Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve

We visited Yotvata Hai-Bar, about 30 to 40 minutes outside of Eilat. It is basically a safari-style reserve where you drive through and observe desert wildlife in a natural environment. You can see gazelles, antelopes, wild donkeys, ostriches, and different birds, all living freely without heavy human intervention. It feels much more authentic than a typical zoo. The reserve is very clean and well maintained. There is a short 10-minute film and a small kiosk with drinks and snacks. For holders of the Israel Nature & Parks Authority membership, entrance is free, so it is an easy and worthwhile stop. The full drive and visit take around 1 hour. It is a nice activity especially when traveling to or from Eilat, since it is located right on the main road. A great way to learn about desert wildlife and support conservation efforts. We really enjoyed the experience. There is a 10min movie before about the place, and a small shop, clean restrooms

A mini safari experience, nice for the kids. If you drive past, would be nice to stop for a visit. For visiting this place, you need to drive a car and stay inside the car at all time. Drive with a 30km/h speed limit.

You can do the visit with your own car. We enjoyed the visit but we were a little bit disappointed since the predator zone was closed (according to the girl that sold us the tickets since 2016). They gave us a map with the name of the animals but there was no other information in the brochure. I think that they need to renew a little bit the installations. There is a picnic zone in the entrance and also a WC.

Nice 2 hours entertaining self-guided Park to visit. Drive in biblical zoo with very good recorded explanation tracks for the ride.

Nice place to visit for a change of pace, but can't say there is a lot to do there. Nice to see the animals at a very natural and spacious environment and I can appreciate that, but gets pretty monotonousness after 30 minutes, don't expect the place to entertain the family for more than an hour. I heard it used to be bigger, but nowadays you can mainly see only Ostriches, Arabian Oryxes and Donkeys (I'm sure I'm missing something, but no more predators at the Hai-Bar as of 2020).

Absolutely amazing place. I volunteered here for a few weeks, with a friend in February 2017. The staff/rangers are truly incredible people. Their devotion to the animals and the guests who volunteer is like none other. I would highly recommend stopping by this amazing sanctuary. During the course of my volunteering I became much more aware and appreciative of desert life. I learned that the a lot of the animals within the reserve are kept away from the general public, as to keep them relaxed and comfortable. I thought this was fantastic and a very rare thing to see. Almost every place that cares for animals, also uses whatever ways they can to gain money and attention from said animals. Not the Hai-Bar. It might not be the best for visitors but I commend them for their actions. They would rather live comfortably knowing the animals are safe and not stressed. That should be respected! P.S. Just so you know, the desert actually contains pretty much any animal that you can find anywhere else. Just smaller, more adapted to conditions. (I'm often asked why I would volunteer at an animal sanctuary in the desert)

A little safari park with a lot of ostriches, different kind of funny deers, horses, etc. The animals are close to the road so you can see them well from your car. You need to stay in your car during the visit. If you stop next to an ostrich they will try to eat some invisible things from your car. So if you see an ostrich near a car and picking something it doesn't necessarily mean that they are feeding the animal, it can mean that the bird thinks that it can eat the car and it's really funny to see. You need to drive on a dirt road but it's doable with any kind of car. Ask for the CD/pendrive that explains everything about the park, it's full of interesting info.

Not very excited tour, but definitely worth to visit. You can drive around in your own car what is taking around 30-45 minutes. You will see all animals which are living in the dessert.