Middle East - Anthony Ham [254]
Visitors can see a seven-minute multimedia program, and visit a small museum and shops selling books, souvenirs and Dead Sea mineral creams and beauty products.
Near Qumran, slather yourself in mud or float it out at one of the Dead Sea’s Kalia beaches, which are far quieter than the beach at Ein Gedi. They comprise a string of private, paying places, the highlight being the Biankini & Siesta Beach ( 940 0033; admission 30NIS; 8am-8pm), a Moroccan-style place with basic shacks for rent for an overnight stay (80NIS); camping will cost you 40NIS per tent.
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EIN GEDI
08 / pop 650
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve ( 658 4285; adult/child 23/12NIS; 8am-5pm summer, 8am-4pm winter) is a paradise of dramatic canyons, freshwater springs, waterfalls, and lush tropical vegetation (come wearing your swimming costume). Despite the busloads of rampaging school groups that descend on it daily, it continues to provide a haven for desert wildlife, and is especially lovely early in the morning. Note that food’s not allowed in the reserve, so eat a hearty breakfast first.
The neighbouring Ein Gedi National Antiquities Park (adult/child 12/6NIS; 8am-4pm) includes the ruins of an ancient trapezoid synagogue with an especially inspiring mosaic floor, which was used from the 3rd to 6th centuries AD.
South of the reserve, you’ll find the packed and stony Ein Gedi spa bathing beach (admission free, showers 8NIS): it’s OK for a float, but keep an eye on your belongings as theft is rife. Better options for that Dead Sea experience are the Kalia Beaches (near Qumran).
Sleeping & Eating
SPNI Field School ( 658 4288; www.teva.org.il; dm/s 75/130NIS, d 190-305NIS; ) Perched high on the hillside above Beit Sarah, this place enjoys great views and is an excellent launch point for early hikes, though it’s a bit more basic than the youth hostel. Stay a few days and watch the magical light and changing scene over the lake. Rates include breakfast, and dinner is an extra 38NIS to 45NIS.
Ein Gedi Youth Hostel (Beit Sarah; 658 4165; eingedi@iyha.org.il; dm/s/d 97/250/280NIS; ) This highly popular place is uphill and 250m from the bus stop, and occupies one of the finest settings of any Israeli hostel. Rates include breakfast; ask at reception for the 15% discount on admission to the Nature Reserve.
Kibbutz Ein Gedi ( 659 4222; www.ein-gedi.co.il; s US$144-194, d US$180-230; ) Surrounded by nice gardens, this efficient kibbutz has plenty of organised activities (walks, yoga classes and the like) to keep you busy, as well as a terrific spa, where you can soak your aches and pains away. The rooms won’t blow you away, but the frankincense and myrrh scents of a free night tour of the kibbutz botanical gardens might just do.
There aren’t all that many eating options in Ein Gedi. Aside from the good, hearty buffets at Kibbutz Ein Gedi (buffets from 45NIS; 7-9.30am, noon-2pm, 6-9pm), try the self-service Pundak Ein Gedi ( 659 4761; mains from 39NIS, 10am-6pm) next to the petrol station, which has a decent salad bar.
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MASADA
08
Don’t miss haunting Masada, a desert mesa rising high above the Dead Sea, which figures prominently in the Israeli psyche. During the Jewish First Revolt against the Romans in AD 66, after the sacking and burning of Jerusalem, the Zealots fled here to its high fortress, which became the last outpost of Jewish Resistance. Faced with imminent attack, 10 Jewish men were elected to slay the rest of their group. When the Romans stormed the fortress, they discovered 960 bodies; only seven people, who’d hidden in a water cistern, survived to relay the tale to the world. ‘Masada shall not fall again’, is the oath sometimes repeated at IDF swearing-in ceremonies, held here.
These days, Masada is guarded by a massive tourist complex ( 658 4207; 8am-4pm Apr-Sep, 8am-5pm Oct-Mar), including a restaurant and theatre