7 nights from £548
An hour’s drive from Aqaba reveals the startling colours and desert landscapes of Wadi Rum. The striking rock formations bear witness to the erosions of sand over the centuries and the visitor is dwarfed by the magnificence of this natural phenomenon and itself a source of wonder to the soldier-spy Col T.E. Lawrence who described it as ‘Rum the magnificent… vast echoing and Godlike… a processional way greater than imagination… the crimson sunset burned on its stupendous cliffs and slanted ladders of hazy fire down its walled avenue’.
It was later revealed to cinema audiences worldwide in David Lean’s award winning epic ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962).
A feature of the film was the surprise assault through the desert in 1917 on the Ottoman garrison port of Aqaba at the northern tip of the Red Sea. A popular holiday resort today Aqaba stands in dramatic contrast to the surrounding desert landscape and its sandy beaches and coral reefs are the most pristine on the Gulf with indigo coloured deep water and a kaleidoscope of marine life.
Exclusive VJV Event - Petra by Night
This exclusive optional arrangement reveals Petra by candlelight. Enjoy Bedouin stories and music at the Treasury, then walk through the site (about 2 miles over sometimes uneven ground) for dinner at Petra’s only restaurant. Return to the hotel by bus. Click here for more exclusive arrangements by VJV.
