For anyone who is planning a similar journey through the Sudan in the near future, here are a few helpful Sudanese facts and figures.
On the road
Our route:
Kilometers:
Diesel:
Diesel costs:
Diesel price:
Eksheet, Dunqula, Khartoum, Meroe, Khartoum, Al-Quadarif, Gallabat.
2000
Available only in Khartoum. Involves queueing unless you are prepaired to pay more or if someone has pity on you. The queues can last a few hours or even days. A taxi driver told us that first of all the Sudan is a very poor country and secondly that most of the fuel comes from Saudi Arabia, on credit. Thirdly that the Sudan is a Saudi ally in the yeman war, which isn't appreciated amoungst the people and finally that Saudis only deliver when Sudanese comply and behave themselver respectivly. Whether or not that's true I can't say.
1020 SDG (24,29 EUR)
4,11 SDG (0,10 EUR). As in Egypt regulated and everywhere the same.
Traffic conditions, speed humps, checkpoints etc, are very similar to Egypt. The speed humps are less frequent though out of town. At checkpoints we were usually waved through. Rarely did anyone want to see our papers and on only one occasion were we asked if we had a tip for the police. We didn't.
Accomodation
Nights:
Total costs overnight:
Average costs overnight:
7 nights. All spent in the van next to the road. 1 wildcamp in Dunqula, 5 in Khartoum outside the German Guesthouse and 1 at the border in Gallabat.
2923 SDG (69,60 EUR)
417,57 SDG (9,94 EUR)
Money
Exchange Rate:
ATM:
1 EUR = 42 SDG (the official rate was 21 SDG)
1 SDG = 0,024 EUR
We had read that the ATMs don't accept Visa cards and so we had enough cash as we entered the country. I suppose that if we needed to, we could have withdrawn money at a bank, though probably only at the official exchange rate. We changed money twice (Mazar and Norbert) at an inofficial rate of 42 SDG.
Sightseeing
Other tourists:
Tickets (for us both):
Transport:
None. We had Meroe to ourselves. As we left two Sudanese visitors arrived (and explained that their pyramids were much older than those in Egypt !!!) In Khartoum we saw no other tourists, with the exception of a German couple on a motorbike who had fled from Ethiopia because the stone throwing had become too much for them (which gave us something to think about).
Meroe, 300 SDG (7,14 EUR) after haggling, the first price was 500 SDG. I've had enough camel rides. The first was half an hour on Lazarote and the second in Morocco comprised a whole day. However next to the ticket booth in Meroe two camel drivers stood up so expectantly as we came out and being the only tourists there and feeling sorry for them that, yes, a third ride had to be taken. 250 SDG (5,95 EUR).
Al-Mogran 40 SDG - without reciept (0,95 EUR) for two very tired soldiers.
tuc-tucs and taxis, Khartoum 350 SDG (8,33 EUR).
Shopping
Eating out:
Food:
Bits and bobs:
520 SDG (12,38 EUR)
930 SDG (22,14 EUR)
170 SDG (4,05 EUR)
Qustul
Visa:
Clearance:
Insurance:
Mazar:
rounded up:
85,00 EUR, bought in Aswan.
26,19 EUR
5,71 EUR
9,52 EUR
1,43 EUR
Gallabat
Fixer (name unknown):
60 SDG (1,43 EUR)
Costs
Diesel:
Accomodation:
Sightseeing:
Shopping:
Qustul including Visa:
Gallabat:
Total:
24,29 EUR
69,60 EUR
22,37 EUR
38,57 EUR
127,85 EUR
1,43 EUR
284,11 EUR
In conclusion
Constantly having thoughts about fuel spoilt our stay without doubt. The Sudan became more or less a transit land which was not intended. If I ever get round to it I would like to see Kerma, Napata, Jebel Barkal, Nuri, Mussawwarrat es-Sufra, Naqa and many more. I wouldn't go back to Khartoum though, if I didn`t have to.
- Thankyou Sudan