Day 198: One Day in Wadi Rum

November 19, 2025

Day 198: One Day in Wadi Rum

I spent yesterday at the amazing desert area of Wadi Rum. This is my post about that day. But first, let me rewind a bit and tell you about Martin.

I had met Martin at the Nomads Hotel in Wadi Musa, the closest village to Petra. He’s an Australian who was born in the United Kingdom with Malaysian heritage. What a mix! The most amazing feature about Martin is his long dreadlocks.

In the same dorm room, I also met a Chinese student who is taking a vacation from his studies in Italy. His name is Charles.

The three of us were going to Wadi Rum on the same day. Since Martin had rented a car, he was generous enough to allow Charles and I to hitch a ride with him.

We left the hotel early in the morning so we can grab some coffee in downtown Wadi Musa. I bought Martin a cup of Turkish coffee in exchange for the ride.

During the 1:30 hours drive I learned that Martin is 44 years old and has been semi-retired for ten years by investing in real estate early in his life. We chatted about FIRE and investing in the stock market for quite a bit.

Charles was a bit shy at first, but soon we got talking. He’s a student studying AI as a major. Both Martin and I were interested what he thought about AI and the future. Charles’ main interest is DeFi, or decentralized finance. I felt it’s so cool to talk with someone who is younger than me, as it happens quite frequently on my travels, because it’s the younger generations that will shape the future of the world.

We reached Wadi Rum Village around 10 AM. Martin had signed up for a tour package of his own. The night before, I contacted someone that Brendan had recommended for the tour, his name is Mohammed. After parting ways with Martin, Charles and I were greeted by Mohammed at the parking lot then he drove us to his house for lunch.

Mohammed gave me a good vibe because he was very kind, like every Jordanian I had met. He told Charles and I to hike to The Nabatean Temple just outside of the village. We did that, but I didn’t find it to be too impressive since I just came from Petra. After we came back, Charles and I were served with a big plate of rice with chicken. There were so much rice that we couldn’t even finish it.

The official tour started after lunch when Mohammed dropped us off at the meeting point where we met Mary and Ferran, a Spanish couple who lives in Zurich, Switzerland. The tour was just the four of us. And our tour guide was Hussein, Mohammed’s brother.

I was amazed at the desert. Apparently, many movies were filmed here, including Star Wars, The Martian, and others. The area reminded me of the American West, but it’s even better.

Hussein drove us to several sites. The highlights were the Um Frouth Rock Arch and the sunset lookout. At the arch, I was indecisive about climbing up since I’m afraid of heights. After Mary, Ferran, and Charles all went up, I decided to go up too since I saw there were some old people who went up as well without any issues.

The climb up was a bit scary for me and when I reached the top of the arch I felt my legs shake. The whole time I was thinking, “I didn’t buy any insurance. I didn’t buy any insurance. Please don’t let me fall.” Luckily, I conquered my fear and stood long enough for Mary to take some photographs of me. The way down was tougher since I had to take it step by step down the smooth rock surface, still thinking to myself, “I didn’t buy any insurance and there’s no cell signal here to go online and buy it now.”

The good news was that I came down safely. The bad news was that I had left my hat at the base of the arch, and when we returned to the site it was gone. I liked that hat a lot since it didn’t have any logos and was easy to store. Oh well. I hope someone else can use it.

The sunset was amazing at the viewpoint. It was our last stop to end the day. I felt so peaceful and grateful to have this opportunity to watch the sun go behind the distant mountain range in the desert. What a great day!

Hussein drove the four of us to the campsite where we would spend the night. Charles and I stayed in a tent that had five beds. Our dinner was a buffet consisted of traditionally cooked chicken that was baked underground, three different kinds of salad, and other dishes. We chatted with other tourists as well after dinner during tea time.

I tried to photograph the Milky Way with my smartphone but no success. There was no manual mode on the Google Photo app. I ended up going to sleep around 9:30 PM.

This morning, we had a small breakfast buffet at the campsite before Hussein drove us back to Wadi Rum Village. The cost for one night stay, three meals, and the four hour 4X4 desert tour was 35 JOD each for me and Charles. It would have been 45 JOD for a solo traveler. I ended up giving Hussein a 5 JOD tip so I paid 40 JOD since Hussein and Mohammed were so nice to us.

I definitely recommend Mohammed’s tour. You can reach him via WhatsApp: +962 7 9780 2431. Tell him Hiatt sent you!

Charles would get a ride from Mary and Ferran since they had rented a car and the three of them are all going back to Amman. I got a ride from them to the village of Rashidiyah. I was going to hitchhike my way to Aqaba when I saw a local hitchhiking to the same place. With the help of Google Translate, he was able to get a car for us. I paid 15 JOD to the driver and he got the ride for free. I was OK with that since there wasn’t any bus from Wadi Rum to Aqaba and it was cheaper than a taxi.

I’m currently at the Hakaia Community hostel and just finished doing laundry. I will stay in Aqaba for two nights before taking the ferry to Taba, Egypt. I got lucky that my Egypt eVisa was approved today so I can exit Jordan in less than two weeks of stay. I won’t have to worry about going to the police station to extend my stay in Jordan.