The Golan Heights is usually associated with hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and landscapes, but it can also be experienced through its local cuisines and the people who live there. A new vacation package at the OAKS HOTEL & SPA in Bukata combines accommodation and a spa with a culinary tour of the Druze villages in the northern Golan, featuring meetings with local bakers, preparing knafeh and baklava, and a visit to the market.
The package, titled "Between Story and Taste," includes an overnight stay at the hotel, breakfast, access to the spa facilities, and a guided tour led by Efrat Moskovitch, a culinary expert and tour guide in the Golan. The itinerary includes four stops where participants are also introduced to stories about the area and local history.
Coffee facing Syria and warm pastries in Bukata
The first stop on the tour is the former Syrian headquarters building, which offers a view overlooking Syria. Alongside explanations about the border, the villages, and the events that shaped the northern Golan, participants are served coffee, tea, and local ma'amoul cookies.
From there, the tour continues to a local bakery in Bukata, where visitors meet the baker and watch pastries being made on a saj griddle. The visit includes tastings of fatayer and manakish with traditional fillings, alongside an introduction to preparation methods and recipes passed down from generation to generation.
Making knapeh and baklava in Majdal Shams
One of the main stops on the itinerary is a local knafeh factory in Majdal Shams. Here, participants do more than just taste; they join a workshop led by the owner and a professional instructor to learn how to make Syrian knafeh and baklava. After the preparation stage, participants sit down to eat the pastries they made.
The guided tour concludes at the farmers' market stalls, where visitors can continue to wander independently, taste, and purchase local products. Among other items, Hermon honey, jams, baladi fruits, and other local produce are sold at the market.
One detail worth keeping in mind is that travel between the stops is done in private vehicles. In other words, although it is a guided tour, participants are required to drive themselves between sites, and it is not an organized group shuttle tour.
What do you get at the hotel?
Following the tour, guests can also incorporate the facilities of the OAKS HOTEL & SPA into their vacation. Located in Bukata at an elevation of about 1,200 meters (approx. 3,900 feet) above sea level, the hotel faces the landscapes of the northern Golan.
This boutique hotel opened about a year and a half ago with an investment of over NIS 100 million. It features 41 rooms and suites and is strictly for adults only. Some rooms include private balconies facing Mount Hermon, while others are also equipped with a sauna.
The spa complex includes treatment rooms, dry and wet saunas, a Turkish hammam where treatments take place, a jacuzzi, and relaxation areas facing the view. The hotel also features a gym and an all-year-round outdoor swimming pool.
On the rooftop floor, adjacent to the pool, is the Rooftop Snack Bar, offering a bar menu, cocktails, and music. The hotel's kosher breakfast is also served in this area. Additionally, the Lusper meat restaurant operates at the hotel, combining dishes inspired by Druze cuisine with Golan ingredients. A Spanish grill operates in the restaurant kitchen to prepare the meats.
Things to check before booking
The package offers a combination of a culinary tour, overnight stay, and use of the spa facilities, but the provided information did not specify the package price, tour departure dates, or whether spa treatments are included in the price or require an additional fee.
Regarding meals, it is also important to note the distinction: The package includes breakfast and culinary activities as part of the tour, but it was not stated whether a meal at the hotel's meat restaurant is included.
For those planning a vacation in the area, this is an opportunity to combine discovering the food and settlements of the northern Golan with a hotel stay. Before booking, it is advisable to check the total price, what exactly is included in the tastings and workshops, and the schedule of activities. It is also important to remember that this is an adults-only vacation and that the tour requires transportation by private car.