Iconic Dead Sea adventure was lowest high point in my life

SO lets get the cheesy intro out the way...I took a dip in one of the most iconic bodies of water in the world and it was pure, dead brilliant.

I caked myself head to toe in the Dead Seas famed mineral-rich mire before bobbing effortlessly around like a rubber duck at bath time.

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It was 42C (107F) when I tip-toed towards the waters edge the lowest area of land on earth.

They say the salty splodge is packed with health-giving qualities and makes you feel  and look younger, which was a good reason for braving the blistering heat.

This saline expanse lies 430 metres below sea level, so it was the lowest high point of my life and one of many unforgettable moments in Israel.

I flew into Tel Aviv after a five-hour flight to the Mediterraneans most easterly coast. A 45-minute taxi ride followed  towards the beating heart of these ancient and holy lands.

And there was no better place to begin learning about this astonishing country than exploring the sights of Jerusalem.

Just a whisper of this sacred place conjures echoes of the past  but before stepping into that particular time machine I was introduced to a more recent but no less intriguing tale.

Mimi Biazi our  host at The Biazi Boutique Hotel rolled out the welcome mat and her self-styled home-from-home is tucked away in the Nachlaot area a tightly-packed network of neighbourhoods within walking distance of the main attractions.

Mimi explained her hotel was once the family home  before the areas gradual gentrification reversed the exodus of youth.

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Her  roots run deep and I nodded off that night leafing through a booklet in my room  telling the moving story of her grandparents and parents Eliyahu and Geula Mizrahi, the inspiration for Mimis family-run venture.

The morning began marvelling at the wonderful views  from the rooftop terrace before we set off on a walking tour through one of earths  oldest cities.

It didnt take long to realise Jerusalem is a living, breathing museum. Every step taken and every corner turned reveals flashes of the past.

That sense of walking in the footsteps of our ancestors was nowhere more profound than in the maze of underground tunnels still being excavated today.

And of course its impossible not to feel a profound sense of history as you walk along the bustling Via Dolorosa where stations mark the path Jesus took as he was forced to carry the cross on his way to his crucifixion.

Other mesmerising religious sites that compel pause for thought and reflection include the Western Wall and Church of the Holy Sepulchre where tourists and pilgrims gather. Away from the bustle, there are hundreds of Kibbutz all over Israel and each has evolved in different ways since the first was established in 1909.

Some have become privatised and offer luxury spas to guests, while  others have maintained a more traditional link to their pioneering agriculture roots.

The pick of the bunch  was Kibbutz Lotan  in the Arava desert near the southern  border with Jordan.

Homes are fashioned from hay bales-and-mud concoctions to create guest houses for families who travel from across the globe to seek sanctuary in the remote oasis. There are eco tours, workshops, hiking, trekking, biking and a Green Apprenticeship program for those keen to forge a career or learn more about ways to live without harming the planet.

There is no better proof of Kibbutz Lotons eco credentials than a home-made kitchen contraption named the Fart Machine.

It harvests man-made (and woman-made) wind and converts it into cooking gas. It was one of many quirky sights including a pedal-powered pesto device that whirred into life before a delicious communal meal was served to residents and volunteers. 

From there we stopped off at the nearby flag-ship ecology village Neot Semadar  which is an organic village and arts collective at the forefront of Israels eco-revolution.

It has a huge cooling tower at the centre of a building thats been only half-jokingly dubbed the Taj Mahal of the desert.

It struck me as being more like Vegas with colourful pastel shades thrusting above the sun-kissed horizon like a garish beacon, thankfully with no flashing neon sign.

They, too, have built guest houses for volunteers eager to enjoy a desert getaway. There are of course many more captivating locations outside the confines of the kibbutz, none more so than the ancient city of Masada where a Roman siege ended in heart-breaking bloodshed.

Other essential destinations include the Makhtesh Ramon Crater an enormous natural geographical feature that takes the breath away and the beautiful Ein Gedi Nature Reserve where King David sought sanctuary in a cave with an inspirational spider long before Robert the Bruces arachnid revelation.

Thoughts of Scotlands history cropped up  thanks to the unmistakable banner of the Lion Rampant fluttering in The Knights Halls in the port city of Old Akko.

Its true to say this UNESCO World Heritage Site is like an open-air museum where civilizations have come and gone over thousands of years. The Templars Tunnel gives visitors the chance to walk through an underground pathway linking the Templars Fort to the port away from enemy forces prying eyes.

All that before we even get round to talking about city beach life on the shores of Tel Aviv and the wonderful sights of Haifa where the views over the Bahai Gardens encapsulate the glory of this magnificent country.

Israels didactics will tell you the country has four seas The Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Sea of Galilee and, of course, The Dead Sea.

But after my mini odyssey through this jaw-dropping country, Ive come to another cheesy conclusion: theres a fifth and its known, youve guessed it, as The Must See.

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