Wadi Rum Moon Valley Jordan. Wadi Rum Nature Reserve (Jordan)
The Bedouins living in the Wadi Rum valley have their main income from tourists, so they run souvenir shops, cafes and even something like hotels - in Bedouin tents. Perhaps someone will like such exoticism in the style of Lawrence of Arabia, while others will feel more comfortable spending the night in a car. Wadi Rum is already a traditional place for tourists to visit, so every year there are more places to stay here with an acceptable level of comfort, but the accommodation is still in the same tents. The Bedouin Traditions Camp, for example, looks simply like a long barracks with two rows of bunks with blankets and pillows along the walls, decorated, however, very beautifully. In the evenings, local Bedouins can try zarb, a dish similar to Central Asian pilaf, but prepared in a pit covered with sand and hot coals.
Entry (or entry) into the reserve territory for one day costs 5 dinars (approximately 450 rubles in 2016), but when driving your car, you need to register - you may have to pay extra for an overnight stay and a second day. Additional expenses may include the purchase of souvenirs, a traditional Bedouin lunch, and, for the sake of exoticism, a camel ride. We do not recommend riding camels around the entire route - without getting used to it, this is a very tiring task.
When traveling around the valley by car on your own, it is better to stick to the recommended routes - they usually warn you about this. Organized excursions Usually they pass through four or five places, offer to take photographs, buy souvenirs, and finish the journey in six to seven hours. Free excursions by taxi or on your own are not limited in time. The set of souvenirs for Jordan is quite standard, the only thing that can be mentioned are bas-reliefs of Lawrence of Arabia and, if you're lucky, shell casings from British rifles from the time of the Arab Revolt.
The history of these places is not very eventful. Wadi Rum is located close to the border with Saudi Arabia, in deserted and sparsely populated areas. Since time immemorial, caravans from Palestine and Syria to Arabia have passed through Wadi Rum with its water sources. The Bedouins here lead the same lifestyle as they did a thousand years ago. Neither the desert, nor the housing, nor the cuisine changes. The only things that have increased are cars, televisions and tourists. There is also the only one in Jordan Railway. It connects industrial areas with the port of Aqaba, and is not used for passenger transport.
The name of the famous British intelligence officer, philologist and ethnographer Thomas Edward Lawrence (of Arabia) is also associated with Wadi Rum. The Arab Liberation Army troops were based in the deserts of eastern Jordan during the Arabian Revolt of 1916-1918. Lawrence of Arabia was an adviser to the army commander, Prince Faisal, who fought against the Turks. Lawrence mentioned this place in his book “Seven Pillars of Wisdom” and described its splendor. There is indeed a rock in the valley with seven ledges, “Seven Pillars,” but it is difficult to say whether the book is named after the rock or the rock is named after the book.
Wadi Rum contains the highest mountains in Jordan - up to 1830 meters. The official poster at the entrance to Wadi Rum names 19 sites for public inspection. This includes the spring and Lawrence's house, two observation decks, where it is convenient to meet the sunrise, rock bridges - the Jebel, Burda and Little bridges, the “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”, the Nabatean pillar, dunes, rocks with rock paintings. Near these places, Bedouin tents are grouped, where they feed, pour tea and sell souvenirs.
The main impression is made not by any specific objects, but by the general grandeur, beauty and silence of these places. Along the way, the color of the rocks changes - from black to soft pink, rocks of gray perforated sandstone are replaced by black-green basalt outcrops covered with ripples. The landscape is such that there is nothing to compare it with, which is why associations with other planets come to mind. It’s no wonder that several science fiction films have been filmed here. Indeed, it is enough to go behind the rock and you find yourself, as if on another planet, in complete solitude and silence, which very soon becomes frightening.
But, watching the sunset and sunrise, you experience fantastic delight and begin to understand the Bedouins, who do not want to change their way of life for anything in the world and do not even believe that they can live differently somewhere. The most best time The best time to visit Wadi Rum is spring, when everything blooms. The desert is covered with poppies, anemones and black irises - the national flowers of Jordan. Regarding the rock inscriptions, it is believed that they were left by the Nabateans about two thousand years ago and, judging by the fact that archaeologists do not work here, they do not carry any special scientific discoveries.
