L.O.S.T.
Ready to get lost, ladies?
A bunch of Finnish women. 7 days in one wild desert.
2.5-9.5.2027 (Language: FIN)
Maybe you’ve followed my adventures from Jordan, caught one of my lives or heard some of the stories along the way. Or maybe you’ve just stumbled across a post somewhere, found your way here and are now wondering what on earth this is all about.
Either way… you probably ended up here for a reason.
What if you came to Wadi Rum and experienced a little (or a lot) of that desert magic for yourself?
Well… now you can.
For seven days, the desert becomes our home. We leave familiar routines behind and step into a completely different rhythm of life — one shaped by vast landscapes, Bedouin hospitality, shared meals, firelight, endless cups of tea and the strange freedom of having absolutely nowhere else you need to be.
And we’re not coming all this way just to stand at a viewpoint, take a few photos and head back to the hotel. We’re going in. Together with local Bedouins who know this desert as home, we’ll explore Wadi Rum by jeep, camel and foot. We’ll venture beyond the usual tourist trails, climb into the mountains, head deep into the remote south and spend two nights sleeping out in the wild with nothing but mattresses, blankets and a ridiculous number of stars above us.
There will be adventure. There will also be days when doing absolutely nothing seems like an excellent plan. There will be camels, canyon hikes, music, dancing beneath the full moon, fires in the middle of nowhere and enough Bedouin tea to keep an entire Finnish village awake. And then there will be all the things we haven’t planned. Because if there’s one thing I learned from living in Wadi Rum, it’s that the desert doesn’t always care about your schedule. It’s wild, free and wonderfully uncontrollable. And who knows — maybe somewhere out there, you’ll find a little more of that side of yourself too.
So come curious. Come open-minded. Pack your adventure pants and and be ready for the unexpected.
You don’t have to experience Wadi Rum through someone else’s stories or a phone screen anymore.
This time, you get to LIVE IT YOURSELF.
Just one small warning:
Be careful how much you fall in love with this place.
As some of you might know, I came to visit Wadi Rum once too.
And I ended up staying for years...
Consider yourselves warned. ♡
With Love,
Marianne
Retreat Program
One week immersed in the landscapes, culture and rhythm of Wadi Rum.
LOST. combines adventure with the freedom to slow down. We explore by jeep, camel and foot, experience Bedouin traditions, venture deep into the mountains, spend two nights sleeping beneath the stars in the wild desert and celebrate together under the full moon.
Day 1 — Welcome to Wadi Rum:
Into the Desert
Our adventure begins the moment we arrive in Wadi Rum.
We head straight into the desert for a full-day jeep adventure, exploring some of Wadi Rum’s most iconic landscapes, mountains, canyons and ancient sites.
By evening, we arrive at our Bedouin camp — our home in the desert for the days ahead.
Experience: Arrival in Wadi Rum • Full-day jeep adventure • Classic Wadi Rum • Bedouin camp
Day 2 — Discover Wadi Rum:
Canyon Hike & Sunset Camels
Today we slow things down and experience the desert on foot — and on camelback.
We explore one of Wadi Rum’s canyons before setting off on camels as the sun begins to sink over the desert.
Back at camp, the evening unfolds around the fire with Bedouin music, singing and, inevitably, plenty of tea.
Experience: Canyon hike • Sunset camel ride • Bedouin music • Evening around the fire
Day 3 — Desert is your playground:
Relaxed, fun day
No rushing today.
This is a day to relax, play and simply enjoy being in the desert — with time for sandboarding, desert games, wandering, talking or doing absolutely nothing at all.
Lets invite Bedouins to join us for a night of food, music, dancing, games and fun.
Experience: Slow desert day • Sandboarding • Desert games • Music & dancing
Day 4 — Beyond the Tourist Trails:
Into the Wild
Today we leave our camp behind and head south.
Our jeeps take us deeper into Wadi Rum, beyond the familiar tourist routes and into the remote desert stretching towards Saudi Arabia.
Tonight there is no permanent camp. Just mattresses, blankets, fire, food, tea — and the open desert around us.
Experience: Full-day jeep adventure • Remote Wadi Rum • Off-the-beaten-path desert • Wild desert living • Sleeping beneath the stars
Day 5 — Above the Desert:
Jabal Umm ad Dami
We wake up in the wild and continue our adventure in the remote south of Wadi Rum.
