Most people know that when visiting Israel they should go to the Dead Sea, but what they may not know is the best to visit. In the summer, and in fact most of the year, it is extremely hot in Southern Israel. Unless you are really a sun-worshiper and used to dry boiling temperatures, you will probably find it uncomfortable to stay outside for long. The sand/stones on Dead Sea beaches are scolding during the day. So let me offer a solution: There is no reason why you cannot go to the Dead Sea at night. If you make your way to the parking area next to the “shops” in Ein Bokek, you will be on the edge of the sea and there are no restrictions about swimming at night. Some people take sleeping bags and even tents and pitch them on the shore. There are freshwater showers on the beach to rinse the salt off.
The advantages of swimming at the Dead Sea at night are that there are no crowds, it is cooler – though the water remains warm – and of course, there is something eerie about floating about on black water in the dead of night. Suggestion: Drive from Tel Aviv/Jerusalem to Eilat through the Negev desert, leaving in the late afternoon, and stop off for a dip in the Dead Sea on the way. Then as you near Eilat pop into Kibbutz Yotvata, where they produce dairy products. Enjoy the dairy restaurant full of the milkiest shakes, chocolates, and ice creams. When you arrive in Eilat you will have saved on one night in a hotel and seen the Negev without the heat.
To find hotels in Ein Bokek search here.
