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Flights to Eilat/Ovda (1 Viewer)

CRAIG FULCHER

CRAIG FULCHER

The Birding Gas Man
Hi,

I am in the process of planning a trip to Eilat next March. The only problem i'm having is locating an airline which flies directly to Ovda from any London airport. I don't know what i'm doing wrong but it seems easier to fly to the moon ! Does anyone have any info that will help ?

Many thanks

Craig
 
CRAIG FULCHER said:
Hi,

I am in the process of planning a trip to Eilat next March. The only problem i'm having is locating an airline which flies directly to Ovda from any London airport. I don't know what i'm doing wrong but it seems easier to fly to the moon ! Does anyone have any info that will help ?

Many thanks

Craig
Click to expand...

Been through the same myself, and concluded that they are extinct! Apparently there used to be a direct flight from East Midlands, presumably cancelled through lack of interest?

I ended up booking with Wildwings for the Bird Festival (leave in just over 2 weeks - can't wait!) which worked out a little cheaper than self-booking a flight and hotel on-line, believe it or not, and avoids the drive down from Tel Aviv as they fly direct to Eilat/Ovda.

PM me if you want any specifics.
 
VOYANA HOLIDAYS fly from Luton. The supplement from manchester is £60. The transfer from Ovda to Eilat is £25 so make sure you get these included in your flight only price. If you need car hire.... hire something very small. Try Eldan in London, they were always the cheapest and it's cheaper to hire here at home rather than Eilat. It may be cheaper with a package rather than doing it yourself.

Steppe Eagles and Steppe Buzzards are on the move over the Eilat mountains already.

J.
 
Hi,

Many thanks for the info. I've just been on the Voyana website and it shows El Al and First Choice as the airlines flying direct. Howewver i have already looked through their websites and found no mention of these flights !!! I've e-mailed them to clarify the situation. I think you might be right about a package deal, i thought organising holidays was supposed to be fun !


Cheers

Craig
 
Before all the trouble of the past few years it was sooooo easy to get to Eilat.

The last flight I took to Eilat/Ovda was a Virgin 757 with 6 (six) passengers on the outbound flight. It went out almost empty in order to pick up the passengers from the last couple of weeks. It was the last flight that spring to Ovda; I had to return via Eilat central airport/Tel Aviv/Manchester. Virgin used to fly from Manchester but those days ended with the trouble and the lack of interest.

I really can't see any problems with Voyana, they have always answered e-mails and returned calls promptly. But it may be more expensive than a package. I've just priced a week in March travelling alone and the price is frightening for little more than six days. Sadly all my cheap B and B contacts in Eilat came back to the UK to live.

I've always travelled alone or with my partner as it must be dreadful being packaged and being bussed all over the place...but there again I've never done it so I'm probably wrong. I could not imagine leaving fantastic raptor passage over Yoash and climbing into a red hot a mini bus to travel away from something you could quite happily watch for hours.
 
CRAIG FULCHER said:
i thought organising holidays was supposed to be fun !

Cheers

Craig
Click to expand...

Stick with it....20,000 Steppe Buzzards, 400 Steppe Eagles, Loads of Egyptian Vultures, Ospreys, Black Kites, Storks, Harriers, and loads of smaller stuff, all before 11.30 makes it worth the hassle. And then there's the north beach get together late afternoon and watching what's coming 'in off'...and then the pub :t: Happy days.

I take it when you state next March, that'll be 2008 and not 2007???
 
Don't knock a package - basically it will only include flights, transfers and accomodation - we did it and arrived, birded then left without seeing anyone from the tour company (correction - my wife went to the reps meeting on day one - I was going but got side tracked by the Eagle passage!).

Packages are often cheaper than flight only options to non bargain flight destinations. (In fact we have booked late packages and only used the flight part in the past as the ultimate resort destination wasn't the one of our choosing, but the package was cheaper than the flight only!!).

I hope you can get to go - the birding is awesome!
 
Rob, I meant one of the birding packages where you are expected to share rooms etc. I too have had loads of package holidays with no probs. (I think that makes sense) sadly the dreaded single supp kills any holiday!
 
Hi Bubbs and Rob,

Many thanks for the advice, info and encouragement. I am finally having some success ! Yovana got back to me and they do flights for around £275 inc taxes around the end of March. Bubbs your right in assuming i am talking about 2008 and you are also right about the cost compared to a guided tour. However hardly any companies do these nowadays. Birdfinders do one and you can also have 7 days guided through Lotan Kibbutz. I have been talking to a couple of people who have been on the Lotan trip and they really rated it. I'm led to believe that James Smith guides for both these and from what i'm told he really knows his stuff when it comes to that area.
Anyway still quite a way to go yet but i love to plan these sort of things, reading trip reports etc. it seems an amazing place. My wife just wishes i was as organised in the rest of my life !

Many thanks

Craig.
 
Lotan is a lovely place to stay but in my opinion just a bit too far from Eilat ... it's 40 mins by car. Saying that you do go thru fab scenery down to Eilat. The parks and gardens around Eilat city are just stunning at sunrise and you may be lucky with lots of new overnight arrivals....birds not tourists!

James Smith is one of those blokes who makes you sick ;) not only is he a great birder, he is a brilliant artist and guide.

I don't know if you know but avoid Eilat at passover like the plague!

J.
 
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As far as I know, the "main guy" at Lotan is Jonathan Mereyev (apologies if spelt wrong!) who really seems to know his stuff.

Lotan may be a way out from Eilat but it's much cheaper to stay there, you can get packed breakfast/lunch included (stick them in the fridge overnight so you can get away for 4am) and the birding around the Kibbutz is pretty good - you're also closer to the circular field at Yotvata, and can pop into the pools and date plantations (K19/K20 area I recall) - the "K" indicates distance from Eilat. Raptor migration usually peaks well after sunrise so you can take in a few places on your way to the mountains, and when you're bored with Kibbutz dinners you can go to North Beach, pop in to Eilat for a meal then back to the Kibbutz with a couple of beers! You may have to climb over the security gate to get to the release button to get your car in, though, as no-one ever seemed to answer the entry phone.....
 
The north wind is all important for raptors over the Eilat mountains. Without the north wind you will get little raptor passage, as they will cross far to the west or cross the gulf further south. This is useful....

www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0254

Just hope and pray that you don't get winds from the south for a full week. Saying that, the wind in spring is (usually) from the north.
 
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