Wadi Rum is one of the latest trendy locations on Instagram & Co. – for all the right reasons! Wadi Rum, Jordan is a literal Mars on Earth and a UNSECO World Heritage Site offering tons of secrets to be explored.
Along with stunning desert pics, however, so-called bubble tents have also made their way into the Instagram Feedsof travel enthusiasts. Reminsicient of a Martian adventure, tons of travel bloggers have made their way to Wadi Rum to stay in a Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel. But are they really worth it?
Key Takeaways
- A bubble tent, or bubble suite, is a transparent half-dome accommodation found in Wadi Rum, offering panoramic views of the night sky and a unique Martian flair amidst the desert landscape.
- Staying in a bubble tent can be a memorable experience due to its unique design and amenities like private bathrooms and air conditioning, but it comes at a higher cost and may not always match Instagram-perfect expectations.
- For those seeking a blend of luxury and cultural authenticity, the Luxury Bedouin Tent offers a comfortable stay with modern amenities, traditional Bedouin elements, and a more budget-friendly price compared to bubble tents.
Go Star Gazing in Wadi RUm.
Book Your Bedouin Tent with Wadi Tribe.
Wadi Tribe offers all-inclusive and worry-free desert tours that come with a night in a Classic Bedouin Tent or a Luxury Tent.
- Key Takeaways
- Book Your Bedouin Tent with Wadi Tribe.
- An Introduction into the Wadi Rum Desert
- 5 Things You Need to Do before Booking Your Hotel in Wadi Rum
- Bubble Hotels and Alternatives in Wadi Rum – These are Your Options
- Is the Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel Really Worth It? A Comparison
- Conclusion
- FAQs
An Introduction into the Wadi Rum Desert
The Wadi Rum Desert is located in Jordan, a country in the Middle East. Jordan is known as the safest country of the Middle East and a major tourist hub. It is home to the city of Amman, the ancient stone city of Petra and Wadi Rum. If you look at a map of Jordan, you will find Wadi Rum in the far South.
Wadi Rum is a Protected Area in the South of Jordan, bordering Saudi Arabia in the South. It is best known for its Martian landscapes, ancient rock formations and Bedouin population. For over two decades now, Wadi Rum has been able to call itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Millions of tourists visit Wadi Rum every year, hoping to embark on an unforgettable desert experience lead by local Bedouin guides. These entail Jeep tour, hikes, rock climbing, spending the night under the stars and many more activities.
As for accommodation, people now get to choose between a plethora of options amidst a rapidly growing tourist sector. While Wadi Rum tourism started with traditional-style Bedouin desert camps, it now also houses so-called luxury camps equipped with all sorts of extras and the Instagram-famous bubble tents.
This new type of tourism not only brings a lot of much-needed revenue to the local Bedouin community, but also poses new challenges to a region void of resources which is increasingly suffering under the pressure of mass-tourism.
5 Things You Need to Do before Booking Your Hotel in Wadi Rum
Before you book your stay in Wadi Rum, you should be aware of a few things.
Keep these 5 remarks in mind, when booking your hotel in Wadi Rum:
- Arriving to Wadi Rum: Check transport options from your arrival city to Wadi Rum and check your arrival time. If you are planning to land at Queen Alia International Airport, you will be researching a ride from Amman to Wadi Rum. If your flight is bound for King Hussein International Airport, you will be looking for a ride from Aqaba to Wadi Rum.
- Wadi Rum Protected Area: There is an area called the Wadi Rum Protected Area, also referred to as the Wadi Rum Reserve. It is a protected area designated as such by the Jordanian government and overseen by the Aqaba Exclusive Economic Zone Authority. Booking a hotel within this area means that you will be asked to pay an entrance fee of 5 JD per person – or present your Jordan Pass at the Wadi Rum Visitor Center.
- Buy Your Jordan Pass: The Jordan Pass is a special offer for tourists coming to visit Jordan for up to a month. It alllows visitors to save on entrance fees in museums in Amman, Petra and Wadi Rum. Moreover, the Jordan Pass waives your visa fee, if you are eligible for the visa on arrival. Buy it online to save on your entire trip.
- In or Out of the Reserve? There’s a plethora of hotels in and around Wadi Rum. While it might seem that there is not a big difference between each location, they can actually be quite big. Staying out of the reserve saves you the entrance fee of 5 JD. Staying in the reserve means darker night skies for star gazing and a more authentic Wadi Rum flair.
