• Jordan Guide

  • Introduction to Jordan
  • Weather
  • Things not to miss
  • Getting around
  • Money
  • Entry requirements
  • Public holidays

• Explore Jordan

  • Amman
  • Petra and around
  • The southern desert and Aqaba

• Cities

  • Amman
    
  • Petra
    

Jordan Guide

The southern desert and Aqaba

Wadi Rum

• Accommodation

One of the most spectacular natural environments in the Middle East, the desert scenery of WADI RUM is a highlight of a visit to Jordan. The wadi itself is one of a sequence of parallel faults forming valleys in the sandy desert south of the Shara mountains. They are oriented almost perfectly north– south, shaped and characterized by giant granite, basalt and sandstone mountains rising up to 800m sheer from the desert floor. The rocky landscape has been weathered over the millennia into bulbous domes and weird ridges and textures that look like nothing so much as molten candle-wax, but it's the sheer bulk of these mountains that awes – some with vertical, smooth flanks, others scarred and distorted, seemingly dripping and melting under the burning sun.

Corridors of soft red sand only add to the image of the mountains as monumental islands in a dry sea. Split through by networks of canyons and ravines, spanned by naturally formed rock bridges and watered by hidden springs, the mountains offer opportunities galore for scrambling and rock-climbing, where you could walk for days without seeing another soul.

Clear at least one night – book with a specialist local guide – to sleep in the desert. The tranquillity of the pitch-dark night is simply magical.

Tourism at Rum is geared up either for large tour groups or for individuals who have booked in advance with a specific guide; in the latter case, all your meals and accommodation will be part of the deal. In addition, since no public transport leaves Rum during the afternoon it's impossible to turn up on spec, do a tour in the desert and then depart. However, once you've paid your admission fee at the Visitor Centre, you can cadge a lift down the road into Rum village, 7km south. Here, the Resthouse ( 03 201 8867) is a good place for a meal or a quiet drink; alcohol is served. Across the road are a couple of local restaurants. The Resthouse also offers basic accommodation (Up to JD20). It's also possible to turn up at one of the big tourist camps outside the Protected Area – which all focus on tour-group business – and negotiate a bed for the night (JD31–50 half-board). Most are ranged side-by-side around the base of Jebel Umm Bdoun near Disi village; it's fairly easy to hitch out there.