Where better to go to the Dead Sea. Holidays on the Dead Sea in Israel: guide with prices. High season in Israel
On the eve of your long-awaited vacation, do you look through tourist brochures again and again? Are you tormented by questions related to choosing a future vacation destination? You don't know which resort to choose? Why not choose a holiday at the Dead Sea? You definitely won't be disappointed. In addition, this is a great opportunity not only to get acquainted with the sights of the region, but also to improve your own health.
Features of the Dead Sea
Aristotle was the first to mention this unique reservoir. Even in ancient times, this place was considered one of the most popular resorts. The thermal springs located nearby were visited by King Herod himself. The famous Cleopatra used mud and minerals for rejuvenation; the Roman nobility brought water and salts to their homeland. And in 1967, the first treatment centers appeared here, which still exist successfully.
What is the Dead Sea made of?
The water in this lake, which has no source, cannot be called water in the literal sense of the word. It is rather a strong salt solution, the concentration of which reaches 42%. To prepare such a liquid at home, you need to pour about 3 bags of salt into the bath and stir it well. But even then it will be impossible to replicate the unique composition of the Dead Sea. It contains:
This composition, combined with a healing climate and healing mud, makes this place a desirable resort for tourists all over the world.
Benefits of paradise
What are the advantages of a holiday at the Dead Sea?
In search of life at the Dead Sea
What diseases can be cured at the resorts of this unique body of water? You can come here to be healed of the most common ailments.
Choosing a time to travel
When does the Dead Sea season start? Rejoice: in this blessed corner it lasts all year round. However, do not forget that in the summer months it is too hot here. Therefore, it is better to go to overseas countries in spring or autumn.
There are seasons for the treatment of certain diseases. For example:
- For skin diseases, the season lasts from March to November. However, it is better to refrain from treating eczema and neurodermatitis in July and August.
- Those suffering from diseases of the joints and spine can come to the Dead Sea throughout the year.
- It is better to treat inflammation of the respiratory tract from early April to mid-November.
Israel: holidays at the Dead Sea
This country is often called the promised land.
Russians love to spend their holidays in these parts. Favorable climate, no language barrier, inexpensive travel packages and, of course, the Dead Sea.
The following beaches are the most popular among tourists:
- Neve Midbar. It is located very close to Jerusalem, on the northern coast. The design of the resort in an unusual reed style is noteworthy. There is a lot of healing mud right under your feet.
- Ein Gedi. The beach provides an opportunity not only to lie on the shore and swim in salt water. Nearby there is a unique nature reserve where you can admire a beautiful waterfall, observe the local fauna, and admire the unusual flora.
- Mineral. This beach is distinguished by its pool with mineral water saturated with sulfur, as well as a surprisingly smooth and clean coating of medicinal salt and small pebbles. Great for holidays with children.
Jordan: holiday features
Don't want to go to Israel? There is another country that hospitably welcomes tourists. Her name is Jordan. Holidays at the Dead Sea in this region promise to be eventful and comfortable.
Most often, travelers choose resorts such as:
- Amman. This capital city is located closest to the Dead Sea coast. Here you can see the ruins of the Temple of Hercules, visit the archaeological or folklore museum.
- Petra. Due to the unique shade of the rocks, it is called the pink city. It is carved into the mountain, so it has its own special atmosphere. The city is 280 km away from the Dead Sea.
- Aqaba. One of the most popular resorts, but it is located on the Red Sea. In order to get to the Dead Sea, you have to cover 385 km.
You see how many interesting things the Dead Sea can give you: relaxation and treatment, exciting travel and pleasant memories. This means there is no need to postpone your trip. You need to quickly go to meet the sun, sea and amazingly clean air, which, despite its concentration, is not contraindicated even for allergy sufferers.
The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth and people come here to experience new sensations or get treatment. Lie in the water with a magazine, for example, smear yourself with unique mud or undergo a unique salt water treatment. Due to its high density, the water seems to push you upward, and a feeling of weightlessness is created - you can feel like an astronaut. I think the Dead Sea in Israel does not need any special introduction; I’d rather focus on practical information.
The healing effect of swimming is improved due to the increased oxygen content in the air in this place - 15% more than usual - and a dense atmospheric layer, it is impossible to burn here, and the skin darkens gradually.
