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An excellent trip for those who love camping and deserts. With the added
astounding sights of Pharaonic temples and buildings and the wonderful sight
of the Meroitic pyramids. All to be seen without crowds of tourists.
Lovely friendly and welcoming people and a sense of complete safety.
Some long often very bumpy off-road driving, exciting at times and a bit
tedious in places.
Landscapes ranging from rocky outcrops to endless flat terrain of sand or
rock.
Camp food was very good considering the conditions. Our cook produced some
amazing meals from a gas ring and charcoal fire.
Seeing the almost pristine paintings in tombs, looking fresh and colourful
depicting gods and people from thousands of years ago.
Our group leader, Abdel was so knowledgeable about everything, the history
and stories behind what we saw. He was attentive and patient, never failing
to do his best to answer every question put to him.
He looked after our welfare and gave advice where needed.
Do pack very carefully and keep the weight to a minimum. My bag was 12kgs and
contained everything I needed. And I did use everything in it.
You do not need to take your own water bottle. 600ml water bottles were
available at all times (if a little warm sometimes). A small tin bowl (like a
dog's food bowl) was provided for basic washing in the desert camps. With a
little care it was possible to have a strip wash. Hand gel and wet wipes were
essential items. I also took a camping trowel for digging toilet holes.
A torch and tent light were essential as well.
Desert wild camping has to be one of the most wonderful experiences. At night
it was warm (12c) and the sky, mesmerising with horizon to horizon stars
(including meteorites being clearly seen).
And the silence.
This is a fantastic trip and a great adventure. I loved every moment of it, and would definitely recommend this trip to anyone interested in an exciting and different destination. Being able to visit magnificent ancient temples, pyramids and tombs, with not a single other tourist there other than our group (and not a single souvenir seller or drink stall, or even a fence!) is remarkable. Sudan has to one of tourism's best kept secrets - try to visit now whilst it remains so.
One would think travelling through desert for days on end would be boring, but nothing could be further from the truth - the landscape is always changing from open flat nothingness to large sand dunes to moonscrapes with enormous balancing boulders, to areas where petrified wood and sea shells show evidence of the forest and lakes that the desert once was millions of years ago. Add the incredible night skies and the appearance from nowhere of a nomad woman or man who will proudly show you their desert home, and you have an experience that is anything but boring.
Abdul, our leader, was fantastic - always happy, informative, and willing to discuss honestly all issues regarding Sudan, both ancient and modern. The drivers were all great, and Barkir, our cook, was incredible - the quality and amount of food he produced over a gas ring was remarkable. I had hoped to lose some weight, thinking that the food we would have would be ptetty basic - boy, was I wrong! His aubergine salad was to die for.
As mentioned by others, a couple of packs of wet wipes will come in very handy, although bowls of water are available for a sponge down. Bring a comfy pillow, and depending on whether you have extra days in Khartoum before or after the trip, I would not change more than USD 100, as there really is hardly anything to spend money on, and you can't change back Sudanese Pounds to any other currency at the airport when you leave, so you will have to spend any excess you have.
I think many people are put off traveling to Sudan as they think it is unsafe - the areas this trip travels to are far from the troubles in Darfur, and at no stage did I feel unsafe anywhere. In fact everywhere we went we were warmly welcomed by the local people, and there was no "baksheesh" requests or hostility at all - in fact the complete opposite. Anyone interested in history and adventure travel needs to get themselves to Sudan soon!x
Really enjoyed the whole trip. Our guide, drivers and cook together with my fellow travellers made it an unforgettable experience. I haven't spent much time in the desert before but I can honestly say I am now a convert - being so remote with no signs of anyone else around us was amazing. I was a bit concerned about the amount of wild camping involved - and not being able to wash my hair for over a week - but not an issues thank to wet wipes and a hat!!!!
Driving through the many different faces of the Western, Nubian and Bayuda deserts - from golden sand to landscapes full of boulders. The absolute peace and quiet at night - brilliant stars and no sign of anyone else for miles around.
Abdul was a really good guide. He was very knowledgeable and passionate about the Egyptian pyramids but also gave us a well rounded picture of life in Sudan. He worked incredibly hard along with the drivers and cook to ensure that we had an amazing time in Sudan.
Wet wipes come in very handy although there is water available too!!
Don't be put off going to Sudan. It might not be a popular destination at the moment, and some still worry that it isn't safe. I can honestly say that I felt safe at all times and when we had the opportunity to meet locals we were made to feel welcome.
A true desert expedition!
