Wadi Rum hotels & places to stay

There has been this new wave of super high end camps coming onto the market (partially made popular by Elon Musk's trip awhile back). Those places are certainly nicer. BUT, when you're in these camps out in the desert, you spend literally only the time you sleep in the dwelling. So for the money, I cannot possibly understand why one would stay in those facilities. The desert, tours, dinners, food, outings, etc. are all part of the same system. I've stayed at Rahayeb several times now and they've treated me very well. The group of friends I took there was especially happy with the food. The only thing that made things difficult for me was their credit card machine broke and so it took all of my cash to pay them. This was genuinely a problem as it's difficult (and expensive) to get cash in Jordan. Other than that, it was spectacular.

We stayed 2 nights in Wadi Rum desert camp, and loved every minute. It was clean and friendly, service and food were excellent, and the desert itself was pristine and utterly mesmerising. We did a half day jeep tour which we loved, it really gives you a feel for the quiet and stillness and breathtaking beauty of the place. And stepping outside the tent at night - wow, the stars!!! We especially appreciated how welcome the staff made us feel despite the fact that they were fasting for Ramadan. I would love to go back some day and spend longer. A hugethanks to Mohammed, Mahmoud, Ahmed, Sulaiman, and Mohammed the brilliant chef.

Extraordinary experience  Bedouins are warm and welcoming people and gladly shared their life style with us. My arrival in the evening was well organised and once it gets dark you see a million stars in the sky! Awesome   The big communal tent was very social and warm. Great food - book the dinner! - and then there was even dancing and a communal walk under the stars.  The individual tents are not heated: I braved a night in December and it sure was cold! But the blankets they provide are the thickest and warmest I've ever seen and underneath them you honestly don't feel the cold. But deciding whether I really wanted to get up to go to the bathroom which is like 10 meters away was a very hard decision :)) Bathrooms are communal but water is obviously scarce - it's the desert! There was no running water for most of the time I stayed there. (I'm not sure if that was a one-off incident or not.) The next day I had a jeep tour with Salim who was the best guide! Born in Wadi Rum he knew every mountain and all the history. He was very kind, funny and friendly and we had some good chats in broken English. He took his time and the whole experience was leisurely and unhurried. I feel I made a new friend.   The desert is simply awe inspiring, the vast open space, the complete quiet, the rock formations and many colours of sand, the way the light changes over the landscape with the clouds... You feel at one with nature and very free. I highly recommend the experience.

Upon arrival, the staff will serve you a welcoming drinks. Unfortunately, the manager was not there when we stayed. But he even talked to us over the phone to welcome us and told us whatever we need just tell him. They have a jeep tour for 2 hours or 3 hours and camel ride in the morning. Breakfast and dinner is included in our booking and it was delicious. When we left the camp we forgot to surrender the key so we just left it to our driver whom he knows the manager. The price of the camp is affordable.

We spent two nights at Rum Stars Camp and out in the desert and loved every moment of it. Ahmed and his team made us really welcome, talked warmly about their Bedouin life and heritage, fed us wonderful food, played music and sang to us, and showed us just how extraordinary a place this is. We spend a day and a half on two trips out into the Red and White deserts on a 4WD, including seeing rock bridges, remote springs, climbing up one of the high sand dunes, doing a couple of short hikes and one long one, enjoying Bedouin tea, snoozing in the sun after a lovely meal cooked out in the desert, and watching the sun set from high in the rocks. We felt privileged to be invited to visit the tent of one of our guide's uncles where we had more tea and talked about Bedouin lifestyle and families (and, with the men, about football - truly universal!), and two of the women in the group had Bedouin make-up applied by some of the young women. Evening meals were wonderful - partly cooked in zerb ovens in the sand - and we sat around in the evenings with more tea, music, chat and questions, and water pipes. And the sunrises were glorious - as it was to wake up and go out into the cool of the desert in the early morning and to watch the long shadows in the clear morning air. And though the 2-hour camel ride back to Wadi Rum on our last morning was not always comfortable (!), it was an experience we wouldn't have missed for the world, eight of us riding silently through the grandeur of the desert with the red sandstone mountains rising all around us. Ahmed, Salem, Ahmed and the rest are passionate about their love of the desert, and we were so moved by their warmth and their desire to share it with their visitors. Staying out at their campsite was a wonderful way to experience it. We will be back! Alistair and Jenny

My twelve year old son have just spent 24 hours at Sun City. We loved every single minute: the awesome sunset Jeep tour, the delicious cooked in the earth dinner, the fine fresh fruit juice, dancing under the stars..and then a fabulous four hour camel riding adventure the next morning. But even better than the spectacular setting, extremely comfortable tent and wonderful activities, were the staff: all of them extremely efficient (for example in helping us with onward travel) and very very kind. We miss them all.

Mr.Salem , his younger brother and Mr.Neil who take care of guests are very good. The food and toilet facilities are average. There are only two toilets. So more than 12 persons will find this inadequate. The rent is reasonable , but food and other services such as sunset camel ride and desert drive are very very expensive. I booked on the basis of rent for tent but felt cheated when I found the other charges. On checking latter I found these are most expensive. But they are very hospitable and were of good nature.

Totally unforgettable experience. Even before we arrived, Mahdi, the host, has already been in constant contact with us providing us instructions on how to reach and meet them, and what to expect. He organized us a tour and given us Abdoun as our guide. Abdoun speaks good English and was very helpful. At one time, he told us to look for some Nabatean and Islamic inscriptions, when we were at the Canyon, that is easily missed by almost all tourists who come to see it. We arranged for a five hour trip and we would say that we also good a good value for money. During the evening we had a wonderful traditional dinner (for 15JOD per person, it is worth it). Mahdi took time to explain how it is prepared. Later on, the dinner was accompanied by a traditional music played in Oud. After dinner, Mahdi took further efforts by providing us a small walk around the area, gathered us on a campfire and told us stories about their Bedouin culture. He is such a wonderful host. One thing, however, to let travelers know when they stay at the Wadi Rum Shooting Stars Camp is to bring their own towels.

I visited the Bedouin camp with my son, age 14. We spent 3 nights, which was almost too short. A four hour jeep tour and the next day a three hours camel drive. Eghab, the owner, is amazing. Native Bedouin, young, very easy to contact and fluent in English. He organises everything you wish and even found a camel driver who was prepared to let us ride our camels ourselves. An amazing experience. Every morning and evening we had authentic Bedouin food. The tent is a traditional Bedouin tent, spacious with good beds and lots of blankets if you need them. If you’re looking for an authentic place in the desert this is by far the best place to stay. The tents are in a quiet area, a small camp. No loud music in the evening, amazing sunset from the rocks and thousands of stars to watch during the night. If I could rate more than 5 stars, I would definately give more. A great place to unwind and recharge the batteries. Thanks for your hospitality Eghab. I’ll be back soon.

I arrived and was told that this camp does not use Agoda, the listing was placed without their knowledge, and I would have to pay again at the property. This seemed fishy, but I went ahead and paid again, and then called Agoda about the problem for a refund. The camp is now telling Agoda this is not true, and trying to collect both payments. I also found that the owners (two brothers) are actually operating one camp under multiple names, one of which is Candles Camp, which no one in the area except them had actually heard of this name. This is a total scam, avoid at all costs!