Separately, we can mention two more exotic activities. This is rock climbing and flying balloons. There are few climbing routes in Wadi Rum, but those that exist are very popular among European and Israeli climbers. The geology here is very unusual - the mountains are made of dense cemented sandstone, which slips little and is therefore less dangerous to climb. Also, the frequent gaps in the rocks here are very helpful when climbing. Several 300 - 500 meter routes of varying degrees of difficulty have been developed and equipped - from minimal to 5b. In tourist shops you can find Full description climbing routes in English.
Balloon flights are organized in the spring - from April to May and in the fall - from September to December, always in the early morning - this is probably due to the movement of air currents. For such a flight you will definitely have to spend the night in Wadi Rum.
When going on an excursion, in addition to the standard traveler's kit - water, packed rations, glasses, camera, special attention need to pay attention to shoes. Moving along the valley, you have to go up and down sandy slopes, so you need shoes with thick soles that fit your feet well. Then your feet will get stuck in the sand less and the sand will not burn your feet. Some enthusiasts bring snowboards with them to hit the slopes, but these can also be found among the Bedouins if desired.
A month ago I was on Mars.
“The cliffs are covered with domed formations of red color, and gave this irresistible place the appearance of complete Byzantine architecture, beyond all imagination. Our little caravan in these huge mountains was filled with complete calm, ashamed and frightened by the thought of boasting of its importance.” These lines from David Lean's film "Lawrence of Arabia" are addressed to the Martian desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan.
Episodes of Star Wars, Transformers and The Martian were also filmed here.
It is also called the lunar valley. Really similar. 
The desert rocks were formed at the bottom of the sea, whose water left 3,000 years ago. The sand has different shades: from reddish to blue, and traces of fossil shells remain in the rocks.
Stone mushrooms, petroglyphs, portraits of gods and Nabatean sanctuaries. A meeting with camels and shepherds is inevitable.
The Bedouins occupied a large area near the village of Ram. We found interesting rock features, red sandstone dunes, weathered rocks and a colorful canyon. They have drawn up a route and transport tourists in four-wheel drive jeeps.
Those who want to fully feel like a local can explore the desert on camelback. After I cursed the hour-long camel ride in the Indian Thar Desert, I categorically refused to ride a humpback. 
Excursions to Wadi Rum. Prices for excursions
Excursions to the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan are divided by price, time planned to spend in the desert, and means of transportation.
There are desert excursions for 3, 5 hours, for a day, and even for 3 days.
We chose a 4-hour excursion for 60 dinars for two. 
It was decided that we would rush in a jeep with a driver and part-time guide. He is also the owner of the camp, where tourists are invited to stay to watch the sunset, dawn and the night dome of the sky combined.
The figured rocks have names. By and large, they look and are called: small bridge, big bridge, 7 pillars of wisdom, chicken, etc.
They take you to a multi-colored canyon. Allegedly, Nabataean petroglyphs were found there, which are 2000 years old.
The canyon is beautiful, but I doubt it about the petroglyphs. Some of them are not natural.
The distances from one attraction to another are approximately from 1-2 to 20 km. 
In addition to sightseeing, camel rides, and a night in a tent camp, the Bedouins also came up with a night in a cave and hot air balloon flights. 
Prices for tours of the Wadi Rum desert by jeep:
– 2-3 hours – 15 dinars per person.
– 4-6 hours – 30 dinars per person
– full day with sunset – 55 dinars per person.
There are multi-day camel tours, or you can just ride for 15-20 minutes.
If you take a jeep tour, the driver will take you to the camel riding site. 
If you are traveling to Wadi Rum on your own, then excursions can be booked directly on the Bedouin website: wadirumcamelcamp.com
An excursion from Aqaba to Wadi Rum with round-trip transfer can be booked on Tripster.ru. In these two excursions below, I suggest that those wishing to spend a night in the desert stay in a caravanserai.
