In this article, I will share reviews and photos of our self-guided trip to the Wadi Rum desert in southern Jordan. At the end of the publication, I will tell you about the prices, how to get there and other organizational aspects of a trip to the Martian desert.
Desert Wadi Rum and many photos
The rocky desert of Wadi Rum (aka Moon Valley, Wadi Rum, Wadi Rum) is located in the south of Jordan and is one of the most picturesque places in the country, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This landmark is famous not only for its red-orange Martian landscapes, but also for the historical events of the Arab uprising of 1916-1918. Briton Thomas Edward Lawrence stayed here for some time, helping the rebellious Arabs to fight against the Turks. By the way, Lawrence successfully applied a completely new tactics of warfare - guerrilla, which is most suitable for the Bedouin mentality. Immediately in 1962, a film was filmed about this uprising called "Lawrence of Arabia", which later received seven Oscars. Later in the desert, the films "Transformer", "The Red Planet", "Last Days on Mars", "The Martian" were filmed.
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the first attraction of the Wadi Rum Desert, which can be seen even before entering the park. Usually tourists don't count 7 pillars. Five can be distinguished exactly. But seven ... Well, okay. By the way, the famous book by Lawrence of Arabia is called The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Whether the rock was named after this book, or whether the author found the name of the rock suitable for his creation, I do not know. But we are not historians, after all.
At the tourist office we were recruited for the tour by one of the so-called guides. Hopping into a four-wheel drive car with a driver (a local Bedouin), we headed for a jeep safari through one of Jordan's most famous landmarks - the Wadi Rum Desert.
Our first stop is the Lawrence of Arabia Spring. We didn't climb too high.
Dunboarding
The second point to see was the red dune. Our guide took a snowboard out of the trunk and took us to the sandy peak.
Dune rock 
Climbing the fine sand is not as easy as it might seem 
Dunboarding 
Our guide brags to his friends about his find - he found a phone in the sand. Probably one of the tourists lost while dunabarding.
In the meantime, I paused to take some photos of the incredibly beautiful mountain.
Petroglyphs in Khazali Canyon
Hazali canyon is located not far from the dune. Immediately at the entrance to it, on the walls, you can easily find Nabatean rock paintings - petroglyphs. The antiquity of their origin, however, raises some doubts.
And the weather became more and more cloudy ...
Small bridge
The next stop in the Wadi Rum desert was the small bridge, or small arch. There were already more tourists.
Small bridge 
Big arch
A large arch called Um Frouth Rock Bridge is considered the most fashionable landmark of the Wadi Rum Desert. But it is far from the rest of the previously visited places, respectively, and the price of the tour from this is higher, and therefore not all tourists come here. In the photo, they usually play with shadow and sun. Our game didn't work out - the sky was overcast.
Other attractions of the Wadi Rum desert
Not far from the village of Ram is the Nabataean Temple. In the Wadi Rum desert, there are also such exhibits as a mushroom rock, a mushroom rock, a large bridge on Mount Burdah, Lawrence's house, Burrah canyon and others.
Sunset in the Jordanian Desert
After the big arch we went to watch the sunset. On the way to a specially designated point, we stopped to take pictures in a beautiful place.
There is a small hole in the stone. There is a local tradition here - one by one to throw stones at it. Whoever hits the hole will win.
One of the observation points for the sunset in the Wadi Rum desert is a spiral rock next to a chicken stone.
We watched the sunset on this seashell rock That's how it all began.
He was waiting ...
And he waited!
In the pitch darkness we drove back to the Ram village.
Desert Wadi Rum on Jordan map
I marked the main attractions of the Wadi Rum desert on the map of Jordan:
Decoding labels on the map:
- Red - basic objects.
- Purple are notable features of the desert.
- The green ones are indicative of traditional sunset spots.
- Yellow - white desert.
- Orange - turn from highway 15.
When you click on the marker, its GPS coordinates will be highlighted.
