Living in Sudan

Khartoum the capital city of Sudan, the largest country of Africa, is where the two Niles meet. It is also a confluence of Arab and African culture.

The main language spoken in Khartoum is Arabic, although other dialects and tribal languages are spoken.

Khartoum is situated in the Northern part of the country and its weather can be characterized as very hot and dry. There is a rainy season during the summer, when the humidity increases slightly. Winter – if we can call it that – is during the months of November – March, during which time the weather can be very pleasant. You will need to bring lightweight jackets for early morning and late evenings when the weather can be cooler. Khartoum is also famous for its sandstorms or “haboubs”, which can be frequent particularly during the summer months.

Khartoum has some cultural entertainment, such as the Nuba wrestling and whirling dervishes dancing and is a friendly and safe city, were lasting friendships can be formed with locals and expatriates alike.

If you are the adventurous type and enjoy camping and deep sea diving, Sudan has a lot to offer; vast expanse of deserts and a comparatively virgin coral reef off the Red Sea coast. Nile boat trips are particularly pleasing around sunset time.

Khartoum is also only a few hours flight away from Nairobi, Dubai and Cairo.

Coming to