Trail Guides N o r t h & S o u t h SUDAN North and South Sudan The Trail Guide to Trail The Second edition Saudi Red SeaArabia Egypt Lake Libya Nasser Wadi Halfa Nubian Desert t Port le Abu Sudan Kerma i N Hamed Dongola Suakin t Karima North Jebel Arkowit Barkal Sudan Merowe Haiya Atbara Chad Meroe Shendi Eritrea A t b Khartoum a Kassala r a G ane t sh Darfur Wad Medani Gedaref El-Geneina El-Fasher Sennar Aba El-Obeid D Island in de Jebel t r W Kosti Marra Dinder h i Nuba t Park Nyala e N t B Mountains i l l e u e N i Kadugli l e Talodi Abyei Malakal Ethiopia S o b at W h South i Wau t e NSudan i le Central Rumbek African Bor Republic Yambio Juba Kapoeta Torit Yei Democratic Republic of Kenya the Congo Uganda Contents Part 1: North & South Health and vaccinations 31 Sudan Public holidays and weekends 34 Crime and safety 34 Our Guides 2 About Sudan 36 The City Trail team 3 How we work 3 Geography and climate 36 How to support independent The people 39 publishing 4 Wildlife and national parks 48 Transliteration 4 The economy 48 The Sudanese currency 5 Politics 50 Symbols used in this book 6 History 52 Foreword 7 Culture 70 Travel Itineraries 8 Islam and Sudan 70 Khartoum (one week) 8 Eating and hospitality 79 The North (10 days) 9 Dress 80 Kosti and the Nuba Mountains Weddings and marriage 81 (10 days) 9 Funerals 83 Kassala and the Red Sea (three Phones 84 weeks) 9 Dinder Park (one week) 10 Sudanese homes 84 Juba (one day) 10 Greetings 85 The best of Sudan (one month) Public transport 85 10 Transport 86 The Essentials 12 Driving 86 When to go 12 City Buses 88 Time zone 13 Language 13 Boksis 90 Tourist information 13 Taxis and amjads 90 Getting there and away 15 Rickshaws 90 Travelling around 20 Walking and cycling 91 What to take 21 Boda-Bodas 91 Connecting with locals and expats 22 Travelling around Sudan 92 Money 23 The cost of living 25 Eating & Drinking 96 Mail and communication 26 Press 27 Typical food 97 Electricity 28 Typical drinks 99 Visas and permits 28 Sheesha 100 Part 2: Khartoum Camping 161 Where To Eat 162 Orientation 101 Khartoum 101 Central Khartoum 163 Omdurman 102 Riyad 164 Bahri 103 Tayif and Arkowit 167 Maps 104 Garden City, Burri and Manshea 167 Getting Around 114 Amarat 168 Khartoum 2 & 3 171 Renting and buying cars 114 Taxis 115 Bahri 173 Buses 115 Omdurman 173 Bus maps 117 Shopping 174 What To See 124 Supermarkets 175 Central Khartoum 124 Meat 176 Khartoum 2 and 3 127 Fish 177 Amarat 127 Fruit and vegetables 178 Bahri 128 Herbs and spices 178 Omdurman 130 Cakes, biscuits and chocolate 179 Tuti Island 133 Clothes and shoes 179 The Nile 134 Household appliances 179 Khartoum’s mosques 136 Fossilised trees 136 Digital and passport photos 179 Khartoum's museums 137 Laundry 180 Souvenirs and gifts 180 What To Do 140 Books 181 Beauty and hairstyling 182 Events 140 Printing 183 Cultural centres 140 Live music 141 Gardening and flower shops 183 Clubs 141 The markets 183 Sports activities 143 Spectator sports 147 Living & Working 186 Massage and spa 148 Visas and permits 186 Libraries 148 Labour law 187 Cinema 148 DVD rental and sale 149 Communication 189 Theatre 149 Business etiquette 192 Bowling, pool and table football Schools 193 149 Courses 195 Dancing 150 Where to worship 196 Embassies 150 How to find a job 196 Picnic spots 150 Opening a business 198 Opening a bank account 200 Where To Sleep 152 Meeting and conference rooms High-end 152 201 Mid-range 157 Accommodation 201 Low-end 160 Electricity, water and waste 202 Part 3: Around the Darfur 259 Understanding Darfur 260 country El-Fasher 262 Nyala and Jebel Marra 263 The North 203 El-Geneina 263 Sudanese archaeology 204 Shendi 205 South Sudan 265 Naqa 206 Living & working 266 Mussawarat Es-Sufra 207 Juba 269 Meroe 207 Malakal 294 Atbara 208 Wau 295 Merowe 210 Yei 296 Ghazali 211 Torit 297 Karima 211 Jebel Barkal 213 Nuri 214 Part 4: Appendices El-Kurru 215 Old Dongola 216 Sudanese Arabic 298 Dongola 217 Kawa 219 Pronunciation 298 Kerma 219 Grammar 299 Soleb 221 Vocabulary 303 Sai Island 221 Useful expressions 306 Wadi Halfa 221 Situation dialogues 308 The Nile Cataracts 222 Verb conjugation 312 The Red Sea 224 Further Reading 320 Diving in the Red Sea 225 General History 320 Port Sudan 230 Colonial History 320 Suakin 235 Archaeology 320 Red Sea Hills and Arkowit 236 Darfur 320 Travel writing 321 South Sudan 321 The East 238 