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-   -   A Trip To Sudan (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1653015-trip-sudan.html)

dickerso Feb 7, 2015 8:15 pm

Outstanding photos and reporting as always. Thank you so much for sharing your personal experience with a place I'll probably never get to go.

I had heard about the pharmaceutical plant, but I never realized the evidence implicating it in anything nefarious was so flimsy. Has the United States ever done anything else to make whole the owner or the country relying on the medicines it manufactured after blowing it up?

ozziegumby Feb 7, 2015 8:43 pm

Thank-you for sharing DanielW - amazing unique culture there.

Loved the old Toyotas on the road - my first car was in one of your pictures - not a surprise they are still running.

PitaPan Feb 7, 2015 8:54 pm

Incredible TR, and photos. You just transported me away on this lazy Sunday at home. Very interesting to see the older pyramids without anyone else around.

steveman518 Feb 7, 2015 9:46 pm

another excellent TR! Almost makes me want to go to these places :p

DanielW Feb 7, 2015 10:00 pm


Originally Posted by olgsr (Post 24308239)
Amazing as always!

Thank you, olgsr:).


Originally Posted by offerendum (Post 24308428)
Exotic as always! And again, I would pass....

Cheers, offerendum, you don't know what you're missing:D.


Originally Posted by MatthewLAX (Post 24308648)
Another superb report.

How great is your life to be able to jet around so easily?! :)^

Many thanks, Matthew:). Yes, being able to take a plane after work at the end of the week and be in an entirely new continent in a few hours is kinda surreal:)!


Originally Posted by aaron1262 (Post 24308686)
Amazing report as always and the amazing photos.

Cheers, aaron1262:).


Originally Posted by hauteboy (Post 24308818)
Awesome... good to see George. :) I should have spent an extra day in Sudan, you saw a lot more than I did! Locals indeed were very friendly though and surprised to see a tourist.

Thanks, hauteboy:). Yes, George and his brothers were very friendly and helpful. Especially with all the paperwork that had to be sorted.

I thought it would be a bit hard to fill out 2 days in Khartoum but everything seemed to fit together perfectly. The Acropole hotel had a free tour on Friday afternoon which included seeing the whirling dervishes, but was glad I skipped it and saw the wrestling instead.


Originally Posted by Bretteee (Post 24309109)
Because my great grandfather lived in Sudan for 40 years I always wanted to go for a few days to Khartoum.

But the US State Department have safety warnings advising not to go.

Was it difficult to get a visa etc? Did you feel safe? However if I am correct you are a New Zealander? A nice neutral country.

The Acropole hotel organised a visa on arrival for me. Not cheap, but relatively hassle free. I told them I had UK & NZ passports, and they said the NZ would probably be easier. hauteboy visited too on a VOA so doesn't seem to be too difficult though. Khartoum is supposed to be one of the safest cities in Africa and I had no problems at all.

Although there are trouble zones in the south and west, most of the country is 'green' (i.e. safe to visit) according to the UK foreign office:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sudan


Originally Posted by krazykanuck (Post 24310111)
DanielW, on your travels I'm always curious how you deal with sticking out as the rare tourist/white english speaking guy/etc. Do you ever have to rebuff locals, or are they more often than not friendly and harmless.

Hard not to stick out as a westerner in Africa, but I had no real issues in Sudan. No one tried to pull one over me etc. I've actually been pretty lucky on most of my recent trips.


Originally Posted by FlyIgglesFly (Post 24310661)
Excellent report, as always. I want to hate you for making me jealous, but I can't bring myself to hate anyone capable of such beautiful reports and photos. :p

Many thanks, FlyIgglesFly:). Definitely recommend a quick visit to Khartoum when you head to Africa this year with ironmanjt.


Originally Posted by thetravelingRedhead (Post 24310686)
Lovely trip report like always DanielW. You take us to corners of the world that I never would have though looked like they do!

Thanks, thetravelingRedhead:). Sudan is definitely not one of the usual African countries to visit but everyone was very friendly and helpful and I felt felt quite safe during my time there.


