of the place, I made a short video to show you around:
So lets take a look at the property pro/con style.
Pros
Location – fantastic location for exploring the Galilee, Hula Valley, Sea of Galilee, and the Golan Heights.
Atmosphere – very relaxing, loved it.
Fireplace – I wish it was cooler so I would have felt justified in using it!
Jacuzzi – PRIVATE jacuzzi – the reason I took this place to begin with. Definitely worth it.
Size – for a couple, the Olive House is perfect. I could easily see myself and my partner coming here in the future for a vacation together.
Quality – by this I mean that in addition to all the towels, linens, and toiletries you’d expect being provided, there are also 2 robes provided for your use as well, which I found to be very handy when heading outside to my jacuzzi.
Living Room Space – it’s a great size for a couple. Plenty of seating options. And a TV! Which they wanted to show me how to work it, but I wasn’t interested in hearing their explanation. I didn’t come here to watch TV! I came here to enjoy the outdoors – both here on site and in the surroundings.
Balcony – the table and 2 chairs out on the balcony were perfect for breakfast. And for just hanging out as well. I brought with me a neat coloring book and spent one of my mornings coloring at the table outside. And the hanging chair they have was perfect for the book I’d brought with me. And then, of course, the private jacuzzi is on this balcony, which just made the place absolutely perfect.
Cons
The lock of the front door. It just didn’t instill confidence. I brought my laptop with me and ended up keeping it in the car instead of in the cabin when I was exploring the area. I mean, each night when I got back everything was fine, but I was still a bit concerned leaving anything valuable in the cabin.
Question Marks
Meals are NOT included (though they do recommend 2 options for ordering meals in advance that will be delivered to the cabin), and so my biggest question mark is the kitchen – if all you’re doing is eating breakfast in the cabin, the place is perfect. I went grocery shopping and got ingredients to make myself oatmeal every morning, and the kitchen was great for this. It’s also great for making sandwiches.
Anything more intense than light cooking will most likely be inconvenient in this kitchen, though.
So this will depend on what you’re planning on doing for meals. If you’re up for eating out, you’re in a great location. If you’re intending on cooking all your meals in the cabin, this might prove a little tricky. Look into what pots/pans they provide (since I brought my own — I have a pot that’s my perfectly sized single portion of oatmeal pot that I brought with me). There are 2 burners on top of a toaster oven. I think it was a toaster oven at least. You should verify that as well.
But wait! There’s more to this place than just the cabins!
There’s also the land as well.
The Orchard
They call it an orchard, and while there are fruit trees, there’s also a lot more.
There are goats and sheep, and rabbits, ducks, and chickens.
In addition to the animals, there’s a treehouse! Or, a tree platform. Which is pretty cool, too. They also have fire pit areas out there as well, so if you’re into a campfire near your cabin, definitely talk to them and they’ll get you set up.
But back to the fruit trees…they have lemons, which weren’t ripe yet. Figs, some of which were ripe, I definitely picked a fig off the tree and ate it. It was good! They have olive trees, too. So no matter what the season, you should be able to see some fruit on a few of the trees.
They also have a few spices, and the one that I really liked was the lavender they have growing. I picked some of it to put in my tea.
Transportation to Bayit BaTeva – Cabin in the Galilee
So what’s the best way to get to this amazing cabin in the Galilee?
Rent a car. Hands down.
If you’re starting off in Tel Aviv, you CAN get there on 2 buses. One from where you’re staying to the main bus stop, and then from the bus stop to Sde Eliezer. The problem with this is that it will drop you off across the street from the entrance to the moshav. Then you’ve got a 10-15 minute walk ahead of you, with all of your things in tow.
So, great, now you’re there, and you arrived via public transportation.
How are you going to get, well, anywhere, from here. Again, it is doable via public transport, but it will be very time consuming, and you’ll need to be constantly checking your watches/phones to make sure you’re on time for your next bus.
I personally, really don’t like to travel like that. Always worrying about missing the bus.
As I’ve said in my posts on public transportation and on driving in Israel, the further away you get from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the more a car will help you during your travels.
Have you been here? Do you have a favorite cabin in the Galilee?
Let me know if the comments below!