Floating in the Dead Sea on the Jordan side
Summary
This is just one of those experiences that we’ve all heard about, but really needs to be experienced to be believed. Surrounded by history with the likes of Jerusalem, the King’s Highway and crusader castles nearby, you are very likely not only in this part of the world for the Dead Sea, but, if you, be sure to give it a go as its heaps of fun. Plus, has the added attraction of being the lowest point on earth (408 metres below sea level)
You’ll most realistically access it via one of the hotels / spa treatment areas because you’ll want access to running water, ease of walking into the sea, towels, access to mud etc. The extra cost, either through a day pass or access via the hotel, is worth it
highlights
#1 Floating - really floating! - on top of the water and trying as much as you can to push yourself down. Heaps of fun
#2 The views out across the world-famous Dead Sea and its surrounding shores
#3 If driving through, checking out the former crusader castles such as those of Karak
#4 Taking in the beautiful scenes nearby made famous by the bible
#5 The views and mosaics of Mount Nebo
Travel tips Including books
- We stayed at the Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa for a night and would recommend it. They have the simple access to the Dead Sea with the towels, running water, crocs for your feet, mud for rubbing all over yourself etc, plus a series of cascading levels which all give nice views of the Dead Sea, especially for sunset. Its JD50 to access the beach if you’re not staying the night as a guest, and this also includes a food voucher for the buffet which is good
- Make sure you slaver yourself in mud for the supposed healing properties, but mainly just for fun
- Really try not to get the water in your eyes or in your mouth – it is SUPER salty. Roughly 10 times that of the sea you are used to and can be quite unpleasant – even taking a tiny lick!
- We went in January so the air temperature was cold (around 18 Celsius), but the water was fine for swimming in
- Couple of hours max needed
- Nearby I’d say Jerash and Karak Castle are worth visiting; Mount Nebo, Amman, Madaba less so
- For a bigger Jordan and Israel itinerary – see the entry for the A supercharged week seeing the highlights of Israel and Jordan, for the highlights and tips on how to have the best trip
Experiences nearby
The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences
Other Unusual Swimming Experiences
Score Detail
Background - how many times have you asked someone what a travel experience was like and the response was "amazing" or "awesome"? That response is nice to know, but it makes it hard to differentiate that experience compared to others. That is exactly what these scores are trying to do - differentiate the experience by giving a score out of 10 based on 6 categories and then giving an overall experience score
This overall experience score is calculated by: take the highest of the "Culture" or "Nature" score (1-10) + "Fun factor" (1-10) + "Avoiding the crowds" (1-10) + highest of the "Unique" or "World Famous score" (1-10). Then convert into a score out of 100
Extra detail - the logic being that I find all of the 6 individual scores important, but I don't want to mark an experience down just because it doesn't cover both "Culture" and "Nature", or because it isn't both "World Famous" and "Unique". Take the examples of Safari in The Serengeti and walking through Rome - they both appeal at opposite ends of the nature / culture spectrum, and you can have a fantastic time without needing to appeal to both sides. So, their overall scores aren't penalized for their lack of one or the other, and I've done the same for "World Famous" vs "Unique". But . . . I do think that the "Fun factor" of an experience is important, irrelevant of other factors, and so is "Avoiding the Crowds" (or where there are crowds that add to the experience). So, both of these scores are standalone