The purpose of this chapter is double :
\n1) to make the reader aware of the kind of tourism practised by everyone here, and its consequences<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2) to point our difference : a true ecotourism<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the web..<\/em><\/strong> The word \u201cbeduin\u201d is used everywhere, and it\u2019s logic : the desert is the land of beduins, and you\u2019re also here for them !<\/p>\n\n\n\n When reading the attractive presentations, you may think \nyou\u2019re gonna meet beduins, discover their life, spend the night in a \nbedouin camp (a bedouin tent).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, not really.. not at all, to speak the true ! A new way of handling tourists has developped in Rum since 5 to 10 years, boring and repetitive<\/p>\n\n\n\n What about adventure ?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It consists in a \u201ctour\u201d, a kind of circuit, always the same\n according to the choosen duration (counted by hours, until the \u201cfull \nday\u201d). (See \u201cDesert discovery\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n A driver, often very young, executes the work, meaning \nstopping the 4\u00d74 at the first \u201csite\u201d, the time for the tourists to take \nphotos, and for him to have a chat with his companions working the same \ntour, then starting to the next site, and so on until the end of the \nprogram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bedouin driver finding his friends at each stop, it \nhelps him pass the time.. For the tourists, as Wadi Rum landscapes are \ngorgeous, and as they don\u2019t know the desert, they wouldn\u2019t complain. \nThey think that\u2019s the way..!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A word about the main attractions (listed everywhere) :<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Lawrence Spring : a water spring coming out of the \nmountain 100 meters above ground level, and capted by a pipe to reach \nground level.. A \u201ctent-shop\u201d, selling tea and souvenirs, and nothing \nmuch to see, except groups of tourist !<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Khazali Canyon : a most impressive mountain, with \nbeautiful Thamudic carvings, on both walls of a narrow canyon, often \ncrowded in high season. \u2013 The Small Arch : a funny little rock bridge, on top of \nwhich you can climb in 2 minutes.. but recently awfully degraded by \nunscrupulous locals. Not less than 2 illegal permanent and concrete \ncampsites have been built last year without any authorization (they\u2019d \nnever get one), just next to the arch ! (for more info, see Wadi Rum \/ \npreservation \/ what can we do ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 The red sand dunes : a beautiful sand dune, of gorgeous \nred color, on which you can climb (from the crest line), and from top of\n which running down (straight down) is so great ! (then you take tons of\n sand out of your shoes, part of the fun..) \u2013 Infishieh inscriptions : a sort of antic \u201cgraffiti wall\u201d, with ancient carvings of camel caravans, and Nabatean writings<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Lawrence House : a huge stone wall on the side of a \nmajestic valley. Not really related to Sir T.E. Lawrence, but a great \nlandscape !<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Al-Barra canyon : a valley between high mountains, 4 km long, along which you can walk. \u2013 Burdah Bridge : a big arch on top of the jebel Burdah, \nthat we see from the ground usually. Climbing on top is possible, but \nonly for those who are at ease on high rocks, and not subject to vertigo\n !<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Um Fruth Rock Bridge : a curious arch on ground level, on top of which you can climb : not so easy, but fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our point of view :<\/em><\/strong> We will stop there, but not staying too long time. We may \neven keep away from some of them (as Lawrence Spring, of little \ninterest, Lawrence House or Barrah Canyon, where you cross every car \nfrom Diseh and many trekking groups), to save time as to show you other \ngreat spots, where you find nobody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Narrow siqs, secret (but easy !) paths leading to summits for the surprise of an astounding landscape\u2026 Wadi Rum is all of that ! Now, what about the evening, the overnight ?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It shows at first glance : the \u201cbedouin camp\u201d where \ntourists eat and sleep has very little to do with a genuine beduin tent !\n And with a \u201ccamp\u201d either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of them are real touristic complexes, where electric lightening replaces wood fire and stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dining room with tables, bungalows aligned geometrically, \nplus concrete toilets and kitchen, with an egyptian cook, just as in a \nhotel !<\/p>\n\n\n\n Theses so-called beduin camps (hotels in fact), of quite \nwide dimensions and built without license for more than a half, are \nexpanding farer and farer inside the desert, severely damaging the \nvirgin landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their purpose is to offer all facilities to customers, \nwhich a total nonsense : if bathrooms and toilets are built all over the\n desert, and electricity provided, the desert will not be a desert \nanymore !<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s even more of a nonsense because a large choice of \naccomodations offering all facilities are available at the true border \nof Wadi Rum, a 5 minute ride from the deep of the desert !<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even on a hiking program, you will have to go back to sleep in the same hotel-camp, or at best spend there the last night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By a sort of mimetic effect, most of the locals, who are \nworking as employees for the camp owners (who do nothing except \nsupervising), are dreaming of becoming themselves a camp owner, a hotel \nowner, for themselves or to rent it to an agency (practice forbidden, \nbut who cares ?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, as soon as they get the chance, they do it. They build, without any care of existing rules, without any authorisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meantime, the authorities make no move in order to apply \nthese protection rules established to prevent uncontrolled \nconstructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In simple words : WADI RUM IS NOT PROTECTED AT ALL.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n All of this give a rather pessimistic idea of Wadi Rum future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless..<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless visitors, meaning you, who are reading this, cleary \nexpress their wish to live a true desert experience, and consequently \nrefuse to sleep in these concrete camps !<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s possible, for, happily, the other way exists, and it\u2019s ours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next: We are bedouins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nThe choice is wide, of websites promoting Wadi Rum, all of them offering a large variety of activities.
\nBeduins, agencies, tourist companies, local hotels.. all offering and \nselling \u201cdesert adventure\u201d, \u201cbedouin life\u201d, under of course the mythic \nname of Lawrence of Arabia !<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIt was the case before, but that time is over now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe game consists in looking up with a 20 to 30 degrees angle, and see \nhuman couples \u2013 very thin and delicately shaped, goats (or ipex ?).. and\n pairs of bare feet (!) so realistic !<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n500 meters away, a second one, 2 times bigger, is waiting for the braves !<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nA little crowded during high season\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThese sites are not equally worthseeing, and often crowded by jeeps and tourists in high season.
\nReducing the visit to them only, as most tours do, would be too bad !<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n