FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What means sleeping in the desert?
There are several options to spend a night in the desert of Wadi Rum. The traditional way would be sleeping in a Bedouin camp. There are many Bedouin camps in Wadi Rum with different locations. Our ones is about 13 km away from the village at a very nice and safe place very close to the famous Lawrence House. You can find everything about our camp here. Another way to explore the night in the desert would be sleeping in our private cave. It's a cozy and wind protected place very near to our camp. Another option is sleeping under the stars: You choose any place in the desert, just on a mattress. Of course we can help you to find a good place.
What should I bring?
We recommend protection for your head and plenty of sunscreen. You will also need a bag or backpack for daytime activities where you store your camera, water, head covering, snacks and perhaps a light sweater or something with long sleeves. Please don't forget to bring a towel.
What to wear?
Clothes: You can wear almost anything that will let you sit on the ground, ride a camel or scramble into a jeep. We do ask ladies not to wear anything too skimpy when they are in the village (halter necks, short shorts, etc). When you are out in the desert then it doesn't matter because we are used to just about anything! But please do keep a tee shirt available for the village.
Shoes: Unless you are doing a heavy scrambling program, you do not need boots for the hiking programs. Trainers or good walking shoes, even sneakers are fine. Socks are a good idea, though. Trekking sandals are very good, especially in warm/hot weather. The models with closed toes are best.
Sleeping equipment: We supply mattresses, blankets and pillows. In cold weather we have comforters which keep you nice and warm. There is no real need for you to bring sleeping bags, but some people prefer to use their own. This is up to you. In the winter, we move the fire and supper inside one of the tents and snuggle up with blankets for after supper talk. You should not be cold at night, but in the evenings in the winter you do need sweater and/or jacket.
What can I do with my luggage?
You can bring it out to the camp and store it in your own tent. Some people prefer to sort out what they need into a smaller bag or bags and leave the main luggage in our office in Wadi Rum village where it will be safe. Don't forget to bring your own towel.
What medical treatment is available in case of accidents or snake bite?
There is a health centre in Wadi Rum where a qualified doctor is always on duty. He can deal with the most usual problems and accidents. If necessary he will send you to Aqaba in an ambulance or a taxi - or even a helicopter if he thinks urgent treatment is needed. There is anti toxin here against snakes and scorpions but the chance to meet one of these nasty creatures is very low.
Can I pay with credit card? Are there ATMs or a bank in Wadi Rum?
Unfortunately we don't have ATMs or banks in the village and we are not able to take credit cards. Therefore we have to ask for payment in cash. There are ATMs in bigger cities like Aqaba, Wadi Musa (Petra), Madaba and Amman.
Do you have guides speaking different languages?
All of my guides speak fluent English but none of the guides currently working in Wadi Rum speaks more than a few words of any other language. French, German, Italian, Spanish or other speakers have to manage as best they can.
I am a vegetarian.
No problem. We offer a variety of dishes, based on local ones, ample in quantity and well cooked. In warm weather, lunch is usually a salad dish, supper is always hot. Vegetarian food can be supplied, but please tell us about this or about any allergies before we go to the desert. Breakfast is bread or buns which we can warm on the fire and a choice of cheese, eggs etc. (whatever we see in the shops that looks good).
Can we start off by an overnight and do the tour the next day?
Yes. The price would be the same as an ordinary tour and overnight but you should be here by 6 pm at the very latest or it will be too late to have supper in the desert.
I want to arrive about midday and do the tour over two days. That's just 24 hours, right, so it would be charged the same price.
The guides are paid by the day and not by the hour. They would therefore be expecting a payment for two days. This is fair enough since they are blocked for the day in this case and cannot accept another contract. We don't charge you the full two days, this comes from our pocket but we do charge you extra.
What happens if - for some reason - I want to abandon the tour in the middle?
As explained above, the full day will usually be charged but not any subsequent days. This does depend on the reason for the abandonment.
