Your Guide to Self Driving the Sudan

For years, the most I knew about the Sudan was that getting a visa was near-impossible.

I’d heard countless tales of people hell-bent on travelling overland from Cairo to Cape Town, only to find the Sudan to be their roadblock. Stories included numerous embassy visits and countless hours spent waiting in hope, only to be told to come back later - until patience waned, flights were booked, and the Sudan was bypassed in favour of a continued journey.

I also knew the Sudan had plenty of pyramids. More than Egypt in fact. But beyond that, I was pretty clueless.

Attempts at researching on google left me mostly empty-handed. Information was sparse at best, and failed to properly colour-in the lines. At first, it seemed like perhaps the Sudan had not much to offer.

But this is the challenge with a lot of Africa. It’s just not properly understood, or often talked about beyond a certain (wrong) context of poverty and political instability.

After living a decade in Southern Africa - I knew that making any assumptions meant making a grave mistake - and probably missing something amazing.

So, the lack of information on the Sudan seemed more of an opportunity than an omen. A chance to go forward in the name of true discovery. To put aside any expectations that guidebooks and google searches had failed to set to begin with, and just see where the road might lead.

From working in African tourism, I knew there was really only one tour company for the Sudan. But I also knew I hated tours. I didn’t want to be driven around by someone, lest it mean I see something interesting out the window and be unable to pull over and explore further.

I looked at options for catching buses, or hitch-hiking around the country, but I also knew the remoteness of things in Africa, and that a lack of infrastructure means you often want to go to where the buses don’t. And so, after a lot of trawling, I found a contact for rental cars.

See, in the Sudan, fuel is ridiculously cheap. Because Sudan has plenty of oil. This also turned out to be the Sudan’s downfall. Many years ago, way back in the Reagan administration of the 1980’s, South Sudan was looking for independence. And it seemed like Western powers might give their blessing for the two nation states to split - until that sticky black gold got in the way, dragging out war in the Sudan for the next few decades, with the west standing complicit in the corner.

Eventually, South Sudan got its independence, but the fallout has resulted in continuing violence in South Sudan, as well as an extended stigma for travel to the Sudan as a whole.

A lot of people think not of architectural wonders, infinite hospitality and many millennia of history when they think of the Sudan. Instead, they think of war, famine and human rights abuses.

So, were they right? I decided to go and find out.

As it turns out - renting a landcruiser in the Sudan was pretty casual. No-one wanted a copy of my passport, or even my credit card. Thanks to trade embargoes against the Sudan, no one could charge my credit card anyway, even if they wanted to. Instead, we paid USD$120 a day in hard currency, and drove away. Almost.

Having lived in Africa for a while, I know my way around a landcruiser, as well as how to engage low range. I also know how to elbow my way into traffic in chaotic African cities without crashing (…usually), but my knowledge of Arabic is, well - limited. And, despite the Sudan having plenty of oil, what it DOESN’T have in huge supply is clean diesel. And I didn’t know how to ask for it in Arabic. So, before leaving, I asked the rental car company to print me out the word for ‘DIESEL’ in Arabic so I could point to it when pulling up at the pumps.

I’m pleased to report - everything went brilliantly. So, here’s how we did it and where we went, in case you’d like to do it too.

CAR RENTAL

I contacted Abu Harba for my car rental with pick up and drop off in Khartoum.

I spoke with Nashat Waisa on whatsapp (+249 91 234 5227) who organised a quote for the car rental, as well as sending through a suggested itinerary on what we should see and do in the Sudan. If need be, the company can also organise camping equipment for rental, however I found this to be quite expensive at USD$75 a day.

A quick message on whatsapp to say where we were staying and what time we’d like to pick up the car, and I was told our rental would be ready, the morning after we arrived in Khartoum. Sure enough, right on (African) time (only about an hour late) the car was right outside - and we were ready to go.

ACCOMMODATION

Given my time again, I would bring my own tent and sleeping bag, for total freedom and the ability to camp out along the way. Khartoum is really the only centre for shops and supermarkets, so this would then be the place to load up on road trip snacks and food if you plan on camping remotely. If not, there are plenty of roadside stalls in most towns selling meat and Taamiya (felafel) on the cheap.

As it is, guesthouses in the Sudan can be incredibly cheap, although often not that clean - so bringing your own pillow and sleeping bag liner will make the process of saying yes to the cheaper guesthouses a whole lot more comfortable.

In Khartoum, accommodation choices are a lot more abundant, and many budget-friendly options can be found on Airbnb, as well as online booking sites.

