"..." `En Boqeq by jadedmuse

A trip to Israel would not be complete without a visit to the Dead Sea. Not only is the drive spectacular (from the north, you'll pass through the Judean Desert; from the south, you'll come up through the Negev Desert; and from the west, you'll pass through Arad which is where you'll want to stop and pay a visit to VTer Martin_S who is basically the region's best known ambassador!), but the destination is unparalleled in its raw mystique.

Home to the Qumram Caves and the mysterious Essenes (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered), site of the fabled town of Sodom (of Sodom and Gomorrah), and host to an oasis of some of the tackiest hotels you'll see outside of Eilat - this area warrants a visit and you'd be wise to schedule enough time to enjoy a full day here. It's also a great point from which to explore Masada.

It took me two visits to come to terms with En Boqeq, which is the name of the town where a majority of the hotels are located and where most visitors spend their time indulging in spa treatments or just floating in the Dead Sea. It's not a pretty sight, but given a chance, En Boqeq may grow on you - especially if you love to be pampered. To this end, it's actually comical to gaze out your beachfront hotel window and see other guests down below, walking around in white spa robes like patients in a sanatorium. The amenities that come with staying in one of these beachside hotels don't come cheaply - but I think it's worth at least one night's stay.

The Dead Sea passes squarely in the middle of the border shared by Israel and Jordan, thus, half of it "belongs" to Jordan. The Sea is fed by the Jordan River and because there's no outlet for the water, the inflow is balanced by the hot climate which creates a high rate of evaporation.

It's sad to note that at one time, the Dead Sea was around five times the size it is today - and continues to slowly shrink. This is due to both the Israelis and the Jordanians' water carrier systems which draw from the Jordan and Yarmuk Rivers.

Ahhh, the price of progress...

• In a nutshell:Reaching an All Time Low Can Provide an All Time High!