Floating in the Dead Sea – A Journey to the Lowest Place on Earth
Today we’re heading to the lowest place on Earth, the Dead Sea in Jordan. Known for its extreme salinity, healing mud, and dramatic landscapes, it’s a place where visitors come to float, rejuvenate, and connect with history. Joining hosts David Brodie and award-winning travel writer Tim Johnson, as they explore what makes this destination so unique.
We’ll cover:
- Getting There – The short drive from Amman to the Dead Sea and why it’s worth more than just a day trip.
- Where to Stay – Insights into luxury resorts like the Dead Sea Marriott Resort and Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea, both offering pools, spas, and unforgettable views.
- Floating Experience – What it’s like to “swim” in the Dead Sea, why you can’t sink, and the famous mud treatments that draw travelers from all over the world.
- Nearby Highlights – A visit to Bethany Beyond Jordan, believed to be the baptism site of Jesus, and one of the most significant biblical landmarks in the region.
- Food & Flavors – From traditional mezes to standout dining, including Sufra in Amman and a culinary gem in Madaba, Carib House, redefining Jordanian cuisine with creative twists.
The Dead Sea isn’t just a bucket-list float – it’s an immersive travel experience blending relaxation, history, and culture.
Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links. By booking your hotels and activities through them there is no additional cost, but a small portion of your booking goes to help support this podcast.
Mentioned in this episode:
Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:
Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:
Transcript
Today we're going to the lowest place on earth.
Speaker A:A lake so salty that you can't sink in.
Speaker A:It's also shrinking a shore that's stepping back each year.
Speaker A:It's a place that people come to float, to heal and to learn more about history.
Speaker A:And on today's episode, I'm joined again by award winning travel writer Tim Johnson as we explore more of the Dead.
Speaker B:Sea.
Speaker C:From Amman to the Dead Sea.
Speaker C:Do you remember roughly how long that drive is?
Speaker B:It's about an hour, just a little over an hour when we went, I think kind of depending on traffic.
Speaker B:So a very easy, you know, it could certainly be a day trip if you want it to be.
Speaker B:Although given all there is to see and do around the density area and the density itself, I would definitely recommend like carving out at least a night, ideally two nights to kind of extend to spend around the Dead Sea area as well.
Speaker C:Yeah, I definitely agree.
Speaker C:And the last time I was there I stayed at the, at the Marriott Dead Sea.
Speaker C:And you know, it really surprised me a little bit because it felt a little bit like a Caribbean or Aegean type of resort, but set on the Dead Sea.
Speaker C:So you had the pools, you could sit in the sun.
Speaker C:I mean, I'm a guy who loves to read a book and sit by the pool and sit in the sun and I had all of that.
Speaker C:But it was on the Dead Sea and we can talk a little bit more.
Speaker C:I know we're going to talk a little bit more about things to see and do in the area, including getting into the Dead Sea and what that experience is like.
Speaker C:What about you?
Speaker C:What are your go to places?
Speaker B:We stay at the Kopinski, the Hotel Ishtar there, which is a huge hotel, very upscale resort, right on the edge of the Dead Sea.
Speaker B:And getting back to my favorite spa topic, again, this was very much known for it.
Speaker B:It's like one of the most award winning spas, I think in the Middle East.
Speaker B:Quite a large spa complex that they have there.
Speaker B:So that's definitely, you know, it's, it's standout feature and it's right, right on the sea as well.
Speaker B:So, you know, I, I know we're gonna talk about why to go to the Dead Sea and sort of what you'll experience there a little as we get into the episode.
Speaker B:But definitely it's, it's prime location to be able to experience that.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:And I mean that is a beautiful property.
Speaker C:And as maybe we've talked about on past episodes, Kempinski is one of my favorite brands.
Speaker C:I mean, I'VE stayed at, you know, dozens of Kempinski hotels.
Speaker C:Beautiful, beautiful Old World charm.
Speaker C:I love the service is, is always very upscale.
Speaker C:Each hotel has its own unique feel.
Speaker C:And I'm, you know, I know I remember that also from the property at the Dead Sea.
Speaker C:And I mean, spa treatments for sure.
Speaker C:I believe I can definitely remember one time getting a mud wrap where they took the mud.
Speaker C:And we're going to talk a little bit more about mud because I, I have a couple things to say on that, but they, they would.
Speaker C:There, there is that sort of the healing qualities of the mud and doing a wrap and then a massage, and that is something that you can really only do on the Dead Sea.
