Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

Sudan Airways connects Khartoum with destinations throughout Africa. There are also services from Port Sudan and from Dongola to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. In the south, Juba is becoming slowly connected to flight routes to Kenya. Of the international airlines, EgyptAir serves Cairo, Kenya Airways fly to Nairobi and Ethiopian Airlines fly to Addis Ababa. Lufthansa flies frequently to Europe and the USA via Frankfurt; Gulf Air and Emirates connect with worldwide destinations via the Middle East. The airport departure tax for international flights is the usual hefty 20.00, payable in dollars.

Sudan shares borders with many countries, but not all are open. Overland travel to the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo remain unstable and dangerous, but connections to Uganda and Kenya are becoming viable and secure. The frontier with Eritrea is closed to travellers.

The roads between Sudan and Egypt are closed, however it's straightforward to go by the weekly ferry that leaves Sudan's inland port of Wadi Halfa and sails along Lake Nasser to the port near the Aswan Dam about 20km south of Aswan in Egypt. Saudia Arabia is also an option by water, with regular ferry services running between Suakin and Jeddah.

Getting around

Sudan Airways flies to all of Sudan's major cities (Ed-Debba, Dongola, El-Fasher, Al-Geneina, Juba, Khartoum, Malakal, Merowe, Nyala, El-Obeid, Port Sudan, Wadi Halfa and Wau) but be prepared for last-minute schedule changes and overbooked flights. There's a domestic airport tax of 4.00.

Sudan's major highway is the sealed road linking Khartoum with Port Sudan via Gedaref and Kassala. The routes from Khartoum to Atbara, Dongola and El-Obeid are also mostly sealed. Luxury buses run between Khartoum, Kassala, Port Sudan and El-Obeid, and less comfortable buses run on the other sealed roads. In the rest of the country, 'roads' are mostly desert tracks and the only public transport can involve hardy 'buses' adapted from trucks. For shorter distances, and around towns, the transport of choice is Toyota pick-ups known as boksi (plural bokasi).

The state-run rail network, once one of the best in Africa, is sadly run-down as a result of war and lack of investment and maintenance. The only remaining passenger services are from Khartoum to Wadi Halfa and Port Sudan (via Atbara). There's also a branch line in the west from Er-Rahad to Nyala.

Visa information

Everyone needs a visa. The length of the application process depends largely on your nationality and where you apply - some visas are granted on the spot, others take up to two months with no guarantee of success. A letter of invitation is usually essential. If possible, try to get your visa before leaving home or allow yourself plenty of time once you arrive in Africa (but watch the expiry date!) Visas are usually valid for one month from the date of entry and costs range from 50.00 to 100.00.

You have to register within three days of arrival in Khartoum, Port Sudan or Wadi Halfa; some provincial towns also insist you register with police on arrival. In Khartoum, go to the Aliens Registration Office; the process costs 19.00 and you need one photo and photocopies of your passport and Sudanese visa (there's a copier in the building). Note that if you registered on entry at a land border, you do not need to pay the registration fee again in Khartoum. Travel permits are required to travel overland to Post Sudan, and to the west past El Obeid. The permit system for the south is in flux - check on arrival.