Touring around the Wadi Rum desert is an unforgettable experience. Our desert is an extraordinary and fascinating place. Although people see similarities with other areas on our beautiful earth, no place is really like Wadi Rum. Being in Wadi Rum makes you realize how stunningly beautiful our planet’s nature is and how small and insignificant we are. For both, for independent travelers and group travelers, a multiple days tour in Wadi Rum desert helps you to put things in perspective. Some visitors spend their time thinking about the meaning of life. Others relax and enjoy the marvelous views. In this blog, we share the five do’s and don’ts while on tour in Wadi Rum desert. These do’s and don’ts help you to optimize your experience. And they also help us to keep Wadi Rum desert to stay the magical place it is.
#1 Collect memories not things in the desert
#2 Leave nothing but footprints in the desert
A desert is a fragile place filled with life. There are many silent witnesses of life. Fossils remind us of the times water was still abundant in this area. Ancient writings and drawings tell us the stories of the people who lived and traveled the desert so long ago. Animal tracks are the silent witnesses of the animals that nowadays call Wadi Rum their home. And car tracks and footprints show human presence. All live here in this harsh place together. A bottle in the sand, a plastic bag on a small bush, or a can next to a fireplace. These are dreadful reminders of human presence. Please take your garbage with you and, if possible, also bring along that empty bottle, bag, and other waste that some else left behind. We thank all our guests for helping us to keep this place pristine.
#3 Adjust your wear to weather and culture
Summer days can be sweltering with temperatures well over 40 degrees Celsius. And winter nights can be cold with temperatures below zero. It is essential to wear clothes that fit the weather. During the cold winter, we use a farwa (long, thick coats) to keep us warm. And during summer, we protect our skin from the unrelenting sun by wearing a long-sleeved thoab of light cotton fabrics.
We advise our guests to bring different layers of clothes. This way, you can adapt your wear to all types of weather during the day and night. Further, it is highly appreciated if you dress modestly. This way, you make sure not to run into an awkward situation if you meet local Bedouin. Read more about clothing in our blog ‘How to dress for the desert‘, and on our web page ‘what to wear‘.
#4 Enjoy the darkness of the night and bring a flashlight
The nights in Wadi Rum desert are dark. There is only a little to no artificial light here. And almost always, the sky is clear. Excellent for those who like to stare at the billion stars that surround our planet. In our blog ‘5 reasons to watch shooting stars in Wadi Rum‘, you can read all about enjoying our starry night sky.
As most of our guests live in urban places in western countries, they are not used to deal with the darkness at night. Darkness and a nightly walk in nature can be a dangerous combination. Even more, if you realize that medical care is not available around the corner. Therefore we recommend our guests to bring a flashlight. Light comes in handy when you want to go for a pie in the middle of the night. On our web page ‘what to bring‘, you find more suggestions for your packing list.
#5 Find yourself a desert toilet and take care of your toilet paper
As soon as we leave the sealed road, we leave civilization. When on tour with us this also means no more toilets until we arrive in our camp or return to Rum village. If you need to mind your ‘business’, you leave for a moment and find yourself a suitable place, a ‘toilet with a view’. We Bedouin use water for cleaning, and most western people use toilet paper. Both are fine with us. Just don’t forget to take care of your toilet paper. Burn it or bring it back and put it in the waste bag.
Practice the do's and don'ts
For sure, these do’s and don’ts are doable for you. So have a look at our tours page, and find out which one fits your wishes best. And come and practice the do’s and don’ts with us. Let’s have a marvelous and unforgettable time here in our desert!
