 |
|---|
Sudan Expedition - Road Less Trodden
Not for the faint-hearted, this journey takes you on an expedition of ancient Sudan to where we explore incredible UNESCO sites, ancient civilizations, legacies of the Pharaohs of one of the earliest-established societies of the time.
HIGHLIGHTS
Embark on an experiential adventure into the heart of Sudan
Visit some of the most spectacular ancient UNESCO sites in Sudan
Stay in the best hotels and Mobile-set camps
ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVE KHARTOUM
Arrive at Khartoum Intl Airport where then you will be met and assisted for immigration procedures. Thereafter, transfer to the heart of Khartoum where you arrive and check in at the Corinthia Hotel.
Overnight: Corinthia Hotel, Khartoum
Meals: NIL
DAY 2: KHARTOUM
After breakfast, we begin our exploration of Khartoum first visiting the Archaeological Museum that, besides many beautiful objects, contains two beautiful temples rescued by UNESCO and moved from the Lake Nasser area, when it was flooded by the water. We then cross the confluence between the Blue and the White Nile near the Presidential Palace where in 1885 General Gordon was beheaded by the Mahdi’s troops and we reach Omdurman, the old capital of Sudan, where we see the Mahdi’s Tomb from outside. In the afternoon we visit the interesting Khalifa’s House which holds a small museum about the Mahdyia (only on Fridays and Saturdays). We then visit the colorful souk of Omdurman. At sunset time we move near the tomb of the sufi leader Ahmed al Nil to assist at the involving Whirling Dervishes Ceremony (only on Fridays).
Overnight: Corinthia Hotel, Khartoum
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 3: KHARTOUM / NAGA / MUSSAWARAT / MEROE
Overnight: Meroe Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
We leave Khartoum this morning to begin our journey northwards. After about an hour's drive, we get into a
desert area covered with huge round granite boulders; these are the last offshoots of the rocky formations of the 6th Cataract. We leave the asphalt road and we drive for about 30km on a desert track among many camel thorn acacia trees to visit the two archaeological sites. The site of Naga is one of the two centres that developed during the Meroitic period. In Naga, in a typical Saharan environment with rocks and sand, we find
a temple dedicated to Apedemak, a wonderful building with bas-relief decorations depicting the god with a lion’s head, the Pharaoh, noblemen and several ritual images. A few metres away there is a small and odd construction with arches and columns, named "kiosk", in which we can notice Egyptian, Roman and Greek styles, all at the same time. Not far away we reach another temple dedicated to Amon with many statues of rams and beautiful gates decorated with bas-reliefs. We then go to Mussawarat, not far away from Naga. This settlement is located in a beautiful valley crowned by hills. Here the ruins of a very big temple are visible; it once played an exceptional important role. Its main characteristic, the “Great Enclosure” is made by many constructions and boundary walls which surround a temple built in the 1st Century A.D. The large number of elephants represented on these walls makes you think that this animal used to have an important role in this area. Beyond the big wadi there is another temple - restored by a German archaeological mission - dedicated to the god Apedemak. Picnic in the area and then we return on the main road and driving North and all of a sudden, we can glance at more than 40 pyramids, located on top of a hill, some of them perfectly preserved, which belong to the Royal Necropolis of Meroe. Arrival at the Meroe Camp with a beautiful view on the pyramids.
DAY 4: MEROE
We dedicate the morning to visit the pyramids. The Royal Necropolis of Meroe is located at about 3km from the Nile on some hills covered by yellow sand dunes. Several pyramids stand out with their sharp shapes
against the clear sky. Each one has its own funerary chapel with the walls fully decorated with bas-reliefs that show the King’s life and offers to the gods. In the afternoon we move along the Nile to visit the ruins of the Royal city. The excavations confirm that the town of Meroe used to cover a large area and the Royal city was located in a central position, surrounded by suburbs and a boundary wall. Most of the area where the city is located, formed by many small hills covered by red clay fragments, has still to be excavated by the archaeologists.
Overnight: Meroe Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 5: MEROE / BAYUDA DESERT / KARIMA
After breakfast, we leave Meroe as we cross Nile with the ponton, the local ferry boat, to enter the Bayuda desert. These ferries are a hive of colourful activities. We find ourselves sharing space with people, donkeys, camels and goats. The Bayuda Desert is an area bounded by the loop formed by the Nile between the 4th and the 6th Cataract and characterised by sharp black basalt mountains, most of them volcanic and typically cone-shaped. They alternate with level pebble stretches and large valleys crossed by dry wadis where only little vegetation survives and dorcas gazelles can be seen. It is very likely to meet isolated groups of Bisharin nomads, who live in familiar groups in small huts made of intertwined branches close to the rare water wells,
with their caravans and herds of camels and donkeys. In the first part of the crossing we drive among sand dunes. After some kilometres on the asphalt road, the adventure continue following the Wadi Abu Dom,
driving on a sandy track among many acacia trees and some wells where it is possible to meet nomads. Arrival at Merowe, on the Nile, where we across the bridge to reach the comfortable Nubian Rest House.