Today we take on Jabal Umm ad Dami, the highest mountain in Jordan, with experienced local guidance and extraordinary views across the desert towards Saudi Arabia.
After the hike, we return to our place in the wild for food, fire and another night sleeping beneath the stars.
Experience: Jabal Umm ad Dami • Full-day mountain adventure • Panoramic views • Wild desert living • Sleeping beneath the stars
The mountain adventure is weather and conditions dependent. The final activity will be chosen according to local conditions and the overall ability of the group.
Day 6 — The Slow Way Home:
Back to Camp
After two nights in the wild, we take our time this morning.
Depending on what feels right and what is possible locally, we may spend some time with our Bedouin friends, explore somewhere new or simply enjoy a slow morning in the desert.
Eventually, we make our way back to camp — where showers, tea and a well-earned afternoon of doing very little are waiting for us.
Experience: Slow desert morning • Possible local encounters • Return to camp • Time to relax
Day 7 — Let the Desert Decide:
One Last Day in Wadi Rum
For our final day, there is no itinerary.
By now, we have explored, climbed, travelled, slept beneath the stars and begun to settle into the rhythm of desert life.
So today, we leave some space for Wadi Rum to surprise us.
Maybe we wander. Maybe we discover somewhere new. Maybe we sit around drinking tea for far too long. Maybe we visit the Wadi Rum village or perhaps someone has an idea and we follow it. No rushing to fit in one last attraction. No boxes left to tick. Just one final day to be here, together, and enjoy the desert.
Experience: No fixed plans • Desert time • Spontaneous adventures • Final gathering • Farewell evening
Day 8 — Following Morning:
Departure
One last breakfast, one last cup of Bedouin tea, and then it’s time to say goodbye to Wadi Rum.
Until next time. ♡
A Note About the Program
This itinerary is a guideline rather than a fixed schedule.
Life in the desert moves with nature, and we move with it. The order of the days and activities may change depending on weather, wind, local conditions or simply what makes the most sense at the time. Occasionally, an activity may also need to be adapted or replaced.
We respect the desert and never force a plan when nature tells us otherwise.
Come with an open mind, a little flexibility and a sense of adventure. Part of the experience is letting go of rigid schedules, trusting the journey and allowing the days to unfold as they are meant to.
Sometimes the unexpected becomes the best part of the story.
Meet Our Host and Facilitator
Experience. Culture. Connection.
Our adventure is brought to life by two very different perspectives. One comes from a lifetime spent in Wadi Rum, knowing its mountains, traditions and desert ways. The other comes from having arrived from a completely different world and, over the years, learning to understand and live within Bedouin culture.
Together with an experienced local Bedouin team, we bring these perspectives together to create a retreat that goes beyond simply visiting Wadi Rum — giving you the chance to experience the desert, understand a little more of the culture behind it, and feel at home along the way.
Meet the people who will be sharing this journey with you.
Your Bedouin Host - Hussein Salman
I’m Hussein, born and raised in Wadi Rum, and I’ve been welcoming travellers to the desert for more than 20 years. I know Wadi Rum far beyond the familiar tourist routes — from its mountains and hidden valleys to the remote desert stretching towards the Saudi border. Sharing our culture, traditions and desert way of life with visitors has been part of my work for decades.
I’m also an official climbing guide in Wadi Rum, with extensive experience organising and guiding climbing adventures, including for professional climbers. Over the years, I’ve hosted everything from small private groups to large expeditions.
L.O.S.T, my team and I take care of the desert side of your experience. We host you at our Bedouin camp, prepare your meals and lead the local activities throughout the retreat — from jeep safaris and camel riding to hiking, and our nights sleeping out in the wild.
And then there are the things that don't appear on an itinerary: making tea around the fire, finding the perfect place to stop in the desert, changing plans when the wind has other ideas, and sharing some of the traditions and stories of the place we call home.
I work alongside a trusted team of experienced local Bedouins, each bringing their own knowledge and skills to our journey.
Our job is to take care of everything out here in the desert. Yours is simply to enjoy it.
Welcome to Wadi Rum.
Your Retreat Facilitator —
Marianne Stelin
I’m Marianne, a Finn with a deeply personal and long-standing connection to Jordan and the Bedouin community of Wadi Rum.
I lived in Jordan from 2011 to 2016. I was married to a local Bedouin, we started a family together, and for several years Wadi Rum became my home. I had the rare opportunity to experience Bedouin culture not as a visitor, but as a wife, a mother and a member of a local family.
