Wadi Rum is one of my favourite places on earth. I share my story of my day with a Wadi Rum Bedouin and my time spent at a Bedouin camp in Jordan.

My Day With A Wadi Rum Bedouin

‘Now what happens?' I ask.

‘We will kill you.'

‘Oh,' I reply, looking at his smiling face and teasing eyes.

I think he is joking. I hope he is joking.

If you were actually going to kill someone would you warn them first? My bags are in the back of his boot and my instinct is telling me to trust this Bedouin man. He scoops up the bottom of his brown dress and gets into the jeep.

I follow and he starts the engine. What follows is one of the best days of my trip.

The red desert

Across a red milky desert, we cruise in a 4×4, leaving a trail of red dust in our path. This place is amazing and Wadi Rum quickly becomes my favourite place on earth. This red desert that lies in the south of Amman is the perfect setting for Lawrence of Arabia. It's vast, remote and has the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen.

The setting for Lawrence of Arabia

My day with a Wadi Rum Bedouin continues and we stop at a Bedouin camp for tea, gazing out at the sand dunes. Then he takes me to one of his many çousins' camps (there are 2000 people in his family!) I want to sleep under the stars but it will be cloudy tonight, I am told.

Bedouin camp nestled in the rocky landscape

I am invited into a cave by a greasy Bedouin who looks more like a Greek kebab owner than a nomad. I decline. I have been warned about the so-called ‘hospitality' of Bedouin men to western women.

Instead, I sleep in a tent made of goat hair and listen to the eerie silence of the desert. Safe that I will not be wanted for a visa out of this amazing place.

I love the desert…

Home for the night

Wadi Rum Tours

Wadi Rum is simply stunning and these photos don't even do it justice. Apparently, the Stars Wars movie called “The Rise of Skywalker” was also filmed here and more recently Celebrity SAS in the UK was shot here too. Wadi Rum is located 185 miles south of Amman in Jordan. This ‘Mars-looking' area of sweeping sand dunes, towering cliffs and red rock covers more than 74,000 hectares and is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

If you are travelling here solo I recommend taking a tour and staying overnight if you can to really immerse yourself within the desert and this magical place. Even if you only have half a day you can still take a desert tour and explore the highlights of Wadi Rum on a 4WD adventure with a local Bedouin guide who you meet at Wadi Rum Village.

Take a full-day jeep tour and experience overnight in a panoramic tent with traditional food. Or combine Wadi Rum with Petra (which is also stunning) and the Dead Sea, travelling from Amman on a 2-day tour. You can get picked up and dropped off in Amman making it super easy to see these regions. There are plenty of Wadi Rum tours to choose from that you can choose even if you are solo. 

* Check dates, price and availability: Wadi Rum Tours

It's so stunning, I just have to add another picture…

Related Posts

If I've inspired you to visit Wadi Rum, you may like these other articles, especially if you are spending some time in Jordan. The Solo Travel in Jordan guide helps you to plan a trip to the country and what to expect as a solo female traveller. Happy planning!

• Solo Travel in Jordan
• Visiting Petra in Jordan
• My Experience of Solo Travel Jordan
• Solo Travel in The Middle East
• Crossing The Israel Jordan Border