Fiction 321 Kassala 239 Ethnography 321 Dinder Park 243 Islam 322 Videos and films 322 The Centre 245 Wad Medani 246 Listings 323 Sennar 247 North Sudan 323 Kosti 247 South Sudan 329 Aba Island 250 Index 331 Kordofan 252 El-Obeid 253 Dilling 257 Kadugli 258 Maps Map 1: Main Long-distance Bus Routes 92 Map 2: Khartoum Overview 104 Map 3: Riyad 106 Map 4: Amarat 108 Map 5: Downtown Khartoum 110 Map 6: Mogran 111 Map 7: Khartoum 2 & 3 112 Map 8: Omdurman 113 Map 9: The North 203 Map 10: Atbara 209 Map 11: Karima 212 Map 12: Dongola 217 Map 13: The Red Sea 224 Map 14: Dive Sites 226 Map 15: Port Sudan 230 Map 16: The East 238 Map 17: Kassala 240 Map 18: The Centre 245 Map 19: Kosti 248 Map 20: Kordofan 252 Map 21: El-Obeid 254 Map 22: Darfur 259 Map 23: South Sudan 265 Map 24: West Juba 270 Map 25: East Juba 272 Khartoum bus maps Bus map 1: Stad to Souq Omdurman 117 Bus map 2: Stad to Bahri as-Shabia 118 Bus map 3: Jackson to Jeref as-Gara 119 Bus map 4: Jackson to Maioo 120 Bus map 5: Jackson to Mamoura 121 Bus map 6: Jackson to Sahafa Sherik 122 Bus map 7: Jackson to Sahafa Zalat 123 North and South Sudan The Essentials The Essentials It is one of Sudan's great trag- Travelling during the rainy edies that so many people who months is particularly difficult, es- have not visited the country have a pecially in the South where most of negative impression of it. the roads are little more than dirt The media must take a large tracks. The timing and duration of share of the blame for this. Over the rainy season varies from region the years, news reports have tend- to region. In the South, the rains ed to focus on the grimmer parts of usually start around April, whilst in the country, such as the fighting in Khartoum they don’t tend to start South Sudan and in Darfur. until at least July. Some places, It is true that some parts of Su- such as the northern deserts and dan are less safe than others. Car- parts of Darfur, see very little if any jackings, armed robberies and kid- rainfall throughout the year. nappings are still a big problem in Travelling around the country is Darfur (in the west of the country) most pleasant between January and travel by road is not advisable. and March, when the temperature There is also banditry in the South. becomes a little cooler and the However, it is important to rains have not yet arrived. remember that Sudan is vast. During the summer months Taken together, the North and the (April to June), Sudan can become South span a territory that is one- exceedingly hot, regularly hitting fifth the size of Europe. So whilst 50°C (122°F) in parts of the coun- some areas may be unsafe, many try. The North tends to be more arid others are open for independent than the South, which can become unpleasantly humid and sticky dur- travel. This includes the northern ing the summer. deserts, the Red Sea region, the Many expats living in Sudan take east of the country and the central their main holiday in July and Au- sweep that leads down to the Nuba gust, leaving the country at the Mountains. South Sudan is also height of summer and coming back starting to open up and roads west when the temperature has cooled. of Juba, all the way to Wau, are Accordingly, travel agencies and safer than they use to be. tour operators often close their of- Check with your embassy for the fices during this time, making it latest travel advice before you set harder to book trips. off. Visiting North Sudan during the For those who look, Sudan has holy Muslim month of Ramadan is many hidden charms. This guide- an interesting experience and, if book provides a good way of un- you are lucky enough, you might covering them. end up sharing a Ramadan break- fast with the hospitable Sudanese. However, things are more likely to When to go be shut during this period. The weather can have a big effect When it is Ramadan, most res- on any travel plans. taurants in the north remain closed www.thecitytrail.com Time zone 8 The Essentials during the day. However, in Khar- Sudanese Arabic is distinct from toum some of the places popular the Arabic dialects spoken in other with expats have now been given countries. Many people in the South permission to open. speak a version of the language Shops also have more restricted known as Juba Arabic, which is opening hours during Ramadan heavily influenced by tribal dialects.