© 2008 JupiterImages Corporation

The Dead Sea

412m below sea level,  the lowest point on earth is the magical sea of salt. It was given its name due to the fact that nothing can grow or live in salty waters.

The water is about 8 times more salty then the ocean waters, 65 km long, 18km wide and 412m deep. the border between Israel and Jordan runs in the middle of the Dead Sea itself.

The Dead sea's water is quite oily and the air is dry. Due to the fact that it is so low the ultra-violet rays (uv) there is the lowest, this makes it the safest place to sunbath. The water has healing abilities which especially attracts people from all over the world with skin problems.

The Dead sea's water is extremely powerful, so you should take care and make sure you don't get any in your eyes or mouth (yak!!). You should take of all jewelry before entering the water. Watch out if you have any cuts or bruises as the water will heal but sting very much, and we recommend not to shave.

The water is great for floating. You can't really swim, but you can take one of your own pictures of reading a newspaper in the water or cover yourself in the wonderful mud.

There are many cosmetic companies along the Dead sea and its products are famous all over the world for their minerals and nourishing effect. Unfortunately, this wonder is slowly disappearing, The waters are evaporating fast about 80cm a year, this is also a sad result of misuse by the cosmetic companies.

It is recommended to hire a car (unless time is no object for you) as the Egged (the public bus company) buses are not very efficient in this area. You should be aware that the road to and from the Dead sea is extremely steep with many curves. This can be dangerous at night and when there is fog. Note that during the rainy season (dec. - Feb..) the roads can be flooded. If you do choose to take the public transportation you could call the Egged information operator for the bus numbers and timetable.

We recommend a dip in the centered beach in Ein Bokek, there is also a small shopping center with a natural soup shop "shabon shel paam" - meaning"Oldstayl way". Not Far from there (north) is another small shopping center with a few more restaurants.

Further up (keep going north) is a small lovely friendly beach- Kalya Beach, there is also wonderful mud all around the water. There is a small entrance fee for this beach. If you are arriving with public transportation, take into consideration that there is a short walk to the beach from the bus stop.

Not far from Kalya Beach is a water park and beach - this is especially recommended for those traveling with children or those of you that enjoy amusement parks.

Moving from Kalya towards south lie the ruins of Qumran. This Place is famous for the fact that the Dead sea scrolls were found, These scrolls are especially important if you have a desire to understand the 'Isaiah' book of the Bible.