The Dead Sea is probably the strangest body of water in the world. For a long time it was considered healing and almost miraculous. Archeological monuments and ancient shrines are still located along its banks. In the end, you can just lie on the beach. After all, not only hospitals are located around, but also ordinary resorts. Let's see what the tourists who have visited this interesting area of Israel write. After all, they definitely know what rest on the Dead Sea is.
Specificity
There is probably no person who has not heard that it is impossible to drown in this unique pond, because there you feel as if in zero gravity. Therefore, people come here to look at this miracle, and at the same time to heal. They say that not only the waters of the Dead Sea, saturated with salts and trace elements, are useful, but also baths from its healing mud. And along the shores of this huge salt lake there are many thermal springs. Holidays on the Dead Sea in Israel are the most diverse - with children and romantic, beach and tourist. In addition, a pressure chamber effect is created near this lake due to high atmospheric pressure, and a thick layer of air reflects ultraviolet rays that are harmful to health.
How to get there
Tourists who come to the Dead Sea on vacation, and not on a short excursion, usually come here from Ben Gurion Airport. The distance of Ein Gedi, for example, from there is 130-160 kilometers, depending on which route you choose. You can go through Jerusalem or through Tel Aviv. There is no direct public transport from the airport. You can get a few buses or by train, and then a minibus. Own or rented cars usually go along the highway number 90.
When is it better to be here
The resorts of this salt lake can be visited all year. After all, there are no sudden changes in temperature. However, in the summer, the lake has a low season due to the intense heat. But tourists write that from June to August you can relax on the Dead Sea. If you go to the beach only in the morning and in the evening, then it is quite tolerable. Moreover, in all hotels, as well as in transport, there are air conditioners. The second half of spring and the end of autumn are considered a high season here. Then there are a lot of people, and prices jump up. In winter, as in summer, it is a low season. But the weather can be rainy, and the water in the lake is quite cool. Therefore, in such a period it is better to choose spa hotels. There is often water from the Dead Sea. Tourists are also advised to find out if the dates of your trip fall on Jewish holidays. The fact is that at such a time both prices are higher and housing is more difficult to find. A great option would be a vacation on the Dead Sea in March or September. Then you can find yourself a good hotel for not very big money, and the weather will be guaranteed comfortable - neither hot nor cold.
What surrounds the Dead Sea
Along the shores of this salt lake there are many settlements and resorts. The most famous Israeli towns are Vered Yerijo and Beit Ha Arava. There are also kibbutzim - Almog and Ein Gedi. The latter stands on the shores of the Dead Sea, surrounded by spas. But the most popular areas of the lake are resort areas. This is Kalia near the Qumran National Park, and Arad, which is located on a mountain plateau and is suitable for patients with asthma, and the most famous Ein Bokek, where you will find many hotels with treatment, resorts and thermal pools. The sacred river Jordan flows into the Dead Sea. Next to it are two mountain ranges - Judean and Moab. Not far from the lake are real deserts. This is a rocky Negev plateau with canyons and almost lunar craters. The Judean Desert, where John the Baptist preached, is also famous.
Dead Sea: rest and treatment
There are many pensions on this lake. They offer various treatments. Tourists write that, first of all, it is possible to heal skin diseases and dermatitis, as well as improve the health of people suffering from arthritis and other joint pathologies. They come to Israel (on the Dead Sea) to rest and treat allergies and asthmatics. The local air is very oxygenated, which helps people with respiratory problems. Around the lake there is high atmospheric pressure. This helps to improve the condition of hypertensive patients. Their pressure is normalizing. Women are highly advised on beauty treatments such as mud baths and body wraps.
Masks based on local clay are also good. And you will be offered recreation, hydrogen sulfide and thermo-mineral procedures. All kinds of spa centers are also popular. And doctors say that the water of this lake helps to heal wounds, slows down the aging process of the skin, helps with migraines and relieves insomnia. Work at the Dead Sea and dermatological clinics.
Where to stay
Of course, you should not come here for an excursion, and not for one day. Therefore, tourists are advised to carefully look at the choice of hotels for vacation on the Dead Sea. Almost all of them are located on the shores of the lake. Literally every hotel has a spa center with therapeutic procedures - mud baths, massages, inhalations. As a rule, hotels have pools and good gyms. Of the "fives", tourists noted "Crown Plaza", "David Resort", "Royal Rimonim."
The most comfortable four-star hotels belong to the Leonardo chain. Good reviews of various hotels with spa centers, such as Khod Hamidbar, Lot. Of the "three rubles" vacationers praised "Tsel Harim." An excellent option is to settle in boarding houses in kibbutzim - for example, in Kalia or Almog. There you can find kosher restaurants, green areas, rooms with kitchens and entertainment for every taste. Approximate prices for accommodation per person during the week start from forty thousand rubles in a three-star hotel.
