JORDAN
Wadi Rum:
One night in Mars
adi Rum (also known as the Valley of the Moon) is such a unique experience that is close to indescribable. Fun fact, it is believed that Wadi Rum got its name from Iram of the Pillars, a lost city mentioned in the Quran.
Wadi Rum makes you feel tiny, in the middle of an enormous, beautiful world
After our visit to Petra, we drove the Wadi Rum for our stay in a Martian tent at Hasan Zawaideh Luxury Camp (€44 per person). When we say «camp» though, we’re talking about sturdy tent with a king sized bed and an extra, single on, a coffee table with two armchairs, a fridge, kettle and a (sparkling) bathroom. The camp was all inclusive, so food was taken care of and consisted of rich buffets with traditional delicacies.
You might have heard that Wadi Rum is often referred to as ”Mars” and it certainly looks like it – it served as a filming location for ”The Martian” (2015). However, there are several movies shot in this endless valley of sand besides, of course, ”Lawrence of Arabia” (1962), there was ”Dune” (2021), ”Aladdin” (2019), ”Indiana Jones and the Last Crusaders” (1989).
We had a 2-hour safari for €20 each and it was a nice experience with a few hit-and-miss stops, like tall dunes, the Seven Pillars of Wisdom (the rock formation that was named after the famous book of T.E. Lawrence), the over 2000 year old Alameleh Inscriptions, the face of Lawrence of Arabia and, finally, a climb on a big rock to witness the sunset. Watching the sunset in a dessert has also been in my bucket list (and I had experienced it in Dubai) but every time feels so magical.
At night we had Zarb, which is the Bedouin version of a barbecue, made of roasting lamb, chicken and vegetables over hot embers and stones in a sand pit underground.
Whatever you may be expecting from this, I guarantee the feeling is stronger once the sun starts setting and you’re in the middle of the desert. It makes you feel tiny, in the middle of an enormous, beautiful world. There is no such tranquillity and calmness like those hours during dusk, outside your tent in the middle of nowhere. If you’re sceptical about this, I can tell you to go for it without a doubt.