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Jordan Tourism Guide |
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Wadi Rum |
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WADI RUM (RAMM) & THE DESERT VISTAS
"Vast, echoing and God-like" - these are
the words T. E. Lawrence used in describing Wadi
Rum. It is the largest and most magnificent of
Jordan's desert landscapes, but by no means the
only one. Jordan is crisscrossed with countless
valleys of stunning beauty, from the knife-edged
dunes of Wadi Araba to the Wadi Mujib, a
wildlife reserve and Jordan's answer to the
Grand Canyon.
There are many ways to experience Wadi Rum's
fragile, unspoiled desert retreats. Serious
trekkers will be drawn to Wadi Rum, with
challenging climbs some up to heights of 1750
metres, while casual hikers can also enjoy an
easy course through the colourful sandstone
jabals (hills) and canyons. Tourists with a high
sense of adventure will want to try hiking and
cliff climbing on Jabal Rum (Ramm), Jordan's
second highest mountain. Those of a calm
disposition will probably prefer a camel ride or
a night under the stars in a Bedouin tent.
Relatively few of Jordan's Bedouin still follow
the ways of their ancestors. Most have settled
in cities and towns and are found in every walk
of life. Yet low-slung black tents and pack
camels have not vanished from the landscape, and
many travellers find a shared meal or coffee
with traditional desert Bedouin to be their most
memorable experience. Naturalists will be drawn
to the desert in springtime, when rains bring
the greening of the hills and an explosion of
hundreds of species of wild flowers. Red
anemones, poppies and the striking Black Iris,
Jordan's national flower, grow at will by the
roadside and in more quiet reaches.
WHAT TO SEE
First and foremost, come to Wadi Rum to
experience the desert itself. Wadi Rum is the
classic picture of sandy desert, with sandstone
jabals (hills) rising sheer out of the valley
floor. They tower over a small Bedouin village,
which includes the Desert Patrol Fort (now a
Badiya or Desert police station). The men of the
Desert Police are a spectacle in themselves,
traditionally dressed or in khaki uniform, many
still riding camels.
The ruins of the 1st century Nabataean Temple
are a fine example of this fascinating people's
architecture.
The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
(RSCN) has set up an enclosure for the Oryx. The
RSCN Visitors' Centre has a souvenir shop with
handicraft products of excellent design placed
in the historical train wagons next to the Rest
House.
TOURS INSIDE WADI RUM
At Wadi Rum Rest House, you can hire a local
Bedouin guide who will offer you either a 4WD
vehicle, or for the more adventurous a camel
ride, to explore the area. Prices are displayed
at the RSCN Visitors' Centre.
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