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I planned most of our Jordan trip, and my dad and I arranged the itinerary together. But before we left, my dad told me that we were sleeping in the Jordanian desert for a night. So my response went something like this "Cool! In those cabins or the Bedouin tents?" When my dad enlightened me that we'd be sleeping in neither of those, but directly sleeping under the stars, I kind of wanted to scream. Maybe I did... but anyways, what I was kind of nervous about ended up being one of the greatest days and nights of my life, so if you want to camp in the desert someday, book a desert tour in Jordan or just want some inspo to try new things, have a read! :) We planned to do a half day Jeep tour and sleep under the stars. We left Petra early in the morning and made the two hour drive to Wadi Rum, arriving around midday. Our guide Mohammad from Magic Tours met us on the road, and we followed him until we reached the Rest House. There, where we parked the car and were able to use the bathroom. Since we arrived at the hottest time of the day, we sat on picnic benches in the shade to talk and get to know each other for a while rather than heading straight out into the desert. Mohammad served us Bedouin tea and tied our scarves around our heads into Bedouin turbans. Before I continue... here are my must-haves for a full-day of exploring and camping out in the desert: -Water (Seriously, bring a couple big bottles with you. They don't lie when they say the desert is hot and you get dehydrated there quicker than normal) -A sturdy backpack, preferably one made for camping and hiking. Put all your belongings in one bag so that you don't have that much to carry. -Toilet paper (there are no toilets, or toilet paper in the middle of the desert. You find your own bathroom in the wilderness and bring your own toilet paper. A roll of toilet paper will become one of your best friends!) -Flashlights (really important if you want to see at night, as it's pitch black after the sun sets) -A jacket (the desert is quite satirical. It's scorching hot during the day but gets pretty chilly at night, so don't be fooled and be ready to bundle up!) - A scarf or hat (we brought our own scarves and had the Bedouins wrap them around our heads. They make great head covers and you look, and feel more like a Bedouin) -Sunscreen- protect yourself from that sun! -A portable charger for your phone, because once your battery dies out there, it's over. Ok, now that that's out of the way, continuing on with the adventure... We drove through the Bedouin village, seeing how the people of the desert live. There were a ton of small cement houses side by side in what seemed like neighborhoods, even with small stores in between. There were animal pens in the backs of the houses that housed camels. So cool, and quite fascinating! People went about their daily lives, as tourists were a typical sight in their village. Small children milled around, drinking juice boxes and eyeing us. Many waved, as if welcoming us into their world. We soon left the village behind and entered the open desert. Wadi Rum is pretty unique, because it's not the typical sandy desert. There are canyons everywhere, and big rocks cover the sand. Mohammad drove us all over, while explaining everything in detail. He was a great guide- knowledgeable, kind and hilarious. We soon learned that he had quite the sense of humor! He was always joking about one thing or another. He mockingly said that he left annoying French tourists in the desert for the scorpions and snakes! Mohammad took us to the sand dunes first, where we took pictures and I tried to climb all the way up the towering tunes. It was really hard and an intense workout. After scrambling in sand dunes, we hiked through a thin space between two canyons. I felt like we were reenacting Lawrence of Arabia. There were ancient phrases carved into the rock in Arabic that were said to be hundreds of years old. Next came an even longer hike. Mohammad deposited us at the start a long trail that led up sand dunes, up a high pile of boulders, through grassy sand banks and back down to where the canyon meets the desert. The views were stunning, and we passed lots of others tourists. We all walked past each other, greeting each other kindly and glancing around us in awe. The desert had transfixed us all. Mohammad then met us in the Jeep and off we went again. This time we jammed to Arabic music in the car, singing along to the radio and dancing of course. It was heaps of fun! The truck stopped in a vast clearing with sand all around us. A herd of camels were passing by, and Mohammad explained they were Saudi Arabian camels that had crossed the border. We were about 10 miles from the Saudi border. We pet them, and although they looked cute, one threatened to kick me... XD We climbed up a canyon, where we had an incredible view of the vast desert. Mohammad, my sister, grandma and I all sat on the rock together like Buddhist monks, laughing at each other and taking in all the sights around us. I felt free... for the first time in my life I wasn't in a place with a ton of other tourists, struggling to see whatever attraction there was. I wasn't confined to four walls studying or thinking of the million tasks I had to complete for the week. I was one with the earth, completely at ease with my surroundings. The desert is truly the most liberating place. I wish