Where to stay in Wadi Rum. Hotels in Wadi Rum, campings, tents
We booked through Booking.com.
You can arrange accommodation on site with a guide who will conduct the excursion.
If you book an excursion on the Bedouin website or on Tripster.ru, you can immediately negotiate with accommodation.
Prices for tents, camps, caravanserais from the simplest to five-star with a comfortable toilet and shower from 500 rubles to $200 per night.
Here is a standard Bedouin campsite with a comfortable shared toilet for 1,300 rubles. Double Room. 
View camping in more detail.
Distance to Wadi Rum Desert from Aqaba
From Aqaba to the tourist center of Wadi Rum 60 km. We arrived in a rented car, which can be left in the parking lot at the tourist center. Or before entering the desert territory - which is located 2 km before the tourist center.
Guide, tent, excursion: chained by one chain, bound by one goal
The competition is crazy. Everyone fights for tourists by all means and means. Therefore, if a Bedouin charters you on an excursion, he will offer you accommodation, dinner, breakfast, and transfer from the desert to the parking lot at the tourist center.
If you are traveling to Wadi Rum and have already pre-booked accommodation in the desert through Booking (or another booking service), then you should go to the tourist center and take a tour not from just any guide, but from your camp owner.
The tourist center will look at your reservation and call the camp owner. He takes you on a tour of the desert with delivery to your accommodation.
We have an unpleasant situation. Even though we booked a night at the camp through Bukin, we ended up having to give up the night in the desert and go to Aqaba.
There is another parking lot 2 km from the tourist center. When we approached the entrance to Wadi Rum (it was built like a checkpoint), we stopped right there. This was our mistake.
We decided that we would now take a tour from a guide, of whom there are a crowd. And then we’ll get to the tourist center, call the owner of the camp and go on vacation. But everything works differently.
At the parking lot before entering the desert, a Bedouin met us and offered us the services of a guide in his jeep. Cost 60 dinars for two for 3-4 hours. Free water included. We agreed.
After the excursion, we transferred from the jeep to our car and drove to the tourist center. Here, as I wrote above, they looked at us to see who our camp owner was, called him, he drove up and took us on a tour of the desert.
We said that only from the excursion. He was terribly perplexed. Even angry.
Then, in all likelihood, he decided to get money from us in another way and announced the prices attached to the already booked night at the camp:
– delivery to the camp – 20 dinars (about 2000 rubles)
— dinner 20 dinars per person.
– breakfast – 20 dinars per person.
Total 100 dinars – 9300 rubles for two + a night in the camp.
We tried to explain to the greedy Bedouin that a transfer was not needed. We are in our own car, and the booking indicated free parking. And nothing was said about a paid transfer.
Also on the booking slip it says that breakfast is included in the price. If you agree to this robbery, it will be the most expensive breakfast you have ever eaten - 4,000 rubles.
We don't want to have dinner. We have a snack with us.
The Bedouin enragedly pronounced a verdict: “Either this way or neither.”
There was no place to complain, we got into the car and left for Aqaba.
In Aqaba, we told the owners of the room we were staying in this story, and they replied that they could take us to the desert for less money. We were completely upset. To cheer us up, we were fed a delicious local dinner.
If anyone wants to use the accommodation in Aqaba and get to know the guys with whom we lived, here is the link to their apartment on Booking.com.
And this is a bonus - 1000 rubles for booking on Booking.
What else did you miss? Tell me in the comments - write questions.
Today, Wadi Rum is a well-organized tourist attraction that provides subsistence local residents. This has its advantages and disadvantages. Thanks to a well-organized excursion, you will not have to face the unpredictable circumstances that previously awaited independent travelers on the way to Wadi Rum.
