Dead Sea (Israel)

The Dead Sea is one of those places like the Eiffel Tower, Mount Everest, Rome and New York that most people want to visit at some time or another, unlike Rome and New York, perhaps less people do so but it's certainly well worth it. Located in the West Bank (Israel), the top of the lake is just a few kilometres from the Palestinian territory of Jericho. Apart from the forever shrinking lake which is an amazing 419 meteres below sea level and continuing to drop, the surrounding area is something that surprised me. I supposed that I hadn't expected anything in particular but the deserty Sinai ... more

~Summary~ The Dead Sea, this was the main reason for my trip to Israel. The healing properties of the waters may be overstated, but you can't go to Israel and not experience mudpacks and swimming in the salty water. The resorts are well equipped with showers, lockers, toilets, restaurant and products to take back home. The actual Dead Sea waters are receding so it is a long walk to the water edge, but there is a land train if you have trouble walking far. The waters are a bit stingy on the skin so I would advise caution if you have sensitive skin. ~Introduction~ The Dead Sea is in Israel and ... more

I visited the dead sea about 10 years ago now and still remember it very well. We visited for an afternoon on a trip from Jerusalem. The drive was breathtaking through the desert and beduin camps, and down to the dead sea. The temperature was scorching hot between 35-40c and quite humid near the sea. It ws amazing to get in and sit in the sea and fload without worrying about swimming, all pools on holiday should be like this. I sat and read the paper just for a clasic photo. Claims are also made about the mud of the dead sea containing healling properties well i believe as our mud fight cured ... more

The Dead Sea is amazing! We stayed for two nights at the Ein Gedi youth hostel and it was fantastic. You really can read a newspaper as you float in the Dead Sea. The oxygen level is much higher than the rest of the year (I was told between 8 and 10 percent higher). There are interesting sites to see, such as Masada and Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.) Sunbathing is fun, with huge free parasols at Ein Gedi. But don’t try to drink the water or let it get in your eyes – it really stings! So close to Jordan that, when I was sitting on the beach of Ein Gedi, my mobile phone thought ... more