I vacationed with my parents in Israel in January. Traveling on our own from Tel Aviv to Eilat (you can read about this in more detail here..), we could not help but swim in the Dead Sea, especially since bus 444 from Jerusalem to Eilat makes a stop here.
It makes several trips a day, and along the way you can get off and visit such Israeli attractions as the ruined fortress of Massada (you can read my review of the trip to the fortress of Massada here) and the Ein Gedi nature reserve.
There are no direct flights from Russia to the Dead Sea; most compatriots fly to Tel Aviv, and from there they go to the Dead Sea by taxi or bus.
Public beaches in Ein Bokek are accessible all year round and are completely free. There are only 11 hotels in this small resort town. Perhaps this is why prices here are slightly higher than on the Red Sea in Eilat or on the Mediterranean Sea in any other city in Israel. At the same time, the overall rating on booking.com for guests who spent their holidays in these hotels is usually less than 8.0 points.
If you want to save money, you can stay in the neighboring town of Arad, which is about 30 minutes away. Buses go there frequently, and accommodation is much cheaper.
Hotel and shop employees come to work in Ein Bokek from there. As elsewhere in Israel, many of them are Russian-speaking emigrants. They also shared this information with me. Therefore, even without knowledge of English you will not get lost.
One of the first stops on the route from Jerusalem to Ein Bokek will be the Ein Gedi Spa. You can get out there too. This is a paid closed area with a swimming pool equipped with a beach, sun loungers, changing rooms, showers and hydrogen sulfide baths. Also here you can smear yourself with healing mud, visit a massage, a cafe and a store with Dead Sea cosmetics.
Entry fee for the whole day is 1200 shekels. It is here that the water has full healing properties, and there is mud that is located on the shore near the water. But it’s more pleasant to use dirt that has already been cleared of sand and other impurities. It is in special large containers.
It is useful to smear the entire body, except the face and heart area.
You can take salt, water and dirt from the Dead with you. Just be sure to wrap everything in several bags. Salt corrodes even plastic bottles, so no matter what gifts of nature you bring, pack everything carefully so that there is no “embarrassment” with your suitcase during the flight.
It is better to go to SPA-Eengedi with a tour than on your own. The cost of such a trip from Tel Aviv will cost you from 150 shekels.
The beaches of Ein Bokek are located next to salt processing plants. Factories dump the processed and now useless salt back into the sea, thus the Dead Sea gradually decreases in size, and its properties become less useful from year to year. There is no dirt there.
Some tourists buy mud in a store and smear it on the shore.
We spent four hours on the public beach of the Dead Sea, which was enough for us to feel the pleasant effect after swimming. The skin becomes smooth and slightly oily, wounds on the whole body heal quickly.
All beaches in Ein Bokek are equipped with free changing rooms and showers. For those who like to sunbathe without a swimsuit or are embarrassed by skin problems, special fences - solariums - are installed, separated by gender.
The atmosphere in the city is relaxing. Vacationers wear white hotel robes. There are few people in January. The temperature of the Dead Sea is about +20 degrees. Due to the density of the water, you won’t be able to swim as usual, and it’s cold to sit for a long time without moving.
Be careful! Especially if you are traveling with children or elderly people. We met a lifeguard who has been working at the Dead Sea for more than 9 years, and in the intervals between swims we learned a lot of funny, and unfortunately not very funny, stories related to such a seemingly calm and safe sea. Drowning is much more common in the Dead Sea than in others!
Here are a few rules to follow when swimming in the Dead Sea:
1. Don't dive in head first! The sea is rich in minerals and salts. Right in front of me, one guy, out of joy and emotion, apparently expected to get to the other side in Jordan. But after several sweeping strokes under water, the swim was over. In this case, shout to the person to close his eyes and not rub them with his hands, go up to him and help him get out of the water, walk to the shower with his eyes closed. It is necessary to rinse them well. If a person becomes confused and does not receive help in time, the probability of drowning is very high.
Even with a small wave, this probability increases. In addition to the fact that the water begins to corrode the mucous membrane, the wave density and flow characteristics are not in your favor.
Watch yourself and your children, do not let water get into your eyes, nose and throat.