Beach vacation
Your stay on the shores of this Israeli lake may just be a relaxation at the resort. After all, rest on the Dead Sea involves visiting beaches. And there are more than ten of them. Almost all of them are located in the areas of Hamei Zohar and Ein Bokek. The beaches are municipal and free. Tourists resting here assure other travelers that, unlike other world resorts, the sun here is completely safe. They say that it does not harm tanning hard radiation. Thanks to this, you can be in the sun from morning to evening.
But this cannot be said about the terribly salty water of the Dead Sea. You can swim in it no more than three times a day, and even then no more than a quarter of an hour. The fact is that the concentration of salt in water is such that any contact with mucous membranes causes an unbearable burning sensation. Entertainment such as splashing water on others is strictly prohibited. When you plunge, look so that the liquid does not enter either the nose or eyes. And if that happened, immediately rinse these places with fresh water. Yes, and take a shower every time after bathing is not out of place. There are campsites and wild beaches on the lake where you can pitch a tent.
Where to eat
Tourists in their reviews of holidays on the Dead Sea, of course, do not miss the opportunity to talk about where they feed better. It is interesting that the restaurant Asado in Dessert, near the kibbutz Bet ha Arava, enjoys the greatest popularity among vacationers. It is good to stay there as a family or a small company to try meat dishes prepared according to traditional recipes. If you want to taste real Israeli cuisine, head to the Last Chance restaurant. And Middle Eastern, in particular Moroccan, delicacies are served on the beach of Bianchini, in a coastal restaurant.
In the south of the lake, Prima is famous for its fish and seafood. And the best sheep’s cheese can be tasted at Camp Fata Morgana. The Taj Mahal Arab Restaurant in Ein Bokek offers not only grilled meat in a Bedouin tent, but also delicious desserts.
What to see
According to biblical legends, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were in this place . Aristotle wrote about the wonderful properties of the lake. Therefore, we know that people have lived here for many millennia, and many interesting places have remained on the shores of the reservoir. The main attraction, which literally everyone flies to, who came to rest on the Dead Sea, is the ancient city of Masada - the last frontier that the ancient Jews defended, resisting the Roman Empire. There you can see the palace of King Herod, which the Bible mentions. You will be shown the place where the Roman legionaries camped besieging the city. The oases here are very beautiful. These are Ein Gedi, Nahal David and others. But probably the most interesting place for those who love history is Qumran National Park. In his caves, old scrolls were discovered , where theses found are similar to the gospel commandments.
Very impressive mountains of salt, which stretch for twenty kilometers. Locals call them "The wife of Lot." According to biblical tradition, it was at this place that the wife of the righteous, who was leading his family out of Sodom and Gomorrah, looked back at her homeland and turned into a salt pillar. Tourists also like that there are many pilgrimage places in the area, including ancient monasteries - St. Gerasim and George, the Faran Lavra, as well as the Forty-Day Mountain, where the devil tempted Christ, and the tomb of Moses. In addition, here you can ride through the gorges (wadi), as well as mountains and desert in jeeps, ATVs, camels.
What to bring
Of course, most tourists who come to rest on the Dead Sea buy cosmetics based on its minerals. They sell healing clay, as well as various souvenirs. It is said that the first woman who began to use the minerals of the lake for cosmetics and even make ointments and rubbing was Queen Cleopatra. Lines of modern products include not only substances from the Dead Sea, but also useful plant components. You can choose a good caring makeup. Facial and body hygiene products and perfumes of the Akhava company are very popular among tourists.
Holidays in the Dead Sea in Israel: reviews
The bathing experience in this salt lake is very ambivalent. It scares many. Some claim that being in it is like standing in a hot brine. You can’t swim, because the body turns around. But if you go into the water and just lie down without moving for several minutes, you will get completely unforgettable sensations. Walking barefoot on the beach is not worth it. In reviews of holidays on the Dead Sea, tourists write that the shore of the lake is covered with salty pebbles. Therefore, it is better to go there in special shoes. And of course, after you get out of the water, you need to stand for a long time under a fresh shower. Most tourists express complete enthusiasm for their stay in various spa centers.
As a rule, there are pools with heated water from the Dead Sea, vats with therapeutic mud, locker rooms, various shops, cafes and snack bars. Outside, most often there is an open pond with palm trees, flowers, sunbeds and umbrellas. It is fresh and there is a relaxation zone around it. Such water treatment procedures, according to vacationers, greatly strengthen the immune system, especially in children.