Wadi Rum is accessed from a tarmac road off the main Desert Highway, an hour’s drive from Aqaba. Along the way are fields of watermelon for as long as the eye can see but after crossing the railway line, the scene begins to change dramatically. Also known as “The Valley of the Moon”, it is the largest wadi in Jordan and the place where Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and T.E. Lawrence based their headquarters during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in World War 1. 

The Bedouins are the indigenous people of the desert and are renowned for their generosity. They are not wealthy people but their tradition of hospitality obliges them to take great care of their guests with all they have.

Despite its barren appearance, Wadi Rum is home to a complex ecosystem. Small medicinal plants dot the desert and are used to this day by the Bedouin, and during the infrequent rains parts of the desert bloom with over 200 species of flowers and wild grasses. For most of the year, the extreme heat and lack of ground water mean that animals only venture out at night. If you sit tight, you may well see a hedgehog, hare or hyrax (a small furry animal implausibly related to the elephant). If you’re extremely lucky, you could catch a glimpse of a jackal, wolf, caracal or giant-horned ibex. Dusk and dawn are the most magical times to view the desert and the best vantage point differ according to the time of year. 

Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Named in honor of Lawrence’s book, this large rock formation, with seven fluted turrets, is easy to see from the road. 

Jebel Umm Ishrin
The Seven Piilars rock is connected to the deeply crevassed “Mother of Twenty”, a 20-domed mountain forming the east flank of Wadi Rum. The mountain acquired its name, according to local legend, after a woman killed 19 suitors; she was outwitted by the 20th, so she married him. The whole range turns a magnificent white-capped auburn during sunset.

Jebel Rum
The western flank of Wadi Rum is formed by Jebel Rum, which towers 1754 meters over Wadi Rum village. It is a popular destination for scramblers and climbers who tackle parts of the ancient Thamudic Way to the summit. Similar pathways once used for hunting ibex and collecting medicinal plants link one massif to another throughout the area giving limitless scope for hiking, scrambling and climbing.

Nabataean Temple
In Rum village are the ruins of a 2,000-year-old temple, dedicated to the deity Lat. The ruins are important because they are evidence of a temple built by the Arab tribe of Ad. The baths in a villa behind the temple are the earliest so far discovered in Jordan. Near the temple are some inscriptions by hunters and nomads dating back to 2nd century BC.

Lawrence’s Spring
Together with other springs in the area, this natural waterspout tumbles into a leafy paradise just five feet square. It was an important watering hole for caravans traveling betweenSyria and Arabia.

Other notable sites are Al-Hasany Dunes, Little Rock Bridge, Khazali Canyon, and Umm Fruth Rock Bridge.

Although Wadi Ghwair is one of the smaller wadis, it is home to an amazing hanging garden. The sides of the canyon walls are covered with moist green moss and ferns, while high overhead palm trees, reeds and oleander shrubs hang down to form a natural curtain. The stream vanishes underneath gravel and small rocks along the way only reappear every now and then along the way.

Wadi Al Hasa is the longest and the most beautiful wadis in Jordan and considered to be Jordan’s natural water park. Hidden deep inside, shallow streams babble over rocks that soon become foaming rapids where the water can, within a matter of minutes, become shoulder depth. Swim, wade, climb, jump and scramble to steaming pools of paradise.

Most of this archaeological site, which started as a Roman military camp and grew to become a town from the 5th century, has not been excavated. It contains remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Muslim periods (end of 3rd to 9th centuries AD) and a fortified Roman military camp. The site also has 16 churches, some with well-preserved mosaic floors. Particularly noteworthy is the mosaic floor of the Church of Saint Stephen with its representation of towns in the region.