Egypt - Sudan Border - Update from British Embassies

[Pete Sinclair]

I've just swapped some emails with the British Embassies in Cairo and Khartoum about crossing from Egypt to Sudan. They're a little confusing and contradictory and I've emailed them for clarification. The Embassy in Khartoum says that the land border with Sudan is open at Wadi Halfa, but the Cairo people say otherwise. The emails are quite long so I've put them on my website at http://www.a2b.uk.net/embassy

When I get further clarification from them I'll make another posting here.

Pete.

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Pete Sinclair.
Alnwick to Botswana
http://www.a2b.uk.net

[Pete Sinclair]

Sorry - the link should read . .

http://www.a2b.uk.net/embassy.htm

Regards,

Pete.

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Pete Sinclair.
Alnwick to Botswana
http://www.a2b.uk.net

[Jasper]

As you know Pete, we are ahead of you and intending on the same route, in the next month or so, depending on other things.

I have a friend in the Embassy in Khartoum and she has also confirmed exactly the same as the official reply you received. There is no legal (or safe) crossing from Egypt to The Sudan other than the boat across Lake Nasser.

I have made some enquiries in Egypt also, other than the Embassy, and these sources also confirmed that the only way through is the Lake Nasser crossing.

Looks like we're over a barrel, especially with the USD 1500. My hopes of splitting this with someone else are not good as Carnets for Egypt seem harder to come by.

Jasper

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A Journey of Hope
www.expeditionjasanne.co.uk
www.fugroseastar.com

[Pete Sinclair]

Thanks Jasper.

What are Carnet Difficulties you mention? Is it cost or something else? What percentage of your vehicle value did you have to cough up for Egypt, and what was the highest percentage etc.?

Good luck with the ferry, let us know how you get on and I hope you find someone to split costs with.

Best regards,

Pete.

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Pete Sinclair.
Alnwick to Botswana
http://www.a2b.uk.net

[SDHEG1]

Pete and Jasper

We've spoken through the bulletin board before. I'm now in Khartoum, having come by passenger ferry (I haven't got my own vehicle) from Aswan last Monday.

I asked at the Nile Navigation Co. (who run the ferry) about this problem of having to wait for other people. They said it often happens that people turn up and don't realise that they have to fill the whole vehicle ferry before it will go, so it's a long wait unless you pay for the whole thing.

However, they have cargo barges going most days, carrying everything under the sun, and with enough notice, they can take a vehicle as part of the cargo on one of these. The price they estimated was around 1,000 Egyptian pounds (currently 6.5 to the English pound).

The guy there who deals with this sort of thing is brilliant - he sorted out my friends who did this route with their kids last year, and when we telephoned him from England to check the times of the passenger ferry, he arranged everything, made sure we had a cabin booked etc. and when we turned up at the office in Aswan to pay the day before the ferry left, he was there and everything was as we had arranged.

I can't promise that it will work, or that it will cost only 1,000 Egyptian, but it sounds promising. I said I knew people would be coming who were worried about this problem, and he said to tell them to ring him. His name is Mr Salah and the phone no. for the Nile Navigation Company (Aswan office) is in guidebooks - you don't need to mention me or anything - he's there to sort out precisely this sort of thing. He said to tell you that you should contact him a month before you want to go so that he can sort it out - Jasper, I don't know when you're going to be there, but even if it's less than that, call him. He speaks English, is very efficient, and from my experience, won't tell you he can do something just to make you happy, only for you to turn up and find he can't do it after all.

A word for anybody trying to do this in the opposite direction. We met some people marooned in Wadi Halfa with their vehicle - apparently from Sudan you can only take the official vehicle ferry.

Hope this may help

Simon

[Pete Sinclair]

Brilliant News. Thanks again Simon - you've just lifted the spirits of the Sinclair family stuck here in cold wet Northumberland.

Once we have a firm departure date from UK I'll get in touch with Mr. Salah.

Thanks again - you've made my weekend - and good luck with the rest of your trip.

Best regards,

Pete.

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Pete Sinclair.
Alnwick to Botswana
http://www.a2b.uk.net

[Pete Sinclair]

Just been sniffing around on the web for info on the famous Mr. salah. His contact details are . . .

Salah Muhamed Abdel
Nile Valley Navigation Co.
Booking Office
Aswan
Egypt
Home Tel.: 097 322 736
Fax: 097 303 801

There's an excellent account stashed with info about this Aswan - Wadi Halfa business on

http://enableafrica.net/features/feature_38.htm

Hope this helps - it's helped and encouraged me a lot.

Pete.


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Pete Sinclair.
Alnwick to Botswana
http://www.a2b.uk.net

[Jasper]

Thanks for that as well from Tunisia, Simon. Say hi to Khartoum for us.

This has also cheered us up no end as we have been having other problems even getting to Egypt.

Thanks also to Pete for the info, we'll ring this guy up and see what the crack is. We'll let you know, as always...

Jasper

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A Journey of Hope
www.expeditionjasanne.co.uk
www.fugroseastar.com

[Pete Sinclair]

Me again.

Just found some more info on this . . .(where would we all be without Google?).

Have a look at . .

http://africa.dreamers1.com/Africa-12.htm

Pete.

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Pete Sinclair.
Alnwick to Botswana
http://www.a2b.uk.net

[lapinou]

Hello Jasper, Pete, Simon or others
I'm planning a trip to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia this summer. 1)I know it's the worse time to go (because of the weather). But is it really terrible? 2)Did anyone heard about the cost -one person WITHOUT a car- to cross by boat (or barge) from Egypt to Sudan on the Nile (I read +/- 80 Egyptian pounds ?). Any information would be appreciated. Thanks a lot, lapinou.

[andrasz]

I was in Sudan in late June / early July, the hottest was 52C in Khartoum, daytime was constantly above 45, and never went below 35 in the night.

Have not personally experienced it, but from what I know after the rains arrive (late july), the roads in S. Sudan / Ethiopia become almost impassable, expect long delays.

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Happy Travels,
Andras

http://fjexpeditions.virtualave.net