Jordan | Driving my Toyota through the desert chasing the sunset

Do you remember 'Dune'? The protagonists live on a desolate, water-scarce planet covered with sand, and the original scene is Wadi Rum in Jordan, which, apart from being a filming location for the sand dunes, has also been featured in Hollywood sci-fi movies like 'Star Wars', 'The Martian', and 'Transformers' with its desolate alien landscapes. ⛰【Travel Tips】 📍Detailed address: Wadi Rum is located in the southern part of Jordan, also known as 'Valley of the Moon', not far from Petra and the southern coastal city of Aqaba. You can charter a car from Petra or Amman to get there, and the desert hotel you booked will send a car to pick you up at the tourist center where most visitors arrive. It's impossible to go into the desert on your own because there are no roads. 🕙Opening hours: The site is open 24 hours, and there are many hotels and tents in the desert. Prices range from hundreds to thousands. Book your room in advance, then arrange a full-day or half-day desert tour at the front desk. It is recommended to spend two days and stay one night here, so you have more freedom and can fully appreciate the desert's scenery at different times. 🌟Highlights: 👉I personally think Wadi Rum is the most spectacular desert wilderness landscape in Jordan, with its red sand mountains and unique geological structures that are very powerful. This place is not an endless desert; there are many rock mountains in the middle, with weathered rocks of various shapes, some as large as castles, as well as various cliffs, caves, arch structures, and canyons, so it is also a dual World Heritage Site for both nature and culture. In the Dahaidao area of Hami, Xinjiang, there is a similar landscape, but unfortunately, the domestic development support has not kept up, making it a very niche place. 🏜️Best way to travel: I booked a desert jeep tour at the hotel on the spot (additional charge). You can choose four hours, all day, or two days, covering some of the most famous local scenes. The longer the time, the more spots you visit. It's quite dangerous to drive around on your own in such a big place with no roads. Therefore, this kind of guided tour is a must. My half-day tour included the Mushroom Rock, two huge natural bridges, the magnificent sand sea, scenes from 'The Martian', and watching the sunset in the evening, going to a Bedouin tent for tea, etc. Along the way, you might encounter some camel providers who charge a fee; if you haven't ridden one in Petra, you can ride and take photos here. It's cheaper than Petra, about 10 Jordanian dinars. 👉There are many Western tourists here, and I didn't see many Asian faces. The overall experience feels very wild, yet everything is well-organized, with one spectacular scene after another. Personally, I think this is the best experience among the many attractions in Jordan. It's still a bit hot during the day, but even in the desert, it gets cool at night. In the evening, there are some fixed locations specifically for watching the sunset, and the driver will take you there. Before this, you can go to a Bedouin tent to listen to music and drink tea. After the sunset, there will be a car to take you back to the hotel, the whole arrangement is not tiring, but the scenery is extremely beautiful. Very worthwhile. 🛏️Accommodation: I stayed at Wadi Rum UFO Luxotel, which is a popular bubble tent in the desert, with scenery right outside the hotel. Each room has a terrace outside, and a nice buffet is provided in the evening, and you can also enjoy the brilliant starry sky at night. Spending a day in the hotel feels like a magical experience. It's like going on a vacation to Mars. 📌Small Tips: • Bring enough water, as there are not many places to sell water in the vast desert. • Drinking water in Bedouin tents is free, but the crafts for sale are quite expensive.