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<\/p>\nIf you’re planning a family trip to Israel, a visit to the Dead Sea is a must (in my opinion). You don’t need to spend a night there, but you can make it a fun day trip or a quick visit on your way south to Eilat, like we did.<\/p>\n
The Dead Sea is a unique place, unlike any other in the world. It’s the lowest place on earth and the salty water allows you to float in the water without much effort. A pretty cool experience if you ask me. Unfortunately, the water levels are quickly diminishing (due to a variety of reasons), so if you can, I highly recommend that you visit it now before it’s closed off to visitors or completely gone.<\/p>\n
As well, the Dead Sea is close to several other key areas of interest including Masada (a fortress) and Ein Gedi (hike with waterfalls).<\/p>\n
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While I highly recommend stopping here during your visit to Israel, there are a few things to keep in mind, especially if you’re traveling with little ones.<\/p>\n
1. Since you’re in the dessert, your (and your child’s) first inclination might be to RUN into the water. However, the the Dead Sea water is kind of thick and oily-feeling, so it’s not really refreshing at all.\u00a0 It also stings wherever there is a cut on the skin or if you have sensitive skin. Explain to your kids that they CAN NOT splash, run or submerge themselves into the water. The salt is so strong that the biggest worry about visiting the Dead Sea isn’t drowning, but rather, getting salt in your eyes. It can sting and hurt for a long time, making your experience miserable. Remind your kids not to touch their face or hair once they touch the water.<\/p>\n
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2. Make sure you know where the fresh water showers \/ taps are. The salt from the Dead Sea really irritated Nathan’s skin and made him red and itchy all over. The only thing that helped was washing him off with fresh water immediately. Having a bottle of fresh water handy by the shore is also great in case of emergencies.<\/p>\n
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3. Not all beaches have shade, so make sure to bring hats, sunscreen and plenty of water with you (and towels). There are several local kiosks and shops around if you forget anything. Remember, this is the dessert so it can get really hot mid-day. I would recommend getting here early in the morning or late afternoon.<\/p>\n
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4. No visit to the Dead Sea is complete without putting some ‘mud’ on you. You can get some for free if you dig into the sea and pull out the mud underneath your toes (try to look for soft mud).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dead-sea-ryan-getting-mud-from-sea-684x1024.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dead-sea-mud-from-sea-684x1024.jpg\")
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You can also purchase some packaged Dead Sea Mud in the local shops. There’s a wide selection of brands that range from $2 to $20 per package. I grabbed the $2 package and it was enough for myself and 3 kids. These also make great souvenirs \/ gifts to bring back.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dead-sea-putting-on-mud-ryan-and-kyle-684x1024.jpg\")
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5. For a more kid-friendly experience, you can purchase a day pass from one of the main hotels (ie. Herods, Crown Plaza and Hod) in the area. For approximately $100 per person, you can get access to the hotel’s pool, lunch, and access to their private beach.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dead-sea-me-1024x684.jpg\")
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Some of the most popular beaches along the Dead Sea are Kalia Beach & Neve Midbar (in the North), or Ein Bokek beach (in the south, where we went to).<\/p>\n
If you’ve been to the Dead Sea, what tips would you share?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you’re planning a family trip to Israel, a visit to the Dead Sea is a must (in my opinion). You don’t need to spend a night there, but you can make it a fun day trip or a quick visit on your way south to Eilat, like we did. The Dead Sea is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"If you're planning a family vacation to Israel, make sure you stop over at the Dead Sea. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your visit. https:\/\/wp.me\/p3dEqj-3HA #familytravel #visitisrael","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[137227404,200],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-14234","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured","8":"category-travel-adventures","9":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n