The Dead Sea

Pros: Unique aquatic experience, beautiful surroundings, surrounded by history, great hotels, shiny salt crystal balls.
Cons: None.

We've been to Israel three times 2004, 2006 and the Christmas break of 2006/2007. Israel is a fascinating place. During our visits we toured Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, Haifa, the Galilee, the Golan Heights, Eilat, the Negev desert, Caesarea, the Dead Sea and ...

Pros: very nice scenery, floating experience is different :)
Cons: salty water can burn your skin easily

my first impression was WOW we arrived at the dead sea in the very early morning, the sun was just rising and the reflection on the sea water was giving it a very strange purple like color :) it looked very dreamy and perfect... on the side of the ...

Pros: Every meter travelled and every minute travelled is a MUST
Cons: Perhaps some inCONSiderate drivers.

You can drive the full length of the Dead Sea in a couple of hours with a few quick stops at several places, your tour-guide will say "take your time and walk around the top of Masada and understand the significance of this place, look at the important ...

Pros: Truely Amazing, surprisingly clear water
Cons: Salty as hell, Cold(In Winter), and can't walk on bottom

Well being Jewish and all I found Israel a place I must go. So I discussed it...with myself, aswell as my family, and we decided to go. We started in Elat and moved northward, until we reached one destination, you could say quite an exciting one at that....

Pros: A phenomenal Sight.
Cons: The climate isn't the best.

Israel is the home of many captivating arrays. Some of the many beautiful sights are the Wailing Wall, Eilat, Haifa, and The Dead Sea.

Israel is located in the South West corner of Asia. Israel borders Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and...

Pros: scenic, calm beautiful water, perfect for swimming or floating
Cons: can get sunburnt without realizing it, salty water burns eyes, very rocky

Last week I wrote a review of Tiberias, a small town along the Sea of Galilee my friend and I stopped at on our trip to Israel last year (see http://quasar.epinions.com/content_17477045892). I had so much fun recounting our trip that I decided to...

Pros: Amazing to float here and tour the surroundings, including Masada, health values
Cons: Hotels are lackluster, nothing to do at night, unattractive water banks

You never forget you're at the Dead Sea, both because you rarely lose sight or smell of the sea. Unfortunately, the banks have been turned over to commercial use, so there's no attractive beach here. Au contraire. You see pipes and equipment.
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Pros: Masada touches something deep inside you that has to do with loyalty and courage.
Cons: Be careful about the weather, the heat, and dehydration.

MASADA is the Hebrew word for "fortress". And what a fortress ancient Masada, near the Dead Sea in Israel, actually was!

2000 years ago, the Roman empire ruled the land of Israel after conquering it in or around 67 B.C. The Jews, the...

Pros: Striking archeological site, stirring monument to political and religious freedom
Cons: Harsh climate, remote location

Masada. The very word conjures up images that fire the soul. . . . Images of Herod and his court living in opulence above a desolate landscape. . . . Images of Jewish Zealots righteously defying the will of Rome. . . . Images of young...

Pros: exciting and fun
Cons: salty and hot

The Dead Sea is out of this world. I felt like I was on a whole new planet as we drove through the Israeli "outback" and arrived at this unique landmark. The Dead Sea is something I never expected.

First, a few preparation tips....

Pros: Water floats your body weight.
Cons: Heat

I was in Israel with a group of 15. We went to the Dead Sea one afternoon. Our tour guide told us what to expect but this is still something you need to experience for yourself. The Dead Sea is located on the East side of Israel. It is the lowest...

Pros: GREAT for your skin, relaxing, new experiences
Cons: Burning sensation, mud and sulphur water smells funny

What a funny question-- *What time of year did you travel?* It does not really matter here-- the weather is either HOT or HOTTER (though I did go during the summer).

Sunscreen is a MUST. The sun is really harsh there, and there is no shade. It...

Pros: Interesting and relaxing
Cons: Salt water is no fun, Heat

The Dead Sea is possibly the most interesting place in Israel. You float on the surface of the water, and the feeling is like nothing else. I visited the Dead Sea just south of Ein Gedi and Masada. I didn't have time to go to these other sites as well,...

Pros: Stunning oasis in the desert
Cons: School groups

Not far from one of the bleakest places on earth is an oasis, natural and man-made. I'm speaking of Ein Gedi, which encompasses a nature reserve and a Kibbutz.

The nature reserve really brings home to you how stunning an oasis must have been...

Pros: Monumental landscapes and dynamic historical drama
Cons: Remote desert surroundings

Subtitle: Middle-Aged Madness in the Judean Desert

My Jerusalemite friend looked a bit concerned when I told her my plans to travel by bus to Masada on my last full day in Israel. I reassured her, telling her that I had worked out the...