Khartoum

Sabaloga Gorge

This gorge is also known as the 6th Cataract. It is approximately 50 to 60 miles north of Khartoum and can be reached in about 2 ½ 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 25 to 30 miles 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

This site is approximately 200 miles north of Khartoum. There is also a hotel in Shendi very basic where one could be based. The trip should be arranged with a tour agency unless someone in the party really knows his/her way around the desert tracks. There are some paved roads to Meroe but you do have to drive off the main road on to some sandy areas. Four-wheel driver vehicles are a necessity for this trip. The Pharaonic influence left its imprint in the hieroglyphic language, the religion of Amon, and building of the pyramids, which were a simplified version of the Egyptian model with no rooms or corridors. The Greek and Roman architectural influence is evident in the pillars of temples and the classical forms of the statues of men and women. The Meroe ruins are a four-hour drive from Khartoum. But there are various other sites in the area, so a two or three day trip should be contemplated, and a knowledgeable guide is essential for the best understanding of the ruins. National Geographic’s book Splendors of the Past provides excellent background for such a trip.

Dinder National Park

12°19'N 034°47'E 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 300 miles 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 510 miles 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. The Hilton Hotel has opened 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.

Jebel Barkal Unesco World Heritage site - [Northern state]

Jebel Barkal or Gebel Barkal Arabic: جبل بركل‎ is a very small mountain located some 400 km north of Khartoum, in Karima town in Northern State in Sudan, on a large bend of the Nile River, in the region called Nubia. Around 1450 BC, the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III extended his empire to that region and considered Gebel Barkal its southern limit. There, he campaigned near the city of Napata that, about 300 years later, became the capital of the independent kingdom of Kush. The 25th Dynasty Nubian king Piye later greatly enlarged the New Kingdom Temple of Amun in this city and erected his Year 20 Victory stela within it.

The ruins around Gebel Barkal include at least 13 temples and 3 palaces, that were for the first described by European explorers in the 1820s, although only in 1916 were archeological excavations started by George Reisner under a joint expedition of Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston. From the 1970’s, explorations continued by a team from the University of Rome La Sapienza, under the direction of Sergio Donadoni, that was joined by another team from the Boston Museum, in the 1980’s, under the direction of Timothy Kendall. The larger temples, such that of Amun, are even today considered sacred to the local population.

For these reasons, the mountain, together with the historical city of Napata and other ancient sites, were considered by UNESCO, in 2003, World Heritage Sites.

Buses leave daily from Khartoum to Kerma, However the most comfortable and convenient way of getting there is by Car. The route is tarmaced,but you will still require the best part of a day to get there.