The drive from Aqaba to The Dead Sea in our comfortable air-conditioned car, with our driver and guide Ibrahim who, rather than taking the highway, opted to drive the scenic route through the mountains, took about four hours and was punctuated by stops to take photos of and enjoy the rugged landscapes through which we were passing. The spartan landscapes dotted with thousand-year-old Olive trees and other unidentifiable vegetation and the occasional grazing herd were mesmerising. We passed quarries and farms and Ibrahim talked to us about the areas we were passing through including significant sites, monuments and villages.
Mountains and Valleys
It’s quite a long drive, and I could feel myself nodding off a couple of times, no doubt catching up on rest after the arduous task of walking Petra for twelve hours the previous day, but I was thankfully awake at the point where the Dead Sea coastline started to appear. To say this sea is stunning just does not do it justice. The colours are beautiful, going from the white of the salt and surf, through the turquoise of the shallows and eventually to the deep indigo blues.
Dead Sea
Mudding
Excited by the prospect of going in the water and having a day of rest and complete relaxation, we soon arrived at our resort, and after the mandatory security scan of the car (this is a feature of travelling in the Middle East and some Gulf regions), we bid Ibrahim goodbye and checked in to our suite.
With only 18 hours of downtime, we dropped our bags, changed into our swim gear and headed down to get some mud on our bodies. Dead Sea Mud is renowned for its cleansing properties, and while there, you can cover yourself in it and then ‘bathe’ in the sea for around 10 minutes before washing it all off at the many available showers right on the beachfront.
I’d recommend wearing beach shoes or flip-flops as you walk towards the water as the sand at this particular point can be quite stony in places.
It was great fun and the saltiness and buoyancy of the water is nothing I’ve ever experienced anywhere else on Earth.
If you get the salt water in your mouth it’s quite an unpleasant experience, worse still if you get it in your eyes!, so I’d recommend taking your time when going in, unlike me who for reasons I cannot fathom, managed to lose my footing on entering the water, then couldn’t right myself. The lifeguard had to come over and hold me upright so I could steady myself.
Morning Mocha Moment
Chilling
We spent a day chilling at the Hilton Dead Sea resort and it was just what was needed after what had been a hectic and tiring couple of days in Petra and Wadi Rum.
The Hilton is a 5-star resort, so the service, rooms and food are all of exceptional quality. The rooms are spacious and well appointed with sea and courtyard views and balconies on which to sit and take in the ambience. Like any 5-star hotel, you can book dinner in one of the many restaurants available, spa treatments and the ability to dine in your room is also part and parcel of what you’d expect. We enjoyed just relaxing by the glorious infinity pool and drinking lovely cocktails.
