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Sudan tourist information with details about travel to and around the country. Where to stay and what to see is made easier with insider tips and hand-selected Sudan links, by dedicated editors and visitors to TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel.
The Republic of Sudan is the largest country in Africa, with a total area of more than two and a half million square kilometres. Countries neighbouring Sudan are: Chad, Libya, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic.
The River Nile is the major feature of Sudan. Its headwaters, the White Nile and Blue Nile, also flow through the country and meet at Khartoum; the capital of Sudan. Sudan by RailWhile there is a good rail network in Sudan, the rolling stock is fairly old. Most of the major cities and towns in Sudan are linked by rail. Trains Run FromWadi Halfa (on the Nile, near the Egyptian border) to Khartoum. This line branches at Atbara, for trains to Port Sudan (on the Red Sea). From Khartoum, the train runs south to Sennar, where the line branches (east) to Kassala and Port Sudan, and (west) to Kosti, Nyala and Wau. To get to Wau, leave the Nyala-Kosti line at Babanusah. This section was often sabotaged by the SPLM (Sudanese People's Liberation Movement). Sudan SchedulesWadi Halfa to Khartoum: Trains are meant to connect with the steamers at Wadi Halfa, although you might find yourself waiting a day or two. Trains are supposed to depart Wadi Halfa in the late afternoon, on Thursday and Sunday. North from Khartoum, trains are supposed to leave early mornings on Sunday and Wednesday, the last we heard. Trains are crowded (there are even people on the roof) and take around 50 hours; if they don't break down. More interesting than travelling to Khartoum by train, is to follow the course of the Nile. Trucks leave Wadi Halfa for Kerma (15-30 hrs), then it's another lorry (or shared taxi) to Dongola (2.5 hours). Cross over the Nile and continue on to Karima (7-10 hours), or take the steamer (if the river is high, from August to December) - two sailings a week, if all goes well, and the journey takes 3 days. From Karima, you can get on the train for the 36-hour ride to the capital (Wednesday and Sunday). There are also buses: via Shendi, Atbara and Abu Hamed - twice a week, which take about 24 hours. Khartoum to Kosti: Train schedules are erratic in Sudan but rumour has it that a train leaves Khartoum, for Nyala (via Sennar and Babanusa), on Mondays. Again, you might want to do the trip in stages - by road. Trucks leave from the souk in Omdurman. Khartoum to Kosti takes about 4.5 hours and another 4-5 days to Nyala. From Kosti, there are buses to El Obeid and (by bus or truck) onto Kadugli (5 hrs); an interesting, little town in the Nubian Mountains. Buses and lorries run from Kadugli to Babanusa (via El Fula). Khartoum to Port Sudan: The rail route to Port Sudan, via Sennar and Kassala, is miserably slow. Trucks and buses leave from the Shabi souk (in south Khartoum) early in the morning to Wad Medani, Gedaref, Kassala and Port Sudan. The journey to Kassala - where the Port Sudan buses stop for the night - takes around seven to nine hours. Sudan by BoatSudan has over 4,000km of navigable waterways; nearly half of them are useable all year. Sudan by RoadMost of the roads are little more than dirt tracks, made impassable after heavy rains. A paved road exists between the capital, Khartoum, and Port Sudan; on the Red Sea. Sudan by AirAirlines: Weather in SudanView a graphical weather forecast for the week ahead in Sudan. Sudan - Language and Culture The official language of Sudan is Arabic, although English is widely spoken. Before the displacement caused by the civil war, the northern two-thirds of Sudan was an area of Islamic culture, while traditional cattle-raising customs remained strong in the south. Adventures of SudanLexicOrient: Atbara Dinder Dongola El Fasher Erkowit Jabal Marra Juba El Junayna Kafia Kingi Karima Kassala Khartoum Mellit Meroe Merowe and Nupi Nile Temples Nuba Mountains Nubian desert Nyala El Obeid Omdurman Port Sudan Shendi Suakin Wadi Halfa Wad Medani. Khartoum, founded in the early 1820s as an Egyptian military post, is Arabic for elephant's trunk; a referral to the Nile proper that starts just north of the capital. Bridges cross the Blue Nile to Khartoum North and the White Nile to Omdurman. During a revolt against Anglo-Egyptian rule, 1884-1885, the city was besieged for ten months and the entire Anglo-Egyptian garrison was massacred. Khartoum was recaptured by the British in 1898 and it became the capital of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan from 1899 to 1956. Nubia (Northern Sudan) Ancient NubiaThe ancient civilisation of northern Sudan existed along with the Egyptian kingdom; between Aswan and Khartoum. Nubian civilisation had it's own distinct culture. Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan in Tehran :Shows a nice map of Sudan by region. Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Sudan Net: Sudan Forum: Darfur, on Sudan’s western border with Chad, is one of the world’s poorest and most inaccessible regions. Map of Sudan: BBC
Report on Darfur: Darfur
Crisis - How To Help: Darfur Information Center: Sudan Travel Guides Books
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