When I received my schedule of my full week in Jordan one of the activities that caught my eye was a trip around Wadi Rum. Because we are living in a digital world I googled this beautiful part of nature to get into travel mood. Breathtaking widely spaced desert plains popped on my screen and I just couldn’t stop scrolling down. But did I know it would be even more breathtaking than I could ever imagine. When people are asking me how my trip in Jordan was, I’m getting quite speechless because what I’ve seen and experienced can’t be described with words, pictures or even video’s. It’s something you need to experience in person and let the nature take over your senses. Because I still want to describe how it was spending an afternoon at Wadi Rum I selected a few of my favorite images and tried to explain this unique day.
Once in a life time experience
I’ve never been to a desert before and although I’ve seen images of deserts quite often on tv or online I actually didn’t know what to expect. Living in a country that’s super small and where mountains can’t be found I was curious to experience the greatness of nature and to go back to basics. After spending two days in Amman I traveled more than 4 hours to the south of Jordan to get closer to the Wadi Rum desert. Endless roads with only a few signs of civilisation and impressive mountains that popped up made me grab my camera every second to capture it all. But soon I noticed it made no sense because every meter we got closer to our destination the views got better and better. It was such an experience to travel to a new place where I wasn’t sure what to expect.
After sitting in the back of a small bus for 4 hours we safely arrived at one of the Bedouin camps for a quick stop and to enjoy a delicious lunch made by locals. These camps are primitive but the tents feel surprisingly luxurious because in the end you’ve got all the things you need without all the fuzz of electronics and unneccessary stuff you normally will find in a restaurant or hotel room. Desert camping in a bedouin camp is an experience that every traveler should try at least once because you will feel closer to the landscape and the people and the memories will last forever. So it won’t be a surprise this experience is still high on my travel-wishlist.
After our belly filling lunch we all hopped on the jeep with a scarf around our head to protect ourselves from the sun and sand and we headed into the wild. While we first drove quite slowly I was wondering how long this trip would take because I knew there was a camel ride on the schedule too. But the adventurous person inside me got quite happy when the driver put the jeep in 3rd gear. I needed to hold tight to the jeep and was shooting pictures at the same time. With a big smile on my face, with the sun on my skin and a 360 view of the most impressive landscape I’ve ever experienced.
When I saw a group of camels in the distance I knew these were the ones that would bring us closer into the (semi) desert and another once in a lifetime experience I never would forget. Normally I’m really not into bigger animals like camels and horses but surprisingly I didn’t feel any fear of getting up on these impressive animals. Luckily the camel and I were a great match and I hopped on him like I’ve done it a thousand times. With two camera’s, a phone and a backpack I felt so one with the nature and these animals I almost thought I somehow missed my calling – do you already see me rockin’ those camels!
When we slowly saw the sun going down we stopped at on of the rocks that gave us the perfect view to watch the sunset. With a fear for heights I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hike up. But having in my mind shooting amazing shots and this once in a lifetime experience gave me the courage to go up. With the wind rushing across my face, the endless view and being in silence brought a calmness over me I’ve never experienced before. I truly wanted it to last forever but I knew this moment was graved into mind and soul.
With the sun already down we hopped on our camels again and drove into the darkness with only the moonlight, stars and the lights of the Bedouin camps. While bumping up and down on my camel I looked up and saw the most impressive dark sky filled with millions of stars. This experience graved into my soul and I knew one day we’ll meet again!
I want to thank Jordan Tourism Board for welcoming me to Jordan and organizing this amazing trip! #UnravelingJordan
