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The Egypt Index
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The Egypt Index - see also:
• Egypt > Sudan border costs via Qustul 2018 • Sudan - Egypt via Argeen - west of the Nile (no ferry) 2017 • Detailed report: Egypt-Sudan Dec 2015 • Best way to Egypt from Europe • Egyptian deserts closed for travellers • Ferry Aqaba Jordan • Shipping Greece to Egypt [dormant] • Ferry Egypt-Turkey [dormant] • Egypt Sinai Israel https://saharaoverland.files.wordpre...pg?w=300&h=230 Full size map ---------------------------------------------------- dear all i have good fresh news that soon any one can go between Egypt and Sudan by land , yes the road following the Nile will be working soon i will attach some photos here for the road hopefully in few weeks it will be working , and good bye night mare Aswan Wadi halfa Ferry here is the latest official news today i used goggle translate so hope it will be OK :scooter: :scooter: The opening of the road linking Egypt and the Sudan in two months lost a delegation from the Egyptian Authority for Ports land and dry, by Qustul Wadi Halfa after that ended the Sudanese side of the paving and paving its part inside the Sudanese. came inspection tour led by Major General Marzouk Saber Shaltout and Major General Mohammed Saad Hassan and a number of agents of local administration, and leaders of the Guard border. This was stated by Chairman of Abu Simbel Asaad Abdel-Meguid, adding that the delegation stressed the possibility of opening the way for the citizens of the two countries within two months after collecting the work of customs and border points. said Abdul-Majid said the delegation also lose the site through the Toshka Atbara with a length of 438 kilometers which 105 Clio meters inside the Egyptian border, and 333 kilometers inside the border of Sudan Erqan the Atbara, and will be put pavement and the boot during the next period at a cost of 105 million pounds, thus completing the system of roads and transportation between the two countries. This contributes to support the movement of trade exchange and to build bridges cooperation between the two countries and facilitating the movement of citizens to achieve the desired integration between the two countries. |
As much as the ferry was an ABSOLUTE PAIN to organise and get on to, it will remain one of the best memories of my Africa trip.
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how are you ? yes you are right it was one of my dreams to cross the lake Nasser on it ,since i was a kid and to see the stars shining on the lake and the Nubian desert the ferry will be working too and i hope they make it better as there will be a road its so hard to waste 5 days go and 5 days back on the ferry |
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I think the ferry will go out of business as soon as that road is finished. It's a total nightmare for the locals who use it too. The boat is RAMMED full with all sorts of things bought from Egypt as you probably know. I know I wouldn't take it if there was a nice new road instead. It's kind of sad (for overlanders) as all the 'adventures' are now disappearing... I mean, soon the Kenyan 'bandit highway' will be all paved too. Already In Sudan you have a nice new Chinese road through the desert. A Cape-Cairo trip is going to soon be VERY VERY easy indeed. |
yes you are right
last November i was not happy to arrive to Isiolo and find the nice new tar road all the way to Nairobi , but perhaps we the over landers must find new bad roads ,hahahaha I'm thinking now the Omo valley route will be the next big adventure between Ethiopia and Kenya , any new trips great Ted ? |
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Nothing 'Major' on the bike planned until next year I reckon. It's getting harder to collect those pennies :thumbdown: |
:scooter: :scooter:
The opening of the road linking Egypt and the Sudan in two months Stay in W.Alfa for my car on another ship? NO! Good news indeed! RR. |
road to sudan
Is this a miracle? Too good to believe!
Now get me a roro to Alex and the red carpet is right in front of me! as said before, every problem has an expiry date. :scooter: |
A different perspective
Well, I think I'm going to come from the other direction.
