The Martian Invades Wadi Rum

Anyone who’s seen Matt Damon’s latest flick probably wonders where the filmmakers got those marvelous landscape shots used in The Martian. Director Ridley Scott didn’t travel to the Red Planet — he sent his cinematographers to Jordan where the red-rock cliffs and desert of Wadi Rum stood in for the real Mars. 

Nebo Tours offers two new ways to explore Wadi Rum. One is by horseback during a three-day equestrian itinerary that can include Wadi Rum and Petra, along with prominent biblical sites like Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Dead Sea. Multiple customizable options are available, but these horseback adventures are limited to small groups of no more than 16 people.

Meanwhile, the hot-air balloons have returned to Wadi Rum after a hiatus of almost a year. If anyone thought the red-rock wilderness was impressive and beautiful to see from ground level, imagine what it’s like from the air. Due to basket size, this adventure is limited to groups of eight passengers or less. And it’s only available during the spring-summer season because of weather constraints and visibility.