Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live as a nomad in the desert without nothing around you but the vast desert landscape? In 2023, we lived with the Bedouin of Wadi Rum for one month to find out.
In this article, you will discover what a traditional Bedouin camp looked like, how the idea of a Bedouin camp has changed over time and how you can stay in a Bedouin camp yourself. Let’s dive right in.
Key Takeaways
- Bedouin camps are traditional desert settlements made of goat-hair tents, featuring communal areas, fire pits and underground ovens.
- Modern camps in Wadi Rum blend authentic Bedouin life with modern comforts like electricity, hot running water, and comfortable beds.
- Visitors can enjoy activities such as camel rides, jeep tours, traditional meals, and stargazing under clear skies year round.
- Experience an unforgettable night in the Wadi Rum desert and learn about Bedouin culture—book your desert tour with Wadi Tribe today for a memorable adventure!
- Key Takeaways
- A Quick Introduction into Bedouin Culture
- What is a Bedouin Camp? Definition
- Key Features of a Traditional Bedouin Camp
- Modern Bedouin Camps in Wadi Rum, Jordan
- How to Stay Overnight in a Bedouin Camp in the Wadi Rum Desert
- 5 Things to Do in Bedouin Camp
- The Bottom Line
- Frequently Asked Questions
A Quick Introduction into Bedouin Culture
Bedouins are a group of nomadic people with historic roots in the Syrian Steppe and the deserts of the Middle East. Traditionally, they lived a nomadic lifestyle, moving with the seasons and their herds of camels and goats in search of water and grazing land. Their culture is rich in traditions, including a tribal system, the use of black goat-hair tents, and rich Bedouin music and poetry.
Today, many Bedouins have adapted to modern life while preserving their cultural heritage. While some continue to live in traditional tents and maintain nomadic customs, others reside in villages with access to electricity and modern amenities. Despite these changes, Bedouin hospitality remains a cornerstone of their culture, welcoming guests with warmth and traditional meals.
What is a Bedouin Camp? Definition
A Bedouin camp is an informal, often seasonal, settlement that is entirely made up of Bedouin tents. The so-called black hair tent, or beyt al-shar, is a transportable means of housing that is made up of goat-hair and/or camel-hair fabric and a singular pole and used by Bedouin tribes throughout the Middle East.
Bedouin camp were traditionally erected in the vicinity of (seasonal) water sources, underground wells, fertile grazing grounds for goats and camels or shaded mountain sides. Individual tents were arranged in rows or circular formations. Within a Bedouin camp, each tent would house one family unit. In the center of a Bedouin camp, there would also be a communal fire pit and an underground oven.
Key Features of a Traditional Bedouin Camp
Traditional Bedouin camps were characterised by their minimalism. They were meant as seasonal dwellings as the nomads constantly moved with the seasons and their livestock. Still, though, some recurring elements have emerged as staples in Bedouin camps.
Let’s dive deeper into some of the key features you could find in a traditional Bedouin camp:
- The Bedouin Tent: The Bedouin tent (beyt al-shar) made of goat hair and camel hair is the backbone of the Bedouin camp. Each tent serves as a home for one Bedouin family unit that would consist of up to four adult family members plus children. Inside, different areas of the tent were separated by cloths and the floor was laid out with rugs and cushions.
- The Sitting Area: The communal sitting area (majlis) located in the central part of the camp usually consists of a fire pit and an arrangement of rugs and cushions. This sitting area functions as a gathering point for Bedouin men where tea and coffee are brewed, Bedouin music is played and Bedouin poetry is recited.
- The Underground Oven: The underground oven (zarb) is an underground pit that is dug up and filled with hot stones. The hot stones are followed by vegetables and meats and then covered to slow-cook all ingredients. Traditionally, the carb would have been wrapped in palm leaves and covered by cloths. More recent innovations introduced metal racks, aluminium foils and metal lids.
- The Common Tent: A less common feature of a traditional Bedouin camp is a common tent, or communal tent, equipped to hosting large numbers of guests rather than housing a family. While individual Bedouin tents were prepared to receive small numbers of visitors, common tents would allow for more guests to be hosted on special occasions.
To learn more about how Bedouin tents were made and which role they continue to play in Bedouin culture, be sure to check out our separate article on Bedouin tents.
Modern Bedouin Camps in Wadi Rum, Jordan
The Wadi Rum desert has been inhabited by indigenous civilisations such as the Nabataeans and Bedouins since prehistoric times. Today, the Zalabiah tribe makes up the bulk of the population, having transitioned from a purely nomadic lifestyle to a semi-nomadic or sedentary lifestyle in Wadi Rum.
With Wadi Rum Village, a permanent Bedouin settlement emerged in the 1980s, housing some 2,000 Bedouins today. Beyond Wadi Rum Village, some Bedouin families continue to live in traditional Bedouin tent tending to their livestock within the confines of the Wadi Rum Protected Area
Additionally to the Bedouin camps’ traditional inhabitants, tourists have started to flock to the Wadi Rum desert. In need of securing stable income and preserving their culture, the Zalabiah Bedouin have turned to tourism offering curious visitors a glimpse of the culture, food and music and an overnight stay in a Bedouin-style camp.
Modern Bedouin camps in the Wadi Rum desert emulate traditional Bedouin aesthetics such as black goat-hair fabrics and decorated rugs and cushions, merging them with modern amenities such as electricity supplied by solar panels, hot running water brought by trucks, bathroom installations and dining tents.
