 | Khartoum Flights and Airline Tips | Tips 1 - 10 of 10 |  |
I arrived in Khartoum on Sudan Airways from London Heathrow...a somewhat haphazard affair which was delayed a number of hours first at London, then at Paris where someone was being deported but blatantly didn't want to go....we sat on the plane for 3 hours while they screamed and fought with police, although it more than made up for the lack of in-flight entertainment. The plane continued on to Bangui (CAR) and Moroni (Comores), and to be honest, I didn't envy those passengers...legroom was minimal, meals were awful and served in the middle of the night when no one wanted to eat, and luggage disappeared on arrival in Khartoum. All that for £564...not exactly a bargain! Leave a Comment Theme: Airplane
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Sudan's national carrier is Sudan Air Theme: Airplane
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 | |  |  | Yellow cabs, but they're not from NYC | Tip Rating:    |  |  | |  |
It's quite easy to recognise a taxi here, they're the ones painted in bright yellow. However, the paint might be the newest addition to the vehicles. The taxis resemble vehicles taken from the junkyard, pieced together and reborn as cabs. Expect no radio, no aircon and or in some cases, no working windows or doors. Once it moves, you'll feel like it will fall apart after a few meters.
Fares are about SD500 but if you're a foreigner, expect to pay more. Once, I paid SD1000 for a 1km ride. Nevertheless, it is the option for convenience especially when you have stuff to bring or when you have extra company. So far, I have seen ONE decent taxi, parked in front of a 5-star hotel. It was relatively new and looked like it had aircon & radio. There is hope yet Theme: Other
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| | | | Go on... try the bus! | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Having travelled in Asia and elsewhere, I'm used to overcrowded, rusted buses that you can only pray you'll come out of alive. However, the buses in Khartoum are a pleasant surprise.
In the small minibuses you're virtually guaranteed a seat and although you will almost certainly get next to the largest, loudest lady on the bus and her bags and bags of shopping, they're reasonably comfortable and cheap. Fares are a flat rate and judged by the bus's final destination rather than yours but rarely more than 600 pounds (20p) for anywhere in the city, including the far edges of Omdurman. Music is played loud, which is fine, but try to avoid those with prayer tapes - no religious offence intended but a tape of the Koran being read by a 70 year old with a croaking voice for half an hour at full volume while stuck in traffic in 40 degree heat is NOT FUN!!!!
The larger buses are more crowded, much slower, but half the price. They're still not actually that bad but I'd recommend the minibuses.
To get on simply stand at the roadside and stick out your hand; to get off click your fingers at the conductor (commisari) or make a hissing noise. Getting a minibus outside of the main stations can be more difficult as they are often full.
The trickiest bit is working out where they're going - they don't have destinations written on them or route numbers (even in Arabic) - they tell you the destination by pointing and waving hands in certain directions. It'll take a bit of getting used to! But if you get to the wrong place, just get on another bus the other side of the road - they nearly all end up in or very near Souk Arabi. Leave a Comment Theme: Bus
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Nowadays Khartoum is facing terrible traffic congestion. In the past taxis, buses and pickups [boksis] were the main means of transport. In recent years minibuses have flooded the town, and the 'rickshas' are like flies round a carcase. They are noisy, do not obey any traffic regulations, making u-turns in the middle of the street, turning off without warning. They are usually driven by youngsters, and unfortunately accidents are frequent. I know two people who were in accidents in one week; one having broken a leg. They are the least expensive way of getting around and do not follow a fixed route so can deliver passengers to the door. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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The public transport system in Khartoum and Omdurman is cheap and fairly regular. The cheapest way to get around the city is by bus, sometimes called a hafla which is also confusingly the same word for party...but buses in Khartoum are by no means a party....they are crowded to the extreme! To stop a bus, you have to click your fingers and hiss through your teeth, and the fare varies between 300 and 600 pounds per journey. Smaller minibuses called amjads are slightly faster and usually cost 1000 pounds per journey. Rickshaws (for short journeys) and taxis are the expensive alternatives, although this does depend on your bargaining skills.
The main transport hub in Khartoum is Souk Arabi, a huge chaotic square intersected with markets and a large imposing mosque. On the east side of the mosque, buses depart for Omdurman and Bahri, while on the west side the destinations are mainly in Khartoum. Over in Omdurman, Shuhada seems to be the main place to find a bus. Leave a Comment Theme: Bus
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Imported from India are the (in)famous rakshas, also known as tuktuks. These small three-wheeled moped taxis will take you around Khartoum, unless you're going to the other side of the city (then you better take a "regular" taxi). The rakshas are usually a fun and uhm.. interesting way to get around the city. The drivers seem to compete in how much they can decorate the small front windows. There are teddybears hanging everywhere, neon light bulbs, plastic flowers and you name it. The driver is usually pretty funny too. Price is between 100-500 dinars, negotiate it before you get in the raksha. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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on September 15, 2002
Khartoum
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