Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WADI RUM & AROUND
Western visitors have been fascinated by the magnificent landscape of Wadi Rum ever
since TE Lawrence wrote so evocatively about its sculpted rocks, dunes and Bedouin en-
campments in
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
in the early 20th century:
The crags were capped in nests of domes, less hotly red than the body of the hill; rather
grey and shallow. They gave the finishing semblance of Byzantine architecture to this irres-
istible place: this processional way greater than imagination…Our little caravan grew self-
conscious, and fell dead quiet, afraid and ashamed to flaunt its smallness in the presence of
the stupendous hills.
The name Wadi Rum lends itself not just to the broad valley of Lawrence's description, but
to a whole series of hills and dunes stretching north to south for over 100km. The central
valley, 900m above sea level, fans into an arena dominated by Jebel Rum (1754m), once
considered the highest peak in Jordan - an accolade that belongs to Jebel Umm Adaami
(1832m) on the Saudi border.
The area has been protected since 1988 and is controlled by Aqaba Special Economic
Zone Authority (ASEZA), which has a mandate to promote tourism for the benefit of local
communities while protecting the fragile desert environment. With over 100,000 visitors
per year using 600 4WDs, this is no mean feat.
Of course, the stewardship of the desert is shared with the local Bedouin who have been
roaming the area for centuries. Many of the 5000 Bedouin remaining in the area have now
opted for a settled life in the villages of Rum, Diseh and Shakriyyeh but, certainly as far as
they are concerned, that does not make them any less Bedouin.
Although not part of the Wadi Rum protected area, the desert spills in equal magnifi-
cence into neighbouring areas including Diseh. Indeed, the sandstone monuments and in-
tervening sand dunes are a feature of Jordan's Southern Desert that stretches right to the
Saudi border to the south while running out into the plains of the Badia in the northeast.
The most comfortable months for a visit are early spring (March and April) and late au-
tumn (October and November). Winter (December to February) is bitterly cold, summer
(May to September) miserably hot: with temperatures of 40°C, this is when you really
come to know the meaning of desert! Night-time temperatures can fall to 0°C throughout
the year, so come prepared if you're camping or watching the sunset.
