Bustan Qaraaqa

Bustan Qaraaqa is a permaculture farm with guest house AND volunteer dorm-room accommodation in an old farm house in Wadi Hana Saad, Beit Sahour near Bethlehem. Wadi Hana Saad is green valley 5 minutes (or 20 min on foot) to the East of Bethlehem. Relaxing on the farm you can enjoy a wealth of wildlife including tortoises, eagles and sunbirds. The farm's orchards play host to a wealth of migratory birds often in huge numbers. As your hosts we are eager to help you to be involved in local community activities, ecotourism and, if you wish, to participate in the life of the farm so learning about permaculture and sustainable living.

We offer a variety of accommodation ranging from furnished private rooms, dorms through to accommodation in ancient caves to mattresses on the covered roofs and even hammocks in the caves around the farm (for the more adventurous), so sleep as privately or communally as you like.


As we are a farm we, of course, have animals. There are cats in the house but they do not enter the bedrooms. We try to live as sustainably as possible, for example we use a composting toilet and wash the dishes with lemon and ash.

There are plenty of balconies, roofs and terraces to smoke on so stepping outside is no inconvenience.

Bustan Qaraaqa is a great base from which to explore the beautiful Palestinian countryside in safety on foot. Within walking distance of the farm are: the historic old towns of Beit Sahour and Bethlehem; the monasteries of Deir Theodosius and Deir Mar Saba (spectacularly located on the precipice of the Jordan Valley above the Dead Sea); Mount Herodion (King Herod's fortified place and tomb on the summit of a volcano-like mountain with views to the Mountains of Jordan, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem and Bethlehem and Bustan Qaraaqa nestled in a green valley to the north). Using the regular and cheap public transport, day trips to Wadi Qelt, Jerico, Hebron, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea shore, Ramallah, Nablus and Ein Gedi National Reserve are among many memorable ways to spend the day.

As part of the project we encourage people to integrate with the local community and to explore Palestine's natural treasures and wildlife. We enjoy showing our guests around and organising ecotourism excursions in the deserts and mountains.

We are fully equipped with mattresses, sheets, blankets etc.. for your comfort, so you can leave your sleeping bag behind. If you have a hammock you may wish to hang it in a cave or on a roof.

We encourage people to be actively involved in the communal cooking and eating and are happy to provide 3 meals a day, included in the price.

Internet access is provided for free.

We are a very new project, funded almost solely through the revenues we can raise from our guest house. So all the money you pay will go back into the running the project and thus into the local community.

Directions

DIRECTIONS:
Address: Bustan Qaraaqa, Beit Hanna Saad, Wadi Hanna Saad, Beit Sahour, Bethlehem

From Bethlehem the hostel is a 25 - 30 minute walk, or a taxi should cost 20 -25 NIS.

If you are arriving on foot or by bike from Bethlehem, follow Milk Grotto Street from Manger Square down to Beit Sahour old town centre. In Beit Sahour follow the signs to the Citadel (a well signposted restaurant and
bar). From the Citadel walk down hill 50m until Plastic Factory Street is signposted on your right. Follow Plastic Factory street down for about 800m. At the T-junction take the right fork (effectively straight-on) which continues to descend along the valley side. Follow this road turning right
after the shop, continually descending to the valley floor where the road forks by a cattle shed. The right-hand fork crosses the valley floor on an embankment. The left-hand fork is an newly surfaced road. Take the left-hand fork here. Bustan Qaraaqa,
our farm, is the first house on the left with blue doors. Let yourself in and relax!

Facilities

Breakfast Included, Linen Included, Guest Kitchen, Telephone/Fax Facilities, Common Room, Bike Parking, BBQ Area, Web access in lobby