Sand Rose Camp - Hillawi Camp

The landscape around the camp is really nice, and the food is excellent. The bungalows are very good, with toilets inside, so you can stay comfortably while experiencing the Wadi rum desert. Keep in mind it’s quite a big camp with many people. If you’re after a more relaxing stay, you may want to look for somewhere more private.

The desert scenery is stunning, the staff were kind, and the trips out into the desert were well worth it. But the camp itself was nothing like we expected. The rooms are basic adobe spaces with fabric over them, not tents, and you can’t lock them. Food was mediocre, and the night show was just a disco in the desert. It didn’t feel authentic, and the price was far too high. I’d choose a smaller, more authentic camp.

The heat inside the rooms made this a bad stay. Our thermostat watch showed 95 degrees F, and the concrete “tents” had no airflow. We could only get to sleep briefly with the room fan, while outside the temperature and breeze felt much better. The beds and bathroom were average. The desert views were spectacular, and dinner was good traditional food. But the drinks were extremely expensive, and loud Arabic music played until midnight, which took away from the peaceful, get-away-from-it-all atmosphere.

We arrived around 8pm, after everyone had already eaten, so we didn’t get to experience the tours properly. Given that, the amount we paid felt excessive. The online prices didn’t match: we were charged per person, at about twice the listed rate. I can only guess the managers took advantage of our last-minute booking. The views are beautiful, but I felt ripped off. Our room had heating, though showering was difficult because the water was cold and ran orange, possibly from sand in the tanks. I’d suggest another camp in the same area.