Sussing Sudan

[JohnM]

Come Sunday night, the EK CD will be here to whisk me to PER INT for the QF points redemption J ride to DXB and on to KRT for the start of two weeks sussing out Sudan. Return will be EK J KRT-DXB and F on the A380 DXB-PER. Have to love the QF-EK partnership…

The new tour to Sudan was announced in mid-2017 by a tour company I follow and use. Bang! – booked immediately and redemption flights locked away. I was originally scheduled to do the trip in April but after finding that I needed an operation in February, I thought it prudent to see if I could reschedule everything to later in the year. Fortunately, that was the case.

Here’s the plan and the place:



Much of the travel will be in remote locations, so I anticipate very little live posting during the time in Sudan.

 

[Daver6]

Please report back on the local wine scene

 

[Jacques Vert]

On board, row 17.

 

[kermatu]

Dare I take 1A?

 

[tgh]

Dare I take 1A?

No wurries.. as long as you are happy to sit on my knee…..

 

[JohnM]

Please report back on the local wine scene

Droll, very droll...

(Mind you the flight sectors will be reportable...)

 

[LadyC]

Sounds fascinating - look forward to your report.

 

[RooFlyer]

You know my interest .

 

[Major]

Something different

 

[Cossie]

I went by train both ways from Wadi Halfa to Khartoum in the early eighties, if you get the chance and it still happens, make sure you see the whirling dervishes in Omdurman.
Caught a glimpse of some of the pyramids in northern Sudan. On the southern journey we were delayed for 24 hours due a previous derailment, we had no idea what was happening but everyone just took it as normal.
I have some photos I should dig out.

Ah, those were the days! So I'm really looking forward to this tr, and I don't care if I'm down the back with the plebs.

 

[VPS]

Ok I’ll move over to 1K

 

[amaroo]

Better you than me.... safe travels.

 

[jase05]

Can’t wait. Sounds awesome

 

[henleybeach]

Very interesting. Not a place I ever thought I’d go. I always thought it wasn’t safe anymore or is that South Sudan

 

[RooFlyer]

More pyramids than Egypt! Confluence of the Niles! Now is the time to visit before numerous Chinese do.

I was planning on going there earlier this year, on a DONE4 (Qatar upgrades you to First for DOH-KRT as they don't have a J cabin on those flights), but couldn't get convinced that I could get a Visa on Arrival, but JohnM is sorting out that issue for us all now.

 

[JohnM]

Very interesting. Not a place I ever thought I’d go. I always thought it wasn’t safe anymore or is that South Sudan

South Sudan is where the civil war is/was (last I heard was a cease-fire had been agreed a couple of months or so back).

I pinched this from the trip notes:

"The areas of Sudan visited on this trip are very safe and have been for a number of years. There are still troubles in other parts of the country such as Darfur (which is over 800kms from Khartoum), as well as in neighbouring South Sudan (which is a different country) but we do not travel anywhere near any of these problem areas."

 

[tgh]

Have any problem with insurance ?

 

[amaroo]

Interesting. What level of Smart Traveller advice does TI become null and void? Looking at ST half the country is shaded "do not travel" & the other half is shaded "reconsider your need to travel"

edit - added map

The red bit is pretty close to your itinerary map.

 

[JohnM]

Have any problem with insurance ?

In recent times I've been using TID (Travel Insurance Direct) as they have been priced well (never had to test how good it is by making a claim), but they wouldn't cover Sudan. I've now given them away for any TI as recent quotes for travel next year have been through the roof.

I went with HBF (my WA private health fund - CGU being the underwriters). IIRC, there were a couple of others that I got quotes from and they were all about the same as HBF, which was $226 for the two weeks (I'm 69). Certainly not outrageously costly IMO.

 

[JohnM]

Interesting. What level of Smart Traveller advice does TI become null and void? Looking at ST half the country is shaded "do not travel" & the other half is shaded "reconsider your need to travel"

Stuffed if I know. I figure if the insurance company covers it, they have made an informed decision.

I've given up on Smart Traveller. It's become an oxymoron. Never look at it any more. It looks like work experience kids write 'reconsider your need for travel' on everything up to and including a visit to the toilet. It seems more @rse-protecting than informative. I'd end up going nowhere if I used their advice.

You've travelled extensively in Mexico. I'd suggest that's likely to be more dangerous than Sudan!

The tour company I'm using is British and they follow this: Sudan travel advice. You can see the area where I'll be is all green.

Here's the link to the tour for anyone who may wish to read the notes and reviews: Sudan Desert Explorer

I've used Exodus several times (Madagascar and Ethiopia being probably the two most off-the-grid places, with Iran fitting into perhaps the 'unusual' category - TR links below). I've loved them all. I have the 5 Stans lined up next year with Exodus (and @RooFlyer is joining me, like he did in Iran).