Wadi Rum prices. How much does a desert trip in Jordan cost?
entranceto the desert is 5 JOD (7$) ... If available, you do not need to pay this amount. Separately directly to the guide paid all kinds of excursions, accommodation and meals in the Wadi Rum desert.
Let's go make a mark at Jordan Pass By car or taxi to the territory of the park zone of the desert no entry... Leave your car in the parking lot of the tourism center or in Ram village and then go for sightseeing in one of the following ways.
By jeep with a driver (guide)
Pricing depends on the number of attractions included (and times, respectively) and bargaining ability. There is a poster with basic prices for jeep safari near the tourist information center.
As we were told, these are prices per person. But, most likely, these are the prices for the car, and we, to put it mildly, were cheated. I made these conclusions while still in Jordan in the city of Madaba mosaics, where we met a wonderful person - the guide Fadi (Fadi A.Karadshih, contacts: [email protected] ), fluent in Russian, who told us that he could organize a tour of Wadi Rum with overnight stay and meals per 80-90 JOD on two... When I was preparing this article, I found several personal Bedouin sites that organize excursions in the desert. Here are their average prices for a Jeep ride in the Wadi Rum desert for two:
- 2 hours (Lawrence spring, red dune, Khazali canyon with petroglyphs) - 30 JOD for one, 30-50 JOD for two.
- 4 hours (Lawrence spring, red dune, Khazali canyon with petroglyphs, small arch) - 50-65 JOD for one, 70-80 JOD for two.
- 5 o'clock (Lawrence spring, red dune, Hazali canyon with petroglyphs, small arch, Um Frouth Rock bridge) - 55-70 JOD for one, 60-80 JOD for two.
- 7-8 hours (all major attractions) - 65-80 JOD for one, 80-90 JOD for two.
We paid for two taking into account the bargaining 90 JOD (127$) for the tour by a combination of an average between 4 and 5 hours + sunset in the desert. We arrived at about 14.30 and left at 18.30.
Camel ride
This exotic way of exploring the desert is not suitable for everyone: the distances are long, and you can't hide from the sun. There are one-, two-, three- and four-day Wadi Rum desert camel tours. Classic (6-7 hours) - 60 JOD for one, 80 JOD for two.
On foot
Not the most pleasant, in my opinion, pleasure, given the scorching sun during the day and cool at night. For understanding, the distance between the sights and the village of Ram is 3-20 km. To fully explore the desert, you will need to walk at least 60 km on the sand. From the tourist center to the village of Ram is another 8 km. However, some hitchhikers in tent hikers sometimes enjoy this process, exploring Wadi Rum on foot for several days, sleeping in their tents. You can also hire a guide for trekking.
Where to book the tour
✔ One of the options - directly on Bedouin websites. Example: wadirumcamelcamp.com, wildwadirum.com, bedouinwhispers.com, wadirumbedouintraditions.com, wadirumdiscovery.com.
✔ If you arrived on your own and did not agree with anyone in advance, then in place it won't be difficult to find someone who wants to ride you through the desert. As soon as you get to the tourist center, the first thing you will start to wonder if you have arranged an excursion with someone. If the answer is no, you will be given a guide. If it is positive, it will also most likely slip a false guide. That is, if you agreed in advance with Aodekh / Mohammed / Mehedi or someone else about the excursion, and upon arrival on the spot, a Bedouin comes up to you and claims that he is your guide's brother / son / matchmaker, then 90% of his lies to get customers for yourself.
✔ Another way to visit the Wadi Rum desert is to book in the agency ready excursion with departure from Aqaba / Amman, etc. This option simplifies the hassle, since there is no need to look for transport to the village of Ram, there is no need to bargain and solve other organizational issues.
✔ Bookable individual excursion on special excursion sitesby reading the reviews beforehand. Below are examples of individual excursions to Wadi Rum from Aqaba with good reviews ( price indicated not for a person, but for the whole excursion up to 4 people.):
You can stay overnight in Wadi Rum. The overnight lodging is a bed in a Bedouin tent in the middle of the desert.
