Sunrise Camel Ride in Wadi Rum Jordan

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Weekend Notes | October 18, 2022

https://www.weekendnotes.com/sunrise-camel-ride-wadi-rum-jordan/

“Vast, echoing and God-Like”. That’s the way Lawrence of Arabia described Wadi Rum, where you will enjoy this largest and most magnificent of Jordan’s desert landscapes – Wonders Travel and Tourism

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For your next uniquely Jordanian experience, take a sunrise camel ride in Wadi Rum just like TE Lawrence, aka “Lawrence of Arabia.” You’ll start at your camp in the dark and cool, using your cell phone’s flashlight, or a real one, to meet your Bedouin guide for the opportunity to experience nomadic life atop a camel and witness the rural, rustic desert life with a moonscape unlike any other.

On a recent press trip, courtesy of Visit Jordan and the International Food, Wine, Travel Writers Association we were able to participate in a camel ride at sunrise. I hope that my description will help prepare you for the experience and encourage you to take it.

Leaving our bubble tent at Sharah Luxury Camp we met in front of the restaurant. Our driver spoke no English and our Arabic was limited to “thank you” and “let’s go,” He gestured for us to get on each camel, placing us by size. I wish we’d known the camel’s names – but ultimately agreed with Teresa Bitler, who didn’t so she could say “I rode cross the desert on a camel with No Name.”

It was good to be out of the rain on this cool morning, as that song goes, but we never did have a drop of precipitation during our visit. Come to think of it, rain might have been helpful on some of those hot, sunny afternoons, but they’re used to the arid climate here.

As I mounted my camel with her diamond studded blanket beneath the saddle, I realized instantly that the saddle leaned towards the left. Sadly, I couldn’t communicate that to the driver and had to ride leaning toward the right to avoid falling off for the entire trip.

The next camel had a happy chew and was ready to poop. She did her morning ablutions both going and returning from our sunrise viewing.

The next camel was our camel racer from the 4×4 ride – orange faced with a more elaborate blanket and tassels. She rode empty as one person expected by our guide decided to sleep past 0545, our start time.

The camels rose one by one under the direction of our guide, who watched each rider carefully, gesturing each rider to move up, back, or just stay even as we needed to maintain our seats.

The camel was wider than any horse I’ve ridden. As a physician, I can tell you if you have recent pelvic or hip injuries, it’s probably not a good idea to take this trip. We rode for about 25 minutes, past moon-like landscapes and rock formations in the dark that appeared different as the mist of the morning broke into dawn, alien to those envisioned under the harsh edges of the midday sun.

Just as you’re wondering if you can ride any further, in my case about 20 minutes, you see others on camels clothed in western dress and realize you’re not in this alone.