Sudan Getting There & Away

Getting There & Away

Sudanese travel visas are expensive and difficult to acquire for some nationalities or for people with an Israeli stamp in their passport. It is advisable to obtain the Sudanese visa in your home country if at all possible. Registration is obligatory within 3 days of arrival in the country. It takes over $33 and if in Khartoum it could take you a full day. Registration is also possible in Wadi Halfa. Some people get away with not having registered. Hours-long waits for customs clearance are not unheard of, and landing in Khartoum can be tricky. Entering or exiting by land goes smoothly. Alcohol is forbidden in Sudan, and attempting to import it could bring strict penalties. Photography is not permitted in many parts of Sudan, and photographing government or military buildings or personnel anywhere is inadvisable. Visitors are technically required to obtain a permit for photography of any kind. Apply at the government office near the British Council. Passport-sized photos are needed and the permit makes a nice souvenir. By plane Lufthansa, British Airways (through a subsidiary, British Mediterranean Airlines), KLM, Emirates, Gulf Air, Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways and Sudan Airways all fly to Khartoum. There are some flights to Dongola and Port Sudan from the Middle East. By car One way to get in from Ethiopia is via the border village of Gallabat. The road crossing from Egypt periodically closes, depending on diplomatic and trading relations between the two countries. Check for information before trying this route. By bus There are busses from Nairobi that go to the southern border Sudan and in late summer/early autumn of 2005, there will be bus service starting up from Kampala in Uganda to southern Sudan. For now, this route is off limits for tourists because it passes through an area of extreme insecurity where the rebel Lords Resistance Army (LRA) of Uganda operates. As of late 2005 Vehicles are being ambushed by the LRA along this route and great care should be taken on any road journeys in this region. Even when open, there is no public transport via the road crossing from Egypt. By boat The most reliable way to ender Sudan from Egypt is via the weekly ferry from Aswan in Egypt to Wadi Halfa. Currently it runs on mondays to Sudan and back on wednesdays. Prices recently went up to 33 US. The boat is old and crowded with people and goods (the best place to sleep is on deck amongst the cargo) but it takes in some magnificent views (including that of Abu Simbel). Food and drink are available on-board. There are frequent ferries from Saudi Arabia. If traveling from the south, ferry tickets can be purchased at Khartoum's main train terminal in North Khartoum.