2. Swim better on your back, carefully and without sudden movements, so as not to lose your balance. Once you are on your stomach, you will feel how your legs are being pushed up by the water, and your head is being pulled down.
4. Take rubber slippers on your trip to avoid scratching your feet on the sharp salt crystals at the bottom. Despite the fact that there are equipped entrances, including those with handrails.
5. After swimming in the Dead Sea, be sure to rinse with fresh water; there are free showers on all beaches.
6. The skin may tingle a little - this is the effect of beneficial minerals. Wounds or scratches then heal very quickly. But it is better to do depilation a day or two before the intended bathing.
These simple rules will help you spend your time at the Dead Sea with health benefits.
In between swims, you can go shopping, of which there are plenty right on the coast. They offer a wide variety of Dead Sea cosmetics and souvenirs.
The Dead Sea is located near the capital of the state Israel and is a complex that is not found anywhere else in the world. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that this body of water is almost half a kilometer below the level of the World Ocean. The waters of the Dead Sea contain solutions of salts beneficial to the body. Swimming in the Dead Sea means saturating your body with almost all the microelements it needs.
The secret of the uniqueness of this sea lies in the deep springs gushing from its bottom. It is these hot springs that supply mineral elements to sea water.
When is the best time to buy a tour to the Dead Sea?
Last minute tours to the Dead Sea from Kyiv are quickly snapped up by Ukrainians. This type of recreation, in addition to greatly strengthening the body, is also budget-friendly. A trip to the Dead Sea purchased through TUI Ukraine can cost you 2-3 times cheaper than in other places. At the same time, the level of service and friendliness of the staff convinces you to travel with us again.
Dead Sea Resort - a good option for people suffering from various diseases. Based on this, you should choose the travel time:
- from March to October it is better to come here for people suffering from psoriasis and parapsoriasis;
- tourists with acne, eczema, ichthyosis and other dermatological diseases can improve their health at the Dead Sea all year round, except July and August;
- thanks to the high saturation of air with oxygen throughout the year, the resort can improve the health of people suffering from asthma;
- diseases of the ear, nose, throat and musculoskeletal system are treated at the resort all year round.
By purchasing last-minute trips to the Dead Sea, you receive a guarantee of service by highly qualified doctors who practice effective treatment methods.
Sights and features of the balneological resort
While relaxing and recuperating on the Dead Sea coast, be sure to visit the oases along its coast. During your trip, it is worth visiting the Masada fortress, which is located on top of one of the rocks of the Judean Desert. It was here that King Herod the Great built a refuge for his family in ancient times. A synagogue, fragments of mosaics, hot and cold baths and ruins of other buildings (palaces, armories, etc.) have been preserved.
Tours to the Dead Sea from Ukraine are also favorable because your vacation will not be overshadowed by acclimatization: you will get used to the changes easily and quickly. And staying on the beach under the sun's rays is not contraindicated even in the hot summer months, since the resort is located at the lowest point on the planet. Air currents here form a filter that does not allow aggressive sun rays to pass to the surface of the earth. That is why many families plan a holiday here with children.
Get access to comfortable hotels, clinics with the latest equipment, spa centers, massage and treatment rooms - purchase tours to Israel Dead Sea.
It's false to believe, but for many centuries people avoided settling in the areaDead Sea. All attempts to swim across the mysterious body of water ended in failure. Although the sea received its ominous name for other reasons. One liter of water containsup to 350g of various salts. It’s not for nothing that the name in Hebrew sounds like yam amelach, which translated means Salt Sea. In the clear, oily waters of the Dead Sea, living organisms, apart from bacteria, are not able to survive. But at the beginning of the last century, the situation changed dramatically and the calm surfaces of the salty sea, like floats, were dotted with the bodies of vacationers.
Even now there are not many settlements in the lifeless Judean desert, only numerous hotels rise on the coast. That's why Difficult to reach by public transport. If you are planning to visit the Dead Sea on your own, there are several options for how to get there.
Coming from Jerusalem bus number 486. And from the center of the country you will have to travel with transfers. It is better to book a one-day tour, it will cost about $50.
