Where is the best place to vacation in Israel or Jordan? Egypt, Israel and Jordan: Comparing the beaches on the Red Sea. About communications, Internet in different countries

There are February colds ahead and a sluggish winter until mid-April, when you want to get away from cold and snowy Russia, somewhere by the sea, where it’s sunny and warm. When planning a trip in advance, many Russians weigh the pros and cons: where will it be warmer, more interesting, cheaper? Which country is more suitable for a winter holiday - Israel or Jordan? Let's try to answer all these questions.

Israel

It will be an excellent choice for those tourists who, in addition to a beach holiday and swimming in the sea, want to devote several days to religious pilgrimages. The excursion program should definitely include a visit to Jerusalem, where the main shrines associated with the name of Jesus Christ are located: the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Garden of Gethsemane.

Beach holiday. Red sea

The main winter resort in Israel is Eilat, located on the Red Sea, where you can swim all year round. The northern part of the coast is sandy, the southern part is rocky, with a difficult entry into the sea, but with rich underwater flora and fauna. This place is especially loved by divers, and there are several reasons for this: the purity and transparency of the water, ideal visibility at depth, the presence of coral reefs with caves and many inhabitants of the underwater world that can only be found in the waters of the Red Sea. These are barracudas, bigeyes, glassfish, tauvin groupers, spotted-tail gobies, coral garrupas, rainbow variolas and others.

In the remaining resorts of Israel, Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Netanya, located on the Mediterranean Sea, swimming is cool in winter. Almost all beaches in this country are public, municipal. Therefore, those who love an isolated and respectable holiday on the private beaches of elite hotels will have to make a lot of effort to find them. In this country there is no concept of star rating of a hotel; there is a certain list of services that are provided to tourists. Therefore, travel agencies often set the star level themselves to make it easier to understand what level of service their clients should expect. When choosing a hotel or hotel, consider this fact.

Wellness holiday. Dead Sea

Another advantage of Israel is the Dead Sea, famous all over the world
with its unique waters, as well as hot thermal mineral springs that help with diseases of the joints and respiratory system. You can swim in the salt water of the Dead Sea for no more than 15 minutes. In order not to forget, there are clocks installed on the beaches everywhere, allowing you to control the time.

Tour Features

• In Israel, one third of the population speaks Russian, and another half understands it, so you will not have any difficulty communicating with the locals.
• Since 2008, there has been a visa-free regime between our countries. If your stay in the country does not exceed 90 days, you will not need to apply for a visa. However, at an Israeli airport you will face more rigorous screening and screening. This is common practice, react calmly, answer all questions and no problems will arise.
• If you are planning a family vacation with an infant, think about his nutrition in advance. In Israel, we do not have the jarred ready-made puree we are used to.
• When developing an excursion route, take into account the national characteristics of this country. On Saturday, Shabbat, almost nothing works here, including public transport. It will be possible to go anywhere only by taxi.

Jordan

Israel's neighbor, Jordan, began developing tourism relatively recently. There are not many hotels here, so the number of places and tours is usually limited. If you want to spend a winter holiday in this country, book and purchase in advance.

Beach holiday

The only resort located on the Red Sea is Aqaba. The tourist season here lasts all year round, the water in the sea is always warm, and the heat is tolerable and not debilitating. Holidays in Jordan are somewhat more expensive; hotels in Aqaba are distinguished by a high level of service. Health tours to the Dead Sea are also popular. Here, holidays in both countries are, in principle, equivalent.

Excursion holidays

Jordan has a rich history and has unique attractions, for which most people choose this country.

• Firstly, this is the ancient stone city of Petra.
• Secondly, a trip to the real desert, Wadi Rum, which for our compatriots is an exotic sight.
• And thirdly, a trip to the Jordan River, in which Jesus Christ was baptized.

The tour bus is usually escorted by police to prevent those wishing to swim across the river and cross the border into Israel. Apparently there were precedents for taking such precautions. But don't let them bother you, just ignore them.

The capital of the country, Amman, also has interesting places to visit:
Roman theatre, Umayyad Palace, Citadel and Byzantine fortress.

Features of the holiday

And lastly, take with you strong shoes, long skirts and closed sweaters and swimsuits. Jordan is a Muslim country; it is not customary to wear short skirts, shorts and T-shirts here. You will be able to communicate with locals in English; it is taught here without fail.

Each person is individual, as are his requirements for relaxation. In any case, no matter what country you choose, the change from the snowy winter Russian reality to the warm and sunny one will leave only positive emotions and memories from your vacation.

Israel and Jordan are quite similar destinations, so tourists often ask about which is better: Jordan or Israel. The choice is further complicated by the fact that the main resorts of Jordan and Israel (Aqaba and Eilat, respectively) are located several kilometers from each other and are very similar cities.

Despite the fact that our site is dedicated to Jordan, we still decided to conduct an adequate comparison of the two countries and try to answer the question of where is better: Jordan or Israel.

The weather in Jordan and Israel is almost the same. In terms of geographical location, these countries are also very similar to each other, since they have access to the Red Sea and are two countries that have a coastline on the Dead Sea. The beautiful coral reefs in the north of the Gulf of Aqaba went to both Jordan and Israel. However, there are noticeably more dive sites around the Jordanian coast than around the Israeli coast.

How are Jordan and Israel different?

Although these countries have much in common, they still have some notable differences. To answer the question “Jordan or Israel: which is better?”, you just need to understand what differences there are between these countries. The main difference is religion. In Jordan the predominant religion is Islam, while in Israel it is Judaism. This makes such close countries completely different from each other in terms of lifestyle, culture and traditions. Since Jordan is a Muslim country, it has prohibitions related to alcohol, while in Israel there are no special prohibitions in this regard, and alcohol can even be bought in stores.

