Biblical Significance
Wadi Rum has no biblical or religious significance
Why Visit Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum or Valley of the Moon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in southern Jordan. Based on various petroglyphs, inscriptions and archaeological remains in the area, it is said that humans have inhabited the place as early as 12,000 years ago. 12,000 years ago? Yes. Grabe. So perhaps this place used to have vegetation and water supply? Yes, because “wadi” in Arabic means valley or a dry river bed to be very specific about the term. Today however, only Bedouins live in Wadi Rum. Bedouins, which means “desert dwellers,” are Arab seminomadic people who have inhabited the desert.
Wadi Rum is off the beaten path until recently it has been included in the Jordan segment of Holy Land Tours. Its inclusion is because of its natural endowment not found anywhere else in the world. True to its name – Valley of the Moon – one is somewhat transported to another planet, or the moon perhaps. It’s red and white desert, sand dunes, towering cliffs, and sandstones and granite mountains make this place truly spectacular. One can easily understand why only time can make a wonderful place such as Wadi Rum.
Because of its uniqueness, Wadi Rum has been the filming site of Lawrence of Arabia – based on the true story of T. E. Lawrence and Prince Faisal Bin Hussein who actually spent a significant amount of time here during World War I. Other movies filmed here include: The Martian, The Last Days on Mars and Desert Passion among others.
Activities here include 4×4 ATV ride in the valley. We started our ATV ride at around 4PM and ended until sunset. The view in Wadi Rum is magical. You get a different treat depending on the time of the day – mid-day looks different from Sunset or Sunrise. It is magical how the colors slowly changes when the sun is setting down or going up. Our tour guide, though not a Bedouin, considers sunset in Wadi Ram as the most beautiful sunset in Jordan. He did not say that for no reason at all.
Apart from the 4×4 ride, what I liked most in Wadi Rum is our deluxe camp. We were booked for an overnight at Sun City Camp and it’s truly luxurious. Imagine a 5 star camping experience in the middle of the desert. And by the way, though it’s a luxurious camp, I slept outside my room and chose to experience sleeping in the desert with the stars above me! How wonderful!
Other activities here include rock climbing, hot air balloon, camel ride and microflight among others.
REMINDERS WHEN VISITING WADI RUM
- Put on your sun block. Lots of it
- Bring cap, hat or umbrella
- Wear light clothing. For that perfect picture effect, wear white! It has nice contrast with the desert and the mountains
- Wear light shoes. Rubber shoes or sandals are perfect. Slipper is not advisable
- Bring water to drink
- Fully charged your phones and cameras
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Dominic Rielo Amayun 