We don't want to share our tour with other people.
Usually this is possible with a surcharge. Please take a look at our Private Tour page. However, the supply of good guides is not unlimited and during the high season to send out too many private tours means that a lot of people could not get a tour at all. Just send us your inquiry and we'll try our best to satisfy your desires.
I am traveling alone.
Our prices are on the basis of a minimum of 2 persons per tour. If you are traveling alone the price for just one person would be higher. Just send us an inquiry and we will see what we can do for you. If possible we would try to put you to another tour to reduce the price per person.
I don't think that I can be there by 9.15 am
In that case, unless there is a very good reason for your being late, we reserve the right to charge the Private Tour price, usually 10 JD/person. We are sympathetic but other people might be waiting for you to start their tour.
What will the weather be like at any time up to six months ahead?
We can give the probabilities: In the winter it will probably be cold and in the summer it will be very hot. For more information you can check the Jordan Met Office site.
What time is sunset/sunrise?
Here we refer you to a website at Time and Date dot com! Here you can enter the year and the month that interests you.
I have a problem, an issue or a complaint...
Please don't hesitate any time to ask! Me or my guides are almost always in the camp for the evening meal; if we have a group somewhere in the desert, I even try to pass in the camp for half an hour at least. If you don't see me, then one of the guides will call me - insist on this if necessary or ask somebody else and ask for help. If I cannot come immediately or if I am out of mobile connection, I will still come to find you as soon as possible. Please note that nobody in the team is authorised to change a program or a price without my explicit instructions.
It is very important to me that my clients leave Wadi Rum happy with their visit. It is only fair to give me the chance to put things right if they have gone wrong!
I want to dive in Aqaba and come to Wadi Rum in the evening
You should tell the Divemaster of your plans. Wadi Rum is at 1.000m above sea level, so you will need to stick to shallow diving that day. We can arrange a taxi for you, it's between 25 JD and 35 JD (depends on your location). You can get more information here.
There are several options to spend a night in the desert of Wadi Rum. The traditional way would be sleeping in a Bedouin camp. There are many Bedouin camps in Wadi Rum with different locations. Our ones is about 13 km away from the village at a very nice and safe place very close to the famous Lawrence House. You can find everything about our camp here. Another way to explore the night in the desert would be sleeping in our private cave. It's a cozy and wind protected place very near to our camp. Another option is sleeping under the stars: You choose any place in the desert, just on a mattress. Of course we can help you to find a good place.
What should I bring?
We recommend protection for your head and plenty of sunscreen. You will also need a bag or backpack for daytime activities where you store your camera, water, head covering, snacks and perhaps a light sweater or something with long sleeves. Please don't forget to bring a towel.
What to wear?
Clothes: You can wear almost anything that will let you sit on the ground, ride a camel or scramble into a jeep. We do ask ladies not to wear anything too skimpy when they are in the village (halter necks, short shorts, etc). When you are out in the desert then it doesn't matter because we are used to just about anything! But please do keep a tee shirt available for the village.
Shoes: Unless you are doing a heavy scrambling program, you do not need boots for the hiking programs. Trainers or good walking shoes, even sneakers are fine. Socks are a good idea, though. Trekking sandals are very good, especially in warm/hot weather. The models with closed toes are best.
Sleeping equipment: We supply mattresses, blankets and pillows. In cold weather we have comforters which keep you nice and warm. There is no real need for you to bring sleeping bags, but some people prefer to use their own. This is up to you. In the winter, we move the fire and supper inside one of the tents and snuggle up with blankets for after supper talk. You should not be cold at night, but in the evenings in the winter you do need sweater and/or jacket.
What can I do with my luggage?
You can bring it out to the camp and store it in your own tent. Some people prefer to sort out what they need into a smaller bag or bags and leave the main luggage in our office in Wadi Rum village where it will be safe. Don't forget to bring your own towel.
What medical treatment is available in case of accidents or snake bite?
