Ten months ago, it was love at first sight for 42-year-old Lioz Hemo from Moshav Amnun by the Sea of Galilee when he took a quick look at the “Villa Tehilla” estate, built as a farm and later on transformed into a travelers' inn in Rosh Pina. In 1882, it had been a famous Galilean guest house. Its owner, Tehilla Yisraeli, among the first to rent out rooms in the picturesque town, passed away three years ago.
Villa Tehilla is renowned for not fitting precisely into the category of a boutique hotel or of a resort. Twenty years ago, Lonely Planet called it "Israel's most unique accommodation option.” The estate was for rent and Hemo and his wife, Adva, tourism lovers who operate a camping compound and rent out all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), decided to rise to the challenge.
In the middle of the war with Hezbollah, they signed the contract and the legendary farm/guest house became theirs. Since then, there have hardly been any guests. Hosting mainly evacuees was the only option for the Hemo couple.
In September, a rocket crashed in the hotel’s backyard with fragments penetrating into the dining room and one of the guest bathrooms.
“Who makes such a business move in the middle of a war? I ask Adva.
“Tourism is the only thing we know, and Lioz always had good instincts in this arena. The 14 rooms “Villa Tehilla” was a dream come true for us,” she says.
Hemo makes me a great espresso while still dressed in IDF uniform as he is just back from an assignment on the Syrian border, on a short break amid months of reserve duty.
The ceasefire agreement on the border with Lebanon appears to be promising and a turning point for the two. The place was fully booked on a Wednesday. Adva was constantly on the phone smiling and registering new bookings.
The nearby JNF-KKL Agamon Hula Lake Park, famous for bird watching, was still closed to the public when I was there, and just reopened a few days ago.
“During the war, we had about eight workers left to maintain the place, sometimes under fire”, says Inbar Shlomit Rubin, field manager at the Hula Lake.
“Even after the reopening, not all the observatories are open to visitors yet, for safety reasons. Our biggest challenge is manpower. Some of our employees are still evacuated. Some will not return and others have discovered new occupations during the war. Nature and the birds will also need time to get used to visitors again, and we urge everyone to travel with tolerance,” she says.
We drive east and climb the Golan Heights’ narrow road, aiming for the family-owned Odem Mountain Winery. Located in a forest in the northern part of the Golan, this renowned winery produces 200,000 bottles annually.
“While the production continued as usual, I was drafted to the army, serving 200 reserve days since October 7,” says general manager Alon Arbel. “Our supply chain continued normally to central Israel and we even invested significant funds in expanding our on-site visitor’s center by building a new wine room,” he says.
This new structure is impressive and something I have not even encountered in famous traditional wineries in Europe. I compliment Arbel and owner Michael Alfasi. Since the ceasefire agreement in the North, they point out that traffic to visit the winery has resumed significantly.
NOT FAR away, 1,070 meters above sea level, we check in at the Boutique El-Rom hotel that was closed for business during the war and has just opened.
This 44-room family hotel at the entrance to Kibbutz El-Rom entrance looks new and inviting. General manager Shimon Michael, 37, dressed in khaki, is busy running El-Rom's first response defense squad. On my way to meet him in the hotel’s lounge, I witness a team member functioning as a housekeeper, preparing a guest room with an M16 assault rifle slung over his shoulder.
“We had to let go of most of our staff during the war and now we are training totally new team members. Indeed a challenge, however, the ceasefire makes us optimistic, as new bookings are coming in daily. Weekends are already busy and Passover is fully booked,” he says.
A newly appointed receptionist sends us to enjoy dinner at a fancy restaurant that has just opened in Birkat Ram, a natural water source reservoir under Mount Hermon. Waze is our navigator through the darkness, but due to intentional army disruptions, we soon find ourselves lost on a dirt road close to the Syrian border. Suddenly, a suspicious-looking pick-up truck is driving toward us.
“Can you help us with directions to Tushar restaurant by the lake?” I anxiously but desperately asked the two youngsters inside.
“Sure, follow us. We live close by,” is the answer. We thank the friendly Druze and within minutes find ourselves in a mirage called Tushar. For a moment, we thought we were in an upscale Tel Aviv restaurant. Twenty-eight-year-old years old Druze Chef Saleh Gotany from Buq'ata, who worked in Ran Shmueli’s Claro’s famous Sarona Tel Aviv restaurant, welcomes us with a smile.
His Syrian-style gastronomy tasting menu is a dream. The steak he prepared for us will be long remembered.
“Who opens an upmarket restaurant in such a place during a war?” I keep asking.
“It is certainly a business gamble, however, we wanted to cheer up the citizens of nearby Majdal Shams town who lost 12 children due to a rocket attack by Hezbollah. My partners and I invested half a million shekels in this new restaurant. We wanted to make a mark on Druze gastronomy in the Golan, and although only locals currently dine here, we are certainly optimistic that we will become the culinary highlight in the northern Golan”, says Gotany.
The day after at the hotel
The following day at high noon I am walking along the stream of the breathtaking Tel Dan Nature Reserve, not far from the city of Kiryat Shmona. With me is Raya Shourky, director general of Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Together with her executive team, she shows us the damages. The visitor center here is closed as it was hit by a rocket. A caravan is its temporary home. takes its place.
Not far away, fire has consumed green areas in the Banias Nature Reserve. “The year 2024 was the most challenging in the 60 years of the Authority's existence,” Shourky remarks.
“The most significant extent of damage is in the Northern District, where approximately 223,000 dunams were burned. We definitely need government funds to recover. But the good news is that most of the sites are now open to the public so that they can enjoy nature again not far from the border with Lebanon,” she says.
We drive South to central Israel and make a detour, heading to the small Christian village of Jish, also known by its Hebrew name, Gush Halab. The Christmas tree has just been lit and the main tiny streets are decorated for the festive holidays.
Bachir Sliman, named after the late militia commander and Lebanese president-elect Bachir Gemayel, just opened his popular Hunter House meat restaurant for the first time since the war is in a ceasefire mode.
“It is so encouraging to welcome old clients after such a long time,” he says with a smile. “It will take at least six months for the business to recuperate.
“The government should assist tourism establishments by lowering the VAT rate for that period,” he suggests.
Sliman reveals that, regardless of the war difficulties he sends money to his relatives in Lebanon who see him as a person living in a dream country. I couldn't agree more.
One thing is for sure. On the frontier land by Israel’s northern borders, I found only optimism for a better future and confidence in tourism.
The writer is the Travel Flash Tips publisher.