Sudan (Sudan)

Name: maikli

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Product:	Sudan
Date:	11/09/03 (775 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tourist Free Zone, Fascinating souqs, hospitable people, many attractions, interesting culture where Middle East meets Africa

Disadvantages: Parts of the country unsafe, difficulties with visas and permits to travel, lack of tourist infrastructure

When I mention Sudan, what is the first thing that springs to your mind? Is it terrorism? Or maybe war? What about famine? Or perhaps you have visions of camels in a desert, blistering temperatures under a hot sun?

Well, if you had any of these thoughts, you?d be partly correct. Yes, there is an ongoing civil war in parts Southern Sudan, and tribal conflicts in many other areas, but the north remains safe, and new peace talks will maybe bring the war to an end soon. Yes there may have been a couple of terrorists of Sudanese origin, and Osama Bin Laden did use to live in Khartoum, but there are probably more terrorists in London or Paris than there are in Sudan. Yes, there are hungry people, famines caused by drought?but there is more than enough food in places, and you?ll be fed and fed until you burst if you come as a tourist. Yes the weather is extremely hot, although it isn?t just sun all day long?we have a rainy season during which flash floods affect huge regions of the country. And Sudan does have desert, an awful lot of it?as well as mountains, savannah, swamps, forests and the longest river in Africa, the Nile.

Sudan may not be at the top of your travel plans list, probably somewhere round Azerbaijan and Yemen, but as I showed with those two destinations, Sudan has far more to offer than the media gives it credit for. I?ve been living here for a year, and think it may be time for me to put a few thoughts down about the country. I?ve already written a review for Khartoum, so I won?t bore you with more words on that city, but I have plenty more to say about the rest of the largest country in Africa, particularly about my city, Kassala.

Sudan will never become the new Nepal, Mexico or Thailand...there just aren't enough attractions, and the cultural restrictions certainly aren't to everyone's tastes. If you're hoping to be astounded by archaeological wonders or wand
er round medieval covered souqs, then look instea
d to Syria or Turkey or somewhere else in the Middle East. Sudan does have many archaeological sites, such as the Pyramids at Meroe and Jebel Barkal, but they are small and fairly difficult to reach. The souqs are mainly modern affairs, and, though often lively, hardly compare with the bazars of Istanbul, Aleppo or Sana'a. What you will find is a country almost completely untouched by tourism...there isn't much for tourists, but you'll be made to feel very welcome and you'll experience a country that not many other people have. Whatever attractions Sudan does have, other countries have better...for example, there are some nice mountains in Kassala, but there are some spectacular moutains in other parts of the world. However, Sudan does seem to have a monopoly on one thing, and that is hospitality. The Sudanese are incredibly friendly and welcoming to foreigners, and while that sounds like a huge generalization, I have to testify that it is true...everywhere you go, people will invite you to drink tea, take rest, eat lunch, stay the night, etc....it is amazing how some of the poorest people on earth are some of the most generous.

To travel anywhere in Sudan, you need a multitude of documents?copies of your passport, visas, travel permit, photo permit, archaeological permits for visiting ruins. I?ll start with mentioning a few places that are easily visited without too much fuss. From Khartoum, the easiest places to go lie in the north. Mr. Bin Laden funded the tarmac road which heads along the banks of the Nile as far as Atbara, passing some of Sudan?s most important archaeological ruins. The Pyramids of Meroe (known locally as Ahram Bajrawiya) suddenly pop into view a few hours out of the capital, in the middle of nowhere. About thirty black stone tombs poke upwards from behind orange sand dunes, volcanic crags in the background and not a soul in sight. Built during the Meroi
tic period, these tombs are supposedly far older than the Pyra
mids of Giza, and although I?ve never been to Giza, I?m sure Meroe is more spectacular, not least because of the total lack of decorated camels and touts.

Atbara is usually ignored by those few tourists who come to Sudan, and to be honest there isn?t a great deal to do here, but the town has a unique atmosphere. It is the centre of Sudan?s railways, and contains many examples of British colonial architecture around the railway station, which makes the town pleasant to wander round.

From here you can take an epic train journey east to the coast through the Red Sea Hills. If all goes well, you?ll be in Port Sudan 18 hours after leaving Atbara, but that doesn?t allow for sand covering the tracks, cows blocking the line or passengers falling asleep on the roof and falling off, something which happens quite regularly I?m told. We had to wait two hours while a search party went off to rescue some poor soul who rolled over and off?amazingly he suffered a few bruises only!

