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airplanemode_activeFlights to Wadi Rum ()
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filter_dramaUnderstandThis area of Jordan is quite isolated and largely inhospitable to settled life. The only permanent inhabitants are several thousand Bedouin nomads and villagers. There is no real infrastructure, leaving the area quite unspoilt. Apart from the Bedouin goat hair tents, the only structures are a few concrete shops and houses and the fort headquarters of the Desert Patrol Corps.
T E Lawrence (of Arabia) spent a significant amount of time here during the course of the British-inspired Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War (1914-1918).
Fans of the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia will be familiar with the landscape, which is not so much sand dunes as it is a mass of soaring cliffs and sandstone and granite mountains (jebel in Arabic). -
filter_dramaGet inWadi Rum is a short detour from the Desert Highway between [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki] and [wiki=6751054d07d2b959221db0e2b51d4577]Aqaba[/wiki]. A side road leads to the entrance where you will find the Wadi Rum Visitors Centre, a police office and a lot of potential guides offering camel and 4x4 treks. The cost to enter into Wadi Rum Protected Area is 5 Jordanian dinars (JOD5) per person as of Feb 2014.
Most buses that travel the highway between Aqaba and Petra should be able to drop you at the intersection to Wadi Rum (Not the buses from Jett company). Once at the intersection, you can hitch hike (common in this part of Jordan, no problem for women alone even) or take another minibus (JOD1 or 2, they seem to turn up quite regularly) to the Visitor's Centre where you can meet your guide. This final leg of the trip shouldn't cost more than JOD5 per person.-
From Aqaba
If you plan to get there by bus, it is very useful to have this image in your head: there is a highway which runs from Aqaba all the way to Amman. There is a well-marked turnoff (let's call this the Wadi Rum Turnoff) on this highway to Wadi Rum, about 40km out of Aqaba. The Wadi Rum Visitor's Centre is about 20-30km down the road from this turnoff, and the Wadi Rum Village is just beyond it.
Buses depart from various places in Aqaba. The JETT and Trust buses depart from their own stations, but basically all the other buses (including the mentioned minibuses) depart from the main Aqaba bus station. There is a Wadi Rum/Petra station where a local minibus leaves daily at 13:00 and costs JOD3 (Sep 2014). Note that even though JETT buses travel right by the Wadi Rum turnoff, they are not allowed to stop and let you off - this means that if you want to get to Wadi Rum by bus, the bus station is the place to be.
There is usually at least one direct bus from Aqaba to the Wadi Rum Visitor's Centre and the Wadi Rum Village per day. Be careful though if you plan to go to Wadi Rum on a Friday - it is very possible that these buses are not running (you should ideally go to the Bus Station and ask the drivers the day before). These buses:
#leave 2-3 times per day during the high season (Spring and Autumn). The last regular bus leaves at 13:00 (or possibly 15:00, according to [url=http://www.your-guide-to-aqaba-jordan.com/get_to_wadi_rum.html]this[/url] and [url=http://www.wadirum.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=11&Itemid=41]this[/url], but don't count on it).
#leave once per day during the low season (summer and winter). There is a daily minibus from Wadi Rum Village to Aqaba that leaves at 06:30 (or 07:30 - as of 2011 there is [url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2000796]disagreement on-line[/url]), and this returns to Wadi Rum when it is full or the driver feels like it. The minibus journey should cost around JOD3 per person.
You can also get to Wadi Rum by catching any bus/minibus (JOD3-4) from the Aqaba bus station headed to Amman, Ma'an, or Petra and get off at the Wadi Rum Turnoff mentioned above. These run to Amman every hour 07:00-15:00, but another company (Afana) operates them until 22:00, perhaps at a slightly higher cost, however. You should then be able to hitch a ride quite easily down the 20-30km road to the Visitor's Centre or the Village for JOD2-3.
A private taxi from Aqaba will cost you JOD15-25 depending on where you are in the city (although JOD25 is the price almost universally quote to tourists, and you may be hard-pressed to get most of them down even to 20), and will take you to the Visitor's Centre where your guide will meet you if you have arranged one, or where you may find a guide. If you decide to make round trip you can arrange with taxi driver to wait for you at the Visitor's Centre for 3-4h and take back. It will cost JOD40. Taxi drivers usually suggest to take you there at 13:00 and take back after sunset. Taxis from the Israeli border will probably cost JOD20-25.
If driving a rental car, finding your way is quite easy. The turnings are well marked and the roads are good all the way to the Visitor Centre and Rum village. -
From Petra
There is currently one bus per day from Wadi Musa (Petra) that leaves at 06:30 and costs JOD7. The trip generally takes 2 hours and tickets should be booked through your hotel at Petra, it will then collect you from your hotel directly in the morning. The bus stops at the Visitor's Centre and Rum Village and returns to Wadi Musa for visitors travelling on to Petra (departure at 08:00 or 09:00). Don't leave your luggage unattended. My friend's photo camera was stolen, and for sure not by another tourist.
