Africa > Sudan: Weather, Map, Costs and Travel Guide

Still very agitated by serious conflicts, and weakened by successive famines, Sudan can not currently exploit its tourist assets. Let us mention however the places that will one day catch the attention of the traveler ...

In Khartoum, located at the confluence of the White Nile and the Blue Nile, one can admire the presidential palace and the national museum, the latter sheltering archaeological objects more than 4000 years old, real treasures. To the north of the city, the souk of Omdurman deserves the detour. In the evening, on the banks of the Nile, the tea-sellers compose an astonishing picture. You can also stroll through the family parks, which are very popular with the Sudanese.

The coastline extends along the Red Sea for almost 900 kilometers. Diving enthusiasts will surely be seduced by the multicolored shoals of fish, coral reefs and the clarity of the water.

As for landscapes, one can also admire the mountain chains along the Red Sea, those to the west of Darfur, with Djebel Marra at 3071 meters above sea level, and the Imatong mountains of the south, which culminate at 3187 meters with Mount Kete.

Throughout the Nile there are also many archaeological sites, including the most famous, Meroe, the ancient city of Nubia and the capital of a kingdom that stretched over several centuries (from 550 BC to 350 After J.-C.), with its pyramids, and which is today classified as a world heritage of UNESCO.

A visa is required to enter the Sudan, but it is currently very complicated to obtain it in this conflictual situation.

The current currency is the Sudanese dinar (SDD).

By plane, you will land at Khartoum Airport, 4 km from the city center (usually with a stop in Cairo).

There are inland airlines for travel within the country. The railway network, very present, is unfortunately slow and lacks comfort. There are also buses which serve the most important cities. One can also rent a car, but this is expensive, and roads are rarely paved outside the cities. In cities you can use taxis, and possibly buses with very irregular schedules.

Health: No vaccine is compulsory if coming from France, but it is advisable to have that against yellow fever, to protect against mosquitoes (malaria), to avoid the contact of the animals (risk of rabies ), Do not drink unsterilized water, eat your food well cooked and peel the fruit. Do not bathe in stagnant water because of the risk of bilharziasis.

Security: It is totally inadvisable to travel to Sudan at this time, especially in Darfur (fighting, terrorist risk, social unrest).