The ancient sites were impressive, especially the pyramids at Meroe and the carvings on the temple
dedicated to Apedemak, but I think, for me, the experience of travelling through the remote desert was a privilege and something I’ll remember for a long time. The variation in the landscape was a surprise - it was different every day.
The camping experience was the best we’ve had - no doubt helped by the hot, dry weather which made it easy. The night skies were amazing with so many more stars visible than at home.
The Dervish ceremony in Khartoum was fascinating. The drums and chanting were mesmerising; we were made to feel very welcome and could have spent longer here.
Abdel was an excellent guide - he was always calm and gave us a lot of information at all the sites we
visited. He was also happy to discuss the politics of Sudan and we had some interesting discussions about the country and its people.
The cook and drivers were also excellent; the cook did an amazing job with the food considering the limited resources and being in the middle of nowhere and the skill of the drivers meant we felt safe at all times.
We travelled in November/December and it was still very hot so plenty of sunscreen, a hat and scarf are a good idea. Also, long sleeves to cover up if, like me, you’re prone to burning. Lightweight walking trousers are a good choice as they will stand up to the rigours of desert life and all the sand. A 2-season sleeping bag is probably all that is necessary as it didn’t get that cold at night.
Plenty of wet wipes, toilet roll and hand sanitiser are essential. A small bowl of water is available in the
morning and evening for washing.
Don’t change too much money as you won’t need it. We changed $50 between two of us and struggled to get rid of it.
Some of the drives are long and bumpy but this trip is all about the journey, so if that’s something that would be of concern, then this trip may not be the one for you.
Snack bars would be a good idea if you get hungry between meals, although the food is plentiful.
Probably the best advice is to forget about time and enjoy the journey, secure in the knowledge that you will always be well fed, there will be plenty of ‘comfort breaks’ and you will always arrive at the next camping destination before dark. This was an unforgettable trip and I would strongly recommend it.
Travelled in Nov/Dec 2015. This feels much more an expedition that a standard holiday. Taking 4x4s off road and into wild remote spectacular desert landscapes. An unforgettable experience.
Too many moments! There is a lot of driving into remote parts of the desert so it is more about the journey than the destinations, which generally are beautiful wild camps in safe dune areas. The ever changing subtlety of the landscapes is mesmerising, the emptiness and silence of the Sahara and the immense dark night skies are incredible, and in a place where people are scarce, the chance meetings with nomadic desert people are a delight. The pyramids at Meroe and other ancient sites are amazing, and can be explored in a relaxed atmosphere as tourists are rare in Sudan. The Sufi Dervish ceremony was an inspirational insight into the culture in Khartoum. Could have spent much longer in the crowd of very friendly people and hypnotic rhythms of chanting and drumming.
Abdel Munim was calm, understated, and always courteous. He quietly arranged all aspects of the trip behind the scenes ensuring the drivers were on track and driving safely, stopping when needed for breaks and food/water. He was knowledgeable about the history of the region and passionate about his country’s people, politics and changing future. He’s a lovely person with an intelligent sense of humour. This was the first time Exodus have run the trip so there were a few minor issues with timings and information but that was to be expected and certainly no show stopper. Better to forget about time and go with the flow.
The cook was excellent too providing a huge variety with limited resources. The drivers were all skilled at off road work and digging the vehicles out of sand, always polite and safe. A brilliant team of people.
Even in December it was very hot. The locals said it was cooling down but to us that is hard to appreciate, so take lightweight clothing, sun care, hats, head scarves etc. to keep covered. The notes advise that it can be cold in the evenings at camps but that wasn’t the case here, in fact it was suitably warm to remain outside but not too hot to sleep! The only water to wash with is in short supply (maybe two small bowls per day from wells) so wet wipes are useful over the camping days. The advice for spending money is to take dollars and change into local currency (which can’t be changed back!) so be careful not to change too much, if any, as there are very few opportunities to spend it. Some craft sellers at the Meroe tented camp and camel rides if that’s your thing. In fact my only chance was at the final hotel evening meal which cost about £12!! And the hotel accepts dollars anyway, so I didn’t actually need to exchange anything. A car charger/adapter for camera batteries would be useful as there are few chances to recharge on the whole trip.
Be prepared for some bumpy rides in the cars. This can be exhilarating but maybe not for people with back problems! We felt safe at all times in this unusual destination. If you want to feel like a true pioneer, away from it all, in a spectacular country do this trip now, who knows what political upheaval will change things in the future as in so many other places.
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