Like Ted rightly said above, in your memories the Wadi Halfa ferry is one of the big events of an East African trip. All the ticketing and the amazing theatricals that went with it (southbound, maybe different northbound). And the rituals surrounding the vehicle barge. Plus the crossing itself and being in amongst the passengers. It's a big chunk of crossing the Sahara. So is it really progress for travellers looking for experiences outside of normal western cultures? To replace all that with a piece of tarmac? Is it really to be welcomed? Secondly - a lot of the African passengers (southbound again, probably completely different northbound) are family groups, some pretty big, with huge amounts of luggage mainy comprising 'white goods'. Fridges, microwaves, food processors plus sound systems, computers, TVs and the whole gamut of modern household stuff. So they seem to be Africans with some money to spend. And the whole ferry enterprise must employ quite a lot of people. There seemed to be quite a few on-board staff and there must be engine-room and bridge crew as well. Plus shore crew, maintenance, docks staff and all the other people I can't think of right now. Plus crews for the vehicle barges. So I wondered, how many workers' families are supported by this enterprise? By the passengers who have money to spend on their shopping in Egypt, by the fares they pay, and by the comparatively tiny number of foreign travellers on board who maybe pay a higher fare? What awaits those families when the ferry is no more? How many will earn a living once the majority of passengers simply spend a little longer on their buses to cross from Egypt to Sudan? What of the Aswan-to-High Dam train service, will that survive? In January 2010 there were strong rumours that "if you waited two months" you'd be able to ride across the border. It seemed to be accepted that all the tarmac was in place and already being well used by the military on both sides. I picked up strong indications that there was a lot of resistance to opening the road because of the large number of businesses that would then cease, and that's no small issue in Africa. So I wonder now, when will this road really open? We won't know, I guess, until it happens. But I wonder - who will benefit??? Omar, thanks for posting this up. Good to hear from you. :thumbup1: Don't know if you remember but we passed on the road in the Western Desert, January 2010, you going north to Alexandria from Cape Town, and us three on little Yamahas going south to Nairobi and Cape Town. You gave us good advice about the Isiolo road, and 'little sand dunes behind El Qasr, good for practising on!' My daughter and son-in-law found Africa so enticing they now live and work in Khartoum and have their Yamahas there with them. All the best, Ken |
I have never done this crossing but I would have thought just about everyone would benefit from the simple streamlining of cross-border trade and transport.
The families bringing back the white goods are probably just Sudanese guest workers returning home, just as you see in Marseille or Genoa. I would have thought an a/c bus in half the time and all the way to Khartoum would suit them fine. I suspect the resistance is/was from those who owned the ferry operation (cronies of Mubarak I read somewhere once) while a perfectly good road ran alongside. It's bound to happen, but I do wonder if this is another premature rumour, like the Morocco-Algeria border saga. There's even talk of a causeway to Saudi... and as for the railways, they may link Aswan to Wadi H - a trans-Sahara railroad. Bring it on I say - for those who dont want an easy transit, there are plenty more adventures in Africa. Ch Three New Land Routes to Connect Egypt, Sudan (I assume from 2012) |
for me as Egyptian its so weird that we don't have a road to link Egypt and Sudan
although we have more than 1200 km of land border between the two countries , hope the road will be a small step for more developing between both countries ,and also to make off road tracks to the virgin lands between both countries , also the famous old 40 day road for camels caravans is not far from the new road , so many over landers can go to new land to discover and visit also it can make the company who run the ferry to make it better as there is alternative option now ,and i don't think the ferry will die as there is lots of huge good goes from both sides will be way cheaper to transport it by the ferry i believe Mubarak never thought of Africa ,although during history any wise Egyptian leader were doing many efforts to link Egypt with African countries as soon as the road will be open will do a trip and update it |
Hi, I am currently in Khartoum.
Excuse my cynical question, does it actually say anywhere that foriegners will be able to cross at the new border without any conditions? They might quote security concerns and make you pay for an expensive convoy or something to keep the gravy train rolling. If the ferry is still running they might make us use it etc.... Fingers crossed anyway.... Open the road now so I can use it!!!! ;) |
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Here's one little event that makes me sad to think the ferry may close: I found a seat downstairs in one of the lower decks, I was all alone on the large bench seat, being one of the first on board. (My travelling companions stayed up on the roof). The guidebooks say if you're over the age of life-expectancy in these countries you get treated with a particular respect, and they're right. :wheelchair: So the only people who came to share my bench seat were other elderly gents. And at least one woman. We ended up with sufficient room between us and no one tried to push in. Although everywhere else, because the boat was so crowded, people were being pushed and shoved along the seating so more could squeeze in. My neighbours were mainly Sudanese returning after family visits. Anyway, I needed the toilet the next morning when the sun was rising over the lake. I already knew from the day before that there were three cubicles in there, two squat and one european sit-down. When I entered there was a queue. But Egyptians and Sudanese being who they are, so welcoming, I