Camel trekking in the desert. and other Wadi Rum, Jordan Things to Do Tips

What better way to get out and see the desert? It's slow, uncomfortable, and the camels smell awful, but it's the way that it has been done in the past. And as opposed to jetting around in a jeep to all the sights, not only are you seeing these places, but you are experiencing something new at the sametime.

Leave a Comment

This was the first of many stops on our camel trip into the hot Wadi Rum desert. From the village it took about 30 minutes by camel, probably about 30 seconds by jeep. Here you will find shade under trees, the last trees you will see for a long time if you are heading further into the desert. Also here is a spring and nabatean writtings on the rocks.

We had asked for our first stop to be at Lawrences Spring, wich as I found out later, was called Ain Shalaaleh, and not Abu Aineh. So if this is where you are wanting to go, ask specifically for Ain Shalaaleh or they will probably just take advantage of your naivety and just bring you here instead. I suspect it has to do with the fact that at Abu Aineh there is a tent for foreigners to spend the night in the desert 'bedouin style' wich is EXTREMELY expensive. I had earlier booked into the resthouse after my haggling skills failed to bring down the night in the desert to a decent price, though I got him as low as 20JD before I said no. It turned out a better option anyways because the following morning I had to catch a bus at 7:00am and would not have wanted to get up that early to make it back to town.

Leave a Comment

Our second stop was at the mouth of a canyon carving into the huge rock outcrop known as Jebel Khazali.

From what I read, this was named after a criminal, Khazali, who was chased to the top and, with nowhere left to go, jumped off the side. But legend has it he floated down to the bottom and was unharmed. I guess 'the powers that be' (god, allah or whoever you may choose to beleive in) didn't think him that bad of a criminal.

On the right you can climb up a little ledge and walk along it into the canyon. On the walls are thamudic rock drawings. The canyon goes in about 150m to its end, were I am seated in the picture.

Leave a Comment

I beleive they are also known as the red dunes, because of the amazing colour of the sands in Wadi Rum. Whatever name you want to attach to them, however, they were really not what I had expected.I have never been to the sahara however I have seen many pictures and this was what I was expecting to see. Instead it was a bunch of sand blown up and piled against the rock outrcrops. Still very impressive though. One day I would like to make it to see the sahara as well, mabye (hopefully!) next year.

Anyways, when I arrived at the top, I rolled/slid/jumped/bounced/fell all the way down, getting sand in every orifice of my body in the process. I may be 21, but I am just a kid at heart (and in age from some peoples perspective:-).

Leave a Comment