If you ever go to Wadi Rum, Hasan Qutaish is the only choice worth considering. I met fellow backpackers who followed other services and were sorely disappointed… small jeeps packed with up to eight people, petite unappetising dinners and uninterested guides. As a bonus, our dinner of BBQ chicken and a seemingly endless spread of salads, potatoes, rice and more salads, was nothing less than exquisite. We also enjoyed a sunset seated at the top of a sand dune.

To get to the Wadi Rum Desert Service, walk along Ragadan Street. At the middle, at the corner of Al-Shami restaurant close to the Al-Shula Hotel, a lane turns off to the left. Walk another 50m to get there, you won’t miss the huge signs and attractive photos on the glass wall.

Tel: 032014679

Leaving the village of Rum, which consisted of the Government Rest House, this police station/ jail, and a tiny shop for buying sodas and biscuits, we headed northeast into the desert of Wadi Rum.

It is a desolate land primarily filled with Bedouin nomads who pick up their goat-haired tents at whim and drift along to another sandy location with their families, goats, donkeys or camels. A couple of tiny villages and permanent concrete houses exist between Aqaba and the Saudi Arabia border.

We drove twelve kilometers northeast toward Diseh village, and came to a large Bedouin orchard beside a small concrete house. Mohammed led us through the lush, green orchard and brought us to a large sandstone jebel where we saw WW1 inscriptions and carvings of Lawrence of Arabia and his grandfather. Their faces are side by side in the rock with Arabic dates and names underneath. Our guide couldn't tell us much about them, other than who they were. It seemed an odd place to find such carvings, as this little hideaway was secluded and tricky to find. Perhaps it was one of their camping grounds during the war, as Lawrence and the Arab rebels did camp near Diseh during World War I. Only locals know how to get there, I can assure you.

This area also offers three natural rock bridges, assorted rock carvings of animals, and old Nabataean dams. No restaurants or grocery shops exist in the desert villages. Having enough water is extremely important when exploring even by car, so load up in Aqaba prior to arriving.

Transportation to this part of the Wadi Rum desert, or any other has to be arranged with a local guide or driver. Jeep or camel trips are available from the Government Rest House at the entrance to Wadi Rum. Otherwise, do like we did and hire a driver/guide to escort you throughout Jordan. You will still need to pay a fee at the Government Rest House if you use your own vehicle of JD 5.

Wadi Rum is located in the southern part of Jordan, east of Aqaba about an hour and a half drive.

Once the stomping grounds of T.E. Lawrence during the Arab Revolt in 1917-1918, the desert looks unchanged from his movie Lawrence of Arabia, filmed years ago at Wadi Rum. There are no tourist hotels, souvenir shops nor neon lights. Just a magnificent desert landscape. Majestic sandstone mountains loom over the valley in every direction, rising almost 6,000 feet toward the scorching sun. These jebels have a way of dramatically changing colors with the setting sun, turning pinky-beige, red and purple against the sand.

Nicknamed the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum is an unusual landscape to explore by foot, jeep or camel. Rock formations have been shaped by eroding winds into natural rock bridges and archways. Rock climbers are welcome to scamper up the challenging mountains, although there are no organized trips or gear available.

When entering Wadi Rum, the Government Rest House will be your first stop to register your presence and pay the JD1 entry fee. It is a small building that contains a restaurant offering basic meals for JD2-5, and the only lodging in the desert. You can sleep on the roof (mattresses, rather worn and dirty, are provided) for JD2, or sleep in a 2 person tent behind the building for JD3. Showers are located in the building in addition to a luggage storage bin.

Behind the Rest House is a large tent where an elderly bedouin man served us tea in tiny cups, it's contents strong like espresso with a muddy bottom. After tea, we wandered over to nearby ruins, visible from the tent, and learned that the limestone walls and columns were once part of a Nabataean temple, dating from the 1st century.

Back at the Rest House, available excursions into Wadi Rum are posted on a bulletin board. Options: Explore the desert in your own vehicle JD5 2 hour camel ride to Lawrence's Well JD7 Overnight camel trip camping with bedouins JD30 Full day jeep ride including hikes JD40

It is best to wait until you arrive to arrange these excursions. We hired a driver/guide for our ten days in Jordan, and he insisted we pay him $50 US per person to arrange a one hour jeep ride, substantially higher than the posted quotes. You don't need a middleman at Wadi.

If possible, avoid the summer months as the oppressive heat will zap your energy, spirits, and desire to explore the desert. We visited in late June, and missed out on a three day camping adventure that we canceled due to the suffocatingly intense heat. It can reach 120 F during the day, which probably explained why no other tourists were in sight. Disappointed to miss out on exploring the Wadi by camel and foot, we nevertheless got to see some of the desert by car.

On arrival at Wadi Run, the first port of call is the Rest House, from where you can arrange your trip into the desert. We arranged to have a camel take us to the first stop ~ Lawrence Spring ~ from where a 4x4 and guide was waiting to take us to the other sites. We were then to spend the night in a bedouin camp, returning to the Rest House the following morning. My view whilst camel riding was very Lawrence of Arabia; all flowing white robes etc. The reality was very different but very good fun.

The guide in his 4x4 truck knew which were the most fun and interesting places to see and made sure we got to see it all before the sunset. We were completely dumb struck by the silence and vastness of the place, not to mention the beauty. Although we were one little group of many, we rarely bumped into anyone else and it was easy to imagine we had the place to ourselves.

Camping with bedouins was an unforgettable experience, not least because we were so warmly received into the camp and given an unending supply of sweet tea. Also, it is worth getting up in the middle of the night to view the sky scape. Here, with no light polution to dim your view, the stars are the brightest and most spectacular I have ever seen.

The Wadi Rum is not the place for anyone who doesn't like to rough it but, for everyone else, it is an unmissable part of the trip.

We arrived at the tourist centre and immediately were approached by small boys to ride their camels. The tourist has the choice to either walk out to Wadi Rum or take a camal ride. We chose the latter, especially as one of my favorite things to do is ride camels!

The camel ride out to Wadi Rum is breathtaking. The desert landscape seems to stretch for miles. The horizon is filled with mountains of red sand and the silence is broken by whoops of joy as the Arab boys command the camals to run and leave the confused rider hanging on for dear life!

After riding for about an hour your sore bottom is glad to descend from the camel and you are greeted by a friendly man who offers you tea (for a small charge)! If you are feeling up to it, climb the hill that leads to the desert oasis. This is a spectacular site. In the middle of the dry desert, a fertile spot of land covered in greenery. Wonders will never cease to amaze me!