"Tourists Always Arrive Scared of the Desert. They Leave Crying When They Have to Go." — A Bedouin Guide on Wadi Rum
Salem Al-Zawaideh has been guiding visitors through Wadi Rum since before most of them knew it existed. Born in a Bedouin family that's lived in this desert for generations, he now runs his own camp and leads jeep tours through the protected area. I sat with him in his tent, drinking sweet tea with sage, while he answered my questions about what tourists get right, what they get wrong, and why this desert matters.
Tell us about yourself and how you got into guiding.
I was born here. My family has been in Wadi Rum — we don't count the years. My grandfather herded goats in the same valleys where I now drive tourists. I started guiding when I was 17, first just helping my uncle carry bags. Now I'm 55 and I've taken maybe 10,000 people into the desert.
The desert is not something I chose. It chose me. I tried living in Aqaba for two years when I was young — working in a hotel. I lasted two years. The buildings felt like they were sitting on my chest. I came back.
What do tourists get wrong about Wadi Rum?
Three things. Always three things.
First, they don't bring enough water. I say three liters minimum per day. They bring one small bottle and think they'll buy more. Buy more where? This is desert. There are no shops after the Visitor Center. No facilities. Nothing. I keep extra water in my jeep because someone always runs out by noon.
Second, they don't understand the temperature. They come in October wearing shorts and sandals because it's 30°C during the day. Then the sun sets and it drops to 10°C and they're shivering in my tent asking for blankets. In winter — January, February — the nights go to zero. I've had people from tropical countries who genuinely didn't know this was possible.
Third, they try to organize Wadi Rum from Booking.com. The prices are double what you'd pay booking direct. My camp — a full night in a tent, dinner, breakfast, and a 4-hour jeep tour — costs 50 JOD ($70) when you book through me on WhatsApp. On Booking.com, it's 90-100 JOD for the same thing. They take 30% commission. That's money that should stay here.
What's the one thing you wish every visitor would do?
Stay two nights. Everyone stays one night and thinks they've "done" Wadi Rum. You've done nothing. One night gives you a sunset, a dinner, and a sunrise. That's the tourist version.
Two nights lets me take you to places where no jeep goes. We walk into slot canyons with 2,000-year-old Nabataean inscriptions — the same people who built Petra carved their stories into our rocks. We climb Burdah Rock Bridge, which is 35 meters high and the best view in Jordan — but it takes 3-4 hours of scrambling and you need a full day.
Two nights lets the desert work on you. The first night, you're still thinking about your phone. The second night, you've stopped.
Tell us about the stargazing.
Wadi Rum is one of the darkest places on Earth. No light pollution. None. The nearest city with lights is Aqaba, 60 kilometers south, and the mountains block it.
On a clear night — and it's clear 300 nights a year — you see the Milky Way as a solid band across the sky. I watch tourists look up and their mouths open and they don't close them for five minutes. Many of them have never seen stars like this. They come from London, New York, Tokyo — cities where they see maybe 50 stars. Here they see 50 million.
The best stargazing months are March-May and September-November. Avoid the full moon — it washes out the stars. New moon nights in April or October are what I recommend.
I don't use a telescope. I point with my finger and tell the stories my grandfather told me. The Bedouin had names for everything in the sky before anyone wrote them down.
What about the Lawrence of Arabia connection?
T.E. Lawrence was here. That's real. He wrote about Wadi Rum in his book "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" and described it as "vast, echoing, and God-like." The spring named after him — Lawrence's Spring — is a real place on the standard jeep tour.
But I'll tell you something tourists don't expect to hear: Lawrence was one small part of this desert's story. The Nabataeans were here 2,000 years ago. The Thamudic people left inscriptions 4,000 years ago. My own family has been here longer than any British officer.
The movie is beautiful. The desert is more beautiful. Come for the desert.
What's the food situation in the camps?
We cook zarb — the traditional Bedouin way. Meat and vegetables go into a metal pot, the pot goes into a hole in the sand, covered with hot coals and buried. Three hours later, you dig it out. The lamb falls apart. The vegetables taste smoky and sweet.
Most camps include zarb or a similar dinner with the overnight stay. I serve it with rice, salads, hummus, and unlimited tea. Breakfast is simple — bread, eggs, jam, cheese, and more tea.
Bring snacks for the jeep tour. I carry dates and nuts in the vehicle, but if you want specific things, buy them at the Visitor Center before we enter the protected area.
Any tourist traps to avoid?
"Tourist traps" is a strong word for Wadi Rum — there's nothing here to trap you. But I'll say this: some camps advertise "luxury" experiences with bubble tents and private bathrooms for 200-300 JOD a night. The experience is beautiful, I won't deny that. But you're paying for a tent, not for a different desert.
My goat-hair tents cost 50 JOD with everything included. The stars are the same. The zarb tastes the same. The silence is the same. The only difference is a toilet that flushes versus one that doesn't. Decide what's important to you.
What's the one thing tourists do that surprises you?
They cry. I see grown men — big, tough-looking people from Germany, Australia, America — sit on a sand dune at sunset with tears running down their faces. Nobody's sad. The desert just does something to people. It strips away the noise.
I've been asked if I ever get tired of it. I've seen 15,000 sunsets from Wadi Rum. I've never seen the same one twice.
Any customs visitors should know about?
When I offer you tea, drink it. Refusing tea from a Bedouin is the worst insult. I don't care if you don't like tea. Drink it. Then you can quietly not finish it.
Remove your shoes before entering a tent. Ask before photographing people — especially women. Tip your driver and guide — 5-10 JOD is standard and it means something to families who live off guiding income.
And please. Please. Don't leave trash in the desert. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's also my home.
While in Jordan, floating in the Dead Sea is a natural complement to the desert experience.
For a similar experience in a different setting, Beirut offers a compelling alternative.
History lovers can continue the archaeological trail at Cairo and the pyramids.
Final thoughts for someone considering Wadi Rum?
Stop considering. Come.
Buy the Jordan Pass online for 70-80 JOD — it includes your visa fee, Petra entrance, and Wadi Rum. Contact a camp directly on WhatsApp. Bring water, sunscreen, a warm layer for nights, and closed shoes for climbing.
And leave your expectations at the Visitor Center. The desert will give you something better than what you imagined. It always does.