If you have a domestic or international flight out of Khartoum, I highly recommend staying in the upmarket Al Riyadh neighbourhood of Khartoum for it’s close proximity to both international and regional flights, as well as great restaurants. Khartoum gets crazy when the traffic picks up and it can easily take a few hours to cross the city, so staying close to the airport before any flight connections will save a lot of time and stress about arriving for check-in.

I highly recommend Hotel Bougainvilla if you feel like a splurge (rooms cost about USD$120 a night for our visit) where a fresh breakfast comes included, the staff are incredibly helpful, and the on-site restaurant has great choices if you don’t feel like wandering too far. Hotel staff can also register you with the Ministry of the Interior on arrival so you don’t have to worry about the admin of doing this yourself.

MONEY

Given the trade embargoes against the Sudan, your bank cards will not work at the ATMs here. You will need to bring enough USD for your entire stay in the Sudan, which is best exchanged on the black market for Sudanese Pounds. Ask around, and most people have a side hustle in currency exchange. We used our car rental company, as well as hotels and other people we met along the way. I found Sudanese people to be incredibly hospitable and welcoming, and never got ripped off with exchange rates. It’s worth checking with two different sources on any given day for a point of comparison, as rates fluctuate.

VPNS

If you’re heading to the Sudan, you should download a VPN before you arrive, in case you want access to services like Paypal, or your internet banking while you’re in the country. The same goes for the app store or google play if you want to download ride sharing apps like Tirhal, as neither will function unless you’re using your VPN.

THE SUDANESE UBER: TIRHAL

Uber also doesn’t exist in the Sudan, but Tirhal does. Tirhal is the uber-like app, which is best to download before arrival, unless you have a VPN in order to do this in the country. Even with a car rental, driving in central Khartoum is a nightmare, and Tirhal is so easy that if you plan on sight-seeing around Khartom, it’s easier to leave the car rental at your hotel or guest house and jump in and out of this Sudanese version of uber, wherever you need to go.

SIM CARDS

Getting a local SIM card in Khartoum is pretty easy and painless. Best is to visit a sim card store in person, with your passport, so the sim can be registered and credit loaded to get you going. Khartoum airport also has a branch for MTN where you can get a sim card on arrival. If paying for this, I recommend changing only the required USD into Sudanese Pounds to cover the SIM and credit, as you’ll get less money for your USD with the official airport counters than on the black market. We used both MTN and Zain sim cards in our time in the Sudan and both worked well.

PHOTOGRAPHY

This is a topic of contention while in Sudan. For years, there was a requirement to get a photographic permit in order to take photos in the Sudan. When I arrived (in early 2020) it was unclear whether this requirement really still existed. Whatever the case, the authorities in the Sudan do NOT appreciate flagrant photo-taking, so it’s best to keep this on the down-low if you’re in built up areas.

Definitely bear this in mind if you’re considering photographing anything strategic - like a bridge. Particularly as the meeting point for the blue and white Niles is in Khartoum, and the best place to see this is - funnily enough - on a bridge.

Same goes for people-watching in Khartoum and Omdurman. While many tourists manage to photograph the whirling dervishes of Omdurman without issues, walking around the souks and hanging out with the chai ladies most definitely should come with a request for permission to photograph - and very likely you’ll find a lot of people will be uncomfortable with it. As a result, the best tactic is just to talk to people and interact with them, rather than treating them as tourist attractions. Then again, this rule works best anywhere in the world.

I never had any issues photographing outside of Khartoum, but I usually avoided built-up areas in favour of keeping things remote, so didn’t test the limits too broadly. When in doubt, ask first. Reports abound of foreigners being hauled off to jail cells for being a little too snap happy over the years - though I never had this issue personally.

REGISTERING YOUR ARRIVAL IN THE SUDAN

You MUST register with the Ministry of the Interior within three days of arriving in the Sudan, or risk having issues (and paying fines) when it comes time to leave. On arrival at Khartoum Airport, the office is just outside the terminal building, so easiest approach is to transfer some cash into Sudanese Pounds in the terminal (only enough for your first taxi and registration with the Ministry of the Interior to avoid losing too much money to bad exchange rates with the banks) and just get it over and done with. The process does require some form filling and waiting around, but nothing too out of the ordinary for African bureaucracy.

FOOD

There are some great restaurants to be found in Khartoum, and also Port Sudan, but outside of these areas, options are usually more limited to taamiya (felafel) fuul (fava beans) and meat. Vendors on the side of the road around Khartoum often sell basic fruits (like watermelons etc.) which you can pick up to diversify the menu a little if you’re road tripping.