- What to do in Wadi Rum: There are dozens of activities in Wadi Rum that you can embark on. Beware though. Organising activities between providers can be quite tricky though as camps are far apart and communication is though. Therefore, you are best of making sure that you have all of your activities organised with the same camp.
Bubble Hotels and Alternatives in Wadi Rum – These are Your Options
Having gotten the technicalities out of the way, let us finally dive into the hotel selection of Wadi Rum. To understand if the bubble tents of Wadi Rum are worth it, we believe that you should know the alternatives first.
There is generally three types of accommodations in the Wadi Rum desert: the Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel, the Wadi Rum Luxury Bedouin Tent and the classic Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp.
Stay in a Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel
Among all of the Wadi Rum camps, the Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel stand out as the most eye-catching. The signature half-bubble tents. also referred to as Martian dome tents, have recently made a name for themselves on social media with loads of influencers documenting their experiences staying in a bubble tent. Let’s see what you get when you follow suit with Instagram’s hottest travel bloggers.
There are several providers in different location all throughout Wadi Rum offering some sort of bubble tent accomodation. Generally, you have the option to choose between the following types of rooms: Bubble Suite King, Bubble Suite Twin along with more options. Your choice usually only affects the number of beds or their size.
The Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel aims at creating a – literally – outstanding experience staying in the Wadi Rum desert. It not only gives guests the chance to stay in a unique accommodation – a half-dome in the desert – but also makes sure to pamper guests with all sorts of amenities you might not be expecting in the desert.
Our Rating of the Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel
For the check-in you will be picked up in Wadi Rum Village and transferred to your desert camp. Depending on your pick, you might find one or more of the following features in your Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel: air conditioning, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a private bathroom with free toiletries, extra beds and most importantly a clear roof for star gazing and a sunrise view.
Outside of the tent, you can expect a buffet dinner after a long day of exploring the Wadi Rum desert. Some hotels even offer swimming pools and hot tubs. Surely, there is no better way to relax after sweating all day in the desert.
However, as former guests have noted, Instagram’s snapshots do not always reflect reality. Later, we will dive into some of the catches with staying in a bubble tent in Wadi Rum.
Stay in a Luxury Bedouin Tent
Albeit without a hot tub or a swimming pool, the Luxury Bedouin Tent offers yet another luxurious traveling experience staying in the red desert, while keeping some of the traditional elements of Wadi Rum’s cultural heritage.
Wadi Rum Luxury Tents do without fancy extras that distract tourists from the unique scenery around them. Instead they focus on providing a comfortable hotel experience from start to finish and highlighting what makes Wadi Rum all that special – a stunning desert and warm hospitality.
This is what you can expect inside of a Luxury Bedouin Tent: the traditional-style goat-hair exterior, plenty of space, tiled flooring, air conditioning, extra beds for a restful night’s sleep, a private bathroom and wi-fi. Most importantly, though, Luxury Bedouin tents also offer panoramic views of the desert and in some cases a sun terrace.
Our rating of the Luxurious Bedouin Tent
Outside of your tent, you can expect three delicious meals a day, a buffet-style breakfast, a light lunch and a dinner buffet with Bedouin staple meals such as Zarb. Throughout your stay, the helpful staff will make sure to cater to all your needs, serving black tea, heating coals for shishas and providing cold water whenever needed.
If you wish to socialise with Bedouins or fellow travellers, you are free at all times to join the common areas around the dinner tent and the fire pit where Bedouins and travelers meet to exchange stories, sip on Bedouin tea and make music together.
Overall, these luxurious yet traditional Bedouin tents are a great choice, if you are looking to combine comfort and an authentic experience of Bedouin culture at a reasonable price.
Stay in a Classic Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp
Instagrammable Bubble Tents and spacious Luxury tents are all good and well, but they only make up a minority of Wadi Rum’s accommodations. Most tents in most camps are actually “just” normal traditional-style Bedouin tents.
Traditional Bedouin tents are made out of goat hair giving them their characteristic black appearance and white stripes. They are built to resist the desert heat of up to 40 degrees Celsius in summer. At the same time, they are equipped to keep out the cold in winter.