Port Sudan is one of Sudan?s big disappointments. Hot, steamy, busy, industrial, dusty?it would seem as if the city has nothing to redeem itself (funny how all my Sudanese friends describe it as ?beautiful?). However, visit Port Sudan around the Prophet?s birthday (Mawlid an-Nabi) and you?ll find a party city?well, as much of a party city as you?ll ever find in Sudan. A huge square is devoted to Sufi prayer tents, kebab stands, stalls selling sickly sweets, and music blaring from every corner. The beaches of Port Sudan double as communal toilets and rubbish dumps, so swimming isn?t really an option in the city. For that, head south for an hour to the ancient port of Suakin. Set on an island, Suakin is a ruined city of coral houses and palaces. Legend has it that a king once built a palace with a room for each of his
wives?there are supposed to be at least 360 rooms, so he must have been a very busy and a very exhausted man! The water round Suakin is clear blue, the sand a
dazzling white?and I?ve been told that the snorkelling just offshore is amazing. But be warned?Suakin is hot and extremely humid!

Nubia is the region in the north of Sudan, a desert land where civilization is only possible due to the Nile. A very bumpy bus ride across desert tracks will bring you to Dongola, a pretty, laid-back town on the banks of the river, surrounded by palm-groves. Not much happens in Dongola, but it is a relaxed place to base yourself if you want to visit some of the ruins nearby. We made the trip north to Kerma to visit a Nile-side ancient fortress. The journey along non-existent tracks through remote villages was definitely worth the effort, even though we somehow managed to miss the ruins completely and got ourselves stuck in a small town that goes to sleep with the sun!

South of Khartoum, things are a little more tricky?with just a normal travel permit, you can visit Wad Medani, Gedarif, Kosti and El Obeid with no problems, so I shall start with these. Wad Medani is the capital of Gezira region which lies between the Blue and White Niles. A typical Sudanese city, you?ll be able to explore endless souqs, and smoke chichi (nargileh) on the banks of the river at sunset. Monkey lovers should head to a nearby forest, where the monkeys run riot mid-afternoon, whooping and yelling at picnicking families. Gedarif is a major agricultural town on the way to Ethiopia, while Kosti on the White Nile is a good place to eat fish?neither town is particularly interesting, although if you are not fond of aching bottoms from long bus rides, they are useful places to break your journey.

El Obeid, in the Kordofan region, is famous for being the center for Gum Arabic (unfortunately mis-spelt on the factory itself?I hope they don
217;t know what the real meaning of what they wrote is!!). Like many a Sudanese town, the centre is just one big souq, with anything and everything on offer. El Obeid also has a large Christian population
, and boasts a huge cathedral built by the Italians. If you get the chance, have a walk round the gardens, and maybe one of the caretakers will open up for you?inside, it is a colourful affair, full of bright religious paintings. Just across the road is a huge new mosque, built with Saudi money?however, a bit of a planning hiccup now has Muslims praying in the direction of the Virgin Mary in the belltower!

All the places mentioned above are easy to visit, and any tourist to Sudan could manage to get a bus to any of those towns without experiencing any difficulties. There is a lot more to Sudan, and while much of the south (Juba, Malakal, Wau, etc?) and west (Jebel Marra, El Fasher etc?.) remains off-limits, there are a couple of places that can be visited with a bit of effort.

Kadugli lies in the Nuba Mountains, an area of tribal conflict which has just become peaceful again. The town has a very African feel to it, unlike the other towns of the north, and the scenery is reminiscent of England at times, albeit an England with round mud huts dotted everywhere. Green hills and trees everywhere, Kadugli is a very nice place to spend a few days, walking round the traditional and rustic souqs, sipping tea in the shade of colonial houses, getting lost along the narrow alleys of the mud hut suburbs, and climbing some of the mountains for sunset views of the town. Security police are friendly, but are really not sure what to do with tourists?you will have to register, and repeatedly show your documents, but this is not too mush of a problem.

The security police in Kassala, in Eastern Sudan, are another story. If you have ten travel documents, they will want eleven?if you produce an eleventh, they will suddenly
demand twelve. The reason lies in the border conflict with Eritrea which has raged within sight of Kassala for months. The situation in the city is calm (otherwise I wouldn?t dream of living there!), but it is a real struggle to get in
to the city in the first place. Once you?ve run the gauntlet of security police, you?ll soon see why Kassala is Sudan?s prime honeymoon location. Backed by the weirdest mountains you can imagine, surrounded by lush fruit orchards, and cut in two by a seasonal river (the Gash), Kassala is, in my opinion, the most beautiful part of Sudan.

In the colourful souq, you?ll see a mix of tribes not seen elsewhere. Haddendawa men with big afros brandishing even bigger swords happily bargain with Rashaida women, whose heavily decorated veil covers their mouths but not their hair. Beni Amir with tribal scarring on their faces stroll past Hausa children, originally from Nigeria.

You can?t come to Kassala without trying the coffee on Totil Mountain. Take a minibus to the village of Khatmiya on the mountain slopes late afternoon, and just follow the crowds to one of the little cafes built into the rocks. Round straw huts on huge boulders can give the impression you?ve just wandered onto the set of the Flintstones. The coffee is thick, black and strong, heavily laced with ginger, and accompanied by popcorn. Make sure you sip the water from the well of Totil?as the story goes, drink from the well and you will return to Kassala one day. Afterwards, have a look at Sayyed al-Hassan?s tomb?he was a local holy man, and tomb is now a site of pilgrimage attracting many women for some reason. Locals don?t object to non-Muslim visitors, as long as they show respect for religious customs (take your shoes off when approaching the tomb, and women should cover their hair). Khatmiya is the oldest part of Kassala, and probably the most photographed too?not without good reason.


