There are a few different ways to spend the night in Wadi Rum. You can rent a tent cheaply behind the visitor centre, you can pay the official camping rate of J$25 to go farther into the reserve, or you can stay with Bedouins, who have homes in Wadi Rum and will offer you a tent in the yard at varying rates. I was unsure what to do, so I let my host Ahmad choose Jebel Rum Camping, which he'd been pleased with on previous trips. An overnight stay at Jebel Rum Camping, including dinner, breakfast, and entertainment, costs J$15.

To get to Wadi Rum from Aqaba, I got on the noon minibus. We had to wait for more passengers, so we eventually left around 1pm. Smoking is allowed, possibly encouraged, on the bus; with the heat and my heavy backpack uncomfortably held on my lap, this did not add up to a quality bus ride. The only English speaker on the bus told me that Jebel Rum Camping was not actually within Wadi Rum itself, but that he would tell me where to get off. Gazing out at the endless desert, I fretted unnecessarily about the trek I'd be taking if he were wrong.

The bus stopped along a random patch of desert. The English speaker pointed at another random patch of desert in the distance and told me that was Jebel Rum. I gathered my bags uncertainly and wished I'd remembered to unpack my hat. A few of the Bedouin women had come off the bus with me, but without common language, they also ended up pointing vaguely into the desert.

The walk from the road is almost 3km, which seems like more when you're carrying a big backpack, camera bag, 2 liters of water, and, oh yeah, brilliantly wandering the desert at 3pm without a hat. Eventually, a truck pulled over, and I got in for a ride the rest of the way (probably less than 500m, but I was grateful to sit for a moment).

The driver, whose English was also limited, kept asking me if I'd like to camp at his house instead. Camp at his house? At the time, I was unaware that some Bedouin families offered this, so even though he said that he was married, I wasn't sure how to take this proposition. I convinced him to let me use his mobile to make sure I was going the right direction, and then we'd discuss this camping-at-his-house concept. We arrived at Jebel Rum Camping, and he seemed a bit disappointed, but I was relieved. But now I wonder if I missed out on an interesting experience...

Abu Yasser, the manager of the camp, came out to greet me, thanking my driver and offering tea and a cushion in the shade. At the time, there was nothing to do except walk around, as tours in the actual Wadi Rum reserve are too expensive for a solo traveler. The heat was pretty intense, so I napped in the shade instead until a couple arrived to take a tour with me.

At Wadi Rum, the choices for the amount of daylight we had left and money we were willing to spend were limited. We opted for the Sunset Sites tour, which was J$25 for the car (split three ways), plus J$2 each for admission to the reserve.

We clambered into the back of the ancient jeep, which appeared to be held together by duct tape. Unfortunately, the only photo I have is the mistake at the left; let's call it artistic. We tried to joke about the violently bumpy drive, but the shakiness was a bit distracting. The driver was not a guide and did not speak English. According to Ruth's Jordan Jubilee website, there are actual guides who may charge a little less than the official Wadi Rum operator rates. Next time, I'll pay more attention to her advice!

Khazali Canyon

Our tour also included Khazali Canyon and Lawrence's Spring, passing through Rum Village. The landscape is eerie and beautiful and made me wish I'd seen "Lawrence of Arabia," as the couple I toured with went on and on about seeing the movie landscape come to life. The sand is a beautiful shade of red, and the cliffs have an otherworldly appearance. I wish we had started the tour earlier, as the driver was in a rush to get us to the final site in time for sunset. Inching through the narrow Khazali Canyon inexplicably decorated with footprints going UP the stone walls was definitely a highlight and over too quickly. The sunset was beautiful, of course, with not as many tourists as I expected for a desert sunset, so I was able to climb up to a solitary spot on the rock and enjoy the quiet.

We bumped our way back to Jebel Rum camping. At this point, Ahmad had arrived, and I was so glad to see him. We organized our tent—really very nice, with actual beds rather than mattresses in the sand, soothing my fear of scorpions. The facilities were fantastic—very civilized but well-disguised as natural, nicer than some of the hotels I'd stayed in. The toilets and showers were actually in separate stalls—what luxury! The showers were hot with good water pressure, and everything seemed very clean.

Campers in the desert

We wiled the time away in the circular seating area around the bonfire, chatting with other tourists, drinking sugar-laden tea, and smoking nargileh. Then the Bedouins set out our amazing feast. They had made traditional mensaf, which is slow-cooked lamb and chicken, roasted underground, and served over spiced rice mixed with pine nuts with yogurt on the side. Well, it wasn't completely traditional—no sheep's heads in sight. But it was absolutely delicious. There were plenty of side dishes as well, each so tasty that I was sad when I got full. I wish I'd had the foresight to bring a doggie bag. Dessert was a too-sweet pastry, but perfectly sweet watermelon.

As we digested, the evening's entertainment began. The Bedouins sang, played music, and did a traditional dance in the circle that got everyone involved. Although the campground was not particularly busy—they can accommodate 200 people, but we probably had 30 that night—the staff made it into quite a party. We were also shown a traditional Bedouin wedding, which was a bizarre and unnecessary display. We couldn't quite figure out who the target audience for that one was, and it wasn't presented particularly clearly either to us or the tourists who volunteered to "get married."

It gets surprisingly cold at night in the desert, but the camp provides warm blankets. Still, I was happy I'd thought to bring a scarf and sweatshirt with me, as I definitely needed it. The mosquitoes are pretty bad as well, so I slept with repellent on.

Ahmad was not wakeable in the morning, so I got up to watch the sunrise alone. It may not be part of the official Wadi Rum reserve, but the campsite's surrounding area is gorgeous. I only climbed about halfway up a cliff, because the pathway became pretty unclear after a while, but it was high enough for a scenic view and beautiful silence.

Jebel Rum Camping also provides breakfast, although not nearly as sumptuous as the dinner. It was pita, cheese, jam, butter, and a hardboiled egg wrapped together with plastic wrap on a paper plate. Since we knew we would be road-tripping that day, Ahmad and I snuck a couple extra breakfast packs before leaving. Hey, for J$15, we deserved a few extra eggs.

I loved my experience with Jebel Rum Camping, and am still dreaming about that dinner. I can't decide if the staff is fortunate or unfortunate to eat it every night! However, when I get a chance to revisit Wadi Rum, I think I'll take a chance on one of the recommended guides from Jordan Jubilee. I had a great time, but I'd love to try something new.

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