The Sudanese have always had a reputation of being overwhelmingly welcoming. A population of 41 million people are divided into hundreds of ethnic groups, the majority living in rural areas. Life here, which is agrarian based, is incredibly difficult, with many families scratching out a living in the sand with a few camels. Despite this, don’t be surprised if you get invited in for dinner, or at least a cup of shai saada (black tea) and are treated to other small random acts of immense generosity. These humbling experiences will probably be your fondest memories of your trips to Sudan.
Western and northern Sudan are dominated by flat, sandy terrain and golden dunes. The mystical Blue Nile cuts diagonally through the northern rim of the Sahara and meets the White Nile at Khartoum, before heading south to Lake Victoria. The east and west are the most mountainous regions, whilst Port Sudan on the Red Sea is renowned for its scuba diving and beaches. The North contains a wealth of architectural ruins left by the Nubian ancients, on par with those of neighbouring Egypt but little visited.