Wadi Rum

Jordan

Desert of mountains.

A place that left me speechless as soon as I stepped into it. ‘Wadi Rum’ which means ‘Valley of the Moon’, is a dramatic red landscape with sheer sided mountains of sandstone and granite emerging from open valleys which stretch indefinitely. The raw beauty of the desert literally takes my breath away. It is one of the world’s most harsh and demanding natural landscapes.

Camping in this desert, under a panoply of stars, is an experience not to be missed. I spent two nights in this wonderful place, in the Bedouin tent in the open desert, without internet and signal. It’s a quiet and empty place. That’s part of the charm. Perfect vacation!

The mountains of Rum are home to several Bedouin tribes, today many of them earn their living from tourism but they still retain their traditional ways of life. One of them, named Yasser, greeted me, drove me to the camp, and took me on a multi-hour tour of the desert. When you’re on the road and only in destinations for a short amount of time, there is one thing you learn: you cannot control the weather. Since I brought rain to the desert and it was very cold (but spectacular) he had to lend me his camel coat for a few days. Yasser is one of those people who makes your stay even more unforgettable.

I really did see something special and unique being there in the rain. The rich red/orange dirt is vibrantly contrasted against the sky cast with an ominous cloud cover. The moments when the clouds parted and the light shone through, like a spotlight, onto just one place were magical. This was the highlight of my Jordan trip.

Wadi Rum’s night sky left me spellbound. At night in the desert, there is little light pollution and I had almost uninterrupted views of the night sky and the stars. The days here were so simple. Waking up in the morning, having breakfast on the rock and watch the camels in the valley. In the evening after dinner hanging out with people from the camp by an open fire and gazing the stars. Everything in between is filled with walking in the desert, climbing rocks and drinking tea with the locals.

I hope you like this little photo diary I put together to share my time adventuring around Wadi Rum. Let me know if you have visited Jordan and how did you like it. If anyone has any feedback I’d be so appreciative to receive your comments and questions below. 

♥︎ Unta