25 Muddy the waters in Jordan
Coating yourself in mud is a staple of childhood holidays. At the Dead Sea, it constitutes acceptable behaviour among adults, too. Head to the Jordanian shore of the lake - the lowest dry point on Earth - to smother yourself with mineral-rich Dead Sea mud, the revitalising properties of which have been endorsed by Cleopatra, the Queen of Sheba and Egyptian pharaohs (for whom it was a key component in mummification). Mummification is one of the few treatments not on the menu at the Dead Sea Spa Resort, one of many places offering mud-based therapies along the shore. That said, nothing is quite as much fun as rolling around on muddy beaches and blithely bobbing about on Dead Sea waters - so salty and dense that even grown-ups float without armbands.
• Day passes to the Dead Sea Spa Resort from £28, rooms from £55;
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