wadi halfa to Kahartoum

[bomboliere]

Hi,
it seems that today, thanks to Chinese works, both the roads from Wadi Halfa to Khartoum are paved.
1) The road (near the Nile), through DONGOLA
2) and the eastern road (running near the railway), through ATBARA

Questions:
- is it true? both paved?
- which is the best road? (apparently the ATBARA one is faster (900 km, vs 1100 of Dongola option)
- Gasoline on the road?

Many thanks
Roberto Parodi

[Habari]

Yes they are both paved.
The Nile one lets you see more of the country.
Yes, there is plenty of fuel.

Safari Njema!

[*Touring Ted*]

When I was there in October/November 2010 the road which follows the rail way to Atbara was DEFINITELY NOT PAVED and there was definitely NO FUEL. It was a really difficult thick sand road where everyone crashed again and again. (pictures on my blog). A very difficult road indeed requiring lots of extra fuel and twice as much water. Good fun and adventure with some skill and determination though.

One girl in our group smashed her bike and self up really badly forcing us to turn back to Wadi Halfa to get medical treatment and then we took the tarmac road through Dongola to Khartoum (which was all lovely new tarmac)

I can't see how that railway road is now paved. There was NO work on it or any planned at the time. I think it may be paved AFTER Atbara but definitely not before.



This photo shows the shallow sand sections. The only place I could park and take a photo without getting stuck

[bomboliere]

Thanks, to all.
Anyway I think that the Dongola way it was a better choice, (not only for tarmac, but also from a scenarios point of view).
Regarding the ATBARA road, I got this news somewhere on the web, so these could be certainly not reliable.
It would be interesting anyway to understand if is true that from Wadi Halfa to Atbara the way is paved or not...

[Habari]

Ted, I was there more or less at the same time you were there, I did take the Nile route but I was told that the eastern rout was paved and it actually showed so at the crossroad after Wadi Halfa, if it was not so I stand corrected.
There is plenty of fuel along the Nile route, and honestly it does not make a lot of sense to take the other route unless you like sand just for the sake of it.
Safari Njema!