A Lazy Saturday at Hammamat Ma'in

After a gluttonous Thanksgiving on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, a group of us headed to Hammamat Ma'in on Saturday to get the digestive juices flowing. Hammamat Ma'in are a cluster of hot springs near the Dead Sea which I first heard about when I went to Wadi Mujib back in the summer. Although I'm curious about what Hammamat Ma'in is like in the summer (do people visit?!), I'd been patiently waiting until the weather turned cooler to go try it out. 

Heading down into the Wadi

I'd never been back in this Wadi--it was really cool

And try it out we did! The complex is comprised of three different waterfalls that spill out into separate pool areas--one for ladies, one for families (and ladies and couples), and one for the general public (men). The ticket man tried directing us to the family pool, but we pulled a Goldilocks and headed to try out each pool area and make up our own minds. In the back was the ladies' pool area with a particularly dinky waterfall which we decided was too depressing. Next we headed to the the couples/families/ladies waterfall which was much nicer but too small. Finally, we made it over to the general waterfall and decided that it was just right--a stunning waterfall and a big pool (although a lot of men).

The essentials

(Couldn't take a photo because some ladies were in there without hijabs)

Alysa, Cori, and I at a mini waterfall outside the Ladies' zone

Family Waterfall with lots of rules below

See the families? (and couples and ladies)

Gorgeous view across the wadi to the hot springs hotel

Last but certainly not least

"Yeah, we're not going back to the other waterfalls"

The main waterfall was hot hot hot

I was fascinated by the fact that the hot springs actually originated in waterfall form. I had only been to hot springs in Glenwood, Colorado, which bubbled up to the surface from underground. Here, however, the hot water shot out from waterfalls! The general waterfall was actually quite hot and underneath it, there was a cave with scalding hot water that created a natural sauna. It was pretty insane.

Apparently we were also insane because most of us didn't bring shirts or leggings to wear on top of our swimsuits. To say we got a lot of attention would be an understatement, but there were a lot of us so the attention was diffused pretty well. I'd describe the general waterfall as "Man Hour," a term my sister and I coined on our first trip to the Middle East in 2009 which we used anytime we found ourselves to be the only females in a predominately male space (especially public spaces like cafes and buses). There were a few Jordanian women who got in the hot springs (with long sleeve shirts and leggings on), but they were mostly waiting on the periphery with snacks and juice for their children, dressed in their hijabs and jilbabs. Thus, it's no surprise that we stood out and got our pictures taken by a lot of men enjoying the hot springs.

General Waterfall = "Man Hour"

We brought a little femininity to the space!

Alysa, Kaitlin, and Rebecca just chillin'

Everyone really enjoyed the trip to the hot springs. I was a little worried about the weather since there were some morning showers in Amman and it was very gray. However, when we got to Hammamat Ma'in, everything was clear (I even got a slight sunburn). It was about 65 degrees and perfect weather to be in the hot springs, with a few of us even preferring when the sun was behind the clouds because the water was warm enough without the sun shining down. We all left feeling relaxed and zen-like, made even more so by the God clouds we saw as we drove away from the Dead Sea. A great day, all around.

Kaitlin and I

Logistics/Recommendations: 

We hired a driver to drive us roundtrip from Amman for 50JD (this ride could have been 40JD but fuel prices recently went up and cabdrivers are definitely charging more). We left Amman at noon and arrived back around 6PM. Entrance fees are 10JD for Jordanians/Arabs/Iqama (residence) holders and 15JD for everyone else. There is a small store with snacks, juices, etc., so bringing a picnic lunch isn't a bad idea. We all brought the following: swimsuit, towel, flip flops, bathing suit, a change of clothes, and water (the springs are steamy). In the future, I'd also throw on a long-sleeve t-shirt and leggings over my swimsuit to avoid some of the unwanted attention. I was told Fridays in the spring and fall are crazy busy so we went on a Saturday to avoid some of the crowds.