One of the unique experiences you can have when you are in Israel is a visit to the Dead Sea. Having its beach at 420-430 meters below the other seas, it is the place at the lowest altitude on Earth. Every year the water level decreases by about 1 meter, thus increasing the altitude difference.
Being accommodated in Jerusalem during the first part of the holiday in Israel, we took the bus 486 from the central bus station and descended to Ein Bokek Beach. The trip lasted about 2 hours, and the round-trip ticket cost 75 shekels (about 20 USD), 37.50 shekels for one way to be paid directly to the bus driver. There are also tours organized by local travel agencies, but prices were around 100 USD per person. The initial plan was to go down to Ein Gedi for the Dead Sea beach and then visit Masada, but the bus did not travel that route on that day.
Viewed on Google Maps, the route does not look too long, but the suggested route would cross Palestine. For security reasons, the buses overwhelm Palestine, passing through Arad before reaching the Dead Sea. From there the landscapes become impressive, the road going through the desert and descending to the seashore.
Being very salty, no life can survive in the sea, hence the name of the Dead Sea. The good part is that high salinity allows the human body to float without any effort. Even though we were in February, the water temperature was ok to take a bath, and most tourists took the opportunity to take pictures of swimming on their backs with their hands and feet raised ☺
The Dead Sea is located on the border between Israel and Jordan and, on a clear day, clearer than the one we visited, you can also admire the shores of Jordan.
Another reason why Dead Sea is visited is mud treatment, which is also used in various cosmetics. Some local tour operators promoted Dead Sea tours including visits to cosmetic stores near the beach, but such products can also be bought from stores in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. In the Jerusalem bazaar, the price of a Dead Sea mud cream was around 5 shekels (about 1 USD) per 100 ml.
On our way back we took the bus to Jerusalem from the same station where we descended and, after a short detour, we headed for Arad. Generally, to get back with the same bus you need to cross the street and wait for it in the dream station, but this does not apply to Ein Bokek.
About our first impressions of Israel you can read here: Israel - first impressions.
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