was immediately ushered right to the front. :welcome: There I found the sit-down cubical was free, everyone was queuing for the other two and they all knew what I wanted. No worries! :thumbup1: When I finished, a local passenger who had just entered the room, seeing me leave a cubicle, expected the queue to move forward. But it didn't 'cos no one wanted the sit-down. And he didn't know the layout. So he shuffled around and leaned over to try to see why no one was taking the empty cubicle. :balloon: And here's the thing you never think of when on this sort of journey. This guy had never seen a western sit-down toilet. When he saw it the look on his face was complete confusion. :confused1: Then he must have remembered something he'd seen or heard long ago, and burst out laughing. :laugh: Well, at that point I was just walking past him to reach the exit door and had just realised what had happened. And at that same moment he must have suddenly thought to himself how rude his laughter might be and a look of horror instantly went right across his face. :eek::blushing: But by then all the other guys in the queue were laughing out loud and, most of all, me too. :rofl::clap::rofl: So the passenger immediately relaxed again, laughed with the rest of us :D and we all ended up shaking hands to celebrate his first encounter with a european toilet! bierbier Where else could such a thing happen???? (I did wonder for a moment, in all the laughter, would they want me to demonstrate??) :eek3: It'd be great if this ferry carries on and everyone continues to maintain their livelihoods in some way or other. Maybe freight only with no foreigners maybe, sadly. Or even foreigners-only as suggested above. It seems too often in Africa that foreign-sponsored 'progress' throws locals out of work and sometimes, off their land as well. Omar, thanks for the PM. Good to hear from you. My daughter's in London right now but I think she'll be in touch. I passed on your email address. Will reply later. Cheers Ken |
Omar,
As I'm in Khartoum and was planning on getting a Saudi visa this week to avoid having to take the ferry to Aswan, could you kindly let me know the following, if at all possible, as I need to make a decision about which way to go within the next week (although I have another 6 weeks on my tourist visa in Sudan): 1. When was this information made public? The wording seems vague about when it will open? "soon" and "within two months" from what start date? Yesterday? Sorry to ask, but anything more specific, or any later updates would be greatly approved ;-) 2. Those pictures look like they could be the buildings on the new Red Sea road rather than the Nile? But I have never been to that part of the Nile yet, but just a thought that the Arabic article you looked at might have made a mistake or have used them instead etc. Just a thought as the water in the background looks big... Anyway, I had a expensive and big lunch to celebrate the vague hope that I might save $500 on taking the landy on the ferry. All valid thoughts above, but when something is badly organised, badly run and used to rip people off, then its hard to mourn its loss on a personal level. After 2.5 years in Africa I'm not holding my breath though!!!! |
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regarding your questions , that was on the main news paper in Egypt 2 days ago ,and if you have been in Africa for more than 2 years soon is even longer than 2 months :D the photos was from Qasttal area in the southern part of Egypt on the lake Nasser ,and the lake is so big even some times wider than the red sea ,so I'm sure the photos are not from the red sea hope you enjoyed your meal if i know any more news will post it , travel safe and enjoy |
from Egyptian press about the new road
hi all
here is from media press regarding the road cheers Aswan - ASHA: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 21:52 The committee affiliated to the Egyptian ports and dry land under the chairmanship of Major General Marzouk Shaltout, which included officials of the roads and bridges to inspect ports and border zones Qustul Erqan between Egypt and Sudan in preparation for the establishment of dry ports to receive the movement of passengers and goods between the two countries. He said As'ad Abdul Majeed city head Abu Simbel south of Aswan The Egyptian Committee began its work two days ago, where she inspected the ports land border between Egypt and Sudan in preparation for the opening of the first arterial land linking the two countries in May. and Abdel-Majid was ending all acts necessary for the operation of the land port in the east side of Lake Nasser, which is located in the middle distance on the road to Qustul - Halfa length 55 km, with the completion of the development and paving of this road is vital in terms of the Sudanese side length of 22 km at a cost of LE 40 million Sudanese, and was preceded by ending development and paving of 33 km on the Egyptian side at a cost of 33 million Egyptian pounds. He added that this Dry Port would increase the trade exchange between Egypt and Sudan, as well as provide facilities for the movement of passengers between the two sides .. He pointed out that the port has facilities and administrative buildings including the offices of Passport, customs, quarantine and veterinary controls on exports and imports, in addition to all the devices on inspection and weight, and also a parking lot. explained Abdul Hamid that parallel with this, will be put paving and development through the Toshka / Erqan a length of 105 km on the Egyptian side of West Lake Nasser and the cost of up to 105 million pounds, and is in progress in the way of Erqan - Atbara Bdnqla Sudanese length of 333 km, the road will contribute to a large extent in building bridges of cooperation and trade between the two countries, especially to receive shipments of cattle and camels, with increasing Egyptian exports needed by the Sudanese markets where land port will be created and integrated customs area includes the same services offered by the Eastern Harbour |
After the road, the main improvement is to reduce bribes and paperwork at Egyptian borders post... Everybody can make dreams...