Taxis to and from Petra cost JOD25-35. The journey is most of the time on a higher altitude road and is pretty much interesting. Temperature may be slightly lower than the plains and you could see the original bedouins camping on the mountains. Takes 2 to 2.5 hours. Request your taxi guy to take to WAdi Rum visitors centre and he should help you in connecting to the camp where you've made your booking.
Again you also have the option of taking any bus heading to Aqaba and asking to be dropped at the Wadi Rum Intersection (see above). -
From Amman
No bus goes directly to/from Amman, but regular buses head towards Aqaba or Ma'an. Get on a bus at the Southern bus station (Mojamaa Janoobi station/Wehdat Station [url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/31%C2%B055'04.9%22N+35%C2%B055'49.8%22E/@31.91802,35.9298267,304m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0]coordinates[/url]) for 6 JOD. This is a local bus and the busdriver waits until he thinks the bus is full enough, also smoking is still allowed. It stops whereever you want to get off and takes 4-5h to the intersection with a stop of aprox. 20 min at a small shop/restaurant. Again, you can get off at the Wadi Rum Intersection (see above). Expect to pay not more than JOD12. Service taxis will also stop here for you and are generally quicker than the buses, although be aware that this is not a private taxi, so it will pick up other passengers and make detours as the other passengers require. Service taxis should cost JOD15-25 per person.
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filter_dramaGet around
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filter_dramaSeeLawrence's house: Nobody is certain that this was Lawrence's house, although there are stories that he both stayed and/or stored weapons here. The current structure is built upon the remains of a Nabataean building, however, and it's another beautiful spot in the desert. The house itself is bunch of rubble, though, and not very impressive.
*Lawrence's Spring: Just 2km (1.2 miles) south-west of the village of Rum. The spring is at the top of a short scramble - head for the fig tree! Although the pool itself is largely unprepossessing, being a stagnant puddle, the views across the desert are truly spectacular.
* The Nabataean Temple: Near the Rest House in Rum Village. The surrounding area is covered in Thamudic and Kufic rock art.
*Shalalah Spring: Near the Nabatean Temple above. Not so impressive as Lawrence's Spring but can be seen at the same time as the Nabatean Temple in a walk from the village.
*The Anfashieh Inscriptions: Not far from the red Sand Dune area this mountain has depictions of a camel caravan from the Nabatean and Thaumadic period.
* Jebel Burdah (Big Rock Bridge/Arch): On many tours you only view this from a distance, but it is possible to climb up to this rock bridge if you have a guide and a reasonable level of fitness. Climbing takes 4-7 hours (depending on your experience), therefore it takes a whole day tour.
* Jebel Umm Fruth (Middle Rock Bridge/Arch): A lower rock bridge which is featured on many tours and can be easily scrambled onto. The climbing takes 5-15 minutes (depending on your experience).
* Red Sand Dunes (Umm Ishrin): There are various places in Wadi Rum where the white and red sands meet, but the most commonly visited is a dune sloping up alongside a jebel - a bit tough to climb up, great fun to run down! It can be difficult ascending those - use small steps. Usually, the spot is used for sand-boarding.
* Seven Pillars of Wisdom: Although most people can only count five, this is an impressive rock formation near the Visitor's centre. It is named after T E Lawrence's book - not the other way around!
* Khaz'ali Canyon (Siq al-Khazali): This narrow canyon contains numerous Nabataean rock carvings of people and animals. Beautiful. -
filter_dramaDoThe genuine attraction of Wadi Rum is the desert itself, best seen by four wheel drive, pick-up truck or on camel. Some visitors only spend a few hours in the Wadi, but it's definitely worth taking a guided trip of several days duration, staying overnight in Bedouin camps in the desert. Four wheel drives are less bumpy than the open-air pick-up trucks, but the latter have advantages when it comes to taking photos.
The quality 4-wheel-drive tour depends on a Bedouin driver who serves as a guide, but often does not have much knowledge and poor English. Therefore, picking up a guide at the gate is a hit and miss affair and many of the best guides rely mainly on advance bookings.
You can usually make advance bookings through your hotel, and this may be advisable given that some guides will not have good English. Many of the guides have websites, through which you can arrange your tour. Regardless, you should always make sure that you and your guide have a clear agreement on price and the itinerary and stops that are covered in the tour.
An overflight of the region in a balloon costs c. JOD150 (can reduce to JOD140 if contracted by the camp where you stay). The balloon sets off at 06:00, so you must be in place by 05:30-05:45. The flight takes about 30min to 2 hours, depending on the weather or the number of flight participants. Can be cancelled if bad weather occurs. -
filter_dramaBuyLocal artcraft.
