Out of all the places I have travelled, there are few that have completely taken my breath away quite like Wadi Rum. TE Lawrence, you may know him as Lawrence of Arabia, once said about Wadi Rum, “For this cruel land can cast a spell which no temperate clime can match” and does just that. There is something about the extreme beauty that you find here in this vast desert that draws you in.
The desert is everything you would expect it to be with an almost endless stretch of sandy valleys and temperatures that range from blazing heat midday to chilly at night. Despite the extreme conditions of Wadi Rum, a beautiful community thrives here. The Bedouin people have resided here for centuries and continue to thrive and share their culture with the many visitors who flock to this barren landscape.
You can walk in the footsteps of TE Lawrence as he journeyed across this vast landscape and experience what he did during the turn of the century (well, without the Jeep 4×4 tours). Once described by Lawrence as “vast, echoing and God-like”. That description sums up Wadi Rum desert perfectly.
Although Wadi Rum hasn’t changed much over the years due to protection efforts by the government, there is still an amazing array of adventures to take part in.
Here are just a few of the things I did while visiting Wadi Rum:
At the Hasan Zawaideh Camp, I enjoyed traditional Bedouin food in a delicious lunch prepared by the staff. After the meal, we hopped aboard our camels to head for a leisurely stroll through the desert. Our friendly guide took us out into Wadi Rum and showed us the path where Lawrence of Arabia made his trek through the desert. When the desert heat got the best of us (and our four-legged friends) we rested in the shade for a spell before continuing on our journey. On the next adventure, we traded in the camels for a Jeep 4×4 tour.
The Jeep tour was wicked (but fun!). We explored the landscape while speeding through the famous sandy valleys. One of my favorite parts of the tour was discovering the hidden rock drawings hidden on the canyon walls that have been preserved there for centuries.
At Sun City Camp staying in luxurious camp suites was a once in lifetime experience. At night we danced, dined and enjoyed the natural beauty of the desert. Sunset in the Wadi Rum desert is simply magnificent. The sky is lit up with brilliant colors as the sun disappears and gives way to a spectacular canvas of a night sky speckled with stars.
At night, we sat around the campfire under the stars in the middle of the desert. The chill in the air soothed our skin after spending the day in the hot desert sun. It was the perfect way to end the day’s adventures.
Lawrence of Arabia Immortalized in a Rock Sculpture in the Desert
If you are visiting Jordan, take a few days to head down to Wadi Rum to rest, recharge and reconnect with nature. You won’t be sorry you did.
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If you go check out these websites for additional information:
Wadi Rum Protected Area (www.wadirum.jo); My Jordan Journey (www.myjordanjourney.com); Jordan Tourism Board (www.visitjordan.com).
My trip to Jordan was hosted by Visit Jordan, but all opinions expressed in this post is my own.
Great post and information, one thing if you are renting a car I would recommend taking the kings road from amman to rum where you will pass through villages and beautiful view points, Dana village and valley , Mujeb dam, it longer way but certainly much interesting.