RR. |
Many thanks Omar,
I spoke with well educated people here in Khartoum today and they all said it had been in the news in Sudan as well, though exact details were not really known by anybody, but then it does not affect any of them directly ;-) MMmmm.... it is close enough to be within reach, but too far away to say that I could do it if it becomes possible to do so for foreigners.... Frustrating.... I do not see the word 'Inshallah' in the press release?? ;-p If no solid news develops in the next few weeks, I guess when I am ready to go, all I can do is drive up there and ask at the border, if not, ferry it or haul back to Khartoum for a Saudi visa, and haul all the way to Port Sudan for the ferry to Jeddah. At least Diesel is cheap in Sudan! Fingers crossed all round.... |
Sounds promising Omar, thanks for the extra details.
So I take it the new (old) road in Egypt goes down the west side of the lake to Abu Simbel but from here one will need to cross to the east side to here? (Qustul? looks like a new town in the making). And from here a new-looking tar road runs to the border line, about 30km from Wadi Halfa and the roads south (maybe that's the 33km + 22km = 55km the post refers to). Assuming I have it right, it sounds like there will still be a ferry/barge involved, unless Sudan build a road and abridge over the Nile where it’s narrower. You’d hope that Abu Simbel ferry will be a regular, uncomplicated RoRo service, and not the dance you have to do in Aswan... It looks like an interesting area down there, not that Egypt is short on those. Ch http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...udan-warhe.jpg |
Hi Roamingyark,"Port Sudan for the ferry to Jeddah"
Do you know if this ferry takes car with their passengers? And after, if you want to come back to Europe: through Jordan and Syria? RR |
"Hi Roamingyark,"Port Sudan for the ferry to Jeddah"
Do you know if this ferry takes car with their passengers? And after, if you want to come back to Europe: through Jordan and Syria?" Yes it does, plenty of postings on that elsewhere. Daily ferries, alternating between two companies I think. About $200 for a 4x4 and person, or two people I'm not sure. Woman under the age of about 45 must be married to any man they are travelling with, RHD vehicles can be a problem, may have to pay $600 to be transported on a truck to Jordan etc. So not a great option etc but less bollocks than the Aswan ferry - friends mentioned below had to wait 12 days in Aswan to get their landy from the barge etc. |
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I'm trying to get a map for the road or any more info but so far nothing new as soon as I know further details will post it here regards from Egypt |
It has been mentioned several times in Sudan in the local papers - one of them referred to the Egyptian town of "Gastil".
From talks with well connected people in Sudan, apparently a big event is planned for the opening "soon". Some people said the road in Egypt would go up the east of Lake Nasser as well? So something is definitely going to change soon, but as ever the devil is in the detail for overlanders ;-) |
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I'm still following the news on this interesting post - I guess it'll all happen - when it happens!
Now, I thought my ride on this ferry was pretty interesting and left good memories, but if you haven't seen BikingMarco's tales, try this for size. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-14#post371729 :eek3: Scroll down to next post for photos. A real adventure........ |
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I have my well connected sources with their ears to the ground as much as I can ask them to be ;-) But your press release says "for the opening of the first arterial land linking the two countries in May". ;-( I will be up there in about 2 weeks, so will ask then. Anybody else coming should ask and push to use the road from now on! |
I recieved an email this morning from some travellers who are in Egypt after going north.
Vague details are: a group or convoy, have or will, pay 1,000 euros to be stamped out at Aswan and escorted to the road border by customs and immigration so they can be 'the first Europeans' to cross. Except others over the years have managed to cross before them....;) So, nothing like opening up a new route with a huge bribe!!! I am guessing that we will need to pay for an escort or convoy etc. it seems to indicate that the border staff are not in position yet etc |
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well i hope it will be clear soon ,and thanks for the info , :thumbup1: |
So, no further info yet....
Am I correct in saying that those who want to visit the temple/ruins thing on Lake Nasser have to take a convoy or tour? I can't see tourists being able to drive unescorted to Aswan if that is the case... |
Will be sad to see the old crossing go when the road opens
It will be sad to not be able to use the ferry. In the 3.5 years that I worked in Africa driving overland trucks that ferry was one of the hi lights along with the Egypt to Jordan crossing?? Yes it was frustrating but it also made the trip. I spent almost 3 weeks in Wadi Halfa once and Its some of the best memories I have!!! Ok its the ass end of the world but I think its all part of it. Its getting harder and harder to overland now and with the new road I'd feel like a bus driver doing a Cape to Cairo now!! It's almost to easy now a days
Ok I was able to stay at Mazar's place just out of Wadi Half which made the stay so much easier but I loved to hate the crossing. travelingaustralian |
According to Sudanese friends, it was announced on the news in Sudan yesterday that the opening of the road has been delayed until November. However it will actually be February, November is just face saving a little.
