A spectacular natural wonder the Dead Sea that is located 427 metres below sea level is perfect for wellness and religious tourism, fun in the sun with the family. With its mix of beach living and religious history you can soak up the sun while Biblical scholars can get their daily dose of religious history. The Dead Sea is shared between Israel and Jordan.

The leading attraction at the Dead Sea is the warm, soothing, super salty water itself – some ten times saltier than sea water, and rich in chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, bromine and several others. Hence for those who can’t swim, you would naturally float once you enter the Dead Sea. It’s a popular tourist spot because of its unique ecosystem and the many health benefits that are believed to be associated with its high salt and mineral content.

The unusually warm, incredibly buoyant and mineral-rich waters have attracted visitors since ancient times, including King Herod the Great and the beautiful Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. All of whom have luxuriated in the Dead Sea’s rich, black, stimulating mud and floated effortlessly on their backs while soaking up the water’s healthy minerals along with the gently diffused rays of the Jordanian sun.

Similarly, we also soaked in the Dead Sea and enjoyed its natural spa properties. However, it is not good to soak for too long so a maximum of 15 minutes was advised. If you have cuts or wounds on your external part, it would hurt due to the high salt content. We were told not to put our face in the water, if not the saltwater would sting our eyes. After having a nice soak, we then proceeded for an outdoor mud spa done by the friendly staff.

At the hotel grounds, there is a big pot of Dead Sea mud that is collected by the hotel staff. You can cover your body with mud and take some really cool pictures. It is like a spa experience, and after washing off the mud, your skin would feel so smooth. At many souvenir shops, one pack of mud is being retailed at $20-50 which is really expensive. I wonder if any friends back home would be interested to slather mud on their face or their body. Hence I DIY-ed and packed home a bottle of mud to try, which is totally free-of-charge.

Why is the Dead Sea below sea level?

The depression is a rift valley, caused by Earth’s crust having slipped down between two parallel fractures. The valley is a part of the Great Rift Valley, which continues northward through the Jordan River valley and the Sea of Galilee, and southward through the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea and across East Africa. Evaporation of the Jordan River helps to concentrate salt and other minerals in the lake.  With more irrigation from nearby settlements and usage of water, it actually reduces the groundwater storage and the Dead Sea becomes even lower, leaving behind vast beds of minerals and salt.

Stay: Kempinski Hotel Ishtar

Boasting tree-lined outdoor pools overlooking the waters of the Dead Sea, the 5-star Kempinski features a private stretch of beach and a spa offering sea mud and sea salt treatments.

There was a promo when I booked so it was around $300 for a superior King Room which comes with breakfast. Upon arrival at the hotel, the receptionist tried to upsell me but I said it was fine. In the end, he upgraded us to the Ishtar Superior room for free, which was much bigger and has a sea view. Due to many tourists cancelling their trip to Jordan, the hotel only saw a handful of tourists. It felt like only a 20% occupancy rate looking at the number of visitors who went for the breakfast buffet.

Our beautiful room in the recently furnished wing. The hotel is so big that you have to rely on golfcarts to get around. If you walk to the lobby, it takes around 15 minutes and to go through lots of stairs.

It was a luxury to have a bathtub and we made full use of it with the Dead Sea bath salt that we bought.

The shower area.

Locally made amenities are given, and in this case Trinitae, which contains some minerals and salts from the Dead Sea.

From our room, we could have a swimming pool view as well as the Dead Sea view. It was totally worth it to pamper ourselves and stay here for one night. Some people plan it even better, they relax at the Dead Sea airport on their last night, after having done the strenuous activities in Petra and Wadi Rum. So the next day, they can head straight to Amman airport which is about one hour’s drive away.

Around the Dead Sea region, there were some hot springs and a museum. However due to time constraints, we skipped these attractions.

Hammamat Ma’in (Ma’in Hot Springs)– It is located in one of the most breathtaking desert oases in the world. People come here to enjoy the mineral-rich waters of these hyper-thermal waterfalls.

Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth – This small museum near the Dead Sea is a wonder in and of itself with its unique location and interesting collection of artefacts. Entrance fee is included in the Jordan Pass.