There is a health centre in Wadi Rum where a qualified doctor is always on duty. He can deal with the most usual problems and accidents. If necessary he will send you to Aqaba in an ambulance or a taxi - or even a helicopter if he thinks urgent treatment is needed. There is anti toxin here against snakes and scorpions but the chance to meet one of these nasty creatures is very low.
Can I pay with credit card? Are there ATMs or a bank in Wadi Rum?
Unfortunately we don't have ATMs or banks in the village and we are not able to take credit cards. Therefore we have to ask for payment in cash. There are ATMs in bigger cities like Aqaba, Wadi Musa (Petra), Madaba and Amman.
Do you have guides speaking different languages?
All of my guides speak fluent English but none of the guides currently working in Wadi Rum speaks more than a few words of any other language. French, German, Italian, Spanish or other speakers have to manage as best they can.
I am a vegetarian.
No problem. We offer a variety of dishes, based on local ones, ample in quantity and well cooked. In warm weather, lunch is usually a salad dish, supper is always hot. Vegetarian food can be supplied, but please tell us about this or about any allergies before we go to the desert. Breakfast is bread or buns which we can warm on the fire and a choice of cheese, eggs etc. (whatever we see in the shops that looks good).
Can we start off by an overnight and do the tour the next day?
Yes. The price would be the same as an ordinary tour and overnight but you should be here by 6 pm at the very latest or it will be too late to have supper in the desert.
I want to arrive about midday and do the tour over two days. That's just 24 hours, right, so it would be charged the same price.
The guides are paid by the day and not by the hour. They would therefore be expecting a payment for two days. This is fair enough since they are blocked for the day in this case and cannot accept another contract. We don't charge you the full two days, this comes from our pocket but we do charge you extra.
What happens if - for some reason - I want to abandon the tour in the middle?
As explained above, the full day will usually be charged but not any subsequent days. This does depend on the reason for the abandonment.
We don't want to share our tour with other people.
Usually this is possible with a surcharge. Please take a look at our Private Tour page. However, the supply of good guides is not unlimited and during the high season to send out too many private tours means that a lot of people could not get a tour at all. Just send us your inquiry and we'll try our best to satisfy your desires.
I am traveling alone.
Our prices are on the basis of a minimum of 2 persons per tour. If you are traveling alone the price for just one person would be higher. Just send us an inquiry and we will see what we can do for you. If possible we would try to put you to another tour to reduce the price per person.
I don't think that I can be there by 9.15 am
In that case, unless there is a very good reason for your being late, we reserve the right to charge the Private Tour price, usually 10 JD/person. We are sympathetic but other people might be waiting for you to start their tour.
What will the weather be like at any time up to six months ahead?
We can give the probabilities: In the winter it will probably be cold and in the summer it will be very hot. For more information you can check the Jordan Met Office site.
What time is sunset/sunrise?
Here we refer you to a website at Time and Date dot com! Here you can enter the year and the month that interests you.
I have a problem, an issue or a complaint...
Please don't hesitate any time to ask! Me or my guides are almost always in the camp for the evening meal; if we have a group somewhere in the desert, I even try to pass in the camp for half an hour at least. If you don't see me, then one of the guides will call me - insist on this if necessary or ask somebody else and ask for help. If I cannot come immediately or if I am out of mobile connection, I will still come to find you as soon as possible. Please note that nobody in the team is authorised to change a program or a price without my explicit instructions.
It is very important to me that my clients leave Wadi Rum happy with their visit. It is only fair to give me the chance to put things right if they have gone wrong!
I want to dive in Aqaba and come to Wadi Rum in the evening
You should tell the Divemaster of your plans. Wadi Rum is at 1.000m above sea level, so you will need to stick to shallow diving that day. We can arrange a taxi for you, it's between 25 JD and 35 JD (depends on your location). You can get more information here.
You have a question that you couldn't find here? Then send us an email to [email protected] or go to our Contact page.
