Hi everyone,

I had an old post 'crossing sahara east to west' and I'm creating this new thread for a new route I'm planning.

I am planning to travel from Omdurman in Sudan to Cairo in Egypt via camel train, through the Sahara off the beaten track away from the tourists. I will hire camels in Omdurman (as I can't buy them) and travel to the border at Wadi Halfa, there I'll have to give the camels back, cross the border and continue.

I have a tour operator helping me for the Sudan leg, however the Egypt leg is proving more difficult. To travel 'officially' in Egypt you need a lot of paper work (and escorts), however several people have mentioned it's fine to do it unofficially, just stay clear of check points. Has anyone had experience with this? The Western Desert is also closed, does anyone have experience with the Western Desert?

I've never been to Africa or had experience with camels, I am planning a 1-2 week mini trek in Sudan with my contact, guide and camels, so I can get some experience, then I will head off. I am currently reading both of Chris Scott's books Sahara Overland and Sahara Camel Trekking, plus a couple of others. And I'm taking Arabic lessons.

Any and all advice and opinions will be very welcome, particularly about trekking in Egypt, adventure tour operators, local guides, camel hire etc. I am in contact with a couple of operators, however it seems things run a bit slower in Egypt regarding communication...

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Dan

Bear in mind that internet & mobile communications are tightly controlled by auhorities in Egypt, I have difficullty reaching any of my Egyptian contacts, sometimes your messages simply do not get through. There are some people from Egypt who post regulaly on this forum, they are in the best positon to assist on the Northern side of the border.

If you are serious about camels, the person to contact is Arita Baaijens (www.aritabaaijens.nl), she is probably the single most knowledgable person on camel trekking these days (though she no longer goes to the Sahara, but has done so for 20 years...). If you have the right questions, she can provide all the answers.

Good to hear you got yourself sorted for Sudan.

As Andras says, Arita knows the area (and has contributed to the Camel Trekking book) but I think she has not travelled there for many years (or her big trips were many years ago when things were easier).

Have people recommending this actually travelled in this manner with camels?
I think in Egypt post Arab Spring you would not get far travelling unofficially with a camel train without a very good fixer to ease you through the inevitable bottlenecks.
As you've already found, Egyptian bureaucracy is amongst the most convoluted in the world. Even in the good years it took months to get various permits to travel the Western Desert west of the Oasis road.
But - I get the feeling most camels in Egypt (outside Sinai) are imported from Sudan for food. Maybe you could join a Meat Caravan (pic below near Abu Mungar)? That would be novel. I wonder where they cross the border/Nile, or must they take the ferry too.

Besides Arita, look up Mikael Strandberg
Home * Mikael Strandberg
He tried to walk east to west and iirc managed to cross northern Egypt but got stuck at the Libyan border or maybe before.

Short of hooking up with a Meat Caravan by far your best bet is to forget borders and have a great time in Sudan, trekking up to Wadi Halfa one way and back via another route.

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Thanks Chris and Andrasz,

Yeah it's a bit annoying all the hoops you need to jump through, but funnily enough the massive government run 'Experience Egypt' Facebook page responded to my requests for help, whether they give any info or not is another matter.

I don't tend to cross the border with my camels, apparently only Sudanese camel traders can cross the border with them, that's why I will give my camels back in Sudan and pick up new ones in Egypt, that's the theory anyway. So it should make it easier crossing with just myself, I will have a flight out too (which I can change the date easily to fit my schedule). So that will help with a visa.

Probably most of my 'desert wandering' will happen in Sudan so perhaps I will have to travel more traditional routes in Egypt.

A nother person how tried to walk east to west cross Sahara. And managed to cross northern Egypt but got stuck at the southern Libyan border, I think it was Christian Bodegren. He was spending about seven months in the desert. www.christianbodegren.comYou can gett some good info about long distance Camel travel there. And maybe find some good contacts in Egypt.He is crossing Mongolia and Kazakhstan whit Camels at the moment.Good luck with your desert adventure.

Expedition Christian Bodegren Dispatches, By CONTACT4.0
Christian got as far as Tunisia where his big camel gave him a bad bite over the neck and then he was arrested - for smuggling camels
He didnt stay for the trial, but hope to continue from Tunisia westwards some day when it is possible to do so.