One of the camp options How to rent a tent in Wadi Rum:
- By contacting the guides directly (contacts can be found on the Bedouin sites that were given earlier).
- Agree on the spot.
- Book on Booking (booking.com/wadi-rum).
Typically, overnight stays include dinner / breakfasts. When ordering, you need to pay attention to this.
It is worth considering in advance the method of delivery to the place of accommodation.
Prices for a double tent start at 17$ , although there are also luxury tents for 180$ ... We were bent on the spot some kind of sickly sum, we didn't stay overnight in the desert and went to Wadi Musa (Petra).
How to get to Wadi Rum
Distance to Wadi Rum Desert:
- From Aqaba - 65 km.
- From Wadi Musa (Petra) - 100 km.
- From Amman - about 300 km.
- From Madaba - about 300 km.
- From the Dead Sea - about 300 km.
There is no public transport in Wadi Rum, making it difficult to get to this one. However, there are at least five ways to get to the desert on your own:
- Taxi. From Aqaba it will cost from 30-40 JOD. Very often tourists rent a taxi for two trips in one day - Petra and Wadi Rum Desert. Basically, if you go to Petra in the morning and don't walk around there, then by lunchtime you can arrive in Wadi Rum and take a tour similar to ours.
- To order transfer from the Bedouins directly.
- Get in and hit the road on your own, as we did.
- Go on public transport, then disembark on the road number 15 at the turn to Wadi Rum and overcome 21 km hitchhiking.
- Completely to hitchhike.
Like the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan:
- Through the northern crossing (Nahar Yarden / Sheikh Hussein). It is possible to obtain a visa at the border upon arrival in Jordan. Further through Amman.
- Through the southern crossing (Yitzhak Rabin / Arava). Visa-free entry, provided that you are in Jordan for more than 2 nights. Next take a taxi from the border or in transit through Aqaba.
- From the side of the West Bank of the Jordan River (crossing the Allenby Bridge / King Hussein Bridge). You need a visa obtained in advance. Further through Amman.
The Bedouins living in the Wadi Rum valley have the main income from tourists, therefore they keep souvenir shops, cafes and even the like of hotels - in Bedouin tents. Perhaps someone will like this exotic in the style of Lawrence of Arabia, while someone will spend the night in a car more calmly. Wadi Rum is already a traditional place for tourists to visit, so every year there are more places to stay with an acceptable level of comfort, but the accommodation is still in the same tents. Bedouin Traditions Camp, for example, looks just like a long barrack with two rows of bunks with blankets and pillows along the walls, but very nicely decorated. In the evenings, you can try zarb at local Bedouins - a dish similar to Central Asian pilaf, but made in a pit covered with sand and hot coals.
The entrance (or entry) to the territory of the reserve for one day costs 5 dinars (approximately 450 rubles in 2016), but entering in your car, you need to register - you may have to pay extra for an overnight stay and the second day. Additional expenses may include buying souvenirs, a traditional Bedouin lunch, and, for the sake of exoticism, a camel ride. We do not recommend going around the entire route on camels - without habit, this is a very tedious activity.
When going around the valley by car on your own, it is better to stick to the recommended routes - they are usually warned about this. Organized excursions usually cover four or five places, offer to take pictures, buy souvenirs and fit into the road 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 pretty standard, the only thing that can be mentioned are the bas-reliefs of Lawrence of Arabia and, if you're lucky, casings from British rifles during the Arab uprising.
The history of these places is not very eventful. Wadi Rum is located close to the border with Saudi Arabia, in deserted and uncrowded places. From time immemorial, caravans from Palestine and Syria to Arabia went through Wadi Rum with its water sources. The Bedouins here live the same way of life as they did a thousand years ago. Neither the desert, nor the habitation, nor the cuisine is changing. Only cars, TVs and tourists were added. There is also the only railway in Jordan. It connects industrial areas with the port of Aqaba and is not used for passenger traffic.
