Sudan tours & travel

Sudan’s population is made up of hundreds of ethnic groups, all of which have their own culture, customs and traditions. That said, 97% of the population follow Islam while further south, towards the areas bordering South Sudan, religious followings tend to be more varied with both Christian and animist beliefs being practised. You’ll notice that the population tends to dress quite traditionally, with men wearing long robes called ‘jalabiya’ and women wrapping themselves in a ‘thawb’, which also help to protect against the intense heat and sunshine.

While there’s no doubt that the Sudanese culture varies greatly across the nation, there’s one thing that the locals all have in common: an unbeatable sense of hospitality. You’ll never be lacking as a traveller in Sudan, with the locals going out of their way to make sure guests are well looked after. Generosity and hospitality are cornerstones of the Islamic faith, with Muslims believing that we should give freely that which we have received from God. This is encapsulated in the Sudanese tradition of ‘sabeel’, a welcoming gesture whereby pots of water are left outside houses and shops for passers-by to drink from.

Sudanese food is simple, filling and flavoursome. There is a heavy reliance on staples like ‘aseeda dukun’ (porridge), ‘kisra’ (a thin flatbread) and fava beans, with many meals livened up with spices that have been introduced from the Mediterranean or Middle East, like cardamom or cinnamon. ‘Fuul’, or stewed broad beans, are common, as is falafel, or ‘tamiya’. 

Meat plays an important role in the Sudanese diet and is often stewed with tomato, onion and spices and accompanied by flatbread. Peanuts, dates and figs are equally important, with the locals using them to add extra taste and texture to dishes. Peanuts are often added to soups and stews, while dates will be thrown in with porridge. Some local dishes to look out for include:

1. Goraasa be dama 
   A beef stew flavoured with tomato, cardamom and cinnamon, served with flatbread.
2. Umfitit 
   An appetiser made from sheep lungs, liver and stomach, flavoured with peanut butter, onion and salt.
3. Basboosa
   A traditional desert of sweet semolina cake. You'll find this all over the country.
4. Moukhbaza
   This paste, which is made from mashed bananas, is particularly popular in the east of Sudan.
5. Ful medames
   A traditional breakfast of mashed fava beans served with flatbread and a variety of garnishes, like boiled eggs, tahini or a tomato and cucumber salad.

It’s important to note that Sudan is governed under Sharia law, which means that alcohol is prohibited. The constitution specifies that non-Muslims in Khartoum, the capital, shall not be subject to Sharia law, but this may not necessarily be true in practice and the punishment for getting caught with alcohol is 40 lashes. Your luggage will be screened on arrival in Sudan and any alcohol will be confiscated.

Though there are a few exceptions, most Sudanese festivals are religious in nature and celebrated privately with family and friends. Some of the most important festivals in Sudan are:

Mawlid an-Nabi (The Prophet’s Birthday)

Most Muslim countries celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad and enjoy a national holiday on the 12th day of the fifth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. In Sudan, there are festivals in public spaces with food and sweet stalls as well as religious storytellers who share tales of Muhammad’s life.

Eid al-Fitr

Translating as ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast’, this religious holiday marks the end of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast for a month. It lasts three days and is typically celebrated by sharing food with friends, family and neighbours.

Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha is the most important Muslim holiday and considered holier than Eid al-Fitr. It honours Ibrahim and his devotion to God after he was commanded to sacrifice his son. People will traditionally sacrifice an animal as a symbol of their own devotion; however, many are unable to afford this and instead choose to spend time feasting with their family.

Sufi Holiya Festival

This Sufi holiday is a celebration of the death of a saint. Attracting Sufi Muslims from across the country, the celebrations begin with a ‘zaffa’ (parade) that leads into the ‘long night’ filled with songs and dancing. The festival is particularly noteworthy as it is a celebration of brotherhood and transcends class and ethnicity, with the richest businessman dancing and singing with the poorest farmer.

Sudan was the largest country in Africa until South Sudan gained independence in 2011. It’s now the third largest and is bordered by Egypt to the north, South Sudan and the Central African Republic to the south, Eritrea, the Red Sea and Ethiopia to the east, and Chad and Libya to the west.

Sudan’s two main rivers ­– the White Nile and the Blue Nile – merge near Khartoum, in the centre of the country, and continue north to Egypt as the unified Nile River. The Nile splits northern Sudan in two, with the Libyan Desert to the northwest and the Nubian Desert to the northeast.

