Dead Sea in Jordan - Journey of the lowest point on Earth!

Located at an elevation of 429 meters, Dead Sea, shared between Jordan and Israel, is the lowest point on earth. Not just that, the Sea is also world's deepest hyper-saline lake with a salinity of 34.2% percent, which literally makes it dead, and hence the name Dead sea. Though the lake doesn't harbour life, the region is famous the world over as the birth place of some of world's most popular religions, including Christianity and Islam.

Dead Sea in Jordan 

Salt formations in Dead Sea, Jordan

The main river that feeds the Dead Sea is river Jordan (I love the river simply because of it's name). However, it's not like the rivers we have in India, but much smaller in size. Once the river reaches Dead Sea, it empties into the sea but has no where else to go as the sea is completely landlocked. Because of the hot climate, this water is evaporated leaving behind a highly salty waterbody, and this process has been going on for centuries making this a popular destination from at least the time of Queen Cleopetra!

Here is a short account of my fantastic time at the Dead Sea on my last day in Jordan. The experience made the trip even more memorable for me...

Both Deepti and I were very restless over the long drawn lunch at the restaurant, after a leisurely massage with dead sea minerals. Our meals in Jordan had been extremely slow and yum, but with the light falling quickly, I was now ready to hit the water in the world's lowest elevation.

A view of the sunny beach of Dead Sea

No one hears our pleas for mercy and our late lunch took a few more hours before we got anywhere close to the resort with the beach. More drama followed as we were completely lost in the huge resort and spent about half an hour just locating our rooms. The moment I found the room, I quickly stripped, put on my swimming trunks and ran to the Dead Sea beach.

Though I already knew that you can't drown in the dead sea, I was still amazed when I lay down on saline water and my body stayed afloat. This is something to be experienced to be believed, no words can describe it.

That's me floating away in Dead Sea :)

Soon others joined in and we realised how difficult it was to keep the saline water out of our eyes. On multiple occasions a few drops went into my eyes and this was another feeling that's hard to explain. It's one of the worst possible things that can happen to you, and every effort must be made to prevent it. Once it was so bad that I had to step out of water (which is also quite a task) and take a shower in fresh water close by. Before going in again, I smeared lots of dead sea mineral-rich mud (this would be worth a few hundred dollars outside Aqaba) and I think this made me visually more appealing. Haha...Just kidding :)

I had taken my GoPro for pictures but forgot to use it till much later, and by then the light had completely fallen. But frankly I didn't care as I was so busy enjoying the unusual feeling of floating like paper in water.

Time for a Dead Sea selfie :)

Practical information about Dead Sea in Jordan

Where to stay?

The Jordanian side of Dead Sea is full of high-end resorts with only one budget option - Dead Sea rest-house. I stayed at a rather swanky resort and completely loved it. Here are some of the popular resorts on the coast:
1. The Kempinski Hotel Ishtar
2. Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea
3. Holiday Inn Dead Sea
4. The Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa



What all to do?

1. The number one thing to do here is enjoy the water, and it's obviously possible even if you don't swimming. If you are afraid, do it at a resort and you might even be able to borrow a floating vest.
2. Massage with Dead Sea minerals at one of the spas is also a must-to-do. I loved my massage so much that I slept there and my masseur (she was so polite) had to nudge me out of slumber at the end of it!
3. Enjoy a lavish Jordanian meal )

Tips for Dead Sea

1. Protect your eyes, if water goes into them you are screwed for the rest of the day!
2. If you have any cuts, no matter how small, prepared to be stung by them. Similarly if you have shaved recently, even that could sting.
3. If you are even a little uncomfortable, seek help of life-guards
4. You can only swim while the light is there, so make plans accordingly. This is due to the proximity with Israeli border really close by.
5. Carry a book if you want, but don't trust those images which show people reading a book while floating, those are just for pictures. You will be far more confirmable reading a book by the side of the sea.
6. Finally, don't miss out on the mud-bath next to the sea. And guess what, it's FREE :)

Other stories from Jordan:

If you enjoyed my story from Dead Sea , do check out some other stories from Jordan below.

Is Jordan Safe For Travel? Here Is The Answer!
Wadi Rum (وادي رم الاردن) - A Travel Guide To Jordanian Desert
Petra In Jordan: The ‘Lost’ City Of And Secrets Of The Tombs
Vegetarian Food In Jordan - The Comprehensive Guide!
Jumping Across Jordan! So Much FUN :)
Life Of A Bedouin In Jordan - A Story Of Dreams

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Note: As I was mostly in water, many of the pictures used above are provided from Jordan Tourism Board through their Media Centre.

Disclaimer: I was in Jordan on invitation of Jordan Tourism Board. All views and stories shared on the blog are unbiased and based purely on my experiences.