The name of the famous British intelligence officer, philologist and ethnographer Thomas Edward Lawrence (Arabian) is also associated with Wadi Rum. In the deserts of eastern Jordan, troops of the Arab Liberation Army were based during the Arabian uprising of 1916-1918. Lawrence of Arabia was an advisor to the commander of the army, Prince Faisal, who fought against the Turks. Lawrence mentioned this place in his book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, describing its magnificence. There is indeed a rock in the valley with seven ridges "Seven Pillars", but the book is named after the rock, or the rock after the book is difficult to say.
In Wadi Rum there are the highest mountains of Jordan - up to 1830 meters. An official poster at the entrance to Wadi Rum lists 19 locations for public inspection. This includes the source and Lawrence's house, two viewing platforms where it is convenient to meet the sunrise, rocky bridges - Jebel, Burda and Little bridges, "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", 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 pale pink, the 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, therefore associations with other planets come to mind. It is not in vain that several fantastic films were shot here. Indeed, it is enough to go behind the rock and find yourself, as if on another planet, in complete loneliness and silence, which very soon become frightening.
But, watching the sunset and sunrise, you experience fantastic delight and begin to understand the Bedouins, who do not want to change their lifestyle for anything in the world and do not even believe that somewhere they can live differently. The best time to visit Wadi Rum is in spring when everything is in bloom. The desert is covered with poppies, anemones and black irises, the national colors 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, do not carry any special scientific discoveries.
Two more exotic activities can be separately mentioned. It's rock climbing and hot air ballooning. There are not many climbing routes in Wadi Rum, but the ones that exist are very popular among European and Israeli climbers. The geology here is very unusual - the mountains consist of dense cemented sandstone, which slips little, therefore, it is less dangerous to climb. Also, when climbing, frequent gaps in the rocks here are very helpful. Several 300 - 500 - meter routes of varying degrees of difficulty - from minimum to 5b - have been developed and equipped. In the tourist shops you can find a complete description of the climbing routes in English.
Hot air balloon flights are organized in spring - from April to May and in autumn - 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 set of the traveler - water, dry rations, glasses, a camera, special attention should be paid to shoes. Moving along the valley, you have to go down and up the sandy slopes, so you need shoes with thick soles that fit your foot well. Then the feet will get stuck in the sand less and the sand will not burn the feet. Some amateurs bring snowboards with them for descending the slopes, but they, if desired, can be found among the Bedouins.
In contact with
It belongs to stony deserts and covers an area of \u200b\u200b74,180 hectares. Height above sea level - 1830m.
The climate is dry. In some places, the desert turns into a semi-desert with individual 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, abounding in local canyons, sinkholes and hills.
The air temperature within Wadi Rum ranges from 32 degrees Celsius during the day to 4 degrees at night.
xorge, CC BY-SA 2.0 In the phrasebook: jabal - in Arabic means "mountain". You will hear this word a lot in Wadi Rum.
Mountains and rocks compete here with the beauty of colorful sands and unusual vegetation as objects for photography.
Flora and fauna
A large area of \u200b\u200bthe Wadi Rum Desert is a national park.
Despite the apparent emptiness, a wide variety of ecosystems are found in Wadi Rum.
During the rare winter rains, Wadi Rum is covered with hundreds of species of flowers and wild herbs. The medicinal plants growing in the desert are still used by the Bedouins.
Camel thorn, rare fig trees, numerous bushes and herbaceous plants provide food and a saving shade for small mammals, birds and reptiles.
Janos Korom Dr. , CC BY-SA 2.0 Bedouin villages in the desert are surrounded by olive and orange orchards, date palm groves and vegetable gardens - the soil here is fertile and needs only water.
For most of the year, high daytime temperatures and lack of water force mammals to get out only at night.
Here you can see hedgehogs, hares and hyraxes (small hairy animals, which is surprising - the closest relatives of modern elephants!). In remote areas, a jackal, a wolf, a steppe lynx or an ibex can be seen.
