The Lower Galilee is an hour and a half drive from Tel Aviv and a 40 minutes drive from Haifa. However, this area is a totally different world. We always love to travel the north of Israel whenever we visit as it has one of the most beautiful landscapes in the country.
We can definitely say it has one of the most breathtaking sunsets in Israel.
As this is the transition time between winter and spring (beginning of April), we’ve waited to see that the weather is fine and decided to take the kids to the lovely monkey forest in Yodfat that is located in Misgav.
Misgav is in the heart of the Lower Galilee and has a varied and interesting hiking area. It has mountain peaks and clear air with lovely views, picturesque villages filled with vegetation of the Land of Israel and fascinating hiking trails. We’ll write about the highlights in Northern Israel in another post, but today we want to share our great morning in the Monkey Forest.
Tip #1
Arrive early, especially in the holidays and weekends as this place is getting crowded when the weather is good. Also, the parking lot is not so big. They usually open at 9AM, but you can check their website, click here.
Tip #2
To get a 20% discount ask someone who read Hebrew to help you in this site. You buy it online and get the tickets at the entrance.
The goal of the monkey forest is to educate for the love for animals and nature and the right of all wildlife and domestic animals to live their lives in excellent and respectful conditions.
The cute squirrel monkeys are the highlight of the visit. The ancestors of the squirrel monkeys came from a habitat in Belgium. This place approach was to give the monkeys a large part of the forest that has eventually become their territory.
The Monkey Forest became also a refuge for animals. The animals in the forest live as close as possible to natural conditions. This place is not a zoo, this is the animal’s home, therefore, the approach is that we should respect their home as much as possible.
The Fun part is that we could feed the animals. The squirrel monkeys can be fed only by the larvae that they sell in the place. The macaque monkeys eat apricots, Capuchin monkeys eat nuts, almonds, dates and natural cranberries. You can feed the rest of the animals with bread, green leaves and fresh, washed vegetables.
The squirrel monkeys have their own area that is their territory, but they are free to move around the whole forest as they wish.
The Monkey Forest is suitable for couples, families with children of all ages, family trips and for anyone who wants to enjoy a natural experience, unlike any visit to a zoo. You should know that you can bring picnic baskets and enjoy a picnic in the forest. You can also bring food to most animals: bread, dried fruits, and vegetables, dried fruit or you can buy some treats there. It is recommended to arrive with comfortable shoes. For families with babies, it is recommended to arrive with a carrier.
This is a two-hours attraction that can be combined with your visit to the Galilee.
