We had had a busy morning, exploring Little Petra and driving to Wadi Rum’s desert, in the south of Jordan. The husband and I were looking forward to taking a jeep ride in the desert and sleeping in a traditional Bedouin camp. The Cub was also excited – she was really keen to meet some camels!
A Jeep Ride into the Desert of Wadi Rum
Not long after we arrived at our Bedouin camp we piled into the back of a jeep for a tour through the desert. We went at a sedate pace for the kids, but it was still bumpy enough and the Cub really enjoyed it. Bee was soon lulled into a sleep as I’d decided to keep him in our sling rather than letting him bounce about (or out of) the back of the jeep. Of course you can go for a bit more of an exciting ride if you don’t have toddlers with you.
Our driver had to exercise quite some skill when he parked the jeep to stop it sliding back down the dunes. We stopped at a dune which was the setting for The Martian.
You can see why they picked Wadi Rum to stand in for Mars; the sand really is red and the great spines of rock rising out of the dunes gives it an otherworldly quality. The Cub was delighted and had a lovely time scampering about and trying to build sandcastles.
As we drove around the husband and I were mesmerised by Wadi Rum’s stark beauty. We both agreed that we felt quite insignificant in the vastness of the desert.
It also felt like it was a spiritual place on some level; we could see why three of the world’s major religions started around this area.
A Camel Ride
For the first part of our drive the only sign of other people in the desert were jeep tracks. However we spied some camels in the distance and soon found a large group of them with their Bedouin owners. Of course we jumped out and the Cub ran straight over to them.
Choosing the one with the most pink on its saddle she was soon asking to sit on it. We all wanted a quick ride. Poor Bee woke up as the camel stood up – I imagine he was a bit disconcerted to find himself high up on such a strange looking beast! Needless to say, the camel ride was the Cub’s favourite part of the trip to Jordan.
Just around the corner from the camels we paused for tea at a Bedouin camp in the shelter of some of the largest rocks. Someone had carved the face of T.E. Lawrence into a rock here.
About the only research I’d managed to do on Jordan before we left was to watch Lawrence of Arabia, the biopic of the British soldier who joined with the Bedouins of Wadi Rum during the Arab Revolt to liberate Aqaba from the Ottomans. I was interested to know what the Bedouins actually thought of Lawrence. Our guide was positive about him; I suppose they wouldn’t have carved his likeness onto a rock if they didn’t like him!
Refreshed after our tea, we jumped back into the jeep to find a viewpoint for sunset. The kids ran about, although Bee wasn’t as keen on the sand as his sister. The husband and I soaked in as much of our surroundings as we could while keeping an eye on the kids. We were lucky with the sunset; a few wisps of cloud added to its beauty.
Bedouin Camp and Sleeping in a Tent
We headed back to our camp for dinner. The food was lamb which had been cooked in a pit underground with vegetables. We watched as it was hauled, steaming, out of the pit, then got in a scrum with the other guests at the camp as everyone rushed to serve themselves.
The husband enjoyed the meat; I settled for veg and rice. As the veg had been cooked in the pit with the meat it did have quite a meaty taste which I wasn’t keen on. When you’re travelling though it’s not always entirely possible to remain a strict vegetarian. You’re going to get some veg cooked in meat stock, or fish sauce in a broth or similar at some point. I try not to stress about it too much.
The camp was showing a film on a mobile film truck but the children were too tired to watch it so we headed back to our tent. Our accommodation wasn’t really a tent, but a wooden hut covered in green and white striped canvas, and lined inside with white silk. It felt like a tent, which I suppose is the important part. We had the added benefit of an ensuite shower room. We passed a comfortable night, though the husband and I would have liked to have stayed up later and talked with our hosts a bit more. I was also hoping to try to get some good photos of the night sky but unfortunately the sky had clouded over. Of course.
Aqaba
After a leisurely breakfast at our camp we left Wadi Rum for our final stop in Jordan; the town of Aqaba on the shores of the Red Sea. On the way we found an old steam train which we couldn’t resist exploring.
We’d decided to splurge a bit and stayed in the Intercontinental, which was lovely. It had its own section of beach so we knew the kids would be safe playing here. From the beach you can see four countries; Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
We were surprised and saddened to see that the hotel was almost entirely deserted. There were hardly any other tourists at the tail end of peak season. When I went to enquire about taking a snorkelling trip, the staff weren’t sure if any were running as nobody else had expressed an interest. They told me to come back the next morning to check.
The next day I had an upset stomach so snorkelling was out anyway. I don’t know how I picked the bug up; nobody else got it. We’d all eaten the same food and the places we stayed were clean. I was gutted – I’d been looking forward to some “me” time as the husband had said he’d look after the kids while I went. I’d done snorkelling in the Red Sea in Egypt so I knew exactly what I was missing out on.
We played on the beach with the kids instead, and despite me feeling a little sub-par we had a relaxing end to the holiday. The husband and I reflected on our holiday and all the amazing things we’d seen. Other than our honeymoon we thought that this was the best trip we’d taken.
Jordan has it all; fascinating culture and history, amazing ancient ruins and spectacular and varied scenery. And perhaps most importantly, some of the friendliest people we’ve met on our travels. We absolutely loved Jordan and we will definitely be back.
I spent a night in a bedouin camp in Israel. It was quite an experience too
It’s good fun isn’t it? The kids loved it.
I can’t even imagine how magical it must be to have a camel ride in the desert for children. I think they will remember that one if nothing else! Beautiful photos. 🙂
Thanks Katie. They thought it was great, well the Cub did anyway. The boy is a bit little to remember sadly!