Jorge Láscar, CC BY 2.0 Desert expanses - the home of large birds - falcons, eagle owls, kestrels. If you come across a scorpion, a snake or a camel spider, consider yourself lucky - these are the most shy inhabitants of these places.
History
Wadi Rum has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The petroglyphs and burial grounds found on its territory confirm the importance of Wadi Rum as a hunting and habitat for people in the early era.
Some Islamic scholars are convinced that it was here that the Adits, an ancient Arab tribe mentioned in the Koran, lived.
Tetiana Zazuliak, CC BY-SA 3.0 About 30 thousand inscriptions were found on the sandstone cliffs of Wadi Rum. They were carved out by tribes from southern Arabia, and later by the Nabateans, who settled in Wadi Rum around the 4th century. BC.
Two civilizations peacefully coexisted here hand in hand, worshiping the same deities - the goddess Allat and the god Dushara.
Moon Valley - Wadi Rum Desert xorge, CC BY-SA 2.0 The desert gained world fame thanks to Lawrence of Arabia. He visited here in 1917, during the Arab uprising against the Ottoman Empire, led by King Hussein bin Ali. Royal troops on horseback and camels crossed Wadi Rum, heading for Aqaba. Part of the king's army, in which Lawrence was, stood for a time in a temporary camp in the desert, and then moved to Damascus.
Interest in Wadi Rum was spurred on by the discovery of a Nabatean temple in 1933. A French team of archaeologists completed excavations in 1997.
Of interest are 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 that you expect to see in the desert - the stifling heat on a summer day and the piercing cold nights in winter, deceit and changeableness, when in the morning the sun's rays contrast the edges of the gorges, and in the evening, on the contrary, smooth out the differences between rocks and sand.
Janos Korom Dr. , CC BY-SA 2.0 The desert makes the Bedouins living in it submissively bear the burdens of life and does not forgive mistakes to strangers who laugh at the dangers.
Photo gallery
Useful information
Wadi Rum,
in Arabic: وادي رم (Wadi Rum),
Lunar valley
How to get there
Rent a car or take a taxi to Wadi Rum Visitor Center. There you need to take a tour with a professional driver-guide in a jeep.
There is no public transport. The nearest intercity bus stop Amman-Aqaba is 15 km from the Tourist Center.
Take highway 15 (Pustynnoe highway):
from Amman: about 290 km,
from Aqaba: about 45km
until the direction indicator goes east towards Wadi Rum Visitor Center. From the turn to the Tourist Center - about 15 km.
Attention!
Self-driving desert trips are discouraged 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 - Wadi Rum Protected Area Nature Reserve
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type: Cultural, Natural
Criteria: iii, v, vii
Region: Arab States
Inclusion: 2011 (35th Session)
sights
- museum at the Tourist Center,
- mount Seven Pillars of Wisdom,
- mount Ram,
- mount Umm Ishri,
- ram village,
- nabatean temple,
- al Hasani dunes,
- stone bridges (rocks),
- the source of Lawrence of Arabia (Ain Ash-Shallal),
- source Ain Abu Aineh
- house of Lawrence of Arabia (Al-Qsair) and others.
Bedouin camps
For most half-day or full-day tourists from Aqaba and Petra, Wadi Rum provides the easiest and safest chance to experience the real desert.
For those lucky enough to find a day or two in their schedule to spend time in a Bedouin camp in the middle of the desert, this will be an unforgettable adventure.
You can book a night in the camp at any tourist office or through specialized sites.
On-site options are available at the Visitor Center.
Offers - from very primitive campgrounds to posh campuses with star hotel conditions.
The price of accommodation always includes dinner, breakfast and a small folklore show. Their variety and quality are also very different.
When booking on your own, find out if 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 using the navigator. You will have to take a Bedouin jeep taxi from the Visitor Center and pay as the cost of the desert tour. And you will not be able to do this if you arrive at the Visitor Center late at night or if all the jeeps are busy on excursions.
If the camp does not provide a transfer service, ask for other travel options.