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I do not think you guys must up your hopes on this too much. The politics surrounding the ferry with jobs and money is very strong in Aswan.
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Hasn't this been a rumour already for years?
How about having the road opened just for one konvoy? I have heard this happens once in a while, against quite an expense. Does anyone has reliable information about this "option"? |
The Tourist Ministry in Khartoum is saying the new border opens in September.
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Hi
... anything new on this ... ? :helpsmilie::helpsmilie::helpsmilie::helpsmilie::h elpsmilie::helpsmilie::helpsmilie::helpsmilie: Thanks Thomas |
Hi Tom, I plan to go this way too *October&November". What is your plans?
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Hi Taloa we will leave Germany probably end of September and the plan sofar is Greece, Turkey - ferry to Port Said - Egypt .... We are slow going and have plenty of time .... But right now I have a medical problem and I have to solve this first .... so maybe a delay .... Sorry Good Luck and maybe see you on the road somewhere ! Thomas & Andrea </title> <meta name="description" content="" ></meta> <meta name="keywords" content="" ></meta> <base href="http://miles-to-ride.com/formvista/site_local/themes/miles-to-ride/"></base> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8 |
Open in 2012?
Hi Folks
we will be back on the road again soon. Travelling from Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt to Sudan. Unilke the romantics, we prefer an esay life and the road would be wonderful. Can you please keep us posted on the status of the crossing. Fingers crossed it will be open in 2012 |
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when you will start ? when you will be in Egypt ? you have a house to stay in Alexandria , please if you need any help regarding your route ask me cheers and ride safe :scooter: |
It seems that Egypt and Sudan are now seriously negotiating about the opening of two border crossings between the two countries:
1) on the Eastern side of Lake Nasser, near the settlement of Qostal 2) at Erqan or Arkin, between Toshqa and Dongola, probably leading through Selima oasis. What remains to be unclear is whether these border posts will be open to foreigners as well or will be limited to local passengers. الأولى - افتتاح طريق بري بين مصر والسودان خلال أيام (Al Ahram, 26 August 2012, in Arabic only, but works OK with Google translate) Greetings Achim |
The latest authoritative wild speculation on the road opening:
New road connecting Egypt and Sudan to open on Sept 20: MENA | Top News | Reuters |
" these border posts will be open to foreigners as well or will be limited to local passengers."
That's the question! RR. |
Thanks, roro, for following up on this!
The other question is the actual routing. It seems that travellers will have to drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel and ferry from there to the Eastern shore at Qustal. Google Earth shows docks in Abu Simbel as well as in Qustal. But: 1.) Will travellers be allowed to drive / ride on their own from Aswan to Abu Simbel and vice versa? Or will they need escorts ($$$) or have to drive in convoys? 2.) What will the boats look like that serve as a ferry? If they are just the same barges as before what will be gained?? Will they go several times a day? Etc. Greetings Achim |
No good news for this season, unfortunately: The opening of the land border between Sudan and Egypt has - according to the online publication Al Masr Al Youm yesterday evening - been postponed once again to January 2013!
Here is the link (translation with Google Translate works OK): تأجيل افتتاح الطريق البري بين السودان ومصر إلى شهر يناير | المصري اليوم، أخبار اليوم من مصر What a pity! To see it positively, the adventure of taking the ferry remains ;-) Greetings Achim |
As I said before:
"According to Sudanese friends, it was announced on the news in Sudan yesterday that the opening of the road has been delayed until November. However it will actually be February, November is just face saving a little." My Sudanese friends have very good sources etc. But it is all ready to be opened, so maybe the politics will change overnight, Inshallah..... but not likely. |
There seems to be an alternative to the ferry.
Wüstenschiff • Thema anzeigen - Alternative zur Überfahrt Lake Nasser Maybe you use google translate for details.. Translation here But the ferry seems to work too ;-) Surfy |
road wont be open before 2013
hi all :thumbdown::thumbdown:
the last news i got regarding the road from Aswan to Wadi halfa is that the road wont be open before January 2013 ,the road is all complete and they made every thing just need to get the employees and open it but doctor Morsi the president of Egypt decided to open it later so every one think it was one of his projects not the ex prise dent project damn i hate politics and politicians , so no one count on the road ,in the close future , yes the ferry is an adventure it self but i took it 4 times so far and it not fair to do 399 km in one week with lots of $$$ to spend :thumbdown::thumbdown::thumbdown: |
How much is the ferry for a person + small bike from Wadi Halfa to Aswan ? Currently in Gondar/Ethiopia, going to be there in approximately 2 weeks. Which weekdays is it departing ?
cheers Chris |
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delayed until January 2013
Despite the recent meetings and lofty words, implementation of the new promises made by Egypt and Sudan is already facing challenges. The opening of the first road linking the new countries, which was scheduled for earlier this month, has been delayed until January. Sudanese officials attributed the delays to administrative issues related to customs and security on the Egyptian side of the border.
