Travel Tips

Ahh...The Baptism of Sand! If you live a large city such as NY, LA or TO, chose to camp in the deep desert in a bedouin tent. Your guide will drive you there, stay the night and drive you back to the village in the morning. Sleep on the sand on a mat, the wind kisses your face all night while the sand stays still. Climb a rock cliff and gaze at the desert floor, listening to the warning barks to foxes drumming the desert at night. Or, sleep inside the tent. The views of the Milkyway are stunning, you won't want to close our eyes. During a full moon, the desert is lit with its glow. If you're in the desert at that time, you catch the Moon rising and the Sun setting in the evening. Likewise in the morning, cath the Moon setting and the Sun rising. Rise early and go for a walk before breakfast, climb nearby jebels.

Floor mats and blankets for sleeping, are provided however you can bring your own sleeping bag if you prefer. All meals are provided, let your guide know in advance if you would like a vegetarian meal. Dinner is by the camp fireside each evening and endless cups of tea follow.

What to bring: Plenty of Water (available in Rum village)!, Sunscreen, Camera, spare batteries, Warm up, Flashlight.

Tips: Make sure you have lots of room on your disc for digital camera owners, or film. Wadi Rum has some spectacular landscape. Good walking shoes (wear socks), personal first aid kit (bandages, antiseptic, insect repellent), sandles to switch into for the evening. Baby wipes or wet ones make it easy to wash your face or hands. There are no bathrooms in the desert! Carry a few kleenex with you. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking small amounts of water regularly.

The price: 15JD per night/person.

Contact: Attayak Aouda, Mobile: 0795 834 736

Jebel Hasch

From camp in desert we drive by jeep to the foot of Jebel Hasch. I'm so cold in the back of the jeep, I huddle under the coat of the Bedouin Guide he left me. It's the day before Christmas, we take an easy route up, the wind is cold and the sun barely peeks at us. We make a few brief stops to inhale the view, no one speaks. The Saudi Border is beyond the dark black range of jebels and no jeeps or tourists are in site. After the hike back down, a jeep is waiting for us preparing lunch. We sit and share a leisurely lunch on the desert floor. Later we drive to pick up firewood and return to camp, have tea and biscuits then scatter in the area searching for a place to capture the sun setting in the desert.

Price: 50JD includes overnight in camp and meals.

Contacts: Attayak Aouda, Mobile: 0795 834 736

Camels move slowly, so you cover a lot less ground than a jeep. You can travel from Wadi Rum Village to the rock inscriptions at Lawrence's spring or start out at a camp in the desert on the second day of your visit for a trek. To arrange camel treks that last a few days and sleeping out in the open desert, contact a guide inside Wadi Rum. There are no wild camels left in Jordan, if you see any they are branded or marked by their owners and are often left alone in the desert.

Price: About 20JD /person for 2 hours, full days are neg.

Contacts:
Attayak Aouda, Mobile: 0795 834 736
Omer Odeh, Mobile: 0777 362 932
Attyak and Omer are rock climbers.
Obaid, Mobile: 0795 840 672, Obaid is from Disa.

Tourists usually come to and go from Wadi Rum via the Kings Highway, but you can exit via the back end of Wadi Rum. The Jeep drive starts out at camp in the desert, cruising over the red-rose sand and matching colored wax-melted like jebels. The landscape changes to rougher terrain as the red sand disappers behind us, in front, beige sand covers the desert floor and the jebels become black streaked. A few small herds of goats mixed with sheep are the only signs of life. As we travel further to the edge of the desert we pass a sign marking the end of Wadi Rum Reserve. We continue past granite filled jebels and pass distant Saudi villages reaching a check point and the Highway to Saudi Arabia. A short cab ride to Aqaba City Centre, and it's over.

To reserve this tour contact: Attayak Aouda, Mobile: 0795 834 736

Jeep tours in Wadi Rum begin in Rum Village , see the Rock Inscriptions at Lawrence's Spring, climb a Sand Dune, on to the Nabatean Rock Inscriptions at Anfashieh, walk through Siq Burrah, stop for lunch, then climb Umm Frith bridge and view Burdah Bridge in the distance, next Khazali Canyon and back to Camp for Sunset. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom can be viewed fromthe Visitor's Centre, and behind the Resthouse in Rum Village is the Nabatean Temple.

Let your guide know what it is that you want to see, confirm the price and lunch, and entrance ticket 2JD.

Price: About 40JD /person for 2 people, 35JD /person for 3 people, and 30JD /person for 4 people.Shorter jeep tours are available. Includes: Guide, Lunch, Overnight in Camp, Mattresses and Blankets for sleeping, Dinner and Breakfast the next morning.

Contacts:
Attayak Aouda, Mobile: 0795 834 736
Omer Odeh, Mobile: 0777 362 932
Attyak and Omer are rock climbers.
Obaid, Mobile: 0795 840 672, Obaid is from Disa.

To get to Wadi Rum:

From AQABA take the bus at 7-7:30am for 1.5JD, the bus station is next to the Police Station and opposite Dream Hotel; taxi flat rate is 15JD.

If you missed your bus, take a bus to Ma'an, they run as late as 7:00pm for 1JD, get off at Wadi Rum Junction.

From PETRA take the bus at 6:00am for 3JD, have your hotel call to pick you up, the bus station is at the fruit market next to a large mosque, it drives by the main circle near Al Arabia restaurant and Elgee hotel. Taxi flat rate is 25JD.

If you missed your bus, take a bus to Aqaba, for 3JD, get off at Wadi Rum Junction.

From AMMAN or MA'AN, take a southbound bus to Aqaba, get off at the Wadi Rum Junction / Rashdiya.

From the Wadi Rum Junction, taxi flate rate is 5JD. Or, hitch a ride in to Rum Village and offer someone a few JD.