Booking a Bedouin camp has the same features as booking a hotel. It will be correct to review the reviews in advance and clarify all the details.
For me in Jordan (where I spent 2 months and 6 days in the spring of 2015) it was determined three categories of points of interest:
Out of competition. In terms of its appeal and beauty, it is approximately equal to all other objects in Jordan combined. In Wadi Rum, I missed exactly 3 weeks (in two visits).
2) The ancient city of Petra. This is 2-3 times less impressive to me than Wadi Rum, but most tourists value Petra higher than Wadi Rum, which is quite understandable (because this is really grandiose for ancient cities, I have two separate issues about this ancient city, starting from the article and additionally a separate article about). In the vicinity of Petra, there are also pretty places with similar rocks (but not as impressive as in Wadi Rum).
In Petra, it will almost always be a bit cooler - by 2-3 degrees (because, to the north of Wadi Rum, there are more ridges separating Petra from the hot southern winds). Both objects (their low-lying part) are located at the same height above sea level (900-1000 meters), but in Wadi Rum some mountains and rocks are higher - up to 1800 meters.
3) Everything else in Jordan,which in total is roughly equal to Petra, but only if you collect all the other natural beauties of Jordan into this "everything else" (again, in my rating).
The Wadi Rum Reserve had 21 days in total (9 + 12 days), constantly visiting new territories, canyons and climbing rocks.
- CONTENT:
- Foreword.
- What is the beauty of Wadi Rum.
- Strategic nuances of Wadi Rum - the best time to visit, temperature, rainfall, etc.
- Links to my next 5 articles about this wonderful place. Each article tells about some specific aspects of the reserve.
Foreword
I have published a lot of texts on Wadi Rum, for several pages (the link to the next page will traditionally be at the bottom of the previous one, or see the entire list of them in the "Jordan" section on the page), it is too beautiful there and there are many nuances (especially regarding independent travel reserve) ... First of all, it will be interesting for those people who are going to stay in this place not for 1-2 days (which is done by the absolute majority of tourists visiting this place), but more (from 4-5 days to 10-20 and more ). Of course, those heading to Wadi Rum for 1-2 days will also find something useful here.
In the Wadi Rum nature reserve.
So, the Wadi Rum protected area. “Wadi” translates as “valley”, and “Ram” is the name of the valley and the central village, which has grown greatly due to the influx of tourists with money.
In my experience, there (directly within the boundaries of the reserve) you can within a month (not necessarily in a row, you can climb in several stages) constantly climb over all new places (rocks and canyons). And then even spread over to neighboring territories, where it is somewhat less beautiful and there the concentration of these beauties is less frequent, but they are also very extraordinary compared to ordinary landscapes. I watched those surrounding places mainly from the rocks within the boundaries of the reserve.
One of the many canyons in Wadi Rum, which we managed to pass completely / through and through or partially.
So, for 2 transfers in Wadi Rum, spent 21 days in total - 9 days for the first cast and 12 days for the second (in mid-March and mid-April, respectively). In 2015. One could also make a third visit for 10 days - in HE-visited places, canyons, rocks, especially in the immediate vicinity (and where there are no tourists at all). But, apparently, already sometime next time.
What is the beauty of Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum Nature Reserve is located around Ram village (which is 1000 meters above sea level). This is a place in the desert with very unusual landscapes (probably even for 99% of Arabs and Bedouins living in deserts, it will be very unusual), where a lot of rocksstanding on the plain (or, as it were, growing out of the plain), often with vertical walls ... The most beautiful places in the reserve are to the south and east of the village of Ram ...
However, a separate article shows and those maps show various interesting objects.
Ram village at the bottom of the valley / canyon.
Rocks have on their body many different strange sculptures and images , created by nature (although, some will say that someone else). This is due to the peculiar geology that has developed in this place. One of these unusual images is shown in the following photo.
This masterpiece was encountered while trying to climb a rock, but above this place it was no longer possible to climb, and a bit remained to the very top.
