Ferry Aswan/Wadi Halfa damaged and out of order?

[Vleis]

We are in Alex now, playing the waiting game to get our Landy through customs. Does anybody have some recent news about the ferry or next planned date of departure from Aswan?

Cheers
Hentie

[2DoAfrica]

Hi Guys,

We are setting of from the UK in July and should probably be in Aswan an ready for the ferry in early August. Dose any one have an update on the ferry issues and any ideas what else works?

Many thanks
Gemma and Bryn

2doafrica 2doafica.com 2 do Africa

[Vleis]

We are in Luxor now and should leave for Aswan later this week. This is the latest we have:

The small barge still runs as normal but can only take bikes as the water level is to low to of load heavy vehicles in Wadi. For cars and trucks you have to rent the large barge at about 20000LE. So need to team up with other travels or it will be very expensive. So far we have seen very little overlander traffic in Egypt, well very few tourists in general compare to the past. We have now managed to team up with 3 other cars but we had to delay our departure to Sudan by at least a week. It looks like there will be some local tractors also going down so it should work out ok, In Shallah...

If you are in a car or 4x4 dont bargain that you can use the normal weekly service, it might change in the future especially if the water levels return to normal after the rainy season further south. The passenger ferry still runs on the normal schedule

Hentie

[roamingyak.org]

For comparison, for those HEADING NORTH, going via Saudi costs this much:

BUT ONLY IF you are in a LHD car (not a motorbike) and are solo or a MARRIED couple:

$50* each - Saudi Visa in Khartoum (actually the agents fee you have to pay).
$25* each - you need to get a Jordan visa before Saudi will give you a visa.
$140* - Ferry from Suakin to Jeddah with a nice cabin and my 4x4.
$35 - Jeddah port charge.
$14 - for the 280 litres of Diesel I purchased in Saudi - yippee!!!

$264 - takes about 10 days to get the Saudi visa, get on either the Friday or Sunday ferry, clear Jeddah port and drive across Saudi in 3 days.
* - assumes you are changing money at the black market rate which was 5.6 at the time I was there - official rate was 2.7!

As I had a RHD vehicle it cost me $1,000 more to be transported by a truck and ALOT of bullshit and aggregation.

From Jordan you can take the ferry to Egypt from Aqaba (about $300 for a 4x4 and 2 people?).

$564 Total (one person, one Land Rover Defender, including a free trip to Jordan and Saudi!)



I crossed into Israel and took a cargo boat from Haifa to Greece - $190 for the 30 days of Israeli insurance and 1200 Euros for the boat and port taxes at each end. Khartoum to Greece could be done in 2 weeks if your timing was good, but obviously you might want to check out Jordan etc

[Endurorally]

Originally Posted by m2m

Yes, I will have to visit the UAE embassy in Khartoum first (I'm heading to UAE then Iran, which I received a visa for in Nairobi) before going to the Saudi Embassy.

The new road border at Wadi Halfa linking Egypt and Sudan was due to open in May but has been postponed to September (Presidential elections in Egypt at the moment). I got this from Siddig Gasselmed in the Tourist Ministry in Khartoum who seems very much on top of things.

The London to Cape Town Rally in January got special permission for right hand drive cars and the visa requirements needed an "umbrella organisation" in Saudi (the Motor Federation assisted here), but it was a long and tricky process. There is no transit visa, only Business Visas.
Driving with someone who is not a relative or married is impossible.

[roamingyak.org]

I got a 3 day Saudi transit visa last month in Khartoum, so they do exist in Khartoum.

I was told nobody really knows when the border road to Egypt will open. Everything is ready, but the Egyptians won't open it (according to my well connected sources in Sudan) - announcing towards the end of the year was a face saving exercise - more likely March or so next year......

[SanD]

I have heard that things are getting worse with the Aswan - Wadi Halfa ferry.

I have spoken to Salah a couple of times. A couple of weeks ago, he said that the large barge would be leaving Aswan for WH on 21st May and that there was a group of people waiting in Aswan. Today he said that this sailing did not happen, and that the situation is now uncertain.

Does anyone have information on the current situation please?

My wife and I are currently living in Cairo and planning to drive Cairo to Cape Town, leaving mid July 2012. It would be good to hear from anyone who has travelled south recently, or is planning to do so in the near future.

[achim-in-jordan]

I think there are basically two options at this stage:

a) asking around with the overlanding companies like Kumuka and the like whether they have space on the big barge they are renting for their trucks

b) creating a list of who wants to travel which direction what date etc. in order to get 4 to 6 cars together to rent the big barge oneself.

Would be interested to go from Wadi Halfa to Aswan on 28 November 2012 (that used to be the regular Wednesday sailing day up North).