Wadi Rum is forever associated with the name of Lawrence of Arabia and his book “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom” ("Seven Pillars of Wisdom"), in which you can read memorable descriptions of the local landscapes:
“To our left stood a long stone wall that arched a thousand feet toward the middle of the valley. Opposite it, to the right of us, a second similar arc rose like a broken line of red peaks... The peak on the right seemed higher and sharper in contrast to the other side, where the ridge of mountains straightened into one not so high, but impregnable massif of a reddish color... Taking a closer look , we saw that they were not solid stone walls, but rose up in separate cliffs, resembling gigantic buildings lined up on both sides of the street they formed. They were separated from each other by shadowy alleys fifty feet wide, and the curves and niches, weathered in the walls over many years and painted with surface growths and cracks, looked like man-made architectural details. Karst voids high in the steep walls looked like round windows, others, at the very foot, gaped like doors" (chapter 62).
To get an experience comparable to the one Lawrence writes about, you must spend at least an evening in Wadi Rum, seeing the sunset, night and day in its entirety. A day trip from Aqaba or Petra will only give you a small taste of the beauty of this place, so allow at least a day to visit it when planning your route.
Time spent in Wadi Rum is always magical, the sunsets and sunrises are especially beautiful here. The valley has a surprising variety of butterflies and birds. If you lie on your back on the sand and fix your gaze on the rock towering above you or simply on the sky, the only sounds you will hear are the chirping of birds and the slight sound of wings. At sunset, the valley and the surrounding rocks take on a surreal shape. In the moonlight they look terrifying.
You can come here either by SUV or by camel, paying 2 dinars per person to enter the protected area of Wadi Rum without prior agreement with the tourist center.
With an SUV, you'll naturally travel further, reaching places like Burda Rock Bridge in an hour instead of going on an overnight camel expedition. Off-road vehicle routes are tightly controlled to minimize damage environment: A team of security guards patrols a protected area of 720 km². Hunting and litter are just two of many problems. If you own an SUV, stick to established routes. A special permit is required for camping and rock climbing.
Tourist centre. Tel.: 03-209-0600. Email: [email protected]. If you are here for a short time (less than a day), you just need to come to the center and use the services of another guide. If you want to stay longer, send an e-mail at least a week in advance; In April, September and October it is better to book accommodation in advance.
Burda Rock Bridge
Climbing up this natural rock bridge is perhaps the most exciting of Wadi Rum's attractions. With the help of a guide, you will climb the bridge in an hour and descend a little faster. The climb is mostly straight forward, but there are a few surprises. It is better not to do it in August in the afternoon and barefoot - the rock gets very hot. Dress appropriately - going down the cliff in a skirt or dress will be difficult: the hem will prevent you from seeing where to put your feet.
Khazadi Canyon
It's narrow mountain gorge about 5 km long. It starts from the village of Ram. The walls are covered with rock inscriptions.
Lawrence Source
About 1 km south of the village of Ram is the site where Lawrence is said to have bathed during the Arab Revolt. There are also many rock inscriptions in the area.
"Seven Pillars of Wisdom"
This name is given to the mountain that guards the entrance to Wadi Rum and has the shape of seven pillars. It is located to the left of the tourist center.
Bedouin "Ships of the Desert"
Wadi Rum and the surrounding desert areas are still home to eight major nomad tribes. Their total number is 40 thousand people (in the 1950s it was 220 thousand). Many have become semi-Madi and lead a sedentary lifestyle. Only a few members of the tribe, mostly young men, roam the desert, raising livestock for grazing. Life in the desert without camels is impossible, so they are taken care of in every possible way. The lifespan of a camel is about 20 years. They begin breeding at 2 years of age, and baby camels are born every autumn.
Camel ride
The camel is the most environmentally friendly form of transport for traveling through the desert - and, of course, the most traditional. You are offered a full range of services: from a half-hour test ride to a full trip with an overnight stay; but in any case, the impressions will stay with you much longer than pain in muscles that you didn’t even know existed.
Over the last decade, camel riding has ceased to be an “exclusive”, exotic offer from travel agencies. Today, the tourist center has fixed prices for excursions, taking into account the schedule and complexity of the route. The business is well established and there is nothing scary about it anymore.
Camel ride to the Alamelekh writings
This is the best short camel ride you will be offered; like all the others, it starts from the village of Ram.
