As our car winds its way down Jordan’s mountain roads towards the Dead Sea, rather than continuing towards the luxury resorts that line the coast, we take a turn and head down a less travelled road.
After a few minutes of driving down a tree-lined road we arrive at the Ma’in Hot Springs Hotel nestled in the valley in the shadow of a towering waterfall that tumbles from the craggy mountain over caves, with the spray forming rainbows in the morning sunshine.
It’s here that you find the Ma’in Hot Springs – one of Jordan’s finest wellness offerings and still a well-kept secret off the tourist trail.
Just over 260m below sea level, the waters that rush into the thermal pools here range from a very pleasant 45C up to a sweltering 60C and contain minerals including potassium, magnesium and calcium. Soaking in the warm waters and standing beneath the falls is believed to deliver a range of therapeutic benefits – and also feels wonderfully relaxing. As we bathe in the springs and explore the caves, there are just a handful of locals around us enjoying a soak or heading to the hotel for relaxing treatments like mud body wraps or Dead Sea salt polishes.
Some of Jordan’s wellness offerings are far better known. Lining the coast of the Dead Sea are a slew of five-star hotels and luxury accommodations including a Hilton, Marriott and Crowne Plaza. And my home for a couple of nights is the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar.
With 9 swimming pools, stunning views across the Dead Sea, and design inspired by The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, wellness is at the core of this resort. There are 331 spacious rooms and suites spread out across the main building and village area that’s filled with greenery.
Dining comes in the form of five restaurants, serving everything from Mediterranean to International dishes, including the recently renovated The Edge that looks out over the resort and the Dead Sea beyond.’
The spa is one of the largest in the Middle East offering exquisite treatments including massages, facials, body exfoliations and wraps. Across the “Ishtar Baths” guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a whirlpool, Dead Sea pools, a sauna, a steam room, showers, a hydro-pool, a hammam and Tepidarium heated lounges.
But it’s the Dead sea itself that really steals the show. The Kempinski has its own private beach where you can float in the mineral-rich waters…
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