Wellness Desert Retreat in Wadi Rum: 9 Days with the Bedouins

The retreat begins at the Dead Sea, where you stay one night in a hotel with its own private beach. You float in the water and wrap yourself in the black mud that is available on the beach. The magnesium content is around six percent, so muscles tend to relax and people usually feel calm afterwards. The next day you drive south through the mountains to Petra, the Nabataean capital carved out of rock more than 2,000 years ago, and spend the afternoon walking the site. A guide is optional and costs 50 JD for two hours, available in several languages at the Visitor Center.

From Petra you continue to Wadi Rum and check into a Bedouin desert camp in a sheltered spot surrounded by rocks, a sand dune and a view down one of the valleys. Your tent has real beds, a private bathroom with shower, toilet and sink, air conditioning, and there is wifi in the camp. Electricity runs partly on solar panels and partly on a generator. Dinner is often cooked underground and served as a buffet.

The retreat proper starts on day three. Mornings open with an accessible meditation, then a walk in the area where you gather materials for a vision board. Lunch is at the camp, and the afternoon is given to energy healing in whatever form is needed that day. Day four moves to Wildflower of the Desert, a small green oasis with a food forest of fruit trees, vegetables, kitchen herbs and medicinal herbs. The animals are the focus: horses and the herd, or the dogs, cats, chickens and pigeons. You get a fresh lunch from the garden, more energy healing, and an Arabic therapy before returning to camp for the night.

Day five is about movement and expression. You ride a camel for an hour out of the camp, then move freely at Wildflower of the Desert, with music if you want it. In the afternoon there is creative work with coloured pencils, paper, watercolours and brushes, followed by the first principles of belly dancing to music in the open air. Day six is the desert expedition: a 4x4 picks you up and you go with the Bedouins to the quiet, non-touristy places where families still live authentically with their herds of sheep, goats and camels. The jeep stops at sand dunes, rock drawings, a water reservoir and a natural rock bridge, with short walks and climbs in between. If the season is right and the sand is warm, a sand bath is prepared. Lunch and dinner are cooked by the Bedouins, and you sleep under the stars on comfortable clothing, with small tents available that almost nobody uses.

Day seven returns to Wildflower of the Desert for a session on the wisdom of the Bedouins, followed by energy healing with tuning forks. Day eight closes the retreat with an Arabian therapy using gemstones placed on and near the body, plus a final energy healing session. On day nine the driver takes you to Aqaba, where you stay in a city hotel and have a traditional hammam: steamed, scrubbed and briefly massaged. The rest of the day is free for the souk, a walk along the Corniche to the Mamluk castle, or the excavated site of Ayla. Day ten is departure, with a transfer to Amman or Aqaba airport.

What's included

- All transportation as per itinerary during the trip - All overnight stays including breakfast - 1 night at the Dead Sea - 6 nights desert camp with dinner in Wadi Rum with private bathroom - 1 night in the desert nature - 1 night in Aqaba city (tourist class) - Dead Sea experience with private beach at a hotel - Petra visit - Day jeep safari with guide - Visit to authentic living Bedouins in the desert - Arabian therapy (3 hours) - Energy healing for the full 6-day retreat - Camel ride (1 hour) - Hammam experience

What's not included

- Flight ticket - Travel insurance with worldwide coverage - Cancellation insurance - Jordan Pass (visa, 1 day Petra and Wadi Rum entrance ticket) - Meals on the day of arrival - Day 2 Petra lunch - Day 9 lunch and dinner in Aqaba - Day 10 lunch and dinner for late departures - Extra costs for earlier or later arrival or departure - Drinks - Personal expenses - Tips - Extra excursions