Inside, the tents of the classical Wadi Rum camp are simple. The small tents only allow space for one or two comfortable beds, some extra blankets against the cold, a coat hanger, a small light and a plug outlet. They are built in a simple manner yet offering all the necessities for your desert stay.
Bathrooms are shared between tents and located in a separate bathhouse that is cleaned daily. Most of the day is spent outside of the tents in the desert on Jeep Tours, hikes and camel rides. In camp, visitors spend time around the common areas such as the fire pit and the communal dinner tent, where meals are served by the attentive staff members.
Our Rating for the Classic Bedouin Tent
This hotel experience is intentionally kept simple, not only to drive accommodation prices down. While it is a huge plus that you can spend a night in a simple tent for as little as 10€/ night including food, the simplicity is actually more than just an efficiency scheme.
Bedouin life has persisted in the Wadi Rum desert for many centuries. Throughout the ages, Bedouins learned to live within their means, making the best of their harsh environment. The simple goat-hair tents and the strong sense of sharing and community still bear testament of that today.
If you want to experience Wadi Rum for real, the simple Wadi Rum camp might be your best bet. Wadi Tribe partners with Bedouins from Wadi Rum that aim at providing an authentic Bedouin experience in the heart of the Wadi Rum desert. For more information and a look into our photo gallery, we recommend checking out our website.
Is the Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel Really Worth It? A Comparison
But between bubble tents, traditional-style luxury tents and simple Bedouin tents, what is the best choice? We have scouted several camps and read through hundreds of reviews to help you decide, if the Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotels are really worth it:
Pros and Cons of Each Wadi Rum Hotel Type
| Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel | Classic Luxury Tent | Classic Bedouin Tent | |
| Pro | + unique aesthetic in unique setting + higher level of amenities on-site (free toiletries, hair dryer, etc.) + perfect place for cute getaway for special occasions such as honeymoons + great pick for movie lovers (The Martian was filmed in Wadi Rum!) | + significantly cheaper than the bubble tent just as good service as with other tents + private terrace makes up for lack of panoramic roof + true all-inclusive experience (some bubble tents charge hidden costs for meals etc.) | + cheapest pick at just 10€/night + authentic Bedouin experience + full immersion in desert environment + more engagement with Bedouins and other tourists + still all-inclusive |
| Con | – priciest option for your stay in Wadi Rum – sometimes, meals or some amenities are not included in the price – according to reviews, bubble sometimes lack cleanliness (in several camps, visitors commented that they did not encounter clean rooms) | – not as instagrammable no panoramic roof for star gazing – less amenities than in Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel | – less privacy – shared bathroom with other tent |
Conclusion
Speaking from experience, we can assure you that your hotel pick in Wadi Rum, should not keep you up at night. No matter if you go for the Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel, a luxurious Bedouin tent or the economical classic Bedouin tent, the real action takes place outside of your tent anyways.
If you are still looking for inspiration for your Wadi Rum itinerary, take a look at our 22 Things to do in Wadi Rum. If you are staying in Wadi Rum for two nights, we recommend going on a Full Day Jeep Tour and a Hike to one of Wadi Rum’s peaks the next day. If you’re not big on hiking, you might enjoy a camel ride more.
FAQs
How much does it cost to stay in Wadi Rum?
Staying in Wadi Rum can cost you anywhere from $10 a night to more than $100 a night. For $10 a night, you can secure a private tent with a shared bathroom in a desert camp including dinner and breakfast. For $100 and more, you can stay in a Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel with air conditioning, a private bathroom and (in some cases) a swimming pool.
What is the bubble hotel?
The bubble tent, sometimes also referred to as a bubble suite, has take Instagram by storm. This type of accommodation decribes transparent half-domes dotted around the Wadi Rum desert. They evoke a Martian flair while staying in the red desert, while offering panoramic views of the night sky.
Is it worth staying overnight in Wadi Rum?
Yes, for the outstanding star gazing alone, we recommend staying in Wadi Rum for at least one night. If you like convenience and luxury, stay the night in a Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel or a Luxury Bedouin Tent. If you are on a budget, you can stay in a Classic Bedouin Tent for as little as $10 a night.
Was Star Wars filmed in Wadi Rum?
Yes, some scenes of some Star Wars movies were filmed in Wadi Rum. In fact, many Hollywood movies have been shot in the Wadi Rum desert, among the Lawrence of Arabia, Dune and The Martian. The Martian even inspired the Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotels that you can see all around the desert now.
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