Jeep Tour – Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Weekend Notes | October 12, 2022

https://www.weekendnotes.com/wadi-rum-bubble-luxotel/

Are you ready for a desert adventure?

If you stay at any of the Wadi Rum, Jordan bubble tent resorts, you can arrange to meet your Bedouin hosts and set out on a 4×4 truck safari, four per truck sitting on two bench seats facing each other to explore the valleys and narrow gorges of Wadi Rum. The panorama of bubble tents and stone with camels, horses, and the random dog does not disappoint. Then you’re away from these small camps of civilization and into the vast desert, the same one, they’ll show you, where the real Lawrence of Arabia, T.E. (Thomas Edward) Lawrence a British General who played a part historically in uniting Arab tribes under Prince Faisal to fight against the Ottoman Empire.

The drivers are happy to follow the “road” through the desert, tire tracks from earlier trips, as we admire the desert landscape, rock formations that reach 500 meters, and a railroad train that randomly appears (we never crossed railroad tracks).

First stop sand dune.

Notice the powdery appearing sand from a distance. This sand looks more like the sand around your temporary dome houses, deep and loose, rather than the hard-packed sand along the desert floor. It shimmers in the afternoon heat appearing more like snow ready to be boarded across. Upon arrival, it’s a walk uphill to view the stones from this different perspective, looking down across the valley of sand rather than around and upward.

Back in the truck, race across wider swaths of desert landscape with the wind pulling at your hat. Many bring scarves, some to tightly wrap about their heads, Arab style, meant to reduce the heat, others to tie about their hats to reduce the side sunlight exposure and keep the hat perched in place.

Stop at a particular rock formation, the guide pointing to “a face” in the stone. You may not see it until it’s pointed out to you … it’s beneath the front cliff face and you must investigate the shadow to see the man’s face in profile. Perhaps he pouts because he doesn’t receive the sun exposure of his fellow mountains of stone. Return to the trucks for another fast ride along the Protected Area and imagine the rock formations as shapes … like cloud watching.

Next stop: camels and petroglyphs

Each 4×4 ride stops at this set of petroglyphs or rock carvings in Wadi Rum. At least 12,000 years old, they represent both humans and animals, camels the most prevalent, with an estimated 20,000 inscriptions and 25,000 petroglyphs. They’re easy to spot in this area because of the viewing station built in front of the stone face. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s an area to climb onto a camel … go take a look.