Wadi Rum
Day Five - Jordan - 2023
Stars, sunrise, and red sands in Jordan's vast desert wilderness, Wadi Rum.
1. The Stars Over Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum is usually cloud-free (it averages nine days of rain a year) which makes for excellent stargazing.
After departing Petra and Wadi Musa, we made our way down to Wadi Rum for an overnight stay in a “Bedouin camp” (really, glamping with air conditioning). Once checked in and after dinner, I decided to trek away from the camp to do some astrophotography. I assumed Wadi Rum would be spectacularly dark, but -for better or worse- there is surprisingly a fair amount of light pollution from all the nearby campsites. I considered moving a bit further afield, but -it being the desert and all- I stayed put.
Photographer’s Comment: For those of you who care about such things: I’d rate the night sky in Wadi Rum a very strong Bortle 3, maybe even a very weak Bortle 2 (I was there on a moonless evening). Finding a spot for a tripod where it won’t sink will be tricky but not impossible as the sand is very shallow. Your biggest concern will be all of the trucks that seem to roam around the desert even late into the night. I am not sure if these are logistics vehicles or shuttles for dark sky viewing tours (the irony wouldn’t be lost on me), but -all the same- expect to throw away a good number of your shots if you are aiming at or near ground level.
2. Wadi Rum Sunrise #1
One of the absolute highlights of visiting Wadi Rum is the opportunity to see a sunset or a sunrise across the vast desert. On my trip, we got to see this fantastic sunrise from atop a small bluff – well worth waking up extra early for!
Two more Wadi Rum sunrise images follow.
3. Wadi Rum Sunrise #2
4. Wadi Rum Sunrise #3
5. The Sands of Wadi Rum #1
Having arrived in near darkness the day before, there wasn’t much opportunity to have seen the wild landscape of Wadi Rum until the dawn. After watching the remainder of sunrise from our perch, we set off on a 4x4 “safari” across the desert sands so I could see what all the type was about. It did not disappoint!
6. The Sands of Wadi Rum #2
The scenes of the desert were spectacular - here, the massive vista Jebel Um Ishrin rises above the desert floor. Behind this you’ll find the rock formation the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, named after the book by T.E. Lawrence who once had his headquarters in Wadi Rum during the Arab Revolt.
7. The Sands of Wadi Rum #3
Making our way across Wadi Rum, we got to see the vast desert landscapes which are often stand-ins for alien planets in Hollywood - Prometheus, Dune, The Martian, and two Star Wars movies were filmed here, among others. And it is easy to understand way – the deep red sand surrounded by dark cliffs which look like melting candlewax is unlike any other place I’ve seen on earth.
Two more photographs of Wadi Rum’s desert follow.
8. The Sands of Wadi Rum #4
Photographer’s Comment: Being a 4x4 safari, the majority of the photographs were taken out the back of a moving truck. Having done my fair share of wildlife photography, I was prepared to take photographs “on the move” (I was shooting at 1/3200th just to be safe); however, I was thankful we made a stop so I could take this five frame panorama, which I hope you enjoy! From the red sands to the jebels, the geodesic domes to the hot air balloons, I think this sums up Wadi Rum pretty well.
9. The Sands of Wadi Rum #5
10. The Alameleh Inscriptions
The Alameleh Inscriptions were likely left by the Nabataean people.
There were also some petroglyphs which we were able to see along the way!
11. The Face of Wadi Rum
There was even a rock that looked like a face!
12. Melting Rock
Purple Um Sahn sandstone, which resembles melting candle wax based on its weathering.
We started to make our way back to our campsite, but we had one more stop to make.
13. The Canyon Through Jebel Um Nfoos
In total, I spent about 18 hours in Wadi Rum, about 12 of which I was awake for. I got the impression I could spend three or four days exploring and photographing this place, and -if I ever come back to Jordan- I will certainly make this a priority. Other locations I wish I could have seen (besides the sites in Petra I couldn’t make it to) include Dana Biosphere and Wadi Mujib – alas, I only have so much time and there’s so much of the world I have yet to see! For now, however, my time in Wadi Rum had come to an end.
14. Not an Igloo, Hut, Or Lean-To, But a Geodesic Dome
Many of the campsites in Wadi Rum feature these geodesic dome tents, which allow you to look up at the night sky from your bed.
You start the 4x4 safari quite early, so we actually arrived back in camp just before breakfast. After eating, showering, and packing up, I still had a few moments to photograph our campsite …
15. Wadi Rum Camel Train
… And I was even lucky enough to catch this camel train off in the distance.
16. The Dead Sea
The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth at around 430 meters / 1,400 feet below sea level. So the shore you see here is the lowest point on earth … except it isn’t anymore because the water level drops about one meter / 3 feet a year.
We made one last stop before our quick five-day Jordan adventure came to an end: the Dead Sea. Naturally, what interests most people here is the super saline water in which you can float. As a geographer with an interest in exploring earth’s extremes, the fact that I was standing at the lowest point on land on our planet was of much greater interest in bobbing around in water which reminds you of every cut you have; that said, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take a quick dip.
Photographer’s Comment: As a photographer, I’m always conscious of imaging people without their consent, even in very public forums such as this one. But I just had to share at least one Dead Sea photograph with you all.
With the Jordan part of my trip wrapped up, it was onwards to Turkey. I go into great detail about my time in Jordan on the “About” page, but I’ll just say overall I had an excellent five-day experience. I covered all the basic sights which were all fantastic. As I mentioned a bit earlier, I wish I had more time, and I will strongly consider returning in the future to check some more boxes.