Greetings
Achim

[Tom-Traveller]

Hi

we are a couple and she is is riding her own bike and we are not married ... so, Saudi Arabia is no option for us and we have to take the ferry from Assuan to Wadi Halfa

@ Achim

what if you get a group together, thats only for the barge (trucks, cars and bikes), right ?

What about the passenger ferry ?

What costs we are looking at ?

If I remember right, the trip 1 Person & 1 motorcycles was about $250.- .... so how much today, if possible

Lots of ???? , sorry

What about to extend the visa and just sit & wait for a regular ferry .... the Red Sea is not bad for hanging loose, right ?

frustating ....

Thanks for suggestions and all the best
Thomas

PS: is there an option to force the officials to reinstall the ferry service or open the road to Sudan ?

[achim-in-jordan]

Hi Thomas,

as much as I know the big barge is around 20,000 Egyptian Pounds which should equal 2,300 Euro or 2,850 US-Dollar. That means that even with some four vehicules it is considerably more expensive than the regular ferry.

But from what I read and heard so far, there are a number of serious questions:

1) Is there any schedule for the big barge or can one hire it just any convenient day?

2) Has anybody heard anything about recent movements of the regular ferry (both the passenger ferry and the small barges)? How many of the ferries and barges are actually running given the recent mishaps?

3) Will the operators have any interest at all to get the "normal" barges running again? I guess it is a much better business for them to rip travellers off by forcing them to take the big barge.

4) How many travellers are actually in need of the ferry crossing these days?? Here and in other fora there does not seem to be much movement at the moment.

Greetings
Achim

[achim-in-jordan]

I have just talked to Mr. Salah and a Swedish traveller in Aswan:

1) The small barges are still not running. He was talking about the big barge only!

2) Mats, a Swedish overlander on the way to Cape Town then called back, telling me that even the big barge will only arrive next week - meaning that even if you are willing to pay this ridiculous amount you might have to wait for at least several days if not weeks!

Greetings
Achim

[Tom-Traveller]

Originally Posted by achim-in-jordan

Hi Thomas,

as much as I know the big barge is around 20,000 Egyptian Pounds which should equal 2,300 Euro or 2,850 US-Dollar. That means that even with some four vehicules it is considerably more expensive than the regular ferry.

But from what I read and heard so far, there are a number of serious questions:

1) Is there any schedule for the big barge or can one hire it just any convenient day?

2) Has anybody heard anything about recent movements of the regular ferry (both the passenger ferry and the small barges)? How many of the ferries and barges are actually running given the recent mishaps?

3) Will the operators have any interest at all to get the "normal" barges running again? I guess it is a much better business for them to rip travellers off by forcing them to take the big barge.

4) How many travellers are actually in need of the ferry crossing these days?? Here and in other fora there does not seem to be much movement at the moment.

Greetings
Achim

Hi Achim

indeed, these are bad news .... I follow the same issue at ► Wuestenschiff - Das Sahara-Forum ◄ and somehow it gets worse, right !?

The big barge costs almost $ 3000.- and how many trucks, cars, etc. fit on this ?
And what about the passenger ferry, is it running now ... ?

Maybe, until Oktober/November this is going to work normally again ... Inshallah (IBM)

Thomas & Andrea

https//www.miles-to-ride.com

[Tom-Traveller]

I know this is kind of a long shot ... but, what if we put the motorcycles on a dive boat and head south from for example Port Safaga / Marsa Alam to Port Sudan

OK, the CdP is not stamped and deposit for the plate is gone ... what else to consider

Could this work somehow .... ?

Thomas & Andrea

https//miles-to-ride.com

[Lahami]

Originally Posted by Tom-Traveller

I know this is kind of a long shot ... but, what if we put the motorcycles on a dive boat and head south from for example Port Safaga / Marsa Alam to Port Sudan

OK, the CdP is not stamped and deposit for the plate is gone ... what else to consider

Could this work somehow .... ?

Thomas & Andrea

https//miles-to-ride.com

Safaga is a exit port ... Maras Alam not ...Dive boats do travel south but rarely dock at Port Sudan.
Private yachts do this trip, and for sure it could be possible, but not easy... check 'el gouna' or port garlib.
cheers

[roro]

Originally Posted by Tom-Traveller

Hi Achim

indeed, these are bad news .... I follow the same issue at ► Wuestenschiff - Das Sahara-Forum ◄ and somehow it gets worse, right !?

The big barge costs almost $ 3000.- and how many trucks, cars, etc. fit on this ?
And what about the passenger ferry, is it running now ... ?

Maybe, until Oktober/November this is going to work normally again ... Inshallah (IBM)

Thomas & Andrea

https//www.miles-to-ride.com

In November the new road will be OK ... (Inch' Allah)

RR