Egypt and Sudan on road to repair old relationship - The National |
As I posted earlier, in this thread or another. It was always going to be next year.... I have good sources ;-p
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A request for whoever happens to take this road first: please keep an eye out on the checkpoints and supply points along the way.
I'd love to do this on bicycle, but the distance between resupply points (for water primarily) will be the limiting factor. |
"I'd love to do this on bicycle, but the distance between resupply points (for water primarily) will be the limiting factor"
I assumed the new road was effectively just the bit between Abu Simbel and Wadi Halfa. There is a junction a few km from Abu Simbel clearly sign posted Abu Simbel one way and Wadi Halfa the other (of course there is also a road block). If so, it's can only be 50/60km from there to Wadi Halfa. There are definitely reprovisioning options along the road as far as Abu Simbel (230km from Aswan). |
There were reports that the border will "definitely" open in January...the much-wanted President of Sudan travelled to Egypt a few weeks ago for a meeting with the new President of Egypt to discuss this border crossing. Any further reports, anyone?
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hopefully will start my trip end of November 2012 doing my best now to see if im able to take the road and will keep you all updated about what is going on ,
if i will take it will make a video clip with all details ,on each damn meter of it just wish me all the luck on earth that i can take it :scooter::scooter::scooter: |
Omar I'm waiting for your update, I go on a trip in early March
(I hate crowded ferries:) |
Me too!
And I'm disabled, so I can't easily travel without my Land Rover in these countries. RR. |
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well if you never have been into that ferry between Egypt and Sudan its a great experience wont be able to find it else where and it is a part of the adventure , at night you will never see so much bright stars while you are sailing the lake crossing the Nubian desert its worth it , but if you have been few times on it (like me ) so i prefer to take a road specially it will save me at least 6 days , but all in all its a great experience cheers |
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?c? Land cruiser is the best ,all cars will may break down during the trip good point with Toyota that it can be fixed any where ,and parts available even in Small villages travel safe and keep it up bier |
I'm travelling with Land Rover since 1977 every year around Africa (including deep Sahara) and Middle east without getting stuck anywhere, so forget about Toyota, more expensive and eating more petrol (about this last point it's not a question of price but a question of autonomy).
RR. |
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so you are a good example for exception and being lucky ,hahahah just kidding with you , but as you see Toyota is the best ,use it in the Egyptian Sahara since 1988 ,yes its pricey ,but that's why is best seller 4x4 for few years , and again easy to sort parts every where in Africa , good luck , and travel safe for all of us ,on land rovers ,|Toyotas ,even on tok toks and matatus :clap: :clap: |
And about the update about this road?
More interesting than the eternal controversy between Land and Toyo. (but you have no reply about the amount of liters needed by the Japanese.... not very practical when you need a lot of a autonomy, isn't it?) RR. |
Omar - best keep this useful thread on topic: the new road.
No more LR v Tojo chat here please, or those posts all get moved/deleted. Ch |
Ok for stopping this chat right now!
RR. |
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CHEERS :scooter: :scooter: |
The path of the new road is not yet clear to me, does anybody know?
What about Google Earth, can it be seen there? Thanks! |
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AFAIK it will go down the west side of Lake Nasser to Abu Simbel, short ferry over to the new town of Qustul on the east side, then down to Wadi Halfa. But no road visible on the Sudan side on Google, yet. |
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This clears things quite a bit even though it does not seem too rational to cross the Nile twice... But TIA... The maps appear to be not very recent, at least judging from the areas I know. Cheers |
Sounds as those these guys have used the new road/border crossing...
Egyptian led convoy aims to travel to the southern tip of Africa Of course if the expedition is being financed in part by the Egyptian government that's not so surprising... |
That's the first actual info on the new border crossing, but where is Arkin?
Cannot find any info or coordinates. One thing to verify is if the border will be open to foreigners: the raid is sponsored by the egyptian government so things may be very different. Cheers |
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pffffffffffffffff i will do any thing to avoid wasting a week and sue the ferry , :offtopic::thumbdown: |
Hi Omar
anything new on the road and customs .... Thanks Thomas & Andrea |
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Officially, it is still January that the road will be opened. Whether it will be the first day of the year or rather the "beginning" of 2013 remains to be seen.
