SWIMMING IN THE DEAD SEA
Swimming In The Dead Sea - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Swimming In The Dead Sea | |||||
| By: Lucy Jones, Issue 47 – Winter 11 | |||||
| (Jordan) | |||||
| WITH MINERAL RICH WATER, SUPER-OXYGENATED AIR AND 350 DAYS A YEAR OF SUN THAT’S SAFE TO BAKE IN, THE DEAD SEA IS A NATURAL SPA UNLIKE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. LUCY JONES DIPPED HER TOES IN THE WATER. I arrived at the Dead Sea at dusk with just enough time for a dip in the famous salty waters before sunset. I knew from previous experience in the region that the sun seems to drop from the sky much faster there than it does anywhere else, so I had to be quick. Up close the sea is hazy with evaporating salt and completely flat with barely a ripple visible from the shore all the way across to Israel on the opposite bank. The only break in the water’s glassy surface was caused by a number of bobbing tourists. Of course I knew that everything is especially buoyant in the Dead Sea, but to see people splashing gracelessly above the waterline is really something. There’s no diving or jumping into the water. The lifeguard explains that because of its high salinity the water would burn your eyes. Instead you have to walk carefully down a slick, salt-covered gangway and ease yourself in as if you’re lowering yourself into an armchair. If you tried this method in any other body of water you would sink to the bottom, but here you’re curiously suspended. It is, hands down, the strangest feeling I’ve ever experienced. There’s no real swimming in the Dead Sea either, just an awkward mix of floating and crawling that looks as ridiculous as it feels. The water pushes you towards it surface. Earlier on our journey one of my travelling companions had asked if anyone had ever swum across the Dead Sea. It now made sense that the answer was no. The Dead Sea has an impressive history of royal patronage. Legend has it that the Queen of Sheba was the first to believe in its restorative powers and that Cleopatra herself travelled from Egypt to build the world’s first spa on its shores. Kings Solomon and Herod believed in its curative properties and Roman nobles would transport the water and salt back to their homes in Italy. These days the royals tend to be from Eastern Europe. According to the general manager of the Movenpick Resort & Spa,one of the five-star hotels that line the shore of the Dead Sea, his penthouses and royal suites are booked by Russian oligarchs and their families taking the cure for weeks at a time, spending around $50,000 a stay. Russian guests are so common that on the Israeli side of the sea you are as likely to find local hotel staff speaking Russian as speaking English. The majority of visitors to Jordan are from Europe (not surprising when you consider it is just over five hours flight time from London to the Jordanian capital Amman), but there is a substantial number of American, Australian, South Asian and Arabic tourists in the mix. They all float merrily in the water, giggle with delight in the oxygen-rich air and cover themselves from head to toe in the sticky black mud, many returning year after year. These Dead Sea devotees are on to something – there is a unique convergence of environmental factors that makes the region unlike anywhere else on earth with proven health benefits according to modern day science. At more than 400 metres below sea level it is the planet’s lowest point not covered by ice. As a result, the region records the world’s highest barometric pressure resulting in air that contains eight per cent more oxygen molecules than air at sea level. Vegetation is very sparse because of the dry climate and so the super-oxygenated air is virtually pollen free. There are proven benefits for sufferers of lung disease, asthma and cystic fibrosis, but anyone staying for more than a few days should feel the positive effects of clean air and more oxygen in their blood stream. The sun shines almost every day of the year but, due to an extra layer of atmospheric pressure provided by the extremely low altitude, harmful UVB rays are minimised. This means that skin will not burn even after prolonged exposure to the sun. This may be one of the only places in the world where you can get a truly healthy tan. Many of the spa clinics have set up outdoor natural solariums designed with reflective panels to catch the maximum amount of sunlight, and they are divided into male and female areas if you feel the need to strip off for an all over glow. More than eight times saltier than the ocean, the sea itself is the world’s deepest hypersaline lake with around 33 per cent salinity, which makes the unusual floating possible. The water contains 26 minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, bromide, sulpher and zinc. Of these minerals, all are found in unusually high concentrations and 12 are found in no other ocean or sea. According to articles published in peer reviewed journals such as International Journal of Dermatology, swimming in the water is said to be good for everything from muscle relaxation to skin regeneration and even has an anti-inflammatory effect. Bobbing around in the water for the recommended 20 minutes can reduce skin aging by promoting faster cell regeneration and may even reduce the depth of wrinkles. It’s as if nature has created its very own dry, sunny, mineral rich spa in the middle of the Arabic desert. All the traditional spa treatments are here – you can have a Thai massage or a facial and get your eyebrows waxed at any of the hotels. But it’s the specialised medicinal treatments that really set the area apart. Climatic and thalasso (water) therapy are used at the spa clinics to treat skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema and degenerative joint disorders like osteoarthritis. Patients stay for up to four weeks at a time and undergo daily therapies with massages, body wraps, scrubs and sessions in the outdoor solarium all overseen by a doctor or dermatologist. The treatments are centred around the natural elements from the area, using the nutrient rich mud, salt and water. Medical mud wraps are designed to apparently detox the body, improve circulation, increase cell metabolism and, it is claimed even reduce cellulite (the holy grail of spa treatments). Everyone, from spa therapists to boys spruiking the products in souvenir stores, promises that your skin will be like a baby’s after you’ve been covered in the sticky black mud from the area. Baby soft might be overreaching, but my skin certainly felt softer and more moisturised. The use of natural products is also a bonus for people who, like me, have very sensitive skin. If you want to go totally au naturel you can create your own spa treatment on the shores of the sea. Slather yourself in the mud and let it bake in the sun. Float around in the water and relax while the minerals are absorbed into your skin. Retire to your deckchair and breathe deeply in the oxygen-rich air as the sun sets on one of the most remarkable regions in the world. | |||||
| WHEN TO GO | |||||
| The Dead Sea region is most pleasant between October and April and can be unbearably hot at other times in year. The sun shines 350 days a year and the area receives only 50mm of rain annually, so you’re almost guaranteed good weather. | |||||
| WHERE TO STAY MOVENPICK RESORT & SPA DEAD SEA | |||||
| Swaimeh, Dead Sea Road | |||||
| movenpick-hotels.com | |||||
| RATES: standard rooms start from JOD107 (about A$140) per night including breakfast. The Beach Suites start from JOD566 (about A$742) per night including breakfast. Rates are exclusive of taxes. | |||||
| KEMPINSKI HOTEL ISHTAR | |||||
| Swaimeh, Dead Sea Road | |||||
| kempinski.com | |||||
| RATES: superior rooms start from JOD121 (about A$159) per night. Ishtar Jacuzzi Suites start from JOD796 (about A$1,043) per night. Rates are exclusive of taxes. | |||||
| GETTING THERE | |||||
| Emirates flies to Amman, the Jordanian capital, via Dubai daily from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Return business class fares start from A$7,913 and economy from A$2,683. | |||||
| emirates.com | |||||
| The Dead Sea is just over an hour’s drive from Amman airport, or 40 minutes from Amman itself. Hotels in the region will arrange airport transfers for around JOD45 (about A$59) for two people each way. | |||||
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