Travel Tips to Sudan
Visas:
Visa must be obtained at the Sudanese embassy, consular section in your country, prior to arrival and must be applied for four weeks before beginning of the tour. Some Sudanese embassies insist on an invitation from a Sudanese agency. If you send us your passport details, we can provide this invitation.
These are the requirements:
* A passport that is valid for at least another six months
* One passport-sized photograph
* A completed application form
* Visa fee (this varies depending on your nationality.)
* Please note that the passport must not contain any Israeli stamps or entries!
* There is a passport registration which is done by the hotel after check in and a departure tax .
Permits:
Permits are required by visitors wishing to travel anywhere outside Khartoum, and can take up to 2 days to obtain. Visitors arriving in any town or city in the Sudan must register with the police on their arrival, and show the necessary paperwork.
Entry fees:
Entry fees are required to visit archaeological and/or historical sites.
Photo permit:
The Tourist Information Office in Khartoum will issue visitors with a photography permit. (6 passport photos required for this.) This is essential for anyone wishing to take photographs anywhere in the country, and is issued together with a list of items which may not be photographed. Video/film require additional permits.
How to get in & out Sudan:
Air: Government-owned Sudan Airways provides scheduled domestic air transport service to about twenty towns. International flights are available by Sudan Airways and foreign airlines like Lufthansa, KLM, Egypt Air, Austrian Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ethiopian. Khartoum International is the principal airport in addition to seven other airports that have paved runways.
From Egypt by Ferry: An overnight ferry boat on Lake Nasser connects Aswan to Wadi Halfa on Egypt’s southern border: leaving Aswan on Monday and Wadi Halfa on Wednesday. The ferry has 24 double cabins, and provides deck chairs for sleeping. The cabins are simple and not state of the art (local), but there is air-conditioning. The common wash room and toilet are not in the best possible state, but acceptable. On the whole the ferry is alright for the experienced traveler. The view from the upper deck is beautiful. Coming from Wadi Halfa the ship passes the lighted temples of Abu Simbel at about 8 p.m. The food is acceptable and the passage provides ample opportunity to meet other passengers and make contacts.
From Ethiopea by road: the Gallabat boarder is the most reliable way of crossing between these two countries.
Accommodation:
In Khartoum you can choose hotel accommodation from all categories. There are luxurious 5 star Deluxe Hotels, 4 star hotels, and also reasonably priced good 3 star accommodation.
Outside of Khartoum accommodation is either in camps or tents, or possibly in local houses! During adventure trips accommodation consists of tents with bottom covering and mattresses. Our team will set up camp and prepare three meals a day for you.
Food:
In Khartoum you can eat either in hotels or in good clean local restaurants. We will sure that you are supplied with the safest, most varied and typical outdoor food (safari food) while travelling outside Khartoum.
Breakfast: Coffee, tea or hot chocolate, cheese, eggs, jam, honey, and bread.
Lunch: Usually lunch is the lightest meal of the day and consists of different kind of cheese and vegetables, or scrambled eggs with bread and salad, noodle- or rice-salad, tuna fish or the like, with tea or coffee afterwards.
Dinner: This is the main meal of the day and leisurely prepared: soup of the day, rice or pasta and vegetables with meat or chicken, and coffee or tea. There is always fruit available.
NOTE: It is permitted to bring any alcoholic beverages of any kind into Sudan.
What to bring for your trip to Sudan:
Back pack or soft bag (no hard luggage) not heavier than 12 kg
Loose comfortable clothes, preferably cotton, no shorts or beach dress outside of resorts or hotel compounds! It is recommended to bring several pieces of light clothing, to wear layers: one above the other instead of one thick item.
* Trekking shoes
* light sandals
* Cap or sun hat
* Flash light (torch) and batteries
* Pocket knife (swiss army style)
* Water Flask (Camel bag is recommended)
* wet wipes and small towel
* Sun screen (high protection)
* tooth brush, tooth paste, lip stick
* Insect protection
Also you should bring copies of your travel documents (passport, flight ticket, visa, insurance policy, travelers cheques etc.),
Photography:
For photographers we recommend to bring sufficient film and also adapters for re-charging cameras using the cigarette lighter in the jeeps. Please bring 6 passport photos so we can have photo permits issued after your arrival. These will cover photo cameras only – for film and video cameras you would need a special permit at special fees.
Vaccinations:
In preparation of your trip we recommend you get vaccinations against Cholera, Typhoid and Yellow Fever.
Sometimes vaccinations against Hepatitis A and B, Meningitis A and C, Tetanus, and Polio are recommended as well. You should contact your local health authorities and ask about their guidelines.