KHARTOUM

Khartoum is a busy city, which is great for people watching. Tuk tuks are constantly whizzing past, and the Sudanese people are so friendly that you’re bound to make a few friends just wandering the streets. For a full on sensory experience, head to the Omdurman markets and wander around the street stalls selling fruits, nuts and all manner of clothing made in China. But, to really get amongst it, park off at one of the chai stands and drink endless cups of tea and chat to the locals. By far, this is one of the best ways to pass the time and get in some people watching in the Sudan. Tea and coffee at the chai stands is super cheap, and can be ordered with spices like ginger and cardamom, depending on what the chai ladies have to offer for the day.

MUSAWARAT ES-SUFFRA

A couple of hours outside of Khartoum, this temple is a pretty impressive spot to stop off at for a look. A gravel road off the tar, this area is not well signposted, so best is to ensure you visit with GPS coordinates and a sat nav, or an app like Tracks4Africa (navigator) to make sure you find things.

A caretaker is usually found by the temple to let you in, so you can see the carvings in the temple complex. Incredible, these archaeological sites are a reminder that once upon a time, there were elephants and lions and all manner of wildlife in the area - as they’re depicted in the carvings.

PYRAMIDS OF MEROE

This is THE tourist attraction for most people visiting the Sudan. If you’re going to find other travellers, then this is the place you’re most likely to spot them. The site has officially opening hours, however they’re quite late into the morning. If you’re driving yourself and staying at a nearby guesthouse (or camping in the desert) I’d recommend coming at sunrise, so you can see the sun melt its way down the face of the pyramids, and then make sure to return and pay your entry fee once the office is open later.

This spot is remote, and there are not always a lot of people around to shout rules at you and tell you how to behave respectfully, so being self-aware is key. Make sure you close wooden doors when at the pyramids to held prevent sand and wind erosion, and don’t climb on structures. The more respectfully this site is treated, then the less likely (hopefully) that it becomes the kind of place that needs handrails and fences to prevent un-necessary damage in future.

There is a military presence at the complex, so be mindful of this when exploring, and/or if looking for a place to wild camp nearby. Best not to crowd too close or to chance flying a drone.

NURI PYRAMIDS

These pyramids are a lot more dilapidated than the Pyramids of Meroe and surrounded by villages, as well as sitting close to the Nile River and nearby date plantations. Heading to these pyramids, you’d almost feel they were just plonked in the middle of the village, though this is kind of the appeal to being here. Normal, everyday life just resumes around this spot, reminding you that places like this can also be lived in, rather than just stared at. The Nuri Pyraminds are also quite atmospheric around sunset when people are milling about in last light, and the resulting dust creates interesting silhouettes against the setting sun.

JEBEL BARKAL

On the other side of the river to the Nuri Pyramids is Jebel Barkal and the Temple of Amun. While the temple is very much in ruins, the footprint of the complex is still very apparent, and climbing Jebel Barkal (the small mountain behind it) gives a bird’s eye view out over the complex towards the Nile River and date plantations in the distance. This would be a prime spot to bring a flask of coffee at sunrise and watch the world wake up. On the other side of Jebel Barkal, away from the Nile River, a couple of pyramids sit scattered in the sand, to re-impress upon you that this would’ve been a very significant site in its heyday.

PORT SUDAN

If you plan on visiting Port Sudan, consider making it either your first or last stop in the Sudan. Port Sudan has an international airport, with occasional flights to/from Cairo, making it easy to fly into Khartoum and out of Port Sudan with a domestic flight in the middle, or vice-versa.

The centre of Port Sudan is thriving, with a lively market area and chai stands on every other corner, however during our visit (January 2020) there was local unrest with nightly curfews that saw a military presence on the streets at night, and we were unable to be out past 6pm without special permits.

The town itself is not such a drawcard in and of itself, however the Sanganeb Reef offshore offers incredible diving and snorkelling. Most people only access the reef here on a live-aboard dive boat, however in recent years a local diving and snorkelling operator “Red Sea Secrets” has opened up.

If you’re keen to dive or snorkel the Sanganeb Reef (or Jacques Cousteau’s “Pre Continent” experiment in under-sea living) then Mustafa who runs Red Sea Secrets is the operator to speak to. Mustafa opened Port Sudan’s first dive centre (and only dive centre at the time of our visit) and has a great quality operation, including his dive boat and gear. Mustafa can also help with arranging accommodation for your stay in Port Sudan. There are many different dive sites beyond Sanganeb Reef to visit from Port Sudan, however conditions will dictate a lot of what’s possible.

The other big diving drawcard to Port Sudan is the SS Umbria, which was sunk by its Italian Captain during WWII to prevent the British from getting their hands on the 360 000 bombs, 60 boxes of detonators and 3 Fiat Lunga cars, among other supplies. The cargo still lies intact, and the shipwreck has a lot of fun swim throughs - including the engine room.