Wadi Rum: Boundless, empty, echoing

Sujoy Dhar

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Remember the spectacular David Lean’s 1962 classic Lawrence of Arabia? The towering Anthony Quinn as an Arab chieftain hollering: “It is my pleasure that you dine with me in Wadi Rum!”

The scenes then break into a sweeping canvas of soldiers on horse and camel backs galloping for a face-off in a desert dotted with Bedouin camps.

Well relive Lawrence of Arabia and more in Wadi Rum (Valley of the Moon), which British writer-archaeologist-diplomat T. E. Lawrence (the famous Lawrence of Arabia) had called “a stupendous, timeless place, virtually untouched by humanity and its destructive forces”.

This British intelligence officer, who inspired Lawrence of Arabia, had lived here during the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) in 1914-1918. Now a part of the Wadi Rum folklore, he later wrote The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, inspired by the imposing rock mountains.

Yes, here the weather and winds have indeed carved the rock skyscrapers. This maze of monolithic rockscapes rise up from the desert floor to heights of 1,750m. Located in the south of Jordan, Wadi Rum, a Unesco Heritage site, is a protected area covering 720 km of dramatic desert wilderness. The Bedouins living in Wadi Rum maintain their semi-nomadic lifestyle. They are hospitable and you can enjoy a coffee or even a meal with them.

Hiring a camel is also an option. One can also stay in a Bedouin camp, or even choose to sleep under the stars with Bivouac Camping. A night stay under the stars in a Bedouin tent means enjoying a campfire meal with Arabic music.

But for visitors who have other Jordan sites like Petra or Red Sea in their itinerary, perhaps hiring a vehicle for the desert safari is a good idea.

One fun thing in this beautiful desert is to climb the red sand dunes (Umm Ishrin). You can have a little uphill trek on a dune sloping and then run down reliving your childhood days when you would ascend the sand dump in your neighbourhood for under-construction buildings.

There are various rock formations to see here while one near the visitors’ centre is the highest Seven Pillars of Wisdom named after T E Lawrence’s book.

How to reach

From New Delhi, take a flight to Amman. Then either go to Aqaba and stay there to visit Wadi Rum (1.5 hours) or go and come back from Amman itself (3.5 hours one way). Car-hire and bus tours can be arranged through hotels and travel agents. 

Once there, go to the Visitors’ Centre to hire a vehicle. Go for a pick-up truck or jeep, which comes with a driver and guide. Then explore the Wadi for hours.

What to do

Sleep under the stars in a Bedouin tent with Bivouac camping. Enjoy a campfire meal with Arabic music.

Visit the Nabataean Temple, the surrounding of which is full of Thamudic and Kufic rock art. There are also places like Jebel Umm Fruth (Middle Rock Bridge/Arch) which is a rock bridge that can be scrambled onto. Some tourists also try sand-boarding, which can be great fun.

For the more adventurous, there is also the option to float over Wadi Rum in a hot air balloon or fly in a microlight (lightweight aircraft).