The entrance to the park is 1.5km from Kibbutz Yotvata, where Ye’elim Desert Holiday Village (tel. 37 43 62) has tent space for NIS20 year-round. (Caravan singles NIS78; doubles NISI 11. In July and Aug. singles NIS132, doubles NIS189. Check-in open at 2pm.) Swimming pool free is for guests, NIS10 for visitors. The visitor center (tel. 37 60 18) opposite the kibbutz provides exhilarating information about the area and shows a film about Negev ecology. (Open 8am-3pm. NIS5 for the film, free with ticket to Hai Bar.) The cafeteria serves Yotvata’s famous dairy products.

The above sights are worth seeing, but probably not worth the price of Eilat-based tours offered by Egged (tel. 37 31 48/9; 10% student discount) and DanAJnited (tel. 37 17 29). The simplest and cheapest way to go is to take bus #394 north Tel Aviv (leaves Eilat station every hour on the half hour; NIS7.50) and get off at Yotvata. Return to Eilat from the same stop on incoming buses.