The Gash river runs through the town, cutting it in two. If you visit in the dry season, it can be hard to imagine a raging torrent of water coming from the Eritrean Mountains, as all you?ll see is a flat expanse of sand. For nine months of the year, it is used for football training and kara
te in the early evenings, and is a pleasant place to walk. As soon as the rains come, the banks of the Gash rival Totil as the top location for couples ?mixing?, huge crowds coming to see the muddy water flow past.

Unfortunately, in August 2003, Kassala was hit by devastating floods, with many parts of town totally destroyed including parts of the souq and the university (where I work). Over 300,000 were left homeless after this little-documented disaster?it makes me angry to think that it didn?t even get one mention on the BBC back in Britain. Maybe now is not the best time to visit Kassala?food shortages, dirty water supplies, no electricity, many services disrupted, and a lot of building work is going on, not to mention the outbreak of disease. Hopefully Kassala can recover?if it can, then it will no doubt once again be the most beautiful place in Sudan...I?ll keep you posted ;@P

Of course, there are many places I have not yet visited, like Dinder National Park, the ruins at Marawi and Karima in the north, and Nyala, a wild-west town under a bit of strife at the moment. I will update this review as and when I get round to visiting these far-flung places.

Accommodation in Sudan ranges from top class (in Khartoum and Port Sudan only) to basic male-only dormitories with smelly toilets and river-water bucket showers. In the major towns, there is usually one place resembling a hotel (by hotel, I mean a place with rooms containing just one or two beds), but often the only choice is a local laconda?while it is nice to sleep on a rooftop out in the open, you don?t always get the good night
?s sleep that you need. Also, bring a mosquito net with you, as malaria is a problem in Sudan?I?ve had it, and it was not something I?d recommend!

Transport in central Sudan is fairly good, with buses leaving Khartoum for most towns quite frequently until late afternoon. For Atbara, Gedarif, Wad Medani, Kosti, Kassala, Port Sudan and El Obeid, yo
u can travel in style on one of the ?tourist? coaches?National Express has nothing on these buses, which are punctual (unlike everything else in Sudan), serve food and drink, and entertain you with films (albeit at full volume!). These are relatively expensive, but worth every dinar for longer journeys. Cheaper buses mean less legroom, no air-con, louder music, and less frequent stops for ?essential business??they are also more likely to break down. Then come the haflas, overgrown minibuses which ply between towns and more remote villages, no road too bumpy.

There is also a train network, with lines between Port Sudan and Atbara, as well as the Khartoum-Atbara-Wadi Halfa line which connects with the ferry to Aswan in Egypt.

The border with Egypt is open, and is easily crossed. You can cross to Ethiopia south of Gedarif, the first town in Ethiopia being Gonder. The border crossing at Kassala/Tessenei to Eritrea has been closed since 2002, but with the end of hostilities, it may be reopening soon. As far as I know, the border with Chad is fairly difficult to reach because of the problems in Darfur State, but I did meet a German who had cycled from Chad, so I guess it must be open. The other borders remain firmly shut.

Sudan is an Islamic country, and it operates under Shari?a Law. Things have become more relaxed in Khartoum recently, but for the tourist, the main drawback is that alcohol is forbidden. It doesn?t mean you won?t find it, as there are always people willing to break the law, but it is not widely avail
able. Penalties are strict if you are caught. Of course, if you are an alcoholic, you won?t have even considered coming here in the first place. The other effect on tourists is dress?women are expected to cover their heads and dress modestly, although non-Muslim foreigners don?t have to do this. However, you may feel more comfortable if you do, as less attention will be paid to you. Men should also dress modestly?Sudanese men
only ever wear shorts in bed, and you should do the same.

Sudan is not an easy destination for the traveller. The amount of difficulties faced getting visas, and sorting out paperwork once in Sudan, may put many people off coming at all. If you do decide to come, you need to do a bit of forward planning to make the best of your trip?if you only have a couple of weeks, you might find yourself stuck in Khartoum waiting for documents to be stamped and signed, and that would be very frustrating. If time is limited, then the best idea is to get in touch with a local travel agency who can do all the running around for you.

Once you?ve got round the bureaucracy, you are free to enjoy what Sudan has to offer. As I said before, the attractions are hardly amazing in comparison with other parts of the world, but what makes Sudan special is the people and the almost total lack of other tourists. If you can take the heat and are prepared to rough it a bit, if you can cope with dirt, dust, electricity cuts, bruised knees from bumpy buses, frequent security checks, if you don?t need luxury at every turn?then welcome to Sudan. If that doesn?t sound like you, then maybe you should stay away, and enjoy the country from your armchair instead.

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