The Kempinski Hotel Ishtar in Jordan
By Eileen Ogintz
THE DEAD SEA, Jordan — I’m slathered in mud courtesy of a smiling stranger. And I couldn’t be happier.
We are at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea at the end of the Abercrombie & Kent Jordan part of our Jordan-Egypt adventure.
This hotel is one of the largest in the region and boasts one of the largest spas –- more than 10,000 square feet complete with several pools and whirlpools including a Dead Sea pool.
But I’m not at the spa yet. I’m at the Dead Sea, the famous salt lake in the Jordan Valley at the lowest point on Earth. About 1,440 feet below sea level, the salt lake is evaporating about half a meter per year and is expected to dry up eventually. From our vantage point, we can see Israel’s Judean hills on the other side.
The Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than the ocean and means you float whether you want to or not. People call it the oldest naturally occurring spa, with unique mineral content in the water and the mud that famously are good for skin and topical ailments. Additionally, being so low below sea level, airborne allergens and pollen are hardly present and there is reduced sunlight and higher atmospheric pressure are said to improve breathing.
The health benefits are nothing new. King Herod the Great and Cleopatra were fans.
I can’t think of a better place to relax after an intensive day visiting the ancient city of Petra. Take your pick of pools, places for a bite or a meal, including the new Edge for burgers, tacos, fish-and-chips and more and a Lebanese restaurant.
After a dip in the Dead Sea, we dried off and then were slathered in the black mud by a smiling beach attendant. We let it dry for 10 minutes, showered off (or you can go back into the Dead Sea) and then were rubbed with salt. My skin feels amazing! As if I wasn’t relaxed enough, I visited The Ishtar Spa at the expansive 345 room and suite resort, designed with a nod to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The spa menu is designed with the idea that you can experience the benefits of the Dead Sea and mud in total luxury—there is The Dead Sea Hamman—a black soap cleanse with an application of Dead Sea Mud, a Dead Sea Experience with a mineral rich body wrap, a Dead Sea Salt Massage with warm poultices of Dead Sea salt and herbs designed to reduce muscular pain and improve circulation. Of course, there are facials and a variety of massages.
I opted for The Arabian Massage that helps with my joint aches and pains.
But before that, I had a soak in the Dead Sea pool—no walking down to the beach necessary—and took in a steam bath (there is also sauna). You can also soak in both the whirlpools, one with big water jets to especially target shoulders and neck. There are also Tepidariums, marble heated benches inviting spa goers to relax. In case you are wondering, the minimum age is 16—ideal for those teens and older kids traveling with parents. I know my daughters would enjoy this place.
I wish I had more time to relax with some mint tea! On to Cairo!