"Go on... try the bus!" Top 5 Page for this destination Khartoum Transportation Tip by mafi_moya

Having travelled in Asia and elsewhere, I'm used to overcrowded, rusted buses that you can only pray you'll come out of alive. However, the buses in Khartoum are a pleasant surprise.

In the small minibuses you're virtually guaranteed a seat and although you will almost certainly get next to the largest, loudest lady on the bus and her bags and bags of shopping, they're reasonably comfortable and cheap. Fares are a flat rate and judged by the bus's final destination rather than yours but rarely more than 600 pounds (20p) for anywhere in the city, including the far edges of Omdurman. Music is played loud, which is fine, but try to avoid those with prayer tapes - no religious offence intended but a tape of the Koran being read by a 70 year old with a croaking voice for half an hour at full volume while stuck in traffic in 40 degree heat is NOT FUN!!!!

The larger buses are more crowded, much slower, but half the price. They're still not actually that bad but I'd recommend the minibuses.

To get on simply stand at the roadside and stick out your hand; to get off click your fingers at the conductor (commisari) or make a hissing noise. Getting a minibus outside of the main stations can be more difficult as they are often full.

The trickiest bit is working out where they're going - they don't have destinations written on them or route numbers (even in Arabic) - they tell you the destination by pointing and waving hands in certain directions. It'll take a bit of getting used to! But if you get to the wrong place, just get on another bus the other side of the road - they nearly all end up in or very near Souk Arabi.

Mode: AROUND
Type: Bus