Best things to do in the Dead Sea in Jordan before it’s too late

BY THE middle of this century, this incredible natural wonder could be gone for good. Here’s why you need to go now before it’s too late.

Dead Sea is disappearing, so you’d better get there quick. Picture: iStock

THE water is barely past my knees when I realise no matter how hard I try, I can’t force my feet to the bottom.

I plonk my foot down more forcefully and feel an immediate return serve from the viscosity of the water. I stop and marvel at this new-found buoyancy, feeling everything move in slow motion.

BE TREATED LIKE A KING IN JORDAN

PLACES THAT WILL BRING OUT THE INDY IN YOU

I try to use my weight to push my body deeper, sitting down and pumping my hands toward the surface, but despite my best efforts, I stay afloat. My skin tingles and little cuts on my fingers smart from the salinity.

The water feels slimy on my skin, like warm baby oil. “It’s like swimming in saliva!” my friend verbalises my thoughts, though a little more frank in her delivery.

Here, in southern Jordan, at the lowest point on earth — 430m below sea level — we’re bobbing like rubber duckies in the mystery of the Dead Sea, a landlocked body of water 10 times saltier than the ocean.

The Dead Sea is ten times saltier than the ocean.

No life lies beneath, if you didn’t already guess by the name. And, as it turns out, not even the “sea” itself is immune to an eventual death — the cursed combination of rivers being dammed and evaporation threaten to make the lake disappear for good.

Shrinking at a rate of one metre every year — already to the point where resorts that were once lapped by its waters now face a 2km trek down to the shore — experts predict by 2050, the Dead Sea could be reduced to a puddle. Forget the list of places you need to visit before you die, this aquatic anomaly could well be dead before you.

Here are six reasons why you should immerse yourself in the Dead Sea before it’s too late. Just remember to stick to floating face up and keep your head out of the water — burning eyeballs are one thing, but you don’t want to take a gulp.

The Dead Sea is disappearing at a rate of one metre every year. Picture: iStock

1. IT’S NATURE’S HEALTH SPA

The Dead Sea’s rich, black mud has long been touted as the kale of the beauty world, packing a healthy mineral infusion for the body. Even the air is healthier here; rich in oxygen due the barometric pressure — the world’s highest (800 mg Hg) — which can be beneficial for asthmatics.

The Captain Planet-like combination of sun, water, mud and air and the high concentration of magnesium, bromide, and potassium combine into a natural treatment for ailments ranging from psoriasis through to arthritis and allergies.

2. YOU CAN STAY AT A FIVE-STAR HOTEL

With 330 days of sunshine, dry air and no crowds, it’s little wonder eight international four and five-star resorts line the salty banks of the Dead Sea on the Jordan side. Each resort has its own private section of water for guests to bob about in, with some offering day access. The Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea occupies prime position on the strip; its Gardens of Babylon-inspired design tumbling down the hill into the lake. That famous mud is found in buckets down by the water’s edge to slather all over yourself, leave for 20 minutes, and then rinse off with a float in the mineral-rich waters.

There are plenty of great resorts along the Dead Sea coast in Jordan. Picture: iStock

3. THE RESORT’S SPA IS FABULOUS

If you want to up the luxe level on your Dead Spa dip, the Ishtar Spa by Resense has dead sea pools among its adults-only relaxation haven and offers Dead Sea salt scrubs, mud massages and wraps. The resort also has nine pools to laze around for the rest of the day.

4. YOU’LL GET THE BEST INSTA PIX

Just grab a copy of the Jordan Times from your room for the obligatory reading-while-floating photo.

The obligatory reading-the-paper-while-floating shot.

5. THE CELEB FACTOR

You’ll be in high-profile company — Brangelina, Nicole Kidman, Tony Blair and Bono are just a few of the celebs to stay at the resort. And that Kardashian of ancient Egypt, the milk-bath-loving Queen Cleopatra was lured to Dead Sea shores, too.

6. IT WAS THE REAL GARDEN OF EDEN

If you opt for the Book of Genesis over Lonely Planet, you’ll know the religious significance of this region, too. Christ was baptised in the River Jordan, and in the Old Testament, God refers to the Jordan River Valley surrounding the Dead Sea as the “Garden of the Lord” aka the Garden of Eden.

Dead Sea seashore. Picture: iStock

AND ONE LAST TIP

After infusing your body with the healing properties of the ultra-buoyant brine, stock up on packets and tubs of mud and salt crystals on your way back to the Queen Alia International Airport at the Dead Sea Fortune factory, 5km east of the resort strip.

The writer was a guest of Qantas, Emirates and the Jordan Tourism Board.

ESCAPE ROUTE

GETTING THERE

Together, Qantas and Emirates operate 91 fights a week to Dubai from Australia, with onward connections to Jordan’s capital, Amman. The Dead Sea is roughly a one-hour drive from Amman, via Madaba. qantas.com; emirates.com/au

STAYING THERE

Superior Rooms at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea have private balconies facing the salt lake but for the best sunset views, wander over to Kish Bar in the Ishtar building. kempinski.com/en/dead-sea/hotel-ishtar

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View of Dead Sea coastline.