By Okorie Uguru
THE Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a
land of wonders and the surreal, and Ma’in
Hot Spring is one of these wonders that have
made the country a must-visit for every avid
tourist.
Although most of the excitement about
Jordan as a destination is centred around the
ancient Petra, and natural wonders like the
Wadi Rum wilderness and the Dead Sea,
Ma’in Hot Spring however, for those who
could afford it, is always top on the buck-
et list of must-visit sites in Jordan. It is not
just a natural wonder, it is a place where the
therapeutic hot spring has, for thousands of
years, healed both royalty and commoners.
From the ancient Roman Empire’s royalties
and war generals, it has always been a place
that the rich and influential retire to enjoy to
soothe their bodies and allow the thermal hot
spring rejuvenate them.
Located about 64 kilometres from Jor-
dan’s capital city of Amman, and about 27
kilometres from Madaba, another historical
city in Jordan, Ma’in Hot Spring lies deep
beneath the earth. In the Bible the hot spring
is referred to as Baaras.
According to Biblical historian, Josephus,
King Herod of Israel built a palace in a near-
by town called Mukawir just to be close
to Ma’in Hot Spring. He was said to have
an ailment that the thermal spring of Ma’in
helped in soothing. The incident in the book
of Matthew 14: 1-2 where King Herod or-
dered the beheading of John the Baptist hap-
pened at Mukawir.
Currently, Ma’in Hot Spring is no lon-
ger an obscure private enclave for royalties
alone. It has a four-Star resort and people
from all over the world come for leisure and
the health benefits of the hot water spring.
Those familiar with the Ikogosi Warm
Spring in Ekiti State would have an idea
about the natural phenomenon of having hot
or warm water spring from the bowels of the
rocks. Ma’in is far hotter than the warm Ik-
ogosi natural spring water. Here the water is
so hot in some of the springs that one would
get burnt if it comes in contact with one’s
skin.
To get to Ma’in Hot Spring from the an-
cient city of Madaba, one would drive for
about 15 minutes and then turn right heading
to the resort. It is a descent from the earth
surface down into the bowel of earth as if one
is in search of the exact location of Hades.
The vehicles take a winding descent down-
wards. Ma’in Hot Spring is situated about
260 feet below sea level. The hot spring is
circled round by what looks erroneously like
tall hills until one remembers that the place is
many feet below the earth’s surface.
The biggest draw of tourists to Ma’in
spring is the therapeutic effect of the spring
on the body. According to ancient history,
King Herod who gave the order to behead John the Baptist was staying at a settle-
ment not far from the hot spring, staying
there to be close to the hot spring.
However, currently, Main Hot Springs
boast a resort, four-star, with beautiful
rooms and theme rooms that mix modern
hospitality flair with a feel of being back
in time. In Ma’in, you’re cut off from the
outside world. No external noise to divert
one’s attention. Tourists would pick up
their towel early in the morning and head
to the thermal hot springs.
For those who may be unable to afford
the cost of staying at the Ma’in Resort,
they could buy a one day pass to visit the
resort and enjoy the hot spring pools for
about $14. With this pass, visitors can use
the public area of the resort which is just
as magical as the hotel resort area. The
public resort area boasts four of the six
waterfalls. There is also a separate male
and female waterfall along with the main
communal waterfall pool, and a luxuri-
ous spa waterfall with a thermal pool and
lounge area.
The hot springs at Ma’in sprout from
different rocks within the area. However,
some are hotter than the others. Tourists
could simply go to the spring they feel
comfortable in and soak inside the spring
water. Small pools are built around the
spring to collect the water gushing from
the rocks. One of the hot spring points has
a cave behind the gushing water. The wa- ter is very hot; vapours could be seen and
spring water splashes on the floor. Anybody unlucky enough to have the water
splash on him would end up with burns.
The manager placed a caveat to warn
tourists.
Does Ma’in Hot Spring have therapeu- tic effects on the body? The answer is
in the affirmative. Soaking in the water,
apart from the glow it gives one skin, has
the effect of lulling one into a kind of re- laxing. It is almost like the kind of glow
one gets soaking inside the Dead Sea wa- ter which is just about 50 kilometres away
from Ma’in Hot Spring. Most tourists,
after the morning session at the springs,
take breakfast and retire until afternoon.
For those who may not wish to go to the
springs, there is the hotel’s warm spring
swimming pool. The swimming water is
from the hot springs. It is an experience
far better than bathing in a heated swim- ming pool.
In addition to the natural hot spring,
Ma’in Hot Spring Resort offers what
many regard as the best spa facility in the
area.
While in Ma’in, there is no other place
to go apart from taking a stroll round the
beautiful surroundings or riding a bicycle
to get by. It is not a place where visitors
come around as it is surrounded by hills
and hidden inside the cavernous earth.
Ma’in Hot Spring is a perfect hideaway
if there was ever one. One is cut off from
the world, even phone services in Ma’in
are erratic.
Although Nigerians enjoy luxury and
the opportunity to move out and explore, with the array of tourism products in Jordan, Nige-
rian tourists could enjoy the best of Amman, Aqaba,
Dead Sea and Petra, and still make out time to visit
Ma’in Hot Spring to relax and rejuvenate.
A day pass to Ma’in Hot Springs Resort and
Spa costs 10 JD (14.10 USD). With this pass, vis-
itors can use the public area of the resort which is
just as magical as the hotel resort area. The public
resort area boasts four of the six waterfalls. Each
waterfall maintains a warm temperature of 30-
37 degrees Celsius. The public area is home to a
beautiful roman bath which includes an indoor hot
spring steam room. The steam room bath is divid- ed into male and female sections. There is also a
separate male and female waterfall along with the
main communal waterfall pool, and a luxurious spa
waterfall with a thermal pool and lounge area.