"Wad Medani" Wilayat al Jazirah by maykal

Wad Medani is the capital of Gezira State, the fertile region south of Khartoum emmed in between the White and the Blue Niles. It is a relaxed sort of town on the banks of the Nile, and is an ideal place to retreat to when the big-city chaos of Khartoum begins to get you down.

Chicha, carpet...the perfect picnic!

We were told before going there that there is absolutely nothing to do in Wad Medani. Well, that's not quite true....the souq is fascinating and hassle-free, the Nile is much more beautiful than in Khartoum, there are parks but the river where you can view monkeys, and more inportantly for us, there is real pizza at rock-bottom prices (you'll appreciate that comment if you've just spent two months living on beans and kebabs!).

• Pros:relaxed atmosphere, interesting souqs, Nile views, monkeys
• Cons:mosquitos by the million
• In a nutshell:a great place to escape to from Khartoum