Originally Posted by Travel K (Post 24310791)
DanielW, did the women not want to go to the wresting match or were they not allowed?

As always, stunning photography and a job well done.

Thank you, Travel K:). Yes, overwhelmingly men watching the wrestling, although there were a few ladies there too (you can see a few dressed in black in the centre of the first photo).


Originally Posted by dickerso (Post 24310875)
Outstanding photos and reporting as always. Thank you so much for sharing your personal experience with a place I'll probably never get to go.

I had heard about the pharmaceutical plant, but I never realized the evidence implicating it in anything nefarious was so flimsy. Has the United States ever done anything else to make whole the owner or the country relying on the medicines it manufactured after blowing it up?

Many thanks, dickerso:). Yes, the evidence for justifying the Al Shifa attack seemed to very weak. The owner of the factory sued the US govt for compensation but it was dismissed on a technicality. A good summary of the allegations and evidence for the attack is here: http://cns.miis.edu/npr/pdfs/barlet61.pdf


Originally Posted by ozziegumby (Post 24310972)
Thank-you for sharing DanielW - amazing unique culture there.

Loved the old Toyotas on the road - my first car was in one of your pictures - not a surprise they are still running.

Thanks, ozziegumby:). Yes, it was amazing seeing the Toyota's still running about the potholed roads of Khartoum. Alot of patches and other fixes but still going strong:)!


Originally Posted by PitaPan (Post 24311012)
Incredible TR, and photos. You just transported me away on this lazy Sunday at home. Very interesting to see the older pyramids without anyone else around.

Many thanks, PitaPan:). Yes, it was me and two other people while I was at the Pyramids. Definitely didn't need to photoshop out any errant tourists from the photo's afterwards anyway:D.


Originally Posted by steveman518 (Post 24311152)
another excellent TR! Almost makes me want to go to these places :p

Thank you, steveman518:). Yes, definitely recommend adding Sudan to your list.

Calchas Feb 7, 2015 11:41 pm

A great report, thanks for writing it!

Where are you off to next? ;)

DanielW Feb 8, 2015 2:19 am


Originally Posted by Calchas (Post 24311413)
A great report, thanks for writing it!

Where are you off to next? ;)

Thanks, Calchas:). Still sussing out the next trip but will hopefully be heading back to Africa to do some jungle trekking in DR Congo:).

flybranchen Feb 8, 2015 6:32 am

Outstanding! Thank you!

mpkz Feb 8, 2015 7:14 am

Cool stuff, Khartoum seems like a nice mix of Middle East and Africa. Probably not at the top of anyone's list for sights alone but definitely a place I'd like to visit and spend a week in just to get a feel for the place

TOMFORD Feb 8, 2015 7:45 am

I am a big fan of your exotic trips, this one is as good as the ones before!

halfcape Feb 8, 2015 7:53 am

Fantastic photos. Thanks for sharing.

gaobest Feb 8, 2015 8:53 am

A Trip To Sudan
 
Amazing TR! Like with the Mogadishu (Somalia) tr, it's amazing to see the close ups of humanity and where people live. Thanks for posting!

Bretteee Feb 8, 2015 10:55 am

It seems better to stay at the Acropole than at the nicer fancy hotel as I am sure they would not do all the paperwork etc.

FatnLoud Feb 8, 2015 2:13 pm

Great report
I went to the Nubian Pyramids in 2011 and like your trip, they were deserted.

The Sudanese were one of the most welcoming and positive peoples that I've met.

I have a UK passport and had no problem getting a visa from the Sudanese in London, although I did have to sign a paper confirming that I wasn't a journalist!

Calchas Feb 8, 2015 2:58 pm


Originally Posted by FatnLoud (Post 24314288)
Great report
I went to the Nubian Pyramids in 2011 and like your trip, they were deserted.

The Sudanese were one of the most welcoming and positive peoples that I've met.

I have a UK passport and had no problem getting a visa from the Sudanese in London, although I did have to sign a paper confirming that I wasn't a journalist!

Does a trip report count as journalism? ;)


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