Often, in addition to a beach holiday, the program includes a visit to the mountain Massada and the reserve Ein Gedi. However, daylight hours are not flexible and it is better to prioritize. Part of our group, which went sightseeing, did not have time to experience all the delights of a beach holiday. Although, to be honest, there is not much entertainment on a deserted beach.
There are just over ten beaches on the Israeli side of the coast, most of them public, as swimming elsewhere can be life-threatening.
A mandatory stop on the way to the beach is a store with cosmetic products. And here it is important to show all your willpower and refrain from shopping, especially if this is your first time in the country. The fact is that prices here are several times higher than on the market Carmel in Tel Aviv. The same package of salt or dirt can be bought in any store in another city for much less. In addition, efficient Bedouins sell healing mud collected nearby for 5-10 shekels per bag. One portion is enough to completely cover your body with healing clay and turn into an ebony man for half an hour. And on some beaches you can get mud yourself.
Holidays at the Dead Sea
When going to the Dead Sea, do not neglect advice grab rubber slippers. Travel agencies do not always warn you which beach they will take you to. If you are lucky, you will enter the sea on sand, but there is a possibility that the bottom will be rocky.
Walking on the salt formations, which are more reminiscent of coral, is practically impossible, so your feet will need protection. For many, when they see the surface of the sea, a natural reflex is triggered - to plop into the water with a running start... This scenario will not work with the Dead Sea. In practice, getting into the water is not so easy, and from the outside, such a dive looks quite funny. The density of water, at the lowest point on the planet, is ten times higher than normal. And the water categorically prevents the body from sinking, pushing the person to the surface.
It is worth noting that all the beaches here are equipped with special slopes with railings for people with special needs. You can experience the joy of weightlessness at sea and enjoy the truly Martian landscape that opens from the sea only within 20 minutes. Due to the high concentration of salts and minerals, it is not recommended for a living organism to be in water more often three sessions per day, 20 minutes each. After every bath it is necessary wash off the salt with fresh water. For this purpose, free showers are installed on the beaches.
Video: It's very interesting to see what swimming in the Dead Sea looks like.
In addition, it is no coincidence that these oily waters are uninhabited: drinking a glass of water from the Dead Sea can be fatal. Therefore, the holiday here is quiet and orderly. And if one of the vacationers nevertheless swallowed water, then he definitely needs to see a doctor.
Historical landmarks
Israelis travel to the resort by their own transport. The most popular beaches are in the area Ein Bokek. There is a flat bottom and along the way there is an opportunity to see the main attractions.
The road from Tel Aviv takes just over two hours, half of which will involve driving through picturesque rocky terrain. Along the road there are huge digital signs informing you how many meters below the world's oceans you are. By the way, the microclimate in this part of the world is completely special, which allows you to swim all year round, and the air can even cure asthma.
Masada Fortress
Here and there in the lifeless Judean desert there are small oases of palm trees, but tourists are primarily attracted by the legendary fortress Masada, rising on one of the rocks.
King Herod built a defensive point at an altitude of 450 m above the Dead Sea. But the Romans tried to take the impregnable fortress by siege, and when the inhabitants realized that supplies of water and food were running out, they chose ten people by lot who had to kill everyone, including themselves, so as not to surrender to the enemy.
Hardy tourists paying 7 dollars, can climb the mountain on foot, overcoming a steep climb. And for 18 American rubles you can get to the ruins of Herod’s palace by ski lift.
The landscape opening from the mountain is truly breathtaking: the Martian relief is broken only by the blue ribbon of the Dead Sea, above which the Jordanian mountains rise on the other side.
Sodom
The next destination is known to everyone - Sodom. The sinful city was located a few kilometers from the Dead Sea and now only a sign above a deserted pit reminds of past debauchery.
Important nuance
The Dead Sea has not been fully studied and, despite the fact that it is shrinking every year, the mysterious body of water never ceases to amaze scientists. The latest surprises in this area cannot be called pleasant. This fall on the beach Shanti in natural pits filled with water from mineral springs, the water temperature rose sharply and people taking baths at this time received burns. After the first incident, these pits were fenced off; according to preliminary data, the temperature jump occurred due to the emergence of a new hot spring. But until everything is fully understood, better be careful and limit yourself to swimming in the sea itself.
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