Speaker C:But let's, we're moving into the what to do category now.
Speaker C:And I think the number one attraction in the Dead at the Dead Sea is the Dead Sea, right?
Speaker C:And maybe talk a little bit about.
Speaker C:I have my own thoughts on what it's like to swim, quote, unquote, swim.
Speaker C:It's not really swimming in the water there at the Dead Sea.
Speaker B:Yeah, it is a, it is definitely a pretty surreal experience, right.
Speaker B:It does feel like you're, you're almost weightless.
Speaker B:You know, it is the, one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth and you really can't swim in it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:It, like forces you right to the surface.
Speaker B:You're like those little fishing bombers or you're kind of stuck up at the surface there, but super relaxing.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:You could sit there and read a book or you often get the iconic pictures.
Speaker B:People sit there reading the daily newspaper.
Speaker B:They're sitting up in the middle of the sea.
Speaker B:And then at least at the Kempinski, I imagine all the hotels kind of do this.
Speaker B:They had kind of a ritual that you would go through as you came in and out of the Dead Sea, where they, you know, they would cover you up in, in mud from Dead Sea and you would set out for 15, 20 minutes and kind of let that, that bake in and take out any toxins or whatever and then, and then go out and float in the Dead Sea and then get a salt scrub afterwards as well.
Speaker B:So I, I found, you know, probably my, my only disappointment in the trip.
Speaker B:And, and this was everybody I was traveling with said the same is like we got there and we had a really packed schedule, seeing a lot of the historic things in the area.
Speaker B:And because of that, we did like one float the Dead Sea, and then we were all planning to do it the next morning and just didn't have time in our schedule.
Speaker B:And everybody said like they would have if they could have, would have taken more time to do that at least twice if they could have.
Speaker B:Because it was such a cool experience.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:And I had the same experience.
Speaker C:You know, I really thought there was going to be some effort required to stay afloat.
Speaker C:And there is no effort required at all to stay afloat.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:You basically go in and the water almost just lifts you.
Speaker C:You know, it's almost what I would imagine.
Speaker C:I've never been to space, but it's almost what I would imagine what, you know, being in the water there is almost like what it would feel like to be in space.
Speaker C:Like you just, you just float.
Speaker C:And it was almost like you said, like a fishing bobber.
Speaker C:And I think that's really accurate.
Speaker C:My, my thought was almost, it was like somebody swooping in with an air mattress under you and just swooping you up, you know, and so a really, yeah, a really cool, unique experience.
Speaker C:And, and the mud too.
Speaker C:I mean, I was with a group one of the times when I went and we, we spread the mud.
Speaker C:I mean there's the mud in the spa and the salt scrub, but we actually got into a mud fight.
Speaker C:You know, we're actually literally mud slinging.
Speaker C:You know, you're sling mud at each other and we have a picture of, you know, this group of friends, all of us together, just covered head to toe in mud.
Speaker C:And you know, that may not sound that appealing to the people listening right now, but actually it is, you know, it's.
Speaker C:Oh, and you're, and you can just go straight in and wash it off and no, Dead Sea is definitely bucket list, kind of once in a lifetime type place.
Speaker B:One, one other thing I'll mention, I mean a really easy day trip if you were at the Dead Sea is Bethany beyond Jordan, which is sort of.
Speaker B:And one of the things you're going to find all throughout Jordan is really, this is like the cradle of civilization right from Petra to all of the religious.
Speaker B:Huge number of incredibly significant religious sites and a lot of people who do sort of religious tourism to the area.
Speaker B:And Bethany by Jordan is sort of very significant biblical location, believed to be where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.
Speaker B:And it's, you know, from that sort of Dead Sea resort area.
Speaker B:It's maybe a 20 minute drive to get there.
Speaker B:I thought it was really, you know, quite a, quite an impactful place to visit and super interesting place to visit.
Speaker B:It was really interesting to visit in the current context because I mean, it borders directly on the west bank of Israel.
Speaker B:And as you get you know, you walk down to the baptism site in the Jordan river, and half of the river is on the west bank on the Israeli side.
Speaker B:The other half is on the Jordanian side, and you've got the border patrol on both sides sort of standing over you and watching over.
Speaker B:But it's, you know, both from its enormous historical significance as well as just the, the cultural experience of experiencing it now.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's definitely a pretty unique travel experience.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:And I remember being.
Speaker C:Being there as well.
Speaker C:And I think the thing that struck me was that, you know, in.
Speaker C:When they talk about the, the Jordan river in history, in the Bible, you know, it sounds like a huge river.