In any case, people who went to the border reported that the customs building is being built. And passing with the boat on Lake Nasser, the new ferries that will be crossing from Abu Simbel to Qustul could be seen (see below). So things are actually moving! Greetings Achim |
Different roads from Egypt to Sudan
Hi,
1. Arkin - Abu simbel. also called the western lake nasser road is finished from the egyptian side but afaik the sudenese side is still work in progress. 2. Qostul - Wadi Halfa. The eastern Lake nasser Road finished from the egyptian side and awaiting to be finished from the sudanese side. This road is intended to opened for normal traffic soon. 3. Hederba Crossing. Is the crossing at the red sea in the south eastern edges of egypt. The road is finished from both sides, but due to the political dispute about the halayeb triangle in which this crossing is located, it is still closed and afaik will remain so. 4. Suhin Crossing. about 150km west of hederba crossing midst of the red sea mountains. Has a new road from the egyptian side staring from shalateen, but no roads from the sudanede side and the closest village will be 80km inside sudan and from there only dirt tracks to the closest road. Also Closed for travellers. All Crossings are manned by military checkpoints, and all can and have been crossed before for VIP or with special permits. Hederba and suhin are used daily for trade and visits from the local people with special permits from the miliary intelligences tribal affairs office. Cars are allowed to cross from sudan into egypt until shalateen, if you are a local tribesmen. Arkin is also used for trade, goods switch cars,no cars crossing here. hope any of these roads will be open soon..... |
Hello Mandisha,
Thanks for this rich information! Concerning the Red Sea connection, I can confirm your info from what I heard in Port Sudan: Road is ready, but because of the Halayeb conflict, Egypt and Sudan don't agree on where to put the customs building. Qustul - Wadi Halfa: Road is ready from both sides (saw pics), just waiting for the customs building to be completed. Travellers will have to cross from Abu Simbel to Qustul by ferry in the future to travel between Aswan and Wadi Halfa on a land route. On the Western side of the Nile, the road is finished until about 160 kms North of Dongola in Sudan and will probably eventually link Dongola to the Toshka development region in Egypt. Greetings Achim |
Thanks Mandisha,
I've tried to find out where are Arkin on a map but with no success ... Is it in Sudan or Egypt? and where the future border post will be built on this western coast road (if there will be one) ? RR. |
Arkin
Hi RR,
Arkin is a small village in Sudan. 21°59'45"N 31°17'28"E It lies in the western coats of lake nasser (nubia). The crossing is located very close to this village. 22°0'2"N 31°9'11"E Camels, Cement and big scale Commodities trade along this crossing but without people crossing. An official border crossing is planned here the questions is only when, and this nobody can tell i think.... mandisha |
Thanks again, we are going to wait...
RR. |
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(look at google maps at max zoom). |
in Aswan Right now
today i met a group of 16 person just managed to cross using the road Arkin -Abu Simple , yes they made it from South to North , the truck driver Australian lady (Susanne work of Africa trail company or something like that for over land trips ) and as she told me the permits took 15 days waiting in Wadi Halfa !!! and it cost more than 3000 US for the group will try to get more info and i believe some of them already member in here i asked them to update here cheers |
Road between Sudan/Egypt used by overland truck
Just saw this post on LP Thorn Tree.
overland route between Sudan - wadi Halfa and Eygpt - Aswan - Lonely Planet travel forum It seems that in the last few days an overland truck has been given permission to use the long awaited road between Sudan and Egypt. It was organised on the Sudan side by Midhat Mahir. I have used him myself to organise various permits etc in Khartoum and found him a very decent bloke. |
20 years ago i did this trip and the roade whas a night mare loking forward to the new roade the old one whas like no athear roade i ever taking about 3 months to make it trow egypt sudan and etiopia enjoy the asfalt :D
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Red Sea crossing
Here's an image of what appears to be a completed border crossing near the Red Sea.
http://goo.gl/maps/SToRI |
Hi all.
It's January! Does anyone have any clue whether any of these roads are open by now? Thanks |
Yes, what about these new roads? It's always may be tomorrow?
RR. |
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(next month month it will be March... with some news?:innocent: RR. |
We're going to be down that way in a couple of weeks... when we get there we'll have a mooch and ask about :)
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last news the road will be open next March , hope they will damn open it
all of us need to pray so the miracle will be true ,hahahah have a good day all :thumbup1::thumbup1: |
In other terms : Inch'Allah (Isn't it?)
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I thought that you guys may be interested in this morning's events (7 Feb) in what may be the first official crossing using the Qustul/Eshket route as part of the Africa Record Run attempt, a project that I have some involvement with.
