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Famously described by T.E. Lawrence as "vast, echoing and Godlike" and often deemed to be one of the most stunning deserts landscapes in the world, Wadi Rum is a nature-lover's paradise.
Wadi Rum's beauty can only be described as breathtaking. One of Jordan's main tourist attractions, the area is spotted with fascinating yellow, white, red and brown sandstone mountains that are cut by wide canyons and unique colorfully decorated geological formations. The landscape is also distinct for its natural delicate arches and bridges, and the mushroom-shaped rock configurations carved and shaped naturally by years of wind and erosion.
Wadi Rum holds fauna and flora both rare and endemic. A greater emphasis has been placed on the Wadi's fauna after a baseline survey detected the existence of the Ibex, Gray Wolf, Blandford's Fox, the rare Red Fox, and the Sand Cat within, poppies and the striking Black Iris, J the area. Rare species of small plants and herbs can be found by the inquisitive traveler. Red anemones, Jordan's national flower, all grow at will by the roadside and in more quiet reaches. Plants used as herbal medicinal cures by the Bedouins for centuries are found in the mountainous regions.
The several Bedouin tribes that live in Wadi Rum play an impacting role on its beauty. Although some now live in concrete homes, the majority still dress in their distinctive attire and hold on to their traditions, by leading a nomadic lifestyle in the summer, raising camels and goats and drinking their milk , as well as weaving tents from goat hair in which they dwell in during the summer.
Many travelers find a shared meal or coffee with the Bedouin to be their most memorable experience.
Options for exploring Wadi Rum include:
- 4x4 vehicles,
- Camel Caravans,
- Hiking on Foot,
- Mountain Climbing & Camping.
Serious hikers will be drawn to Wadi Rum with its challenging climbs, some of which reach up to heights of 1754 meters. The most magnificent climbs are the breathtaking Khazali Mountain and Jebel Rum. Junior hikers can enjoy an easy course through the colorful sandstone hills, the dry dessert or the sand dunes.
Wadi Rum Nature Reserve
In 1998 Wadi Rum was declared a protected area. With support from the World Bank, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, a national NGO, was commissioned to prepare a conservation plan and put together a team of local people to manage the are themselves. This team operates under the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and is pioneering ways to restore and safeguard Wadi Rum's sensitive desert habitats from ever-increasing human pressure. Exploration and adventure in Wadi Rum can take place both inside and outside of the reserve, depending on the activity one is interested in.
Visitors Center
Within the reserve, opposite the Seven Pillars of Wisdom mountain lays the newly constructed, stylish Visitor’s Center. The Center provides the main gateway to the protected area and has all the facilities, information and services that visitors will need.
The center also has reception areas, interpretation halls, restaurants, craft shops, conference facilities and offices for the site management team.
All vehicle tours operate out of the center and entrance fees to the protected area are collected at the gates, so all visitors are required to call in before proceeding with their itinerary. Visitors taking private 4x4 vehicles also need to register at the center.
For more information visit www.wadirum.jo
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