Alongside raising our family, my former husband and I also built a tourism business together. We ran a Bedouin camp and organised desert tours and safaris, and for several years I was closely involved in running the business. I also often worked as a desert guide alongside my husband. And I absolutely loved that work.
The adventures in the desert, the days spent behind the wheel of a jeep and, above all, meeting people from all over the world were some of the best parts of it. Those years taught me an enormous amount — not only about Wadi Rum, but about Bedouin culture, traditions and everyday life. They gave me more than I probably understood at the time, and I’ll always be grateful for them.
I no longer live in the desert, but Wadi Rum has never really left my life. My daughter and I return regularly to spend time with her family and relatives there. Sometimes we stay for a month, sometimes even longer.
The desert will always be our second home, and the people there will always be part of our family.
That’s why it feels pretty special to finally bring you there too.
A Bridge Between Two Worlds
When I first arrived in Wadi Rum, it took me nearly a year to begin understanding how everything around me really worked.
There are so many little things beneath the surface of Bedouin culture that an outsider may never even notice. Traditions, gestures, unwritten rules and social dynamics that nobody thinks to explain because, to the locals, they are simply obvious. And then there are things that may go unmentioned simply out of hospitality or politeness. Let’s just say that, as a Finn, I occasionally had quite a lot to wonder about.
During our week together, I’ll help you look a little deeper beneath the surface. I’ll share the small things I learned over the years: what is customary and why, what might be better avoided, what may be happening behind a situation that seems completely puzzling to us, and why things don’t always follow quite the same logic we might expect back home in Finland.
And you can ask me anything. Including the questions you might not quite dare to ask anyone else — the awkward ones, the funny ones, the strange ones and the ones you think might be completely silly. Chances are, I once wondered exactly the same thing.
Our journey also begins before we ever set foot in Jordan. I’ll facilitate our group before the retreat and help you prepare for Wadi Rum both practically and culturally — especially from the perspective of arriving in this very different world as a Finnish woman. I certainly don’t know everything, and I don’t speak for an entire culture. What I can do is share what took me years of living within it to learn. So think of me as a bridge between two worlds — a Finn who knows the world we’re stepping into, its people and its customs, but who also remembers very well what it felt like to encounter it all for the first time.
It’s difficult to put into words how happy I am to finally share a place that means so much to us with you. And I can promise that our local hosts are just as excited to welcome you with the warmth and hospitality Wadi Rum is known for.
A very warm welcome. This is going to be quite an adventure. ♡
One week Lost in The Heart of the Desert
Price Breakdown
Two Services, Two Providers
L.O.S.T. brings together services provided by two independent service providers: Local Bedouin services and Retreat Facilitation. Each provider is responsible for their own services and receives payment separately. If Wadi Rum is already calling you, there’s a little extra reason to say yes early.
Retreat Price
Super Early Bird —
1,390 € total
SAVE €500
€500 — Retreat Facilitation. Paid at the time of booking. Non-refundable.
€890 — Local Bedouin Services. Payable upon arrival in Wadi Rum.
First 3 spots only · Available until 31 October 2026
Early Bird —
1,590 € total
SAVE €300
€500 — Retreat Facilitation. Paid at the time of booking. Non-refundable.
€1,090 — Local Bedouin Services. Payable upon arrival in Wadi Rum.
Next 5 spots only · Available until 31 December 2026
Advance Rate —
1,740 € total
SAVE €150
€500 — Retreat Facilitation. Paid at the time of booking. Non-refundable.
€1,240 — Local Bedouin Services. Payable upon arrival in Wadi Rum.
Next 5 spots · Available until 28 February 2027
Regular Rate —
1,890 € total
€500 — Retreat Facilitation. Paid at the time of booking. Non-refundable.
€1,390 — Local Bedouin Services. Payable upon arrival in Wadi Rum.
Remaining spots · Available until 31 March 2027 or until the retreat is full
The prices above show the combined cost of participating in the retreat for clarity, but the services are booked and paid for separately:
Local Bedouin Services —
€890–€1,390 per person
Accommodation, meals and the local desert experiences and activities included in the program. Provided by the local Bedouin hosts in Wadi Rum. The Local Bedouin Services fee varies according to the booking period and is paid directly to the local provider upon arrival in Wadi Rum.
