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Sudan overview

(NOTE: if you think the bureaucracy is bad where you live in the west, wait until you get to Sudan. More red tape than you ever would have believed was possible. The important thing is to smile and not appear impatient - at the least sign of resistance the bureaucracy will immediately grind to a halt and nothing at all will get done. Just smile and be friendly and realize that this, too, will pass.)

Visas:

The only bar to getting a visa for Sudan is an Israeli stamp in your passport. If you have one, you should apply for a new passport before applying for your visa. How quickly things will move along will depend on the specific passport office, but things seem to be getting quicker - I applied for my last one at the consulate in London in July 2002, and it was issued on the spot, versus having to wait ten days for the one before that. Being American in itself is not a problem. I have never known an American who was denied a visa for Sudan.

Must haves:

- LOTS of passport photos - get about a dozen made at a photo booth before you arrive in Sudan, otherwise you'll have to queue and have some made at a professional photographer in Khartoum
- police registration - travelers must register with the police within 3 days of arriving in the country. You'll need photos for this.
- travel permits - permits are required for all travel outside of Khartoum, and you'll need photos for this also. Have lots of photocopies of these permits made, and never surrender the original permits if asked for them, hand over instead a photocopy. The local police may give you a tiny bit of hassle about this (not much really), but it's nothing compared to the hassle you'll get if you hand over the original permit and they keep it, and then you can't produce it for the military police on demand.
- photo permits - same deal as with the travel permits, you need photos for it, make sure you make loads of copies and hand one of those over rather than the original when asked.

Packing:

- Sudan is a Muslim country, and the conservative government bases its laws on Sharia law. Having said that, the people of Sudan are actually quite relaxed about the whole thing - for example, women do wear thobes and cover their heads, but their thobes are of bright colors, are usually falling half off their heads, they don't worry about their arms (to the elbow) being uncovered, and it's not unusual to see men wearing short sleeved shirts - so no matter what you've heard about a fundamentalist regime in that country, travelling there will be quite easy. Women should wear longer sleeved shirts and either long skirts or trousers. 3/4 sleeves for women will be fine. (I usually end up rolling my sleeves up to just under the elbow, and have worn skirts of mid-calf length, and no one batted an eye.) Although regulations state that women are required to cover their heads, no one will enforce this, but compliance will be looked on extremely favorably by the ordinary folk. Men should avoid shorts - again, no one will accost you for doing so, but you will find a resistance among people to have anything to do with you.

- Don't even think about smuggling alcohol in. If you want to drink while you're there, you should make some friends among the NGOs and foreign diplomats - they have special dispensation for importing alcohol for their own use and have some very wild parties. You can also buy it on the black market but be careful with this. Most middle class Sudanese will have a bit of it around. You can also try some truly lethal palm wine if you go to a rural area, especially if you're invited to a wedding.

(Speaking of weddings: you may get invited to a few, you could even have strangers walk up to you on the street and ask you to one. These are good fun, but be advised it's expected you'll give a cash gift to the wedding couple. It's not much though, and they really are fun, plus all the guests will enjoy getting to know you, so my advice is to go for it.)

- Pack loads of tampons, contact solution, shampoo, etc. if you have specific brands you can't get by without - otherwise don't worry too much about it, as you can buy everything you could ever need in Khartoum.

Health:

- Malaria is endemic and chloroquine resistance is widespread, so take a good antimalarial. You won't need a net in the larger towns, but in rural areas you may sleep more comfortably with one in wetter areas. If you want a net, you'll get a much better deal to wait and buy one there.
- Most larger hotels and restaurants will provide you with filtered water, as will homes you might visit. Otherwise it's best to stick with bottled.
- Again, most larger and/or more upscale restaurants will provide you with safe vaggies to eat, as will people whose homes you visit. Salad or unpeeled veggies in these places are safe, otherwise don't eat them. You'll see mainly meat or preserved/pickled veggies in other places anyway.