You have such gorgeous photos, looks like something out of a movie! And what a great place to take the kids, bet it’s something they’ll never forget experiencing, especially those camels.
Thanks Heather! It was great fun for them; playing in the sand and meeting camels was the Cub’s favourite part of our trip.
How cool that you can see 4 countries from one beach! Your pictures are beautiful – sounds like it was a neat trip.
Thanks Katie. I thought that was cool too 🙂
The kids must have been thrilled to get on that camel. Your photos says it all.
They were – they loved it!
Looks stunning and really exciting for the kids. I’m amazed at that beach where you can see four countries. How cool.
Jordan is really beautiful. There’s lots of adventure to be had there!
What an adventure you are having! How did you find the camel ride? I tried it once and found it very bumpy. I suppose one gets used to it after a while
It was quite short so we didn’t get uncomfortable. But I once rode a camel up Mt Sinai and that was very bumpy!
This sounds like an amazing adventure, especially for the kids! Your photos are so lovely and really make us want to visit!
I’m sure you guys would love it. We went at a very sedate pace for the kids but there’s lots of more adventurous stuff you can do in Jordan.
That all just looks SO FLIPPING COOL! And I love how your kids embrace it. The best schooling they’ll ever get 😛
Thanks Crystal! The kids did get stuck in which was lovely to see!
Jordan is such a great place to travel with kids, and I totally agree nothing beats Wadi Rum. Climbing the rocks, it’s all good!
It’s fantastic for families but it doesn’t occur to many to visit. We will go back for sure.
First of all– your photos are incredible. Some look like postcards. I really want to make it here one day. I’ve heard nothing but good things. It looks amazing.
Thank you! It’s an incredible country with tons to see.
Wow what an incredible place to visit! The red sand does make it look like Mars, doesn’t it? What a cool experience for the kids. Some beautiful photography here too. Would love to visit Jordan one day.
Thanks Juliette. It’s a beautiful country and we’d recommend it!
Awesome experience. I love Wadi Rum and your pictures reminded me again of the wonderful time I had there. You had a better one though because you took your family with you 🙂
Thanks! It’s a fantastic place and we’ll never forget it!
What an awesome experience!! Looks like you all had a blast, love your photos. We would love to spent a night in a bedouin camp. I rode a camel a few years ago but can’t say i’d rush to do it again it was so bloody uncomfortable!! haha
We did, it was so much fun. I went on a much longer camel ride once and it was pretty uncomfortable too! Luckily ours was quite short for the kids.
My mother used to travel to JOrdan. Such a beautiful country and great pictures of Wadi Rum. I heard so many stories of that place. I hope to visit it anytime soon myself.
Jordan is a great country – we absolutely loved it. Hope you make it there soon!
I can definitely imagine that the desert landscape can feel quite overwhelming! It looks beautiful though with all the red sand, and what a great experience to have a family camel ride!
It was such a beautiful place; we loved it. The camel ride was great fun too.
The orange sand, the blue sky, nearby Petra, sounds like a dream. I love the architecture and deserts in the middle east. Your photos only enhanced my feelings.
Me too Rhonda. It’s a special place, the best part of our trip!
I am really quite surprised at how varied the scenery in Jordan is, from reading your posts. I haven’t looked into Jordan otherwise, but your photos are always stunning! I love the benches bolted into the back of the pickup truck and the photos of the kids playing in the dunes 🙂
What an amazing experience. Visiting the Wadi Rum is high on my travel wishlist. It looks like a really great tip to take with kids too.
What a beautiful family experience this must have been. A very authentic travel experience, too! The scenery looks so incredible. I was amazed to see how red the sand really was.
It seems that you have had incredible experience. It’s great that you could do that as all family trip. Views are just stunning and steam train very special. Thanks for sharing.
Your kids will thank you one day for this adventure… I wish my parents had taken me once on such an adventure! And those colours on your photos… I’m so jealous right now!!!! 🙂
Wonderful post! I love, love all the pictures…beautiful.
If you don’t mind my asking which camp did tou stay at. The wife and I are heading out next month. I’m not afraid to admit we are more glampers than campers. En suite restrooms would be a plus and I haven’t found an outfit that offers any. Thanks!
Hi Mario, we were at Sun City camp. Our trip was organised by Jordan Select Tours, if that helps you at all! I am a glamper for sure too 😉
I love the train! So beautiful and I love the idea you travel with kid. Because a lot of parents is still afraid of it.
We were scared of travelling with ours too! But we’re glad we took the plunge.
Absolutely amazing! We would love to visit Jordan one day and visit the Wadi Rum and Petra. Looks like a great destination to travel with your family. Thanks for sharing.
Jo
I’d highly recommend it. Jordanians were very welcoming and they love kids.
What an amazing experience for you and your family! It makes me a little sad to hear that the hotel was kind of deserted. Why?? Still, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Jordan’s tourism has plummeted because of the war in Syria. Lots of people think it’s too risky to visit because of IS.
Wadi Rum is a truly breathtaking place! I would love to visit it one day, Emily!
Hi. I enjoyed this. It’s nice to see people who aren’t afraid to travel to exciting places with children. Too many parents I know think it’s far too stressful and not worth the extra planning. Kids get so much from travel though! Especially somewhere as culturally different as Jordan!
William Maddicott recently posted…Surtsey: The Newest Island in the World
Thanks William. Our little girl still talks about Jordan and she was only 3 when we went. It made quite an impression!
Hi your photos are stunning, what camera did you use?
Hafsa
Hi Hafsa, thanks for your kind comment! I used a Nikon D3300, so just a basic DSLR, with its kit lens 18 – 55mm. I use Lightroom for photo editing. Hope that helps!