Retreat Facilitation —
€500 per person
The facilitation fee covers not only the organisational work involved, but also Marianne Stelin’s work with the group before the retreat and throughout our seven days together. This includes pre-retreat preparation, as well as group facilitation and support throughout our time in Wadi Rum. (The fee also covers the website, marketing and other organisational costs :-) )
Retreat Facilitation is provided independently by Marianne Stelin, and paid directly to the facilitator in advance. Please note that the facilitator fee €500 is non-refundable in the event of cancellation by the participant, subject to applicable consumer law. If, however, the retreat is cancelled by us, all payments you have made — including your reservation deposit — will be refunded in full. Full booking and cancellation terms are provided before payment. The remaining balance will be requested before the journey. The separate Local Bedouin Services fee is paid directly to the local service provider upon arrival in Wadi Rum.
The retreat requires a minimum number of participants to go ahead. Should we not reach this number, we reserve the right to cancel the retreat and will notify you accordingly.
What's Included in the Local Bedouin Services
The services provided by our local Bedouin team cover practically everything we’ll need during our eight-day adventure in Wadi Rum — from accommodation and meals to local guides, transportation and desert activities.
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7 nights / 7 days in Wadi Rum
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Accommodation at a Bedouin camp inside the Wadi Rum Protected Area
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Breakfast, lunch and dinner — both at camp and during our desert adventures
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As much Bedouin tea as you can possibly drink — also known as the famous Bedouin whiskey
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Transportation between the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre and our desert camp
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Two full days of jeep adventures — exploring Wadi Rum’s best-known sights as well as spending a full day far beyond the usual tourist routes
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Sunset camel ride
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Canyon hike and other hikes and desert adventures included in the program
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Bedouin evening with food, music and time together
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Jabal Umm ad Dami mountain day with a local guide
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Two nights in the wild desert — no camp, no facilities, just us in the middle of nowhere. Rare opportunity.
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Local Bedouin guides and team accompanying us during our desert activities and adventures
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Wadi Rum entrance fees and fees for the local activities included in the program
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And a few things we haven’t even set in stone yet — because some of the best moments in the desert are the ones that never make it onto the itinerary. ♡
A small but important note: In the desert, nature and local conditions always have the final say. The program, activities and their order may change due to weather, safety considerations, local conditions or other circumstances beyond our control. If necessary, an activity included in the program may be replaced with another experience that is as similar as reasonably possible.
In other words: we have a plan — but the desert always gets the final word.
What’s Not Included
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Visa to Jordan — Visa and entry requirements vary depending on nationality, so please check the current requirements that apply to you well in advance. Each participant is responsible for having the correct travel documents and meeting Jordan’s entry requirements. Finnish citizens can easily obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport. (We’ll check the current requirements again before departure.)
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Flights to and from Jordan — Each participant books her own flights and is responsible for arriving at the agreed meeting point on the specified date and time.
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Airport transfers and other transportation outside Wadi Rum — These are not included, as participants may arrive and depart on different flights and possibly on different days. However, we’ll be happy to connect participants arriving at similar times so you can arrange and share transportation where possible.
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Travel insurance — All participants are required to have valid and sufficiently comprehensive travel insurance for the entire retreat. Please make sure your insurance covers the activities included in the program as well as your personal belongings.
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Alcohol and other intoxicating substances — Out of respect for the local culture, L.O.S.T. is an alcohol- and substance-free retreat.
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Snacks and personal treats — Some snacks and light bites may be available between meals. We still recommend stocking up on your own energy-packed snacks before heading into the desert, so you have something easy to grab from your backpack during hikes and safaris.
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Optional extras and activities outside the program — Any optional activities or other services that are not part of the retreat program are not included.
Please note: Retreat Facilitation is not included in the Local Bedouin Services fee, as it is a separate service. However, the €500 Retreat Facilitation fee is already included in the total retreat price shown above.
Getting to Jordan
Each participant is responsible for arranging and booking her own travel to Jordan. We’ll let you know where and when our journey together begins, and you simply need to make sure you’re there to meet us.
Of course, you won’t have to figure everything out alone. We’re happy to help with flight options, arrival plans and practical questions, and we can connect women who would like to coordinate their journey and travel to Jordan together.
Ready to Get LOST?
If getting lost is calling you, we’d love to hear from you. ♡
The retreat is intentionally intimate, with limited spaces available. Fill in the short application below to tell us a little about yourself and take the first step towards securing your spot. Once submitted, you’ll receive the next steps.
Submit Your Application:
