Visas & permits
Entry visas are required by almost all nationalities, and are valid usually for one month.
Evidence of a previous visit to Israel will result in a visa refusal.
Permits are required by visitors wishing to travel anywhere outside Khartoum, and can take upto 2 days to obtain. Visitors arriving in any town or city in the Sudan must register with the police on their arrival, and show the necessary paperwork.
For those wishing to visit archaeological and/or historical sites, permits are again required. These are often fairly expensive, and can be obtained from the Department of Antiquities in Khartoum.
The Tourist Information Office in Khartoum will issue visitors with a photography permit. This is essential for anyone wishing to take photographs anywhere in the country, and is issued together with a list of items which may not be photographed.
Curfew
A curfew operated in most large cities and towns from midnight until 4am.
Health and vaccinations
As a result of the war, there is a severe shortage of medicines, trained doctors and hospital equipment in the Sudan. Many serious diseases are common, particularly malaria, hepatitis, dysentery, and bilharzia.
All visitors are strongly recommended to take out a good health insurance policy before travelling. Recommended vaccinations are yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, tetanus and meningitis. Malaria is rife, so preventative medication -- such as Paludrine -- should be taken before, during and after your trip. A mosquito net and repellent cream are both essential, especially if you are travelling south of Khartoum.
Water is rarely safe to drink straight from the tap, even in the larger cities. Boiling all water or the use of water purification tablets or boiled water is strongly recommended. Snakes and scorpions can present their own problems! Visitors should keep a watchful eye.
Communications
Postal, telephone and telegraph services are administered by the government. In Khartoum, the post office is open from 8:30am to 1pm and from 5:30 to 6:30pm every day except Friday. International mail, both in and out, is often very slow.
International telephone calls are relativly easy to make from major cities from any of the telemunication stores.
Public holidays
All regular Islamic holidays and festivals are kept, with the following additions:
Weaponry, such as daggers and swords in leather sheaths, can be unearthed in the markets of Sudanese towns. Some local men still wear these as part of everyday attire, but this is becoming an increasingly rare sight. As an exotic souvenir, however, these weapons are an interesting purchase.
Ebony carvings are for sale in the souqs at Omdurman and Khartoum, as well as gold jewellery. In the western region, in and around the town of Mellit, shoppers can find attractive carpets and some beautiful pottery.
Those interested in world wildlife and ecology will do best to avoid such purchases as ivory goods, stuffed crocodiles and purses made from crocodile skin. Animals are being massacred in large numbers to provide these goods, and they are -- unfortunately -- on sale throughout the Sudan and in other parts of Africa.
Entertainment
Cultural events in the Sudan are few and far between. At the end of Ramadan, however, during the Eid Al-Fitr, it is possible to find Sudanese bands performing in the larger towns. As Sudanese music is an interesting blend of Arabian and African, listening can be a pleasant experience.