Jordan: Camel Ride in Wadi Rum

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

I think camels are adorable.  Their cute faces, knock-knees, and endearing awkwardness make me melt.  For this reason I was tickled by the prospect of touring the desert valley of Wadi Rum- a portion of the tour called for a ride on a one-humped wonder. Aww!Wadi Rum, located in southern Jordan, is one of the country’s most touristed attractions. Made popular by the movie Lawrence of Arabia, the stunning desert vistas stretch further than the eye can see.  Before making our way north to Petra, Liebling and I spent one day and one night here, discovering the treasures hidden within the vast, dry valley.

Time and time again, we were told by friends and guidebooks that the best way to explore Jordan’s largest wadi was on camel, so as soon as we came across a reputable tour company that included a camel ride as part of its itinerary, we booked two places without hesitation.  Soon, I made a new hairy friend.  I was ecstatic; while I’ve visited a huge camel market in Dubai, I’ve never actually ridden one of the gentle giants.

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When in Wadi Rum, you should ride a camel.  Even if, as I soon discovered, camel-riding is very smelly and quite uncomfortable.

After an hour of riding a camel through the soul-melting heat, it was time to switch to the second phase of our tour and another form of transportation. With sore thighs and smarting derrieres, we gingerly dismounted our dromedary friends and made for the relative comfort of a 4×4 truck driven by our Bedouin guide. 

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Massive mounds of sandstone and granite rock jut out unevenly from everywhere, begging to be scaled, climbed, and then clung to for dear life (I’m afraid of heights, remember?).  After a few heart-stopping moments of terror in the air, I decided to stick to patrolling the ground and let the more adventurous Liebling reach dizzying heights. My camel ride was enough excitement for one day!

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Have you ever visited the desert or ridden a camel?

SHARING IS CARING

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