Practical information for Sudan’s Nubian and Bayuda deserts road crossings.

This is in no way a complete list of services but it is a good start. Consider that we rode this during June so shade was crucial to us, also it was Ramadan and probably not all cafeterias were open because of it. Fill up with water whenever you can. Generally the Nile is far from the road but villages will have filled water jars by the highway (no villages=no water jars). A water filter is a must! We saw bottled water in Halfa, Dongola and the likes but only juice and soft drinks in truck stops and roadside cafeterias. In the Bayuda we also flagged down some trucks for water with medium success. Don’t rush! Nubia and Nubians are the best. Bon Voyage!

From Wadi Halfa to Dongola: 394 kms

-894 Wadi Halfa limits

-825 gold mine entrance with police tents

-808 cafeteria

-804 cafeteria+cold drinks

-779 Ashaka

-753 Fahka

-723 turn-off for Abri+cold drinks+fuel

-655 gaz station (fill up with water, quite dry until Delgo)

-618 Delgo (go into town for market and cafeteria at the hospital)

-598 cafeteria+cold drinks

-585 cafeteria+cold drinks+fuel

-560 water

-547 cafeteria+cold drinks+fuel

-532 Kerma (lots between here and Dongola)

-500 Dongola Nile bridge

From Dongola there is a direct route to Karima. It is 180kms with one water point we were told but we did not take it and kept going on the Nile west bank.

Dongola to the intersection of the new road to Karthoum: 187 kms

-483 cafeteria+cold drinks (gets quite dry after 470)

-438 foul, water, tea

-409 cafeteria+cold drinks+fuel

-397 lots of shops and cafeterias.

-384 cafeteria+fuel

-374 police checkpoint

-354 cafeteria+cold drinks

-304 intersection for the new road (you are 304kms from Omdurman) which we did not take. We kept going to Merowe and Karima and there were lots of very simple shops and water along this way. Intersection for the Bayuda at milepost 75.

Bayuda Desert: 262 kms

-262 intersection with cafeteria, water, fuel, police and basic shop

-235 tea

-210 shade

-207 shade

-199 tea+shade+water

-182(?) shade

-172 shade

-169 tea+biscuits+water

-163 shade

-146 tea+shade+water

-124 tea+shade

-89 shade (there is a house away from the road, it is a police station, they have water)

-46 water+basic shop

-26 shade

-20 shade+water

-18 shade

-4.5 full cafeteria (more than foul!)+cold drinks+fuel.