Speaker C:And they say back in the day it was a huge river.
Speaker C:It's not so wide now.
Speaker C:And, you know, I mean, the, the world is.
Speaker C:Is changing geographically and so the river is much narrow.
Speaker C:But I remember at that point, the very first time I went to Georgia, I hadn't been to Israel.
Speaker C:I've been to Israel now, and I just thinking I could just wade into this river and walk across Israel.
Speaker C:I'm sure it would have caused some sort of international incident.
Speaker C:It probably would not have.
Speaker B:It certainly would.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:But it was a little bit tempting, you know, and people were still getting, you know, there were church groups, Christian groups getting baptized and getting their baptism there when I was there, and I think that might still be happening today.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:Very, very interesting place.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, and I will just say, I mean, while we were there, our tour guide talked about exactly what you've just mentioned happening.
Speaker B:Somebody on one of his tour groups who, who did exactly that, who tried to swim across the river from the Jordan to the Israeli side and got further than you were supposed to go.
Speaker B:And it did not end well for them, I will say.
Speaker B:I mean, the guns were drawn, the border guards on both sides are out.
Speaker B:And particularly with some of the tensions in the area right now, I mean, it does feel a bit like you're on the North Korean border or something.
Speaker B:I mean, the tensions are heightened there.
Speaker B:I mean, still certainly felt safe during the time we were visiting.
Speaker B:But, yeah, you don't want to.
Speaker B:You don't want to cross on the wrong side of the river.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:And I think maybe the thing that surprised me the most about Jordan, and maybe it shouldn't have, but was, was how much I love the food.
Speaker C:You know, I mean, you know, we think Italian food sometimes when you think about Middle Eastern food, you think about Lebanese food, certainly, you know, but you don't necessarily go down to your local Jordanian.
Speaker C:You Know, restaurant on the corner.
Speaker C:But I don't think I had a bad meal the whole time that I was there.
Speaker C:I mean, just, you know, they talk but you often go to a place and they have mezes, right?
Speaker C:These, these like appetizers and it's dips and it's baba ganoush and it's, it's hummus and just so much good food.
Speaker C:And I mean I remember they, some of the dinners, you know, I'd be dining with say 10 people and they would bring out enough food for a hundred people, you know, like, and I was like, who's going to eat all this food?
Speaker C:And I'm sure somebody ate all the food.
Speaker C:But I'll just mention a couple quick places.
Speaker C:I know you, you have more thoughts on the food.
Speaker C:I wanted to mention Sufra, which is the place on, on Rainbow Street.
Speaker C:You mentioned Rainbow street earlier, which specializes in homemade traditional Jordanian cuisine.
Speaker C:And actually, you know what, I'm just going to mention that one in Amman in the Dead Sea.
Speaker C:I believe we just ate at the hotel.
Speaker C:So I mean it was good food but it wasn't necessarily a, you know, a, a hot tip on a local restaurant.
Speaker C:What about you?
Speaker C:What were some of your favorite meals?
Speaker B:I've got a very long list when it comes to some pretty incredible dining experiences, as you said.
Speaker B:This is from a, from a food and culinary perspective.
Speaker B:This is one of the, one of the standout destinations I've been to around the world for sure.
Speaker B:You know, let's start with the Dead Sea.
Speaker B:I mean at the, at the Kubinsky Hotel there they have probably the best known, one of the best known Lebanese restaurants in the country and really stand out Lebanese food and great atmosphere and music.
Speaker B:So that, that was certainly great visiting the Dead Sea.
Speaker B:And another one I'll mention which wasn't directly in the Dead Sea, but a day trip that we did out in Dead Sea to another community called Mataba, which by far was our best meal of the trip.
Speaker B:A place called Carib House that, you know, if they don't award Michelin stars in Jordan, but if they did, in my mind unquestionably this place would have one like it was super inventive cuisine, taking sort of really traditional Jordanian dishes and Middle Eastern dishes, but interpreting them in a, in a modern way and using kind of unusual ingredients.
Speaker B:The food was phenomenal and it would be worth its own trip just to go to Caribou.
Speaker B:So definitely have to, have to mention that.
Speaker C:Sounds good.
Speaker C:Sounds good.
Speaker C:All of this makes me want to go back to Jordan.
Speaker C:You know.
Speaker C:I mean, definitely.
Speaker C:That's a place, you know, I'd love to visit again.
Speaker C:Thanks so much, David.
Speaker C:Thank you, Sam.
