Panorama of the Week: Atop the Rock Bridge in Wadi Rum, Jordan
Filed Under: Wadi Rum, the colorful, iconic desert valley many of us know from watching Lawrence of Arabia. It remains the land of the Bedouins who move their tents of woven goat hair, the season depending. Whether they make their way camel by day or pickup by night, they seem to know the placement of every rock and every turn across the sand.
Their land is also the land of some unusual rock formations. Open the panorama to full screen to see for yourself what it’s like to stand atop the Wadi Rum rock bridge and look out over the desert below.
Panorama: Walking the Rock Bridge in Wadi Rum, Jordan
Press fullscreen (four arrows) and navigate around with your mouse.
When you’ve finished climbing rock bridges, but are still feeling a wee adventurous, take a ride on the back of a camel. To really test your resolve — and the toughness of your bum — ask your guide to take the camels into a gallop. It may take several days for your rearend to recover, but you’ll have a whole new respect for both the animals and their masters. And when you look out across the desert, consider the thousand-camel caravans that once crossed the valley.
The golden sand and red rocks form the heart of the land that is Wadi Rum, but it’s the Bedouin people living there — as they have done for ages — that give it its soul.
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March 15th, 2011 at 4:20 am
I love your panoramas! What a pretty desert!
March 15th, 2011 at 11:38 am
Deserts are really fascinating. Barren, yet still stunning
Another nice panorama you got here. Makes me feel like I’m actually at Wadi Rum, Jordan 
March 16th, 2011 at 2:01 am
@Connie: Glad you like it. Wadi Rum was great. Actually all the valleys nearby were pretty spectacular in their own right.
@WTT: It’s the emptiness that makes them so stunning, for sure. And all the color changes they go through from sunrise to sunset. But what’s even more incredible to me: people live there. And they enjoy it.
April 5th, 2011 at 8:54 pm
So jealous! I didn’t get the chance to go there.
I know you guys had your own private transport, but did you hear of ways to get to the visitor’s center at Wadi Rum? The Lonely Planet gives some instructions for hitchhiking, but it looks a little confusing if you aren’t too familiar with the area. In an earlier post, Audrey mentioned that hitchhiking was generally safe, but did you hear anything about how easy it was? I would just be concerned that I’d take a minibus out of Aqaba, get dropped off and then be lost. I’m at a bit of an advantage, because I can speak some Arabic, but I imagine it might be difficult to communicate exactly where one is trying to go. Just wondering if you have any insight into this.
Thanks!
April 9th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
@Cathy: I believe there are direct buses from Aqaba to the Wadi Rum visitor center. Given that the visitor center is quite close to the main Desert Highway, I think that most people would understand where you wanted to go and help you get there. You could also probably hitch a ride with a tour bus going that way, too. Having a bit of Arabic certainly helps!
August 30th, 2011 at 10:21 am
The Lonely Planet gives some instructions for hitchhiking, but it looks a little confusing if you aren’t too familiar with the area.
September 8th, 2011 at 10:17 am
@Lula: Regarding hitchhiking, are you talking about general rules of thumb regarding doing it in Jordan? If so, Audrey addresses that here in the section “Independent and DIY Travel Notes for Jordan” near the bottom:
http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/2011/04/jordan-itinerary/