Wadi Rum Base Camp
Wadi Rum Base Camp
Wadi Rum Base Camp is a charming, cozy, and comfortable traditional Bedouin camp. Its secluded location makes it a perfect place to rest, relax and enjoy after a day out in the desert. Our warm welcome, personal attention, and service will make you and your fellow travelers feel at home instantly. So, we would like to call it your Bedouin home away from home.
On this page, we share more information about our camp. And, of course, we added pictures to give you the best impression possible.
The location of Wadi Rum Base Camp
The location of our camp, called Wadi Rum Base Camp, is a picturesque and tranquil spot close to Khazali canyon in the heart of the Wadi Rum protected area. The campsite offers excellent desert views. And you can climb up the rocks next to our camp for even more spectacular views.
Because of its central location, our camp is the ideal base for exploring the desert. For example, the red dune, Khazali canyon, and Little bridge are all within walking distance. Other famous sites are within a day tours reach. And a multiple-day stay at our camp offers you the opportunity also to explore the lesser-visited, more remote areas of Wadi Rum.
From our office in Rum village, we can reach our camp by either jeep or camel. It is also possible to reach our campsite on foot but to make sure that you don’t get lost, you would need a guide.
The communal tent and outdoor sitting area
The communal tent and the outdoor sitting area form the heart of Wadi Rum Base camp. These are the places where it all happens! Here we welcome you to our campsite, we drink the famous Bedouin tea and eat our meals. And it is also the place where we talk, share stories, play traditional music, and dance.
Our spacious, nicely decorated communal tent has a huge bench with thick mattresses and camel saddles to lean on, tables, stools, and a buffet. The tent has windows all around so that you can enjoy the mesmerizing panoramic views. We close the windows during the winter days and heat the tent by making a fire in the firepit. You can sit on the mattresses around the pit to warm yourself, enjoy tea, and share stories.
Next to the communal tent is the outside sitting area. The outdoor sitting area has a huge bench with thick mattresses and camel saddles like the communal tent. Here we spend the long, sultry summer evenings under the billion-star sky. During cooler evenings, we will light the firepit to give us warmth and atmosphere.
The bathroom facilities
We understand that most travelers prefer a private bathroom. Still, in a desert environment, we consider private facilities and the extra water usage that comes with it inappropriately. Therefore we decided to have one bathroom building for all our guests. We pay a lot of attention to cleaning to ensure the bathroom building is spotlessly clean for our guests every day.
Our bathroom is modern with two showers with dressing areas, two western toilets, and two washbasins. And we have a solar hot water system to provide warm water in the showers.
The sleeping tents
We placed our goat-hair, cabin-style, sleeping tents in a half-moon shape on the dune. And between the tents is extra space to give you more privacy.
We have ten 2-person tents and two 5-person tents. The tents are elevated and have wooden floors covered with a carpet. The 2-person tents have two windows for ventilation, and the 5-person tents have three windows.
Further, the tents have everything for a comfortable stay in the desert: light, beds, a small table, hooks, and a trash can. Also, we provide pillows, bed linen, and big, thick blankets to keep you warm and comfortable throughout the night.
Tent preference and allocation
When booking your tour and overnight stay with us, we ask you to share your tent preference. If available, you get the tent type you requested. And in case all tent of the preferred type are already fully booked, we will share the alternative options with you.
All guests, get private tents. By this, we mean that if, for example, you are a single traveler, you will have a 2-person tent for you alone. And if you are a group of three, we provide you with two private 2-person tents or a private 5-person tent.
Further, families are in the lead for the 5-person tents. Lastly, for children under three years, we have baby beds available.
Sleeping outdoors close by Wadi Rum Base Camp
We have beautiful spots a short walk away from our camp where you can sleep outdoors (also known as bivouac camping and sleeping under the stars). Sleeping outdoors close to our campsite gives you the same sleeping experience as when you sleep in our ‘cave’. At night, the starry night sky is your ceiling, and in the morning, you wake up to mesmerizing valley views.
Of course, sleeping outdoors near our camp comes with the comfort of the facilities that we have in our camp. Meaning, you can use the bathroom instead of needing to find yourself a ‘toilet with a view’.
How sleeping outdoors works
The number of spots for sleep outdoors is limited. And we have special equipment (mattresses, sheets, and sleeping bags) for outdoor sleeping. Further, it is not allowed to use the mattresses and blankets of the sleeping tent to sleep outdoors. As you will understand, it is necessary to let us know upfront whether you want to sleep under the stars or in a sleeping tent. You can do this when filling out the booking form.
When the weather does not allow sleeping outdoors, we relocate you to one of the sleeping tents in our camp. Therefore we check the weather conditions in the morning. So, in most cases, you will know upon arrival if sleeping outdoors is possible.
Stargazing at Wadi Rum Base Camp is excellent
Wadi Rum Base Camp is located in a secluded, dark place hidden behind a rock formation. And there are no main roads or other camps near us. Also, we illuminate our campsite sparsely. So, all in all, we have excellent conditions for stargazing.
Our outside sitting area is an ideal place for stargazing. Lay down on one of the mattresses, relax your head against a camel saddle, and marvel at the billions of stars. If you download one of the many stargazing apps on your mobile phone, it will be easy to find constellations and planets. Then only one question is left, who will see the first shooting star?
Our food and drinks
We serve all our meals buffet-style. So, there should be something to your liking at all mealtimes. Also, we pay attention to your dietary requirements as much as possible within the limitation of the desert.
For breakfast, we have bread and a selection of toppings like oil & za’atar, labneh, hummus, tomato, cucumber, olives, cheese, jam, and eggs. And for drinks, Bedouin tea, coffee, and bottled water are available.
Lunch typically consists of a freshly prepared hot dish like Galayah Bandura accompanied by bread. In addition, we also have a selection of side dishes like hummus, cheese, tuna, and salad. And for drinks, bottled water, Bedouin tea, and soda or juice are provided.
For dinner, we serve freshly prepared, traditional Bedouin food like Zarb, Khabsah, or Magloubah. And these are accompanied by bread, rice, salads, and homemade Moutabal. After dinner, we serve either sweets or fruit. And for drinks, we have bottled water, Bedouin tea, and soda or juice ready.
Lastly, note that bottled water is available for free throughout your stay. So, no need to bring some yourself.
Water
Jordan is one of the water poorest countries in the world. One of the best places to see that water is not abundant is Wadi Rum desert. Certainly, we have a couple of springs in the desert, but the water they provide is by far not enough for the existing demand. Likewise, the annual rainfall is insufficient to cover the water demand in our country. Therefore we need to rely on aquifers (ancient underground water reserves) for quite a large part of the total water need. As aquifers don’t fill up fast, we must use the available water wisely. Knowing this, it won’t be a surprise that we have a ministry of water.
Near our campsite, there is no natural water resource. Thus all the required water we bring to our camp by tank truck. Consequently, you will understand that the water supply at our campsite is limited. And it shows that water in the desert is an absolute luxury.
Solar electricity
In our camp, we use solar power to illuminate the central buildings and sleeping tents. We generate the electricity with the solar panels on the rocks behind the campsite. Shortly after the sunset, we switch on the power. And once everybody sleeps, we switch it off.
In the communal tent, we have a plug system (European plug) for you to use to charge your mobile phone and your camera batteries. Make sure to start charging soon after you arrive at the camp.
Outside we try to limit the use of light as much as possible. Next to every tent and at some central points in the camp, we put stand-alone solar lamps. These lamps give a little light for as long as the battery lasts. All in all, there is little light pollution. So, the options for stargazing are excellent.
What our guests say about Wadi Rum Base Camp
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