Central Sudan is largely flat with savanna grassland spread from east to west. The east remains flat towards the Ethiopian border, however the western, war-torn region of Darfur sees the flatlands rise to become the Marrah Mountains (3042 m), while the South Kordofan region, near the South Sudan border, has the Nuba Mountains (1325 m).

In the northeast, Sudan’s territory ends on the beaches of the Red Sea. It was here that the Israelis once ran an incredible undercover operation to smuggle persecuted Ethiopian Jews to Israel under the guise of a diving resort. Watch ‘Red Sea Diving Resort’ on Netflix for a dramatic – and slightly embellished – retelling.

Sudan isn’t exactly known as a shopping destination and shopping opportunities are limited to street vendors and local markets, known as souks. The largest in the country is called Souk Omdurman, in the capital of Karthoum, and this may well be the best place to pick up a Sudanese souvenir. The markets are often much cheaper than the city’s shops, and you may find a unique carving or piece of jewellery to take home. As with many countries, respectful haggling is normal in the markets and you’ll need to have cash for payment.

Ancient

The modern country of Sudan incorporates the ancient land of Nubia, which once stretched from northern Sudan into southern Egypt and was home to a number of ancient kingdoms. It’s considered the site of one of Africa’s earliest civilisations, with evidence of inhabitation dating as far back as 5000 BC. The most well-known civilisation was probably the Kingdom of Kush, which ruled the region from approximately the 9th century BC until the 4th century AD. Their kingdom was known as the ‘Land of the Bow’, thanks to the skill of its archers, and they eventually pushed further north with the Kush leader Piye becoming pharaoh of Egypt.

Changing tides

For over a thousand years the Nubian lands went through a period of Christianisation and Islamisation. The Christian Nubia kingdoms came first, while Islam began to spread throughout northern Africa in the 7th century. Nubia was actually one of the few areas to withstand the Muslim invasion, for a number of years at least, until the Funj Kingdom destroyed the final pocket of Christian Nubia in the early 16th century. By the time a British-Egyptian force invaded in 1899, Sudan was an Islamic region.

The British rule and Sudan’s independence

An agreement between Britain and Egypt – and their subsequent invasion – restored Egypt’s hold on Sudan, though the region was run by the British governor-general from Khartoum as if it were a British colony. The end of WWI saw a rise of Sudanese nationalism from the northern Muslim population and independence was finally achieved in 1956. Elections were held but the result didn’t matter once General Ibrahim Abboud, deputy commander of the Sudanese army, declared himself president instead. This set the tone for the next 60 years, with Sudan being consistently plagued by rebellions and military coups and, most recently, a revolution.

Modern

The religious divide between the Muslim north and non-Muslim south bubbled away for years following Sudan’s independence. An agreement was signed in 1972 to the somewhat satisfaction of both the north and south, but in 1983 Sharia law was imposed over the entire country and tensions rose once more. Power was seized in 1989 by General al-Bashir, the leader of the National Islamic Front, and he retained an iron grip on the country for 30 years.

The western region of Darfur rebelled against the government in 2003 and this rebellion escalated into what many refer to as a genocide, with an estimated 200–400,000 Sudanese killed as a result of the government’s response. Darfur remains a ravaged, war-torn region still. An international arrest warrant was issued for al-Bashir in 2009 on the grounds of crimes against humanity and in 2011 the South Sudanese people voted for independence. South Sudan was born – and war almost broke out the very next year thanks to ownership claims over the territory of Abyei and its oil reserves.

President al-Bashir was overthrown in April 2019 following protests and a military coup. Violence ensued, with security forces opening fire on protestors in June, who were demanding that the military transfer authority to a civilian administration. They eventually came to power-sharing agreement, whereby there will be elections after 39 months in what was seen as a victory for the pro-democracy movement.

Peregrine takes the health and safety of its travellers seriously, and takes every measure to ensure that trips are safe, fun and enjoyable for everyone. We recommend that all travellers check with their government or national travel advisory organisation for the latest information before departure:

From Australia?

Go to smarttraveller.gov.au

From Canada?

Go to travel.gc.ca

From the UK?

Go to fco.gov.uk

From New Zealand?

Go to safetravel.govt.nz

From the USA?

Go to travel.state.gov

From South Africa?

Go to gov.za

From China?

Go to 12301.cn

The World Health Organization also provides useful health information. Go to who.int for more details.

For inspiring and informative stories to prepare you for your Sudan adventure, have a look at these books:

• What is the What – Dave Eggers
• A Long Walk to Water – Linda Sue Park
• Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur – Halima Bashir
• Seasons of Migration to the North – Tayeb Salih
• They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky – Benjamin Ajak, Benson Deng and Alephonsion Deng