everyone could get the chance to go there, because it truly changes you! We all come from these places where life is fast-paced and we never get a chance to stop and slow ourselves down. But when you do, you realize there's a whole other way of living. Slow Yourself Down... Our next stop was the Um Fruth rock bridge, a 15m high bridge made of stone. We joined a bunch of other people in completing this climb. Mohammad took pictures of us with the other Bedouin guides and cheered us on. There were little wedges in the rock that we were able to use to climb all the way up. It's a little scary getting up but once you're there, it feels like you're on top of the world! Unless you're scared of heights... then I can imagine it's probably not too fun. Those who didn't want to climb staying near the Jeep and watched, or photographed. Our last stop for the day was more sandunes. It looked like the Sahara with nothing but sand for miles... Mohammad sped up and down the dunes, flinging sand from the wheels of the Jeep as Arabic music blared and we all sang along. Best. times. ever. Then we met up with the other groups and went sandboarding down the dunes (which was super fun and felt exactly like surfing or skateboarding on sand). Everyone played around in the sand and took photos. Then we sat on the dunes for the most spectacular show ever: the sun set! Once the sun set, we headed back over to the Jeep and drank tea, crossed-legged on the group with the Bedouins. We then drove to our campsite for the night. What I especially loved about Magic Tours is how they don't rush you at all. They give you the ability to see everything you want to see while taking your time. They also make an effort to make kids feel special. My sister and I got to ride in the back of the truck, just in time to watch the first stars appear in the sky. We arrived at camp to meet Mohammad's cousin Aid and a French woman named Benedict. Benedict had brought her dog, Shems with her. Shems means "sun" in Arabic, and Shems was such a bright and sweet dog that the name really suited her. The Bedouins cooked (they bury pots under the ground and heat their food that way!) while we chatted with Benedict. We were served rice, chicken and vegetables and watermelon for dessert. It was a great dinner, and everyone felt like family by the end of the night. If you are a vegetarian, just let them know and they'll prepare your meal without meat. Once we finished eating and setting up camp, we watched the stars for a bit. There were shooting stars every couple of minutes and I was so excited to see them for the first time. We had mattresses and blow up pillows set up on a straw mat directly on the desert ground. I had a bit of trouble falling asleep because I wasn't used to sleeping so low to the ground, but I eventually drifted off. Around 4am, we were awakened by a pack of dogs barking. The barks echoed off the canyon walls and Shems growled from beside us. Benedict awoke and went to check out what the ruckus was about. She returned after a few minutes claiming that it was just a pack of Bedouin dogs roaming the area. I went back to sleep and woke up again about two hours later. Waking up in the middle of the desert is the most magical experience. The air is crisp and cool, and it is just complete and utter tranquility. I explored nearby, with Shems trotting by my feet. Everyone ate a breakfast of bread rolls, and tea before we packed up camp and headed back to the village. We bid farewell to Benedict and Shems and Aid drove us back. My sister and I rode this time on top of the Jeep. We had a view of the entire desert, from the lizards that narrowly escaped getting crushed by our tires, to the Bedouin dogs that walked alongside camels. Once back at the village, we met up again with Mohammad, thanked him for everything and headed back on our way. I loved living in the desert for a night, because I got to learn how Bedouins live. They don't live these hectic, conventional lives like the rest of us. They don't chase commercial wealth and materialistic things, but instead care for their animals, take pride in their families and respect the planet and the beautiful desert they call home. It's an awesome life, if you ask me. These experiences will stay with me forever, and I hope to return to Wadi Rum very soon. If you're looking into desert camping in Jordan, GO WITH MAGIC TOURS! You will have the time of your life. They're kind, know the desert like the backs of their hands and safety is always first with them. If you're trying to get inspiration on doing new things, I hope this helped convince you that sometimes the best things turn out to be the ones you least expect. Take the chance and go for it! I expected to get heatstroke or flip out because of the lack of bathrooms and running water. Instead, I learned so much and instilled in myself a new love for this beautiful land that not many set foot on in their lifetimes. Thank you for reading! All the best, Yasmine xx Disclaimer: This trip was not sponsored by Magic Tours. We paid for all activities ourselves, and I have not received payment for this blog post. All opinions are 100% mine
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AuthorYasmine is NYC born, world raised storyteller who shares the stories of the people and places of the world. Categories
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February 2022
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