Sometimes you have to pass in such niches, periodically holding onto the rocky "handrails".
However, in Petra (an ancient city, which is 70 km to the north-west) and very close to it, the landscapes are similar, but not as diverse, large-scale and fantastic as in Wadi Rum, which in my mind is primarily associated with , where I also really like it and you can spend about the same amount of time (a month or more) walking around more and more interesting places (and usually away from crowds of tourists).
But in Cappadocia, these beauties are usually somewhat distanced from each other compared to Wadi Rum, where everything is so compact that the main territory (in fact, the territory of the reserve itself) fits on a patch of about 8 by 15 km (judging by the google map).
And on this patch there are almost no points from which there would be no beautiful view. Walking fast on the sand is very difficult, especially with a backpack. However, with a slow pace, you can admire the beauty.
One of the views over the Wadi Rum nature reserve
When climbing the rocks in Wadi Rum, it is important to go down in time, so that at dusk there is no problem ... I described separately about climbing the rocks in Wadi Rum in (however, there is generally about the rocks and landscapes in this reserve).
Strategic nuances of Wadi Rum
I guess, that best time to visit Wadi Rum - April. It is still not as hot as in the following months, but it is not cold at all, and you can easily sleep in the open air (however, see below about the possibilities of sleeping) ... And daylight in mid-April it is already 13 o'clock - from dawn to dusk. In May it can already be very warm (I think that on average it will be from 16 to 32, sometimes up to 35).
If you get up at dawn or a little before it (and I did it easily even without an alarm clock, because it was far from too late to go to bed), then before sunset the Sun can have a lot to see and visit.
I climbed an average of a couple of rocks / mountains every day (sometimes 3-4 small, sometimes only one very steep mountain with many rock labyrinths, often somewhere below between / under stones leaving a backpack or its main contents), and walked along canyons-gorges ... And in most cases the next place the overnight stay was already different (usually 2-3-5 km from the previous parking lot).
One of the views over the Wadi Rum nature reserve.
Air temperature in April (when I was in the middle of it, the temperature ranged from 10-18 degrees at night and up to 20-30 in the afternoon) on average it will be about the same as in October-November. And in May it will be a little warmer and should correspond to the average temperature of September-October. But in spring (at the same temperature) daylight hours will be about 1-1.5 hours longer than in autumn. And I think this is the most important plus in favor of spring.
Precipitation occurs only in winter - rain or snow , which usually does not stay more than a day - as the Bedouins living there said. But even this winter precipitation is very small so that at least something grows there besides the desert flora.
Now there will be a storm with rain, which is very rare in Wadi Rum. True, the rain will be light ... For 21 days in Wadi Rum there were only 2-3 such cloudy days (with very little rain). However, this is in March and April, but in winter there is more precipitation.
Fruit trees, berries and other vegetable gardens there in the desert there is no (except for vegetable gardens in the village, because there you can supply water). Therefore, in this sense, there is no difference when to visit Wadi Rum.
But, for example, in Cappadocia (Turkey) it is more convenient for me to invade on the contrary in the fall - in September-October, when there are a lot of grapes and some other fruits come across, and this is for me there the main source of energy and even drinking liquid (there are a lot of ripe grapes and fruits water), plus there is less rain in the fall and generally drier. In general, there is a separate article, where fruits are also described (the link is given to the fourth article about that wonderful place).
There is a lot of such diverse goods in Wadi Rum.
At first (when I read information from official sources) it was thought that it would take 3-5 days to visit Wadi Rum (well, 7 is the maximum), but not 21 ... For it was not supposed that it would be so diversely beautiful and you could walk so much inter-rock labyrinths and climb so many rocks.
And two problems were expected — where to sleep (not in tourist campsites for money that is not there, and there is traditionally no tent with foam with you, but only a light sleeping bag) and where to get food and water (especially fresh vegetables, because I had a certain supply of nuts and dried fruits with me, after all) - it’s not to return to the village every time ... In fact, it turned out to be a little easier.
