Wadi Rum desert is dotted with dunes. Both yellow and red dunes. The highest dune is in Wadi Um Ishrin. We prefer to visit the one near Khazali canyon for two reasons. Climbing this dune is easy, as you can climb via the rocks on the side. When on the top, you will have plenty of energy left to enjoy the pretty valley views and to run down the dune. The intense red of the dune and the deep blue of the sky above is a fascinating view. In this blog, we explore some more about dunes and we share our top 5 of most fabulous dunes.
Why are there dunes in Wadi Rum desert?
How a dunes forms
Dunes form when the wind blows sand onto an obstacle like a rock, a bush, or a mountainside. At the windward side, the sand accumulates and forms a sloop. Some of the sand blows over the top of the sloop. It tumbles down the much steeper slip face side. As the wind keeps blowing, more and more sand accumulates, and the dune grows bigger and bigger. The beauty of dunes is the fact that they always move. It is a slow process, but they move along with the wind.
Our top 5 of most fabulous dunes
Frequently, we get the question, ‘Which dune needs to be on my Wadi Rum itinerary?’. Of course, this depends on what you like and what you want to do. Do you want to climb the dune? Are you interested to see the biggest dune? Or do you want a dune with a view?
- Al Ramal near Jabal Khazali
The most rewarding dune is also the most visited dune of Wadi Rum. It is the dune we wrote about at the beginning of this blog. The dune is in front of Khazali canyon. The dune formed against a rock formation, which makes this one easy to climb. The views of the surrounding valleys are wonderful. - Abu Breshmana near Jabal Um Ishrin
Another fantastic dune to visit is Abu Breshmana dune. This dune formed against a vast mountain. It is the highest dune in the desert. It is anywhere between 300 and 400 meters high. We visit this dune primarily to view its beauty and enormous size. Climbing is possible but hard and tiring. - Alhassani dune near Jabal Um Ishrin
Alhassani is also a dune that formed against a mountain. The surrounding area of this dune is beautiful. If you want, you can climb this one to enjoy the view from the top. - Al Ramal near Um Sabatah
A ‘classic’ dune in the sunset area. No need to climb this dune. We use the car to get to the top. Dunes like this one are suitable if you want to jump or roll down as there are not rocks and stones around that can hurt you. In the past, we often went to this dune to watch the sunset. These days many people go there. Therefore, we prefer to go to another place for the sunset. - Dunes in Abu Khashaba canyon
If you want to see both yellow and red dunes close together, this is the place to go. As you enter the canyon, you have a vast yellow dune to your right. Once you passed this one, you walk through the valley. After climbing through the narrow part, you come across the red dune. Climb it, and your reward will be a marvelous view over the desert.
Of course, there are many more dunes that are worth a visit. If you want to enjoy as many of them as possible, we advise you to join our 3-day trekking or 5-day trekking.
