Taly's Travel: Letting go at Nof Ginosar

Rural vacation has become the No. 1 option during the COVID-19 time, which is exactly what Nof Ginosar has to offer, and if you are flexible, it is cheaper than it was in previous years!

By TALY SHARON
THE NOF Ginosar Hotel. (photo credit: OIR ACHERMAN)
THE NOF Ginosar Hotel.
(photo credit: OIR ACHERMAN)
It is hard to describe the feeling of freedom after more than two months of lockdown in the city. Walking around the green lawns and swimming in Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) during this time of the year is priceless.
Rural vacation has become the No. 1 option during the COVID-19 time, which is exactly what Nof Ginosar has to offer, and if you are flexible, it is cheaper than it was in previous years!
When we drove to Ginosar on the first day it was opened, we were hyped; I can’t remember being that excited going on a holiday. After over two months spent mostly at home, the option of being in the green open space was as appealing as ever!
The water level of the Kinneret, now at its peak, is yet another reason to get excited. I can’t remember such a view since I was a child, and I missed the noise of the water gently hitting the big basalt rocks.
We were especially curious to learn what the post-corona vacation will look like. Armed with face masks, we parked our car and went into the lobby.
The first thing, and also pretty much the last thing, that reminded us of the situation, and the “purple badge” rules was the sanitation station at the entrance to the hotel, right after the automatic revolving door.
Check in was extremely fast and efficient, and we soon headed from the lobby to our room.
The hotel is well suited for such times – most of the rooms are accessible from open corridors or straight from the garden, and the balconies face the large gardens. The rooms were cleaned and disinfected especially for us.
From this moment on, we were immersed in the outdoors, forgetting all about corona!
Nof Ginosar’s rooms are spacious and nicely refurbished. There are two main areas, the hotel and the village; the latter is well suited for families, and there is an option for barbecue near the rooms.
We stayed at a hotel room. The room was surprisingly comfortable for a family of four, with comfortable beds. Aside from all the expected amenities (flat screen TV, coffee-making facilities, safe deposit box, etc.), it had a balcony facing a green lawn.
This is one of 245 rooms, and they are going to build a new section on the other bank of Nahal Tzalmon, so there is also something new to look ahead to.
It is worth mentioning that, price-wise at Nof Ginosar, teens are considered children until the age of 16, unlike 12 in other hotels. This makes Nof Ginosar more affordable for families with children.
The main attraction here is the Kinneret. We changed to our swimsuits, and a short walk took us to the beach. The rise in the Kinneret’s water level had formed a small swimming bay, defined by buoys. The water’s temperature was cooler than usual, but was just right for a swim.
The hotel provides towels and chairs, and we rented kayaks (there are also pedal boats). If you want to do that, it is better to do it in the morning, as in the evenings the lake gets rough. We enjoyed rowing very much. It provides an opportunity to see the coastline from a different point of view, and is a very fun activity!
Beside the beach, we spent time swimming at the hotel’s pool. The hotel has plenty of outdoor activities, such as an evening movie at the swimming pool, a bonfire at the beach, etc. It is much safer this way and is fun; just remember to bring a mosquito repellent, if you are sensitive, as we are not the only ones taking advantage of the sea and the fresh air here.
The dining room is the only place that would remind you of the coronavirus – the staff used face masks and gloves. I remembered from my previous vacation here that there was a large variety of food – its quality has improved, and everything we had was very tasty.
If you prefer the safety of the fresh air, the lobby has a dairy bar with a beautiful new deck balcony facing the beach. It was great to sit there and have a cocktail.
When we decided we wanted to stay for the holiday, we found out that the hotel was fully booked! However, there are some especially good deals for those who can come midweek in June and July, so we’ll try to come again.
Nof Ginosar Hotel, www.ginosar.co.il, Tel: (04) 670-0320.
The writer was a guest of the hotel.