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filter_dramaEat and DrinkAt the entrance to the park, a small tent-restaurant serves simple Jordanian fare of bread, yoghurt and such. There has been one report of food poisoning here, however.
* When you arrive at the Village there are a couple of shops where you can buy water and other soft drinks. Note that almost all the fruit juices are actually labelled as "fruit drinks", with sugar as the main ingredient. You might be able to find some pure fruit juice, such as Tropicana, if you look closely.-
Bedouin camps
Many camps will provide traditional Bedouin meals. One speciality is chicken or goat cooked under the desert sand, generically known as "zarb" in the same way as we might say "a roast". This has a barbecue flavour, but is very moist and falls off the bone: try to be nearby when they unearth it as the smell released is gorgeous!
You won't be able to avoid the Bedouin tea, which is almost forcibly served in every tent you will visit. It's hot, very sweet and usually flavoured with mint and sage. It's surprisingly refreshing on a hot day and you may develop a slight addiction to it. Here's a list of just a few in alphabetical order:
* Traditional Bedouin style camp site in a beautiful spot overlooking Jebel Khazali, this camp is run by brothers who speak English well. Dinner may, if you're lucky, include delicious lamb cooked in a zerb (oven buried in the ground). Transport to the camp is free.
*It offers accommodation, food and a real bedouin experience. The dinner and the breakfast is included in the price.
* One of the official camps in Wadi Rum. Has clean rooms and many tours available. Owned and run by Bedouin from the Al-Zalabieh tribe. Location is in the protected area.
* Inside the Wadi Rum protected area with all facilities, Bedouin fresh food, shower, toilets.
*The campsite is located inside the Wadi Rum protected area, 18km from the Wadi Rum Visitor Center.
*In the South of the protected area in a beautiful and unique location, ideally located for hiking.
*FREE SANDBOARDING. I offer a variety of tours in Wadi Rum and activities, such as hiking, trekking, climbing or riding a camel or jeep in the desert, followed by cramping Bedouin style or sleeping under the stars.
* A real permanent Bedouin Camp in the shade of a "humbling" cliff face, complete with proper toilets and a shower block. Perfect location for watching the sun rise just outside the camp itself.
* Mohammed Sabah was one of the first to set up a Bedouin camp for tourists in Wadi Rum 20 odd years ago and therefore has plenty of experience in providing you with the experience you're looking for. You can customize your itinerary with the activities you want to do and stay in the camp deep in the desert at night in between. 15% discount for students and 10% if you bring a printed copy of your reservation or a copy of his brochure.
*It is a small Bedouin camp with authentic atmosphere, fresh food and bathroom facilities.
*It offers accommodation, food and organizes tours in the Wadi Rum desert.
*It offers accommodation, food and organizes a lot of tours in the Wadi Rum desert. The transport to the camp is free
* Camp sites are offered both in big or small tents in Wadi Rum. Food is prepared on the fire, and dinner and breakfast are always included in the price
* Inside the Wadi Rum protected area with all facilities, Bedouin fresh food, shower, toilets. -
Sleeping under the stars
In Wadi Rum desert you have the unique opportunity to stay overnight under the stars. Also known as bivouac camping. Bedouin camps often offer to sleep outside your tent or have a nearby cave. But there are also specialized companies that only offer sleeping under the stars. They often use caves in the less visited areas of Wadi Rum.
Here's a list in alphabetical order:
* Specialized tour company for sleeping under the stars / bivouac camping. Offers jeep tours, hiking and scrambling tours, camel ride and trekking for small groups.
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filter_dramaSleepsee [wiki=a4288ee7e82642b0822bcdb969e35ff6]#Bedouin camps[/wiki] and [wiki=2e7403d923bd3ffb00ce1531aa632862]#Sleeping under the stars[/wiki] above
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filter_dramaStay safe
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filter_dramaScamsWhen in Wadi Rum, be especially careful. Recently there have been an increasing number of cases where foreign girls and women were scammed by the local Bedouins. Through charm, sweet words and beautiful lies they try to take all your money. Scamming is growing very rapidly in this region.
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filter_dramaGet outGoing on to Petra, there is a minibus that leaves the village between 08:00 and 09:00, fare is JOD7. Ask someone at your camp or hotel to help make sure you catch the bus, as they all seem to be in contact. (Sep 2014)
To reach Amman back, one option would be to take a taxi to Aqaba which may take around 2 hr and 25JD. Take JETT bus for 7 JD to any of the bus stations in Amman. Takes around 5 hrs.
[wiki=a44d16caeaf5b56a5d14e7ea652b7239]fr: Wadi Rum[/wiki]
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