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Places to
visit Sabaloga Gorge
This gorge is also known as the 6th Cataract.
It is approximately 100km north of Khartoum and can
be reached in about 2 ˝ hours. It is essential that
a 4-wheel drive vehicle be used, and it is wise, as
is true in all cases in traveling outside Khartoum,
to travel with at least two vehicles. On arrival,
visitors can stroll around a Sudanese village and
inspect Ansar forts that once bombarded steamers on
their way to relieve General Gordon. It is
advisable to take this trip in the cooler months.
Jebel Awlia
This dam was completed in 1937 and is
approximately 45 km south of Khartoum on the Jebel
Awlia road. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is not required
for this trip as the road is paved to the dam.
However, if you intend to cross the dam and travel
on the other side, a 4 WD will be needed. The area
around the dam itself has a number of large trees
and flat grassy land which are ideal for picnics.
For those interested in bird watching, there are
numerous birds to be seen, such as pelican, herons,
kingfisher, wader, plovers, etc.
One of the fringe benefits of a trip
to Jebel Awlia is a short drive up to the dam
itself. Here the fishermen sell their catch, which
they have just brought in. The prices are about
half of what they might be in Khartoum. It is
advisable to bring along suitable wrapping and
ice/coolers for any fish purchased.
Meroe
The old Kushite capital of Meroe is approximately
200 km north of Khartoum on the Khartoum – Atbara
road. The journey only takes two hours on a good
tarmac road. Clearly visible from the highway, the
100 2000-year old pyramids are an amazing site.
Isolated on the edge of the desert either side of
the road, the pyramids can be visited as a day trip
from Khartoum. Alternatively, one can camp close to
the pyramids or stay at the Italian-run Meroe Tented
Camp. The camp is a real taste of luxury in the
desert with ten permanent tents. Situated a few
kilometres from the road, on the eastern side, the
camp overlooks the northern-most pyramids. Meals
are served in a common mess area. A single costs
US$95 and a double cost US$120.
Most of the pyramids have been decapitated—thanks to
a treasure hunter in 1834. The entrances to the
pyramids are adorned with beautiful hieroglyphics;
however, graffiti artists are slowly ruining them.
A permit is needed to visit the pyramids. This can
be bought at the ghaffir’s office next to the
entrance of the Northern Cemetery for US$10.
The ruins of the Royal City of Meroe—to which the
pyramids are the cemetery—are on the banks of the
Nile a few kilometres from the pyramids, on the
western side of the road. A separate permit is
needed to visit the Royal City. The site is heavily
ruined, often with little more that the outlines of
buildings to be seen. It is possible to see a
kushite bath, dug into the ground and lined with
mortar. The bath is lined with statues and pottery
water pipes.
Naqa
The Merotic temples of Naqa are situated about 170
km north of Khartoum on the Khartoum – Atbara road.
The journey only takes an hour and a half on a good
tarmac road, and then a further half an hour off the
road on a desert track (a 4 wheel drive is
essential). The turning off the main highway is
signed in English and is next to a Nile Petroleum
station. Once off-road, the tracks are harder to
follow and it is easy to get lost. Taking a guide
or GPS is recommended (N 16’16,476, E33’16,446).
Built in 1AD the site is made up of the Temple of
Amun and the Lion Temple, both of which are well
preserved. A permit is needed to view the sites.
Musawwarat Es Sufra
The temple complex of Musawwarat es-Sufra is the
largest set of Meroitic remains in Sudan. Its exact
purpose remains unclear—a metaphor for our
incomplete understanding of Meroitic culture. The
Lion Temple dedicated to the god Apedemak was
reconstructed and beautifully restored by Humboldt
University Berlin in the 1960s, making it (along
with Naqa) the finest standing Kushite temple. A
permit covers both a visit to the Lion Temple and
the Great Enclosure, a large complex of rambling
walls and toppled columns. A trip to Musawwarat
should be combined with a trip to Naqa as it is only
a few kilometres north (N16’25,570, E33’19,278).
Karima
Around the town of Karima is the old religious
centre of Jebel Barkal and the first Kushite royal
cemeteries of El Kurru and Nuri, collectively a
World Heritage site. Karima is roughly 400km north
of Khartoum. Traveling north out of Khartoum
through Omdurman through the Bayuda Desert, the road
is for the most part tarmac, however, just out of
Omdurman the road in under construction with
diversions onto tracks into the desert. There are a
few petrol stations on the way to Karima, where fuel
is funneled into tanks manually. These stations
serve meals and drinks. After hours of driving on a
perfect tarmac road through the beautiful desert,
there is suddenly a roundabout with a monument in
the middle of it—this is Abu Dom. At this point the
road takes you west to El Ghaba and on to Wadi Halfa
in the north on the western side of the Nile.
Alternatively, the road takes you east to Nuri and
into the basin of the soon to be constructed ‘Meroe
Dam Project’. After a rough ride along the edge of
the Nile heading east you will meet a good tarmac
road that leads you through the Dam project and on
to the Nile crossing for Karima. The ferry crossing
costs roughly SD1000 one way.
Karima is the place to base yourself to explore the
remains of the Napatan kingdom of Kush. On the edge
of town at the foot of the Jebel Barkal is the
beautiful Italian-run Nubian Rest House. Ten rooms
around a garden built in traditional Nubian style,
the hotel is genuine luxury. Single rooms cost
US$100 and double rooms cost US$160.
The holy mountain of Jebel Barkal dominates this
stretch of the Nile, and was believed to be the home
of the god Amun. The temples of Amun and Mut are
both built directly below the mountain. On the
western side of Jevel Barkal is a small royal
cemetery of around 20 pyramids—the most intact in
Sudan.
Dinder National
Park
The Dinder National Park is said to be one of
the most unique in the world. It is totally
“unorganized,” and the visitor can truly see game in
its natural state. The site is about 500 km south
of Khartoum on the Blue Nile near the Roseires Dam.
Travel by 4-wheel transportation from there to the
park is recommended.
Inside the park there is a small
tourist area consisting of round, grass thatched
huts. Inside these huts are beds, a chair and a
table. The huts are burned and rebuilt every year
after the flood season. This park is only
accessible for a few months of the year from
December through May. It is essential that the
visitor traveling to Dinder make thorough
preparations for the trip.
The Red Sea Area - Port Sudan
The Red Sea is noted for its magnificent under
water diving, the clearness of its water and the
variety of marine species. Visitors generally reach
the area by flying Sudan Air. Daily, one hour and a
half flights are available, but you may drive on
paved road to Port Sudan in about 12-14 hours.
Travelers should be completely self-sufficient with
all fuel as well as food and water. It is about 800
km to Port Sudan. Visitors may want to stay at the
Red Sea Hotel. This hotel is booked for most of the
year, and it is necessary to have reservations
confirmed in advance. There is also The Hilton
Hotel in Port Sudan. It is located about half an
hour drive from the airport, along the harbor.
Outdoor swimming pool, three restaurants, and a
gymnasium, are some of the facilities available.
For more enquiries, call 31139810 or fax 31131183.
Erkowit
This area has been recently reopened after a
closure of several years. It is 39 km southwest of
Port Sudan, and it is the only developed summer
resort in Sudan. The altitude is 1,200 feet above
sea level. For other places to
visit in Khartoum see
Khartoum
Guide. |
