Forget the Dead Sea, why not float in the salt crater of an extinct Volano?!

Don't know about you, but floating in the dead sea has always been a big travel bucket list item for us. We're sure we're not alone in feeling this, as it is quite mindboggling to see all these people just floating in the sea and reading a book, so it is natural to want to understand the feeling of floating in water and not being able to dive or sink.

Now we thought that the only place in the world you could do this would be the Dead Sea, but how wrong were we when we were doing research into our holiday on Sal - a sandy salty island which is part of the island nation of Cape Verde. The name Sal actually means salt in Portuguese, thanks to the rich salt deposits on the desert-like island, which sees on average 350 days of sunlight every year. It is also home to some of the most beautiful sandy beaches in the country, which is no wonder that it is also the most touristy of all the islands in the volcanic archipelago.

Sal's not very big, so if you're looking to visit, you can probably take a taxi to the "Salinas de Pedra de Lume" and pay the small entrance fee to enter the crater and take a bath in the saline marshes - locals say that bathing in these waters is really good for the skin and helps you stay young and healthy. Alternatively, you could also just join a day tour of the island which are provided by many different people and companies, and since the island is so small and there isn't heaps to do, you're almost guaranteed to be taken there for a dip!

According to locals and certain websites, the water there is 27 times saltier than seawater, so be sure to keep your head as far away from the water as possible and do NOT attempt to dive or put your head under water (oh and word of advice, don't fart underwater either :p). Rest assured that there are showers (at a additional fee) to wash off the stinging water when it gets a little too overwhelming!

We've got a little vlog cumming out soon in the near future of our day trip and what that was like, so be sure to give us a follow to stay up to date with buttpacking adventures!