Khartoum Warnings Or Dangers

One of your greatest dangers as a visitor to Khartoum is watching where you walk. Large gaping holes in the pavements (and occasionally the roads) reveal the sewers underneath. In the daytime all this requires is an occasional glance where you're going, but at night most of Khartoum is a very dark city with little electricity on the streets. One wrong step and some of those sewers are deep enough to drown in!

Because the Sudanese are so friendly and Khartoum is a very safe city it's easy to take this for granted and forget to take seemingly obvious precautions. Despite what many Sudanese will tell you, crime does exist - burglaries and break-ins are surprisingly common on tourists, as are pickpockets, although physical violence is very very rare. Also, although walking alone in Khartoum late at night is perfectly safe, there are still some no-go areas (at night anyway) - particularly in displaced settlements where there isn't always electricity. It seems obvious, but because of the incredible welcome you receive many visitors forget it.

It's a personal choice how to deal with this of course, but many people who live here, such as myself, avoid involving the police unless absolutely necessary. Burglaries often result in the random rounding up of any local Southerners, with who knows what consequences. And even if you catch a pickpocket in the act does it really deserve a hell of a beating? - because that's what they'll probably get.

As much as you'll be told otherwise, crime does exist in Khartoum, hardly surprising in a city with thousands of desperately poor refugees. Be careful when getting on buses during busy periods...that was how my wallet (no money in it) was stolen. But I haven't heard of too many instances of pickpocketting...most of the theft that happens here is from houses....if landlords have extra keys to your flat, then don't leave anything lying around...in the last month, my walkman, a battery recharger, and a friend's camera have all "gone walking" from behind a locked door! If you're staying long term, change the locks, or buy a padlock and keep all the keys yourself.

Money here is confusing, to say the least! The old Sudanese currency was the Sudanese pound, but a few years ago a new currency was introduced, the Sudanese Dinar. Basically, it meant that a nought was lopped off the end of all amounts.
Simple so far, but it is made confusing by the fact that people generally still quote prices in pounds...so if they ask for 1000, they want the note that says 100 on it. An extra twist is added by those who think foreigners don't know this, and quote in dinars for their benefit. If you don't know roughly how much items should cost, then it is difficult to know what people are quoting in!

Watch your step - sidewalks in Khartoum are punctuated with gaping trenches. Heads up or you could have a nasty fall.