The Bedouin tent itself retains much of its original characteristics, while being reinforced with a steel frame and equipped with a proper bed. Some Bedouin camps include luxury tents that cater to elevated tourist needs such as private bathrooms, the most iconic of them being the bubble tents.
How to Stay Overnight in a Bedouin Camp in the Wadi Rum Desert
Are you curious about Bedouin culture? In the Wadi Rum desert, you can get up close with Bedouin traditions, stay in a Bedouin-style desert camp and try authentic Bedouin cuisine. Let us break down how to stay overnight in a Bedouin camp in the Wadi Rum desert.
Follow these 8 steps to spend an unforgettable night in the Wadi Rum desert:
- Find Bedouin Camps Online: Bedouin camps are found in many places of the Middle East, most notably Wadi Rum, Jordan. Search online to find camp offers and compare them.
- Book a Tour with a Camp: We generally recommend booking a full tour for your visit to the Wadi Rum desert. It not includes your desert tour, an overnight stay along with dinner and breakfast.
- Fly to Jordan: Next, book your flights to Jordan. If you are also planning to visit other sights like Petra, we recommend flying to Amman. If not, fly directly to Aqaba.
- Drive to the Wadi Rum Protected Area: From there take a bus or a taxi to Wadi Rum Village. Alternatively, rent a car at the airport and drive to Wadi Rum Village by yourself.
- Leave Your Car at Wadi Rum Rest House: At Wadi Rum Rest House in Wadi Rum Village you will find a free public parking lot where tourists leave their vehicles. Taxis drop their riders here.
- Meet Your Bedouin Host: Make sure to let you host know your arrival time to Wadi Rum Rest House. They will be waiting there to take you to your Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp.
- Make Your Way Into the Desert: From there, you will change to a pick-up truck and start your journey through the village and into the vast desert landscape. The ride takes 20-30 minutes.
- Enjoy Your Desert Adventure: At the camp, you will be greeted with Bedouin tea. Shortly after, your Jeep Tour will start. You will see Wadi Rum’s best sites before returning to camp for dinner.
5 Things to Do in Bedouin Camp
Once you have arrived to your Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp, there is a number of exciting things to do in and around camp.
These are 5 of the best activities in and around a Bedouin desert camp:
Drink Bedouin Tea (Lots of it)
From your first greeting to your last goodbye, you will be pampered with sweet Bedouin tea. The serving of Bedouin tea is not merely a means of quenching thirst at day and staying warm at night. It’s a sign of welcoming, a reflection of Bedouin hospitality.
Try Traditional Bedouin Food
Decked in with rugs, fabrics and cushions, the common tent in the center of the camp oozes with traditional Bedouin charm. In the night and the morning, buffet-style Bedouin meals are served in here. One food to try is the Zarb, an arrangement of meats and vegetables slow-cooked underground.
Go on a Camel Ride
In the morning, you may rise before the sun and embark on a camel ride to get to know the desert in a calm and collected manner. Watch the sun climb up over the mountains, as you surf through the red sand dunes and eroded rock formation of the Wadi Rum desert.
Do camels even like being ridden? Learn about some ethical recommendations before booking your camel ride.
Explore the Wadi Rum Desert on a Jeep Tour
Undoubtedly, the main activity of any Wadi Rum dessert adventure is a Full Day Jeep Tour. On jeep tours, you will be able to explore sites in the desert that would otherwise take you weeks to explore. Some of the most interesting sites are Lawrence’s Spring, Al-Khazali Canyon and Umm Frouth Bridge.
What is there to see on a Jeep Tour? Check out this list of sites in Wadi Rum that you can discover on a jeep tour.
Summit Jordan’s Highest Peak
To those who can’t get enough of Wadi Rum, we recommend to go hiking on their second day. There are multiple hiking routes in Wadi Rum, the best of which being the Jabal Umm Ad Dami hike. Jordan’s highest peak stands tall at 1,854 meters (6,083 feet), offering views of Jordan and the neighbouring countries.
The Bottom Line
From exhilarating desert adventures and delicious Bedouin food to Bedouin music around the camp fire under the starry sky, the Wadi Rum desert in Southern Jordan is a great way to get familiar with Bedouin culture and to stay overnight in a traditional-style Bedouin camp.
At Wadi Tribe, we collaborate with camp leaders of the Al-Zalabiah tribe to drive tourism to sources promoting insights into authentic Bedouin life. Skip the hyped bubble tents in the Wadi Rum Valley and venture deeper to the Desert Guide Camp, a quaint traditional-style Bedouin camp surrounded with nothing but millennial mountains, soft sand and countless secrets waiting to be discovered in the surrounding desert.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Bedouin camp?
A traditional Bedouin camp is a temporary settlement in the desert that is made up of goat-hair or camel-hair tents, a sitting area around a fire pit and an underground oven for preparing food.
What is a Bedouin tent called?
Traditional tents in Bedouin culture are referred to as beyt al-shar, meaning ‘house of hair’. This reefers to the fact that the fabric of traditional tents is hand-woven from goat and camel hair.
What religion are Bedouins?
Most Bedouin tribes are of Muslim faith, specifically Sunni Muslim. This is also the case for the Zalabiah tribe of Wadi Rum. There are, however, some Bedouin tribes in the Middles East that follow Christianity.
What is the Bedouin lifestyle?
Traditionally, the Bedouin followed a tribal, nomadic lifestyle, tending to livestock such as goats and camels. Today, some Bedouin tribes preserve a semi-nomadic lifestyle, while others have transformed to a sedentary lifestyle in camps, villages and cities around the Arab world.