Its length is 6 km, duration is about 2 hours. At a leisurely trot you will reach the northern edge of the village (1 km), where the Nabataean Temple stands.
Nabatean Temple
Italian archaeologists excavated the ruins of this temple, almost completely buried under a layer of sand. It dates back to the 1st century. n. e., the era of Aretas IV, and was built on the ruins of the temple of the goddess Allat. The Italians also excavated in 1980-1986. several prehistoric Bedouin dwellings.
Looking at the right wall of Ram Gorge from here, you will notice a group of five trees, about 800 m from the temple ruins. This is the source of Ain Shellal.
Ain Shellalah
Dismounting, you can climb up the pile of stones from the bottom of the valley to the very cleft where a spring gushes out of the rock. The water here is beautiful: clean and cool even at the height of summer; this is the best spring in Wadi Rum. Continue further along the narrow section of Wadi Rum, keeping to the right, skirting the mountains, to the impressive sight of the "full face" rock.
Alameleh inscriptions
This rock preserves excellent examples of ancient, prehistoric inscriptions - images of camels and other wild animals. Their authors are considered to be people from the Tamud tribe (now disappeared)- it came here from Algeria and Saudi Arabia, north of Medina. This tribe is mentioned in texts of the 8th century. BC e. like the pagans conquered by the Nabataeans.
From here the route turns back south; it runs through picturesque sand dunes and winds among rocks, leading again to the village of Ram.
In contact with
It belongs to rocky deserts and occupies an area of 74,180 hectares. Altitude above sea level - 1830m.
The climate is dry. In some places the desert turns into semi-desert with isolated dry trees and shrubs.
Laurent de Walick, CC BY 2.0The highest peak is Mount Um ad-Dami with a height of 1830 m. One of the most recognizable rocks of Wadi Rum is the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which is located next to the Tourist Center.
Tomobe03, CC BY-SA 3.0 The surface is generally uneven, replete with local canyons, dips and hills.
The air temperature within Wadi Rum varies from 32 degrees Celsius during the day to 4 degrees at night.
xorge, CC BY-SA 2.0 In the phrasebook: jabal means “mountain” in Arabic. This is a word you will hear often in Wadi Rum.
Mountains and rocks as photo subjects compete here with the beauty of multi-colored sands and unusual vegetation.
Flora and fauna
A large area of the Wadi Rum desert is a national park.
Despite its apparent emptiness, Wadi Rum is home to a wide variety of ecosystems.
During the rare winter rains, Wadi Rum is covered with hundreds of species of flowers and wild grasses. Medicinal plants growing in the desert are used by the Bedouins to this day.
Camel thorn, rare fig trees, numerous bushes and herbaceous plants provide food and life-saving shade for small mammals, birds and reptiles.
János Korom Dr. , CC BY-SA 2.0 Around the Bedouin villages in the desert there are olive and orange orchards, groves of date palms and vegetable gardens - the soil here is fertile and needs only water.
Most of the year, high daytime temperatures and lack of water force mammals to come out only at night.
Here you can see hedgehogs, hares and hyraxes (small furry animals, which are, surprisingly, the closest relatives of modern elephants!). In remote areas, a jackal, wolf, steppe lynx or ibex may catch your eye.
Jorge Láscar, CC BY 2.0 Desert spaces are the home of large birds - falcons, eagle owls, kestrels. If you meet a scorpion, snake or camel spider, consider yourself lucky - these are the shyest inhabitants of these places.
Story
Wadi Rum has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Petroglyphs and burial grounds found on its territory confirm the importance of Wadi Rum as a place of hunting and human habitation in the early era.
Some Islamic scholars are convinced that this is where the Adits, an ancient Arab tribe mentioned in the Koran, lived.
Tetiana Zazuliak, CC BY-SA 3.0 About 30 thousand inscriptions have been discovered on the sandstone cliffs of Wadi Rum. They were carved out by tribes from South Arabia, and later by the Nabataeans, who settled in Wadi Rum around the 4th century. BC.
