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Pro
Beautiful setting
Con
in a terrible state of repair
In a nutshell
This city would have been impressive during its day
Explore the working part of Suakin
flynboxes Says: Ok....did not do this and regret it.....If you come by bus from Port Sudan you will get dropped off a couple hundred yards from the historic part that you have to pay a couple of bucks to enter. My driver took me right up to the front of the Kitchners gate where you pay the...
flynboxes Says: Inside the gated city there is not as much to see as out front in the working part but it is well worth the couple of bucks to get in and see. I will include multiple parts to this tip to post as many pics as possible
maykal Says: The obvious attraction is the island itself...palace ruins where once a king lived with his 360 wives, Kitchener's old house, and some old buildings from Osman Digna's time (Osman Digna, for those not in the know, is one of the Sudanese heroes, having fought and died for the...
Ok...don't remember the name of the place as it was just one of many coffee/tea vendors outisde the Suakin Island gate. The locals claim the whole city is haunted...I should have spent more time wandering around here but instead chose to have some tea with my driver.
I don't drink coffee but really enjoy the street side vendors. There are usually butchers around that will cook up some lamb or goat for you also. You sit here with your drink and watch time pass...some of my most memorable moments in Africa have been spent at these places.
Written Nov 18, 2009
uglyscot Says: The cheapest way to get to suakin is by mini-bus from Port Sudan. It is then a fair distance to walk to the old town, and when we went it was free to walk around, though I believe that has changed.Finding a mini-bus back was more difficult. There were buses waiting, andthe...
maykal Says: Suakin is easily reached from Port Sudan...I'm not exactly sure where the right bus stop in Port sudan is, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find if you ask around. The journey takes about an hour and costs 200 dinar each way.
Don't buy lumps of coral, and beware the heat
uglyscot Says: When we were in Suakin we were pestered by children and some men trying to sell us lumps of the coral limestone from which the buildings had been made. Some of the coral is tempting as there are different varieties - brain coral, feathery plant-like pieces and...
uglyscot Says: Port Sudan is best visited in the winter when the temperature is pleasant. My first visit was towards the end of June, and I felt that Shakespeare must have been there at some time. Walking to register at the Police HQ, I felt the description of Falstaff in Henry VI Pt I was...
maykal Says: Even though the coast is safe and more relaxed than many parts of Sudan, don't forget to bring all your travel documents with you wherever you go. To walk around in Suakin, we needed to show photocopies of our passports, travel permits, and a letter from our employers in...
Don't pay for them. I am all for supporting the local economy but I can buy food to do that. English is not spoken well here and a good guide book will do ya just fine here.
Unique Suggestions: If you are going to pay...bargain the guy down.
Written Nov 20, 2009
Helpfulness
I'd never really thought of camels swimming...I'd always pictured them in the desert about as far from water as possible, but Suakin proved this to be wrong. Crossing the causeway from the island to the mainland, we took a walk along the beach past some ruined buildings and fishermen's boats, and came across a group of camels lounging in the shallows. It is quite a funny thing to see these awkward animals rolling around in the sea, and one them just sat down with the sea covering everything but his hump and his head...you might be fooled into thinking that Suakin has a monster to rival that of Loch Ness!
Updated Oct 7, 2003
Suakin - old coral limestone buildings
Suakin was the old port of Sudan on the Red Sea from which pilgrims sailed to Saudi Arabia. The town had large buildings built of coral limestone, now sadly almost completely destroyed by time. A few...
Suakin is an easy day trip from Port Sudan, lying just over an hour to the south. The journey there and back is pretty dull, just desert, sea and a straight road, but Suakin is quite spectacular....
Suakin...Sudan gate by the Red Sea
They were an unforgettable sight when they were intact, floating on their flat, Oval-shaped island-platform and were admired by all who saw them. The visitor to Suakin will find it hard to believe...
Build your own Suakin Island page
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