Ferry Aswan - Wadi Halfa

[enafrique]

Hi everyone!

We are two swiss guys traveling from Switzerland to Namibia. We are actually in Egypt and we are planing our way to Sudan. For this, we want to take the ferry going from Aswan to Wadi Halfa and we are looking for other people doing the same as the ferry rate is shared between each participant. We want to leave Egypt before 17 May, so everything before (or even after) would be good for us!
So if someone planed to take this ferry around these dates, you can contact us by this forum, by mail (enafrique.ch@gmail.com) or by phone (+201066958466, egyptian number).
Thank you!

See you!

David and Julien

[Vleis]

Hi David and Julien

I have sent you an email with my contact details. If there is no public barge we want to join the private barge around 14 May please. We are 2 people in a Land Rover

Cheers
Hentie

[Vleis]

Keeping this thread alive...

If anybody is en-route to Aswan to catch a ferry to Wadi please get in touch with the following people as we are trying to arrange a private barge for around 13 May:

mena.julien@gmail.com, enafrique.ch@gmail.com, h_vanzyl@hotmail.com
phone +201066958466 (David or Julien)

Some of the group should be in Aswan from 6 May onwards to confirm that there is no public barge to confirm if we actually need a private one, but if we have to take the private barge please get in touch. The more the merrier and the cheaper

Cheers
Hentie

[m2m]

The other option for a group of overlanders is to pay for a military escort to the Sudan border by road....yes, there is a road; and yes, a group recently did that.

[roamingyak]

m2m,

Get the group above to do that, and you use the escort on the way back to Aswan - saves you all money and headaches....

Then catch the 'new' roro boat from Egypt to Turkey etc

[africaexpedition]

We are currently in Bawiti (Western Desert in Egypt) and we want to cross into Sudan in about 1 or 2 weeks. We have heard lots of rumours about the road to Wadi Halfa being open, like M2M said, but have not been able to confirm them. If other overlanders want to travel with us, by road, ferry or private ferry, please let us know. We obviously prefer the road over the ferry since it seems to save some trouble.

Greetings,
Jeffrey & Twan
The Africa Expedition

[africaexpedition]

We are in Aswan now (Adam Home), and trying to arrange a barge to Wadi Halfa, Sudan. It is expensive, and we are the only overlanders here now. We want to leave as soon as possible, so if you also want to be on the next barge please get in touch using jeffrey@africaexpedition.nl or text/call 00201111324854 or 0031641127870.

If anybody has information about the road to Wadi Halfa, or who to contact about a possible military escort, please let me know too. We have plenty of time now, so we are willing to give anything a shot.

[catch22]

Be sure to read: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...pt-sudan-63126

Suppose you talk to customs; if they want business, they will contact
the military/police.

thanks for your reply on my mail----------------geert
and good luck to Wadi.

Let us pls know later how it went !!

[africaexpedition]

Right, a quick update from the chaos here in Aswan. So, apparently it is not only problematic anymore to get a car across Lake Nasser, but passengers too. The tickets are scarce and difficult to get. Today there were two fights at the ticket centre, after which it closed. They also said there might be an extra ferry on Friday, but that proved to be nonsense. In conclusion, a lot of people are stuck as a result of this.

They claim the cargo ferry is being refused in Wadi Halfa because of low water, and only the 'special' (or: expensive) barge is available. This barge costs 20.000 Egyptian pounds (just over 2.500 euros in case you wanted to do the math), and can be divided among the people using it (at least 4 - max number unknown). So, it is possible that even when this barge is rented you cannot cross yourself because there are no passenger tickets, although that is speculation. We are now waiting in Aswan for others that want to use the ferry, however, we will also try the road from Abu Simbel.

Today we also tried to persuade the local generals to open the overland route to Sudan, but they claim permission should be sought in Cairo, which should then be approved in Aswan. You have to get permission in Cairo personally with your passport and vehicle documentation. Whether this is a bureaucratic attempt to effectively block the road or a serious option I cannot confirm - but I would recommend people at least try it at the army headquarters when they are in Cairo.

If anybody knows anything more let me know.

[tmotten]

Google earth shows that road finished sealed and line marked only on the Egyptian side. Is it cross able?

There seems to be a border post but it may not be manned yet. In this case, and you can actually cross without the risk of mines, is it maybe possible to get all your papers done at the port, attempt to drive across (maybe do a recky first) and do the same on the other side?

Is it this hard from the other side?

[africaexpedition]

It is certainly not the road or the quality of its surface that is the problem - locals always use it - it is merely that foreigners do not have permission to travel it and exit the country in this way. There are rumors people have done it by throwing bakshees around and going with a military escort, but I have heard of nobody doing this personally.

As for the paperwork - the powers here have a strong interest in keeping the border closed so I doubt they would collaborate with doing paperwork here in Aswan. Supposedly permission can be obtained from Cairo, but I doubt this is a practical possibility.

[africaexpedition]

The barge left on Tuesday with six overland vehicles. We leave tomorrow (Friday) on an extra ferry. Monday another one goes, another barge may take a while. I have heard of at least one person that will arrive soon and will be staying at Adam Home. Mohamed Sayed knows what is going on, so call him if you want to know how many people are waiting. His phone number is 002001224421767.

[megardt]

We are also waiting in aswan now 9/6-2012, adam home.

Our number is 0020 1099895301 - please let us know of you are on your way this week!

Mats

[achim-in-jordan]

Hej Mats,

good to see you online here! Hope you are lucky soon! The thread at least seems to imply that barges are going every once in a while (so I was posting not completely correct info then in the other thread - have just discovered this one).

Greetings
Achim

[megardt]

Hi!

Just wanted to let you know that we went with the expensive option and chartered a "private" barge.

We found a Sudanese guy who we at least paid us a little money to come along.

We are in Wadi Halfa now, waiting for a customs agent who decided not to come to work today because it's windy.

We should have the car tomorrow, I've at least been allowed to unload it from the barge so at least we know that the car is here.

So far 16 days to cross lake nasser. I can't wait for these countries to stop being childish and just open the land border!