Two civilizations coexisted here peacefully hand in hand, worshiping the same deities - the goddess Allat and the god Dushara.
Valley of the Moon - Wadi Rum Desert xorge, CC BY-SA 2.0 The desert gained worldwide fame thanks to Lawrence of Arabia. He visited here in 1917, during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, led by King Hussein bin Ali. The royal troops, riding camels and horses, crossed Wadi Rum on their way to Aqaba. Lawrence's portion of the king's army remained in a temporary camp in the desert for some time, and then marched on Damascus.
Interest in Wadi Rum was spurred by the discovery of a Nabataean temple in 1933. A French team of archaeologists completed its excavations in 1997.
Of interest are the sights, rocks (for climbers), jeep safari tours and rock paintings, many of which have not yet been sufficiently studied (petroglyphs).
Grumpygreen, CC BY-SA 3.0 Wadi Rum has everything you expect to see in the desert - stifling heat on a summer day and piercingly cold nights in winter, treachery and changeability, when in the morning the sun's rays contrastingly highlight the edges of the gorges, and in the evening, on the contrary, smooth out the differences between rocks and sand.
János Korom Dr. , CC BY-SA 2.0 The desert forces the Bedouins living in it to dutifully bear the hardships of life and does not forgive the mistakes of strangers who laugh at the dangers.
Photo gallery
Helpful information
Wadi Rum,
in Arabic: وادي رم (Wadi Rum),
Moon Valley
How to get there
Rent a car or take a taxi to the Wadi Rum Visitor Center. There you need to take a tour with a professional driver-guide in a jeep.
There is no public transport. Nearest stop intercity bus Amman Aqaba is 15 km from the Tourist Center.
Take Highway No. 15 (Desert Highway):
from Amman: about 290 km,
from Aqaba: about 45km
to the east turn signal Tourist center Wadi Rum. From the turn to the Tourist Center - about 15 km.
Attention!
Independent trips through the desert are not recommended for two reasons:
- Wadi Rum is a nature reserve where hundreds of species of rare animals, birds, insects and plants are protected;
- there is a real danger to life (lack of GSM coverage in some areas, the possibility of getting stuck in the sand, getting lost, the presence of wild animals, poisonous insects, lack of drinking water, overheating or hypothermia, etc.)
Nature reserve
Part of the desert - nature reserve"Wadi Rum Protected Area"
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type: Cultural, Natural
Criteria: iii, v, vii
Region: Arab States
Inclusion: 2011 (35th session)
Attractions
- museum at the Tourist Center,
- mountain Seven Pillars of Wisdom,
- mount Ram,
- Mount Umm Ishri,
- Ram village,
- nabataean temple,
- Al Hasani dunes,
- stone bridges (rocks),
- source of Lawrence of Arabia (Ain Ash-Shallala),
- source Ain Abu Aineh
- house of Lawrence of Arabia (Al-Ksayr), etc.
Bedouin camps
For most half- or full-day tourists from Aqaba and Petra, Wadi Rum offers the easiest and safest chance to experience the real desert.
For the lucky ones who manage to find a day or two in their schedule to spend time in a Bedouin tent camp in the middle of the desert, this will be an unforgettable adventure.
You can book a night at the camp at any travel office or through specialized websites.
Options "on the spot" will be offered to you at the Tourist Center.
Suggestions - from very primitive tent cities to luxury camps with star hotel conditions.
The price always includes dinner, breakfast and a small folklore show. Their variety and quality are also very different.
When booking on your own, find out whether the selected camp provides a transfer service from the Visitor Center or another location convenient for you.
All camps are located directly in the desert and you cannot get to them on your own, even with a navigator. You will have to take a Bedouin taxi - a jeep from the Tourist Center, paying it as the cost of a desert excursion. And you will not be able to do this if you arrive at the Visitor Center late at night or all the jeeps are busy with excursions.
If the camp does not provide a transfer service, inquire about other travel options.
Booking accommodation in a Bedouin camp has the same features as booking a hotel. It would be a good idea to review reviews in advance and clarify all the details.