Please note that for combination tours Sudan – Egypt you must have a vaccination against yellow fever, because Egyptian immigration insists on this. If you cannot produce a certificate of your yellow fever vaccination you will be vaccinated at the Sudanese – Egyptian border!
First aid kit:
It’s recommended you bring:
* malaria prophylaxis
* Diarrhea medication
* Headache tablets
* Sterile bandages
* Micropur MT1 tab. (For drinking waterpurification).
* Oral rehydration solution.
If you are dependent on special medications make sure that you bring a sufficient quantity.
Duty Free:
All personal belongings are customs free, with an allowance of 200 or less cigarettes or 1/4 ounce of tobacco. The duty free shopping in Khartoum International Airport does not offer much choice.
For electrical or electronic equipment, dues are taken for these items but if they are re-exported within six months from the date of their entry, the duty is refundable.
Prohibited items:
It is forbidden to take alcohol into Sudan, even for personal use.
Currency:
Sudanese pound SDG. There is no Limit to the amount of foreign currency that can be admitted in Sudan. Declaring amounts exceeding US$ 5000 to the authorities at the port of entry is a must to ensure the right of the visitor to take out any amount of foreign currency not exceeding the declared amount.
Credit cards & Travelers’ cheques:
Credit cards or travellers’ cheques might be accepted in some of the 5 star hotels in Khartoum, but generally are not much use in the rest of Sudan. It is best to carry cash, either in US$ or in Euro.
Banks:
In Khartoum and Omdurman there are many banks and currency exchange bureaus. Most 5 star hotels have banks in their lobby areas. Outside Khartoum many of the smaller towns have banks as well, so you can exchange money on the way.
Telephone:
You are able to phone out from all hotels, and also small business centers even in small villages which offer international phones. Most mobile phone providers work over most of Sudan. Ask your local mobile phone provider about the possibility of using your phone in Sudan. Most hotels and cities now have internet cafes.
Electricity:
The electric current has 220 V/50Hz. You need to bring an adapter for your electrical appliances.
Time:
GMT +3 hours.
Climate:
Between the end of September to the end of April the climate in North Sudan is very moderate ranging between 25°C and 40°C.
Clothing and Behavior:
Resort hotels and international 5 star hotels in Sudan usually do not object to revealing dress. Outside your hotel, women (and to a certain degree men) should dress conservatively (very modestly) to avoid attracting unwanted attention. To visit churches and mosques you should wear long sleeved clothing and a head scarf for women: avoid shorts or short skirts. Kissing either between spouses or as greeting between men and women is not practiced in public.
Check in Times in Hotels:
Check-Out time in all hotels is at 12.00 noon, check-in at about 2.00 p.m..
Tipping:
drivers, guides and restaurant waitress expect tipping.
Roads:
The road system consists of between 20,000 and 25,000 kilometers, of which more than 3,000 kilometers paved or asphalted and about 3,700 kilometers gravel. The remaining roads are fair-weather earth and sand tracks. Recently a new highway has been paved from Khartoum to Wadi Halfa.
Public holidays:
All regular Islamic holidays and festivals are kept, with the following additions:
January 1: Independence Day, commemorating the birth of the Sudanese Republic in 1956.
January 7: Coptic Christmas.
February 15: Moulid (Birth of the prophet Mohamed).
Jun 29: Lailat al-Miraj or Isra and Miraj (Ascension of the Prophet).
Jun 30: Revolution day.
August 31: Eid ul-Fitr or Id-Ul-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
November 26: Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
November 27: Islamic new year.
December 25: Christmas Day.
Note: Some of these holidays are according to Coptic or Islamic calendar. Visit the following link for an updated list http://holidayyear.com/
Shopping:
Weaponry, such as daggers and swords in leather sheaths, can be unearthed in the markets of Sudanese towns. Some local men still wear these as part of everyday attire, but this is becoming an increasingly rare sight. As an exotic souvenir, however, these weapons are an interesting purchase.
Ebony carvings are for sale in the souqs (markets) at Omdurman and Khartoum, as well as gold jewelry. In the western region, in and around the town of Mellit, shoppers can find attractive carpets and some beautiful pottery.
Those interested in world wildlife and ecology will do best to avoid such purchases as ivory goods, stuffed crocodiles and purses made from crocodile skin. Animals are being massacred in large numbers to provide these goods, and they are (unfortunately) on sale throughout the Sudan and in other parts of Africa.
Please note that we provide this information for your convenience. It is still your responsibility to check with the foreign affairs in your country and the Sudanese embassy to make sure that you meet all requirements to ensure entry to Sudan!