The event website is Africa Record Run A few hours ago, Philip Young and Paul Brace crossed from Qustul to Abu Simbel, having driven up the new road from Wadi Halfa via Eshket to Qustul. Quoting from the latest blog on the website: For the last nine months our Egyptian ‘fixer’, Mahmoud ‘Turbo’ Ezzeldin, and his Sudanese counterpart, Midhat Mahir, have been working with the cooperation of many government officials and with the assistance of letters from Lord David Steel, president of the Endurance Rally Association to make this border crossing possible. It is hoped that the route we have used today will be ready for a public opening as the regular crossing route between Sudan and Egypt in a few months’ time. Philip, Mahmoud 'Turbo' and Midhat are all HUBB members. If you click on the map page on the website , you can see the approx route they took from Wadi Halfa to Qustul and the route of the barge across Lake Nasser. The tracker only updates every 15 mins so the route is only approx. NB This was a specially arranged army barge by Turbo and not the more regular barges that will come into operation in due course. Anyway just thought it may be of interest..... Thanks Anthony Preston |
But it's still not the eagerly awaited road that does away with the water crossing though is it?
One still needs to get the vehicle onto a barge, boat or some thing. vette |
Welcome to the Sahara forum Presto and thanks for the posting on the Egypt crossing. You must have a wealth of background info by now on this part of North Africa. It would be great to hear some of the details in due course.
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Just came back from the Qustul border crossing where i helped out turbo with his mission.
The crossing was opened on an exceptional and very costly basis, the structures for the officials are all still under construction. Officials say that the first opening stage will begin mid march and the final opening will be somewhere mid this year. Well it is getting close but there will be definitely delays in these dates... For bigger groups i think this crossing can be an option while for individuals i think it is better to wait for the official opening. mandisha |
Hi Vette,
It seems there is a slight misunderstanding: If and when the road opens it will avoid loading the cars on a barge and ship it, together with general cargo, all the way from Aswan to Wadi Halfa. Instead, overlanders will drive to Abu Simbel and take an ordinary ro/ro ferry from the Western side of Lake Nasser to the Eastern side at Qustul. Instead of the haggling in Aswan and Wadi Halfa and the uncertainty of ferry departures, there will be a quite normal border crossing (though I am sure the Egyptians will know how to make it a bureaucratic nightmare again). In any case, instead of the four to five day tidious process it is today in order to cross from Egypt to Sudan or vice versa, it will then be a one to two day crossing of borders. Greetings Achim |
When this news came out I think what many of us were expecting was an all-overland drive down the east side of the Lake - ditching the boating element. Even though Google shows a road reaching down from Aswan to some 100km north of Qustul (and maybe further) it's clear that is not going to happen, perhaps because most roads existed and it was a short run to seal Qustul to the Sudanese border.
So let's hope it's a simple, regular and reliable RoRo ferry service from Abu Simbel to Qustul. Is there such a ferry down there already? Ch |
Hi Chris,
yes such ferries exist and operate many times a day. There are two army ferries and one from another government agency who operate on this route. The army ferries operate on demand while the other one has a kind of a schedule. It takes about 1hr 20min to cross the lake, and then 44 km to the border crossing. The only problem now is that the border crossing is not finished and manned with the necessary officials. Once completed it will be definitely a much faster and reliable option then the aswan - wadi halfa ferry. mandisha |
It looks like some guys in the north built the connecting road on the east of the lake.
While in the south they built the road on the west of the lake. Typical I suppose for Africa. :rofl: vette. |
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well on my way to Sudan (had to take the damn ferry again and again pfffff ) i met on over land truck was drivin by a lady called Susannah ,she managed to use the same road ,and that was on early November she pad 3000 $ for the truck and 16 person ,so if it was divided by the amount of people its not expensive ,at all , and yes she managed to cross officially cheers and travel safe all :scooter::scooter: |
Hi Chris,
Yes, Mandisha is right, the ferries do exist and actually look quite nice (see attached picture in post #73 above)! Greetings Achim |
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And provide 24 hours of time and opportunity to mix with Sudanese travellers and see what they're carrying with them? Hear where they're going and why? It seems a funny sort of thread this - not quite fitting in with 'unlimited horizons' if you see what I mean. Shortening the horizon even. But it's certainly an entertaining thread, and the new road should be a great benefit to the two countries and everyone who travels between them. I hope the colourful customs man at the Aswan port (who gets written about on HU now and again), and everyone else, can continue making their livelihoods. For me, I'll be eternally grateful to have done the ferry crossing. As is often said about many places across the world, "Hurry up and visit before it all changes!" :scooter: |
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