For those planning to visit Petra ( Wadi Musa) or relax on the Jordanian shore of the Red Sea in Akabe I can recommend a day trip to the desert Wadi Rum.
The desert is not quite ordinary. In the usual philistine view, the desert is sand dunes stretching beyond the horizon, snakes gliding along them, the scorching sun, and somewhere behind the neighboring dune the head of the buried Said sticks out.
I apologize – I watched “White Sun of the Desert” on the plane.
Well, the Wadi Rum desert is the mountains that rise from the horizon after 40 minutes of driving along the asphalt highway Aqaba - Amman. As you approach them, you notice that these mountains are not just a bunch of brown heaps, reminiscent of heaps of guano of giant dinosaurs, which is how mountains usually look in these places, but something unusual...
How to get to Wadi Rum
From Aqaba, drive north about 80 km (40 minutes of brisk driving).
From Petra, drive south towards Aqaba and turn left after about an hour's drive.
I can recommend this route for the day:
Option for visiting Jordan (1 day)
In the morning, while it’s not too hot, you’ll explore Petra, and at 13:00 in the afternoon, you’ll start for Aqaba, stopping along the way at Wadi Rum for a safari along the Moon Valley between beautiful rocks.
Why do I recommend it? Because I did it myself and was very pleased:
– It’s very hot in Petra after 12:00 and there’s nothing to do – there are a lot of tourists and flies
– Not very tired, after 1-1.5 hours you are already in Wadi Rum and having examined camping tourists who pay a lot of money to spend the night in a place where the night temperature after +35 drops 30 degrees down.
– after driving and photographing the rocks and surrounding landscapes, you go to spend the night in a normal hotel on the shores of the Red Sea in Aqaba.
Climate and temperature in Wadi Rum
I have already mentioned the difference between night and day temperatures.
What's the climate like? Of course, deserted and dry. There is no rainy season here
Wind. The wind is hot, burning dry and sandy.
Where to stay in Wadi Rum
I don't think it's a good idea to stay overnight in these places.
But if you are still a fan of the hardships of tent life and evening boredom without the Internet and the joys of the city, beach, and forest, you can stay in one of the many tent cities.
There are 3-star camping towns, and 5-star camping towns.
In general, this will be a tent made of felt, in which you will have a bed and a candle.
The toilet and shower will be located in a separate large tent. And they will be pretty clean.
You will eat at common tables where socializing reigns and you will have to meet unfamiliar crazy people, with whom you will have to smile and say “how good the Bedouins and this desert are.”
Well, watch some stupid amateur concerts.
If you want, stay the night. But I advise you to come here for a day and spend the night in a normal hotel or in Aqaba or Wadi Musa (Petra)
What to do in Wadi Rum
After visiting the campsite, I suggest taking a jeep safari with a Bedouin at the wheel.
The Bedouins in these places already speak reasonable English and hire Egyptians to do dirty work.
By the way: the government of Jordan builds free houses for the Bedouins and the Bedouins in Jordan no longer roam the desert with sheep, but send Egyptians to do this for a salary.
Rent a jeep and drive to the center of the mountain ranges. I don't remember the names, but they are all beautiful. And they are beautiful in their own way, depending on the time - the sun illuminates these reddish sandstone rocks blown by the sandblast wind so that the relief of the rocks resembles either Rafaelo candy or Dutch cheese.
By the way, when you approach the place and turn off the “desert highway” into the desert, you will see the most beautiful mountain regions – Seven Pillars of Wisdom, like a thicket Egyptian pyramids. There is one more attraction - Burda rock bridge, but it takes about 2 hours to get there.
The Bedouin will definitely bring you to a shop huddled in the form of a tent somewhere under picturesque mountain or in the gorge - there you will be unobtrusively offered simple Bedouin souvenirs, as well as tea brewed in an army teapot from the time of the colonization of Egypt by the British.
An hour's trip - and a lot of beautiful impressions and photographs.
Well, now either to Aqaba or Petra