Money:

Take loads of cash and travellers checks, ATMs will not work for you there. You can use your credit card in only the most upscale places which will mainly be hotel restaurants and shops, otherwise you'll have to use cash. The exchange rate is $1 to 260 Sudanese dinars, so even if you only exchange $50 you'll be hauling around a massive wad of cash.

To do:

Greater Khartoum Area
- Kitchener's Gunboat
- Tomb of the Mahdi
- Khalifa's House
- The souk in Omdurman
- Nile Cruise - the confluence of the Blue and White Niles is not to be missed
- Tutti Island

Khartoum
- museums
- Nile

Omdurman
- Beit al-Khalifa museum,
- Mahdi's tomb
- market
- dervishes at Hamd an-Nil

Dongola
- oases by Nile
-ruins

Marawi and Karima
- ruins in desert nearby

Atbara
- colonial railway architecture

Bajrawiya
- Pyramids of Meroe in desert

El Obeid
- museum
- markets
- cathedral

Nuba Mountains
- picturesque villages in green hills
- Kadugli
- Dilling

Port Sudan
- diving

Suakin
- ruined city on island
- swimming camels
- beaches

Red Sea Hills
- hill resorts of Arkawit and Gebeit

Kassala
- markets
- unusual mountains of Totil
- Taka and Aweitila
- old Khatmiya and its mosque
- Gash river
- Sawagi gardens
- coffee with ginger
- mixture of tribes

Outside

- the train to Port Sudan is highly recommended by Sudanese friends, although I haven't done it
- Dinder National Park on the Ethiopian border is a fantastic wildlife area. No facilities around, so you'll have to hire a car and bring your own food/water in.
- there are many archaeological sites to explore, the most well known being Meroe, the ancient Nubian royal city, about two hours north of Khartoum. It's possible to book a tour of Meroe in Khartoum, and camp for the night next to the Nubian pyramids.
- souk in Shendi

Prices:

- about 12,000 SP for 1 hour of taxi
- 500 for tea/coffee (cheaper at outdoor stalls)
- 1000 for cheap local cigarettes, more for imports
(Sorry, I should explain that until a few years ago, the currency was the Sudanese pound, and most prices are still quoted to foreigners in SP. It's easy to keep straight if you remember 100 SP = 10 Sudanese Dinars)

Ideas for accommodation:

- Acropole Hotel - expensive at about $60/night, but 3 meals a day are included, and the proprietor will take care of anything you want - exchanging money, travel and photo permits, long-term car and driver hire, etc., plus he'll arrange to have you picked up at the airport and have a local speed you through customs. The price is worth it for the first night or two if you've never been there before. There are much more expensive hotels in Khartoum, but this is the only upscale one you'd want to stay at.
- Ambassador Hotel - another good one, cheaper at about $10/night, nice safe rooms.
- Yacht Club - does camping at about $3/night. Nice location, but make sure you bring a mosquito net.

Food

Favorite meats are lamb and chicken. Rice is the staple starch. Breads are the Arabian Khubz, but the Sudanese also make Kisra, an omelette- like pancake which is part of the Sudanese dinner. Vegetables are fresh and cooked and are of infinite variety. The okra is an important ingredient in a Bamia- Bamia which is an okra lamb stew. You must try Maschi, a triple tomato dish stuffed with beef, as it is such fun to make.
As in most Arabic countries, fruits are peeled and cut in small slices for dessert. The Sudanese also love sweets and every housewife knows how to make Creme Caramela.

Links

http://www.sudan.net/

Suggested Itinerary

from khartoum head north to shendi and the nearby meroe pyramids and ruins. They are a highlight for sure. From there head top atbara and then you can cross the desert to merowe and then north along the nile to dongola finishing up in wadi halfa. The route along the nile is fascinating and the people are very friendly. There are ruins to see along the way as well. From Wadi Halfa you can take the train back to atbara and then back to khartoum. Not a whole lot to see around khartoum, there is the confluence of the blue and white nile and the omdurman souke is interesting. The sudanese are very friendly, but the officials are very strict. Make sure you secure a photo permit, travel permits and such before leaving khartoum.