top of page

Sudan - Top Tips

Super Seven

Sudan National Museum The National Museum is located on Nile Street in Khartoum and is open every day except Mondays. For the history buffs, this museum holds the largest and most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in the world. The museum is split across two floors as well as having an outer garden area, which has some very impressive artefacts. The location is right next to where the Blue & White Niles meet, so worth combining this.


Khartoum City Tour Khartoum is an interesting city and very walkable, so you can cover the main sites in half a day on foot. Check out Friendship Hall next to the museum, Omdurman Municipality Building, and endless mosques in many different architectural styles. I would also recommend taking a walk down Nile Street to get a glimpse of Burj Al Fateh AKA Corinthia Hotel. This will lead you all the way to Tuti Suspension Bridge.


Visit a Local Market


As with many African cities, there's always plenty of markets to wander through and absorb the daily hustle & bustle of local life. Khartoum is no different, with many colourful markets selling textiles, clothing, and local souvenirs. There's then always the spice market section to add some extra aroma and colours to the experience. This is a great spot for photographers to snap away at locals, with their permission of course.


Meroe Pyramids The highlight of my Sudan visit was definitely an overnight trip to see the Meroe Pyramids, which are located 250km north-east of Khartoum. Meroe was an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile and was the capital of the Kingdom of Kush for several centuries. There's more than 200 Nubian Pyramids at this site in total, but with barely a tourist in site. These are hugely impressive and vary in size significantly. If you've seen The Ancient Pyramids in Egypt, then you'll love these and the feeling of being in a very remote location.


Desert Camping


Due to the distance involved with travelling to Meroe, this is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of camping in the desert. The pyramids are remotely located with no hotels in the immediate vicinity, so it's perfect camping territory. You'll also have the added benefit of watching sunrise beaming up from behind the pyramids, which is a very picturesque spot. Worth noting that there's no shops within the area, so take plenty of food and water. Shout Out: Tent pic from Wanders Miles.


Blue & White Nile


There's a very interesting geographical point in the city of Khartoum, which is the spot where both the Blue and the White Nile meet. Khartoum is a rain-poor city and has a population of just over two million, so the Nile is heavily relied upon for many reasons. In 2013, NASA confirmed via satellite that this is the official meet point of the two Niles. You'll need to view from an elevated spot to see the colour difference in the water, but you can take a boat ride along the Nile meet point regardless, with many locals on hand to assist.


Desert Camel Ride


Another activity worth taking advantage of whilst out in Meroe visiting the pyramids is a camel ride. There's no better landscape to ride a camel than a vast open desert. Even better when you have the backdrop of multiple historical pyramids. Around the Meroe Pyramid area, you'll find many locals with camels so this is something that's very easy to arrange.


Accommodation Advice


As far as hotels go, there's no a huge selection in Khartoum. As much as I would've loved to stay at Corinthia Hotel, it was far above my budget, yet other options seemed to be low end hostels. This was until I found Acropole Hotel, which hit the spot. Centrally located, didn't destroy the wallet, and the rooms were a good standard with en suite. Even the WiFi was stronger than what I was expecting.


Food Factor


In the centre of the city, there's Rickshaw Restaurant, which is located inside Corinthia Hotel. This is an Asian restaurant with an extensive menu. The restaurant is on the 18th floor with panoramic windows offering great views of the Blue Nile. Depending on the night you visit, the menu is either buffet or a la carte. The chicken satay was superb!


Comments


You Might Also Like:
bottom of page