BLACK SEA, SUDANS, ETHIOPIA 2013: 9 Sudan Summary

If asked if Sudan was worth visiting I'd say definitely "yes". It has more pyramids than Egypt, although none as large as in Cairo at Giza. It has been the seat of various empires, and the remains of their palaces, temples and tombs are there to see,.

A couple of Americans who are very experienced travellers were turned down for visas by Sudan. I'd recommend contacting a travel company in Sudan, either directly or through Bestway Tours & Travel (bestway@bestway.com, 1-800-663-0844, 604-264-7378 Contact: Chi Pham or Mahmood Poonja). Bestway use the Italian Travel Group in Sudan, a well known and respected company in Khartoum, however I found their price high so contacted Raiden Travel & Tours (raidantravel@gmail.com , Ahmed Abdelwahab, +249 9 123 0 1928) who did a great job for considerably less money. Raiden did all the work for visas from an emailed copy of my passport, then faxed a document that allowed me to get on the plane (as proof of entry permit) and to quickly get the official visa in my passport on arrival.

There are a number of excellent hotels in Khartoum, and as I've written the experience at the Corinthia was excellent - it is a world class hotels with huge rooms bigger than most junior suites. Hotels outside of Khartoum vary by what is available. Tourism is not huge yet, a wonderful benefit if you enjoy exploring ancient cities and ruins with no one else there, but a disadvantage is in the amount of higher level accommodation available in the countryside. On the other hand, my experience was that the Sudanese, in my case without exception, were very happy to give me whatever was needed from and extra sheet on the bed to more towels or anything else.

There are no credit cards accepted in Sudan, and wire transfers are not possible. This is due to the USA having punitive embargoes against the country, meaning the credit card companies and banking clearing houses from the US cannot deal with them. This dates from over a decade ago when Osama Bin Laden and other nasties were living in Khartoum for awhile. It was renewed by Obama last month. Raiden has bank accounts in Cairo to which deposits on trips can be sent, and they will prepay all accommodation, transportation and meal costs for the trip.

As usual I walked the streets of different towns on my own, and at no time felt any concern for safety. When lost, or unable to find a location, I was away able to find someone who spoke a little English to give me directions. Many people went out of their way to take me part of the way. The Sudanese are very friendly, welcoming and helpful people throughout the country.

If Sudan appeals to you, then come. It is well worth while!