Magic Bedouin Star

MAGIC BEDOUIN STAR

One of the most unique stays I’ve ever had. Magic Bedouin Star Camp in the heart of Wadi Rum Desert.

We set off from Aqaba by car (playlist: Arabic trance) to the home of the family who run Magic Bedouin Star. This was the meeting point for transport into the desert. We were welcomed with cups of Bedouin tea, and encouraged to take our shoes off and sit on the floor while we waited for our guide.

When our guide arrived we climbed into the ute (which they call the jeep), and were driven into the depths of Wadi Rum desert to our camp for the next few nights. When booking, you are given the option of a Deluxe Tent, a Bedouin Tent, or the Honeymoon Tent. We opted for the traditional Bedouin tent, as these all had shared facilities, and we wanted the experience to be as authentic as possible (although the Honeymoon Tent was enticing due to being perched up on the cliff, with a vantage point to view the desert)!

Deluxe Tents

Bedouin Tents

Honeymoon Tent

There are a number of tours that Magic Bedouin Star offer, including camel rides and jeep tours, both of which include a stop almost every half an hour for Bedouin tea. We opted for both. You are naive if you think you can navigate Wadi Rum on your own. Aside from missing a plethora of local wisdom, you would find yourself lost in a matter of hours. Every rock formation looks similar, and I found myself saying to the boys who were guiding us “oh we were here earlier” and they would laugh and tell me no, the location I was thinking of was hours in another direction.

Ali was one of our guides, the oldest brother of many who run the camp. Ali owns the camels and treats them like his children, it was refreshing to see animals being treated with such respect.

We were taken on hikes, given Bedouin tea, and traditional Bedouin dinner that had been cooked on coals buried in the sand. We were involved in storytelling and stargazing, and were taught traditional dances that we practiced after dinner each night. We were even sent off on our own to climb a sand dune to watch the sunset, and were lucky enough to spot baby Arabian Red Foxes playing!!

It can be overwhelming choosing a Bedouin Camp, however I was so happy to have ended up with Ali and his brothers at Magic Bedouin Star. We were very much taken care of. If you find yourself in Jordan, you must book a stay with them and soak up the magic of Wadi Rum’s red sand.

Ma’assalama. Stray beautiful,

BEAR.