Wadi Rum

Why Wadi Rum works

Wadi Rum's otherworldly landscape of towering sandstone and granite massifs rising from a flat desert floor has made it a favoured filming location for Mars — most notably The Martian and sequences from Dune — and the comparison is not far off: the iron-oxide-red sand and eroded rock formations feel genuinely extraterrestrial at sunrise and sunset. T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) based operations here during the Arab Revolt, and the valley's dramatic scale is best absorbed slowly, by Bedouin-guided jeep tour taking in natural rock bridges (Burdah and Um Fruth), ancient Thamudic and Nabataean petroglyphs carved into rock faces, and a climb up Khazali Canyon's narrow, shaded gorge. Rock climbing on Jebel Rum's granite domes draws a dedicated international following, with routes ranging from beginner scrambles to multi-pitch technical climbs. Overnight stays in Bedouin-run desert camps — ranging from simple tents to 'bubble' domes with glass ceilings for stargazing — are the standard, and most rewarding, way to experience Wadi Rum, with camp dinners typically featuring zarb, meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an underground sand oven. The protected reserve's near-total absence of light pollution makes it one of the best stargazing locations in the Middle East. Wadi Rum pairs naturally as a one- or two-night stop between Petra and Aqaba.

Trip Snapshot

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