It is also worth noting that Israel has access not only to the Red Sea, but also to the Mediterranean Sea, which gives some flexibility in terms of beach holidays.

As for excursions, both countries offer many interesting places, but still, I personally think that excursions in Jordan are more interesting and varied. The main attractions of Israel are the city of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, while in Jordan, in addition to the same Dead Sea, there are also such iconic sights as Petra, Wadi Rum, Mount Nebo, Jerash, Karak. But it is worth remembering that you can go to many interesting places in Jordan on an excursion from Israel, or vice versa, go from Jordan on an excursion to Israel. The only question is whether it will be convenient for you to go on such excursions.

Now a few words about hotels. Personally, I prefer hotels in Jordan, especially those located on the shores of the Dead Sea. There are also some pretty good hotels on the Red Sea coast, which are more similar in character to hotels in Egypt.

Jordan or Israel: which is cheaper?

Since tourists often consider Jordan and Israel as an alternative to Egypt, the financial side of the issue is also of great importance. After all, Egypt was a budget holiday destination with many inexpensive all-inclusive hotels. Where is it cheaper to relax: in Jordan or Israel? Of course, Jordan is a cheaper destination. For example, an inexpensive all-inclusive hotel in Aqaba will cost almost 2 times less than a similar hotel in the neighboring Israeli resort of Eilat. True, prices for excursions, food and other goods and services in Israel are not much higher than in Jordan.

Dead Sea- a closed lake in Jordan and Israel, the saltiest body of water in the world.

Description of the Dead Sea

Dead Sea- a salt lake located between Jordan and Israel.

It is the saltiest lake in the world, its salinity is 300-310 ‰, and in some years up to 350 ‰. The Dead Sea coast is the lowest landmass on Earth: it lies 430 meters below sea level and is falling at a rate of approximately 1 meter per year.

The length of this lake is 67 km, width 18 km at its widest point, depth up to 306 meters.

In 1977, due to a drop in water level, the lake was divided into 2 parts - northern and southern, connected by a channel. The northern part of the Dead Sea is used for recreational purposes, and in the southern part there are several enterprises engaged in the extraction of bromine, potassium chloride and other minerals through evaporation.

Several dry streams and the Jordan River flow into the Dead Sea.

The sea is called dead because, due to its high salt content, no living organism can live in it. And according to the Bible, it was on the shores of the Dead Sea that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were located.

Holidays at the Dead Sea

Currently, the Dead Sea is a famous world resort.

From time immemorial, the Dead Sea has been a hospital for those who suffer from diseases of the respiratory, musculoskeletal, skin, endocrine and nervous systems. And the healing effect is achieved thanks to the composition. The Dead Sea is not just salty - it is very salty - 33% (for comparison: the Mediterranean Sea has 3% salt). It contains all the minerals vital for humans, including: chlorine, magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium, bromine.

Dead Sea climate

You can relax on the Dead Sea all year round. The average air temperature near the reservoir is 24 degrees Celsius in December and 36.6 degrees in August. Air humidity - in December - 45%, in August 32.2%. Annual precipitation is 100 mm. The average sea water temperature is from 26.7 degrees Celsius in December and 37.7 degrees in August.

Dead Sea mud

Minerals and healing mud of the Dead Sea can restore youth and health to a person and have the highest rejuvenating effect. Healing mud is a product of the vital activity of the only and unique representative of living beings living in a concentrated salt solution - archaeobacteria. The banks of the strange reservoir can also be considered dead: for a considerable extent they are covered only with a crust of dried salt, which does not allow grass and trees to grow.

Those who want to become even more beautiful and slimmer should pay special attention to the Dead Sea: all kinds of SPA procedures will come to the aid of ladies. First, body exfoliation with Dead Sea salts, then a jacuzzi with milk and finally a full body massage with oils.

Dead Sea Salt

Since the water is below sea level, the atmospheric pressure here is higher than at any other point on Earth, which creates the effect of a natural pressure chamber. In addition, air enriched with mineral salts and all kinds of microelements (especially bromine) has a calming and calming effect on a person. The absence of harmful ultraviolet radiation eliminates the possibility of sunburn, while the tan literally sticks to the body: just lie in the sun for a couple of hours to become the owner of a luxurious, even chocolate tan the next day.

But the main highlight of this resort is, of course, the sea itself. Having entered it, you understand what weightlessness is - the body is pushed to the surface, forcing it to take a horizontal position. And... the mysticism begins. No wonder the Israelis joke that the Dead Sea is a place where God is with people in direct telephone communication.

Dead Sea beaches

The beaches of the Dead Sea are rocky or rocky-sand, covered with salt or salt stones. To prevent injury, it is recommended to wear special slippers when entering the water.

Dead Sea Resorts

There are several seaside resorts and towns in both Israel and Jordan.

Dead Sea resorts in Israel

The main resorts of the Israeli part of the Dead Sea:

• Potassium
• Mitzpe
• Shalem
• Ein Gedi
• Ein Bokek
• Neve Zohar

The main and largest Israeli resort of the Dead Sea is Ein Bokek. The remaining resorts are small villages or oases in the desert with a few buildings.

Dead Sea Resorts in Jordan

There are no resorts in Jordan on the Dead Sea as such, there are only a few hotels on the shore and beaches near them.

How to get to the Dead Sea?

The Dead Sea resorts can be reached from Israel or Jordan by road or by bus.

Distance to the Dead Sea from cities in Jordan:

• Amman - 65 km,
• Madaba - 58 km,
• Jerash - 113 km,
• Petra - 280 km,
• Aqaba - 385 km.

Distance from Israeli cities:

• Jerusalem - 40 km,
• Tel Aviv - 110 km,
• Haifa - 190 km,
• Be'er Sheva - 140 km,
• Eilat - 300 km.