Wadi Rum is a great place for kids.
The desert is like a gigantic playground and will delight children of all ages (probably the adult ones too ; P).
Here is a list of some of the features found in Wadi Rum that kids will love:
- THE TEA: Find me a child who doesn't like sugar? So of course they will love the tea. Perhaps not the most healthy option normally, but don't forget sugar is important to keep the body hydrated in heat, so indulge them this once : D.
- THE SAND: Kids love the red sand, big dunes, making sand castles, digging, rolling, jumping.
- THE ANIMALS: In the desert you can see lizards, beetles, hedgehogs, sheep, goats, camels ... all these creatures will be a fascination to your children. Not to mention all the tracks they leave in the sand, that can be fun to follow or figure out - who was here?
- THE ROCKS: There is a multitude of rocks to climb on, jump off, slide down, hide in, rocks of all different colours, shapes, sizes. Rocks you can build a tower with, rocks that can be used to draw on and rocks you can draw with... the possibilities are endless.
- THE GUIDE: Bedouin people can be terribly serious but where we excel in seriousness we excel equally in silliness. Usually we can't help but have a wonderful time showing your children all the great ways to play in the desert. One thing is for certain we love to let children be children.
- THE MUSIC: Bedouin music is rhythmic, rustic, and unplugged. The sound is the perfect accompaniment to the desert. Children can clap along, or even try the tabla if they would like to. The guides will usually be happy to let them have a look at the Oud as well, which is the special kind of guitar they play (with a large rounded back and loads of strings).
- THE FIRES: Who doesn't love a fire, but for children, seeing the fires being made and food prepared on it, is usually a wonderful and exciting experience.
- THE FOOD: Bedouin food is generally quite simple, there is not a huge amount of spices used which is usually child friendly. They usually really like the Chicken Zaarb which is much like a barbecue but cooked underground.
- THE STARS: Children are naturally equipped with a sense of wonder and if they don't see the stars normally because of light pollution then they will be amazed by just how many there are.
Now we covered the children what about the parents?
Well probably the highlight for you will be seeing your children disconnected from technology and having a wonderful time together as a family ...
Visiting Wadi Rum with children does need some preparation. Here are a few tips:
- THEIR OWN TORCH/ FLASHLIGHT: Making sure they have their own light for the night is a good idea. Once the night sets in it is very dark which they may not be used to. Having their own light to walk between the social tent and sleeping tent or to the bathroom will just make the experience more fun for them. Also a good idea can be to keep a little light where it is easy to find for them to use in the night. Just in case they wake up and feel scared.
- BABY WIPES: They will get dusty like you have never seen them before, baby wipes are always handy to have, and will also be essential for those with children in nappies. Please take care though to collect all your baby wipes and nappies into a bag when on your tour, or in the provided rubbish bins at the camp.
- THEIR OWN WATER BOTTLE: It is important to stay hydrated so having their own water bottle to hand is important.
- A BUCKET AND SPADE: A great toy to bring along for younger children, will be great for playing on the lunch break and at different places you stop over the day.
- SUNHAT AND SUN CREAM: Both these things are probably obvious but even in winter the sun can be strong, so it is a good idea to protect them from the sun and bring along a good strong sun cream and a sun hat.
- WINTER: WARM CLOTHES: For wintertime visits make sure you bring plenty of warm clothes, a warm hat, socks, gloves, jacket, jumper, warm trousers...
I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Those of our regulars reading this, or other people who have visited us with children do let us know what your top tip would be for visiting Wadi Rum with children...
If you have any questions about visiting Wadi Rum with children please do not hesitate to contact us (wadirum.mehedi@gmail.com) or comment below...