Overnight: Nubian Rest House, Karima
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 6: KARIMA (JEBEL BARKAL & THE NECROPOLIS OF EL KURRU)
Landmark in the Nubian Desert, Jebel Barkal ("Jebel" means mountain in Arabic) can be seen from a few dozen kilometres whilst still in the open desert. At the foot of this wonderful and isolated red sandstone
mountain, considered holy since the ancient times, there is a big temple, dedicated to the Pharaohs of the New Reign and to their patron, Amon. Amon's ancient "Pure Mountain", the Olympus of the Nubians, was the religious Nubian heart for more than 1000 years. Besides the ruins of the big temple there are still several
sculptured granite rams that were supposed to border a long avenue that probably led to the pier on
the Nile. In the mountain wall there is a big room decorated with bas-relief. The Jebel Barkal archaeological sites are on the World Heritage list. The Royal necropolis of the ancient city of Napata, the Nubian capital (from 800 to 400 B.C.) before the Meroitic period, had a large number of pyramids, located in three different places: few hundred metres north of Jebel Barkal; a dozen kilometres southwards from the holy mountain, in El Kurru; in Nuri, which is located on the other bank of the Nile. After lunch in the Nubian Rest House, we then move southwards to the village of El Kurru where there is one of the necropolises of the ancient capital, Napata. Here we can visit one tomb, which is excavated in the rock under pyramids - partially collapsed - and it is totally decorated with images of the Pharaoh, of the gods and multi-color hieroglyphic inscriptions.
Not far from here there is an interesting site of petrified wood, an ancient forest with hundreds of huge trunks.
Overnight: Nubian Rest House, Karima
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 7: KARIMA / KERMA / TOMBOS
Today we drive west through the Nubian Desert where we reach the colourful village of Selim and we continue until Kerma to visit the majestic “Defuffa”. Not far from here, among the rocks near the village of Tombos, there are the granite quarries and the remains of a huge statue of the King Taharqa, simply left there in the desert 3000 years ago.
Overnight: Pre Set Camp, Tombos
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
DAY 8: TOMBOS / SESIBI / SOLEB / TOMBOS
In Sebu, right on the river bank of the Nile it is possible to visit one of the richest sites of rock engraving of all
Sudan with hundreds of images from prehistoric to Egyptian times. We then reach the granite boulders of the
Third Cataract which used to be the third huge obstacle that the ancients Egyptians had to face when trying to sail on the Nile River. We cross the Nile by ferry and we reach the Temple of Sesibi. Few km north we find the Temple of Soleb, the most beautiful Egyptian temple of all Sudan, testimony of the New Kingdom in Nubia, with many walls rich in hieroglyphic inscriptions, bas-relief figures and many columns. Not far we’ll see a nice stele on the rock just on the shore of the Nile.
Overnight: Pre Set Camp, Tombos
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
DAY 9: TOMBOS / OLD DONGOLA / KARIMA
Today we drive south following the Nile. This area is the central part of the Nubian region. Here the population lives in small villages amongst yellow sand dunes and palm trees they speak a different language from the Arabs and also the Islamic religion is not as "strict" as in other regions. The women don't cover their faces and readily speak to foreigners. Some houses in the Nubian Villages are painted and decorated with colourful patterns and flowers. Enthusiastic hospitality abounds, people will often invite foreigners to visit their home and share a meal or a cup of spiced tea. We then reach the site of Old Dongola, where there are the ruins of a Christian Coptic temple with marble columns as well as several rest of churches situated on the banks of the Nile.
Overnight: Nubian Rest House, Karima
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
DAY 10: KARIMA / KHARTOUM
Today, we drive south along the tarmac road across the Western Desert. We stop for lunch in a simple “chai house” (a roadhouse where the local truck drivers stop for food and to rest) and in the afternoon, we arrive back into Khartoum where there is another opportunity for you to visit the interesting souq.
Overnight: Corinthia Hotel, Khartoum
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 11: DEPART KHARTOUM
We bid farewell to an inspiring journey as we transfer to Khartoum Intl Airport for departure.
Meals: Breakfast
HOTELS
Corinthia Hotel Khartoum is a state-of-the-art architectural masterpiece, set in the heart of Khartoum's commercial district. Situated at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers with greenery, waterfalls and deserts nearby, it's a location that has intrigued since the days of Dr Livingstone.
Meroe tented Camp is located in Bagarwyia, overlooking the beautiful pyramids of Meroe. Accommodation consists of 22 twin-bedded tents tastefully furnished. Each one has its own private bathroom hut with shower and toilet, equipped with a veranda with
two comfortable chairs to relax in front of the astonishing view of more than forty pyramids. The electricity in the tents is supplied by a generator.
Meroe Camp
Pre Set Camp, Tombos
An extra pick-up will go ahead and set up the tents and camp for the overnights in pre set camp. 2 persons from the staff will set up the tents and camping beds as well as 1 camping shower and 1 camping toilet. Amenities set up include linen and blankets, folding chairs and tables, gas lights, thermos for water, plates and cutlery, water basin, first aid kit and a private chef will be in charge of the meals.
The Nubian Rest House is a charming small hotel built in the typical Nubian style just at the foot of Jebel Barkal, the holy mountain of the old Egyptian and Nubian Pharaohs. It is surrounded by a large private enclosure, with a nice garden and leisure area. Each of the 22 air-conditioned rooms is characterized by a peculiar Nubian door with its own private
bathroom and a pleasant veranda.
Nubian Rest House, Karima