Although Wadi Rum Nature Reserve is a very deserted place, it is rare to find a variety of unique vegetation. For example, such flowers resemble snowdrops. Although, the last snow here melted a month before the photographer's invasion.
- Well, here are links to some of my other articles about this reserve:
- as well as Lawrence Spring (the most famous source), Rock Carvings, tourist Tents / stalls with souvenirs and tea served.
- It will be interesting mainly for poor or very economical travelers.
If you want me to take you around Wadi Rumor some other interesting natural places of our home planet(and mountains, including), then let me know - you can through the commentary to this article, or you can also through my specially created
For those who are going to visit Petra ( Wadi Musa) or relax on the Jordanian coast of the Red Sea in AqabaI 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 receding beyond the horizon, snakes sliding along them, the scorching sun, and somewhere behind the neighboring dune, the head of a buried Said is sticking out.
I beg your pardon - I watched "The White Sun of the Desert" on the plane.
Well, the Wadi Rum Desert is mountains that rise from the horizon after 40 minutes of driving along the asphalt highway Aqaba - Amman. As you get closer to them, you notice that these mountains are not just a bunch of heaps of brown color, reminiscent of the heaps of guano of giant dinosaurs, as mountains usually look in these places, but something unusual ...
How to get to Wadi Rum
From Aqaba, drive north for about 80 km (40 minutes brisk drive).
From Petra go south towards Aqaba and turn left about an hour later.
I can recommend this route for a day:
Option to visit Jordan (1 day)
In the morning, while it is not hot, you will explore Petra, and at 13:00 in the afternoon, start in Aqaba, on the way stopping in Wadi Rum for a safari along the Moon Valley between beautiful rocks.
Why do I advise? Because he did it himself and was very pleased:
- After 12:00 in Petra it is very hot and there is nothing to do - there are many tourists and flies
- You are not very tired after 1-1.5 hours already in Wadi Rum and having examined the camp of tourists who pay a lot of money to spend the night in a place where the night temperature after +35 drops by 30 degrees down.
- after driving and taking pictures of the rocks and surrounding landscapes - you are going 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 climate? Deserted, dry, of course. There is no rainy season here
Wind. The wind is hot, scalding dry in half with sand.
Where to stay in Wadi Rum
I don't think it is a good idea to stay overnight in these places.
But if you are still fanatical about the hardships of tent life and evening boredom without the Internet and city, beach, forest joys - you can stay in one of the many tent cities.
There are 3-star campsites and 5-star campsites.
Basically it will be a felt tent, in which you will have a bed and a candle.
Toilet and shower will be in a separate large tent. And they will be pretty clean.
You will eat at common tables where soshilizing 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 and watch some stupid concerts of folk amateur performances.
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
I suggest taking a jeep safari with a Bedouin behind the wheel after visiting the campsite.
The Bedouins in these places already speak passable English and hire Egyptians for dirty work.
By the way: the Jordanian government builds houses for Bedouins for free, and the Bedouins in Jordan no longer roam with rams in the desert, but send Egyptians to this for a salary.
By renting a jeep, drive to the center of the mountain ranges. I don’t remember the names, but they are all beautiful. And they are beautiful in nature, depending on the time - the sun illuminates these reddish sandstone cliffs blown by the sand-blasted wind so that the relief of the rocks resembles either Raphaelo candy or Dutch cheese.
By the way, when you drive up to the place, turning off the “desert highway” into the desert, you will see the most beautiful mountain in the region - Seven Pillars of Wisdom, similar to the thickets of the Egyptian pyramids. There is one more attraction - rock bridge Burda, but to go further to it, about 2 hours.
The Bedouin will certainly bring you to a shop, huddled in the form of a tent somewhere under a picturesque mountain or in a gorge - there you will be unobtrusively offered simple Bedouin souvenirs, as well as tea brewed in an army teapot during the colonization of Egypt by the British.
An hour trip - and a lot of beautiful impressions and photos.
Well, now either to Aqaba or to Petra
