5 things you must experience in Wadi Rum desert

Website like Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and also our website have pages in which they share a list of places to visit. There are many things to see and do in Wadi Rum desert. But if you do not have a travel wish list and you are not depending on a budget, what would you like to see? Better yet, what do you need to experience in Wadi Rum? We thought about what this list of yours could be like. Here is our top 5 of things we think you must do to have the ultimate Wadi Rum desert experience.

#1 Enjoying freshly prepared Bedouin food and drinks

Food is like everywhere else a number one priority. From breakfast to lunch and dinner, Bedouins have numerous of lovely traditional dishes. Stay for dinner in the desert and you may find yourself enjoying dishes like:

• Zarb – Bedouin barbecue of meat and vegetables cooked in a large underground pit

• Mansaf – lamb cooked in a broth of fermented and then dried yoghurt-like product

• Maglobe – casserole made of layers of rice, vegetables and meat

The most important traditional drinks for the Bedouins are:

• Coffee

• Tea

• Water

#2 Driving around by the jeep

Driving around by jeep is by far the best experience you can have if your time is limited. Within a day you can visit all mayor sites in the protected area. You will see our vast red and white desert landscape. Beautifully shaped mountains and rock bridges. Springs of life. High red sand dunes. And inscriptions of ancient civilisations. Watching the sunset will be a perfect closure of the day.

#3 Hiking the mountains

We, Bedouins, climbed the mountains of Wadi Rum desert for as long as we have been here. Over time we discovered the best and most easy ways to climb the mountains. Without or with limited use of climbing gear. Nowadays we take tourists on our ‘Bedouin roads’ to climb mountains like Jabal Al-Hash, Jabal Burdah and Jabal Um Ad Dami. Most climbs are suited for all levels of fitness. An average climb takes about four hours.

#4 Riding the camel

A unique desert travel experience, like some Bedouins still do, is of course riding the camel. Set yourself for a ride on the ‘ships of the desert’. Learn to mount and sit relaxed on a camel. Then enjoy the silence and beauty of the desert to the full extent as you cruise the desert at an easy but comfortable pace. And see for yourself that this harsh landscape is home to a variety of plants and animals. Bigger and smaller.

#5 Sleeping under the stars

If you want a full Bedouin experience, choose to spent a night under the stars. This will for sure be the highlight of your visit to Wadi Rum desert. Sleeping in a cave is a unique opportunity to get as close as you can to traditional Bedouin life in the desert. Start you overnight with a traditional Bedouin dinner. Followed by stories about Bedouin culture and music by the camp fire. Falling asleep under the starry night sky. And finally waking up to just the light sound of birds in their morning chirp. Everything else is silent. Breath in and out the refreshed air. And see the sun rising while casting it’s light on the sandstone mountains.

If you are looking for a relaxing holiday away from home and your busy life. And if the things we mentioned appeal to you. It is definitely time to consider coming to Wadi Rum desert. Depending on the program you choose, two or more components will be in your tour. Enjoy our hospitality and beautiful nature. Come as our guest and leave as our friend.

See you in Wadi Rum desert,