Jordan - Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Moon

        We've just landed on another planet. It's so hot here during the day and so windy and cold at night. There's nothing here, only sand and rocky cliffs. Also the sand is colored in red. It feels like Mars. But people call it Wadi Rum or Wadi al-Qamar, meaning Valley of Sand or Valley of the Moon.

First contact with Wadi Rum desert

        This place is actually located on our planet Earth, in southern Jordan, near the border to Saudi Arabia. It's a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock with an area of 720 square miles, making it the largest valley in Jordan.

        By its official name, Wadi Rum Protected Area has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011. Across the valley you can find many ruins with rock inscriptions and petroglyphs left by several prehistoric civilizations, including the Nabataeans.

        We stayed the night at a camp in the desert in bedouins tents having only one bed and a toilet separated by a curtain. It was nice to live this experience here; but in the same time it was so cold after sunset. The wind was very loud in the tent, but seemed to calm down during the night. After dinner, in an enclosure better protected from wind and cold, we attended an arab party night. Jordanians dressed as bedouins were inviting people from the floor pillows to dance with them. Near the end of the party, they played some music from the country of every person in that room. They also played a few Romanian songs.

Al Sultana Luxury Camp

        In the morning, we took a safari for around 4 hours to the Wadi Rum desert. The safari can carry up to 11 persons; 6 outside on the back and 5 inside, including the driver. If you choose to stay outside, make sure you wear some clothes that you'll never wear again during your vacation since you'll be covered in dust and sand from head to toes. If you plan to wash your hair the night before safari, just don't. You can use a hijab to protect your hair and in the same time you'll keep up with Jordanian fashion. Jordanians will be happy to help you to make one. Also, wear sunglasses to prevent the sand to come into your eyes.

Safari car

        The first stop was at Khaz'ali Canyon. This is a narrow fissure that cuts the mountain. The site has been considered holy since antiquity because it is an area where the water collects in the desert. Inside you can find different types of rock-art. There are many petroglyphs that depict humans, animals and footprints. Also many Kufic inscriptions which is a very early Arabic script which include the names of deceased persons and sometime the dates of their deaths. There are several inscriptions that use the South Safaitic script, often being personal names and figures of goats and camels.

Khaz'ali Canyon

Petroglyphs that depict animals

Several Arabic inscriptions

        Remember that any rock-art site that you visit in Wadi Rum Protected Area represents a great cultural and historical value and must be treated with respect, and protected from damage. So try to avoid touching the surfaces and under any circumstances do not write on them.

        The safari then took us to a "sand mountain" which we climbed with some hard effort since our feet were constantly sinking into the fine sand. Here were many people relaxing on the hot sand, playing like kids in the sand and only the brave ones were climbing on the top of the hill. From the top you can admire the beautiful red desertic landscape and take some nice pictures.

The view from the top of the hill

        The last stop was at Um Fruth which is a beautiful rock bridge formation where many people visit in Wadi Rum desert to take pictures from the beautiful arch. Here you can also find bedouin tents where they will serve you cardamom tea for free and you can buy some traditional souvenirs, from scarfs to aromatherapy components.

Um Fruth rock bridge

Bedouins' tent

        The safari desert experience is something that must not be missed in Jordan. The landscape is beautiful in its desertion, it's so simple and empty in its complexity of rock formations.