March 2022 - around in Wadi Rum incl. meeting with Bedouin Eco tourism

This trip began be funny, I flew from Milan to Aqaba by EasyJet but we were only 5 persons on the flight, it felts so strange. And I was gladly surprised that the flight wasn't cancelled because it would be boring. But we were lucky and could fly to Jordan, to Aqaba.

 

In Aqaba it was warm so it was nice compared to Milan where it was still quite cold. I rented the car at the airport and drove then to Aqaba, to my favorite hotel Al Quidra hotel, good location, many restaurants around so I not needed to go far. Anyway I would stay there only over night and next day I drove directly to Wadi Rum.

I recommend this hotel, nice rooms are there and staff is very helpful. 

 

 

 

 

Due continued risk for to be infected of corona they   had not opened breakfast room but I got breakfast served directly to my room, so it was perfect and comfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   But dinner I got to eat outside, found near one nice restaurant and I got a very good dinner. 

 

As said, I stayed only one night and next morning I drove directly to my loved desert Wadi Rum where I stayed the whole time, 2 weeks. But of course each day I did some trip by my car, sometimes with my friend we were going to the desert. But this year it was very cold March so it was pity. Sometimes it blew cold wind so it was not so nice to stay outside. So cold as this time I never experienced there before. But it was cold everywhere, not only in Jordan, but in Europe in any case.

I rented the car for the whole time so I could drive around quite much and visited all places I wanted to see around Wadi Rum protected area and especially wished to see those terrible bubble camps and luxury camps also because I do not understand why tourists began suddenly to prefer such camps instead for a more genuine Bedouin camps which are much more nicer than those horrible resorts.

Do not understand what it can be so fantastic to look at wall in front of the entrance into the "tent"as I saw in one such resort or if one get a "tent" in second line, they see not the desert, but then one bubble in front of them. 

Thankfully most are outside the protected area but around Ad Disa, a larger village, to left off the road to the protected area.
But unfortunately, there started to be here and there in the protected area those too and it doesn't fit there at all, it looks terrible.
However, I hope that there will not be too many such things built within the protected area so that it remains beautiful and not destroyed much.

I got to talk with some locals about those "things" and they told to me that "Most "luxury", "glamping", "bubbel", "luxotel" or "hotels" in our area are owned by Amman/international businessmen who couldn't care less about the fate of our Homeland and our people. Thus, they don't care about where they dump their trash and waste water and energy but only about the profits from rich people. Some alleged "Bedouin/family camp" owned business are just lying and do the same, so make sure to do your research and refrain from these kinds of offers. There are real Bedouin run stays like ours who want to keep living here!"

One other had a this comment: "Wadi Rum's primary appeal is it's natural beauty and cultural identify as recognized by UNESCO. It is therefore impractical that people travel long distances to the desert and stay in accommodation with bright lights connected to the asphalt road network with coaches pulling up and various other amenities that completely overshadow the desert environment. Similar offerings exist along the Dead Sea with superior facilities and easier accessed if visitors merely want comfort without experiencing the identity of the destination. As mentioned so many alternatives within the desert away from major infrastructure are overlooked when they offer a far greater opportunity to experience both the natural and cultural beauty of the destination. Instead many visitors are drawn to venues where local cultural elements have been completely forgotten and the convenience of coach access and high energy consumption units such as AC are the primary considerations for construction."

So I am happy there are more people thinking the same as me and hope that the authorities will make sure to keep this beautiful desert as pristine as possible.

Below I will show a couple of such resort and "bubble tents" so you can have an idea how it can looks at.

Or how "fantastic" it must be to stay at such luxury hotel with a "wonderful view over electricity poles.

But of course, 

I drove not around such things but even around to the landscape along roads, looking at for example abandoned rails of Hejaz Railway in direction towards Mudawara into Saudi etc.

 

By the way, in Mudawara is Al-Mudawara Castle, or Jagiman Castle, a desert castle used in the Mamluk and Ottoman eras as a stop for caravans of Hajj, and the last pilgrim stations to Al-Shami before the start of the sandy plain in northern Hijaz.
Arab tribes, and since previous ages, have been concerned with protecting the convoys of the Levant and the Egyptian pilgrims that crossed their regions.

Have also gone and looked at the starting line where there is a camel race every year, but there was almost a sandstorm when I was there so there weren't that many good pictures to take.

 

Another day I went with my friend to find Qasr Tuba which I wish to see so much for many years already, but it is a bit far from Wadi Rum and somehow never been possible to go and visit it.

But this time because I had the car for so many days it was opportunity to go and hope to find it. It was far of course and we took the road no. 5 from Ma'an. That road I like very much, it is calm, not busy at all and there are many camels along the road walking there. 

But it was not so easy to find Qasr, we were talked that there we will see a sign showing to right but we never found the sign. We asked locals, even a policeman who was driving and all of them said that we are now on right location and should park the car there and go by foots in the direction they showed us to go. So we parked and gone, it was not se easy to walk, stones smaller and bigger, we were going down and up, looking, searching, but without success. We checked even google map but it was not so good connection and it had misled us a bit.
So at the end we gave up, gone back to the car and drove back home. Saying that next time we will have a 4x4 and drive there again and then we have to find it, next time. Inshallah.

On the way back to the car I was lucky and found one very nice stone, not know that it could be, if it is something ancient or so, but really nice and interesting, so I took a picture, of course. Maybe next time I am there I will find more of such similar stones and then take one with me for to investigate, what it can be for.

I like to drive through the desert and it is really exciting to drive alone, now I have been there so many times so some directions and piste and similar I know, so one day I got to borrow my friends car, 4x4 and drove alone. But anyway I took it carefully, wanted not to drive lost, even if my friend said he would find me plus explained how I would do if I go lost. 

But, unfortunately, or rather luckily I gone not lost and found back home without problem. Although it would be a bit exciting to go a little lost, not much, but a little bit and see how I would do, LOL.

Back in the village meeting cheep and goats

 

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints

At the end I want to mentioned that Bedouin began start with ECO system tours and offer all visitors tours through the clean desert, showing how to take care of the desert. To discover Wadi Rum and the life there as it was before mass tourism and will get the Bedouin life experience in this one of most spectacular desert

For example to take firewood with you and do not collect it in the desert where you only pick dry wood that is already on the ground, but never tear twigs from bushes or trees. Or how to use natural plants as a soap etc. To safe water also as much as possible.

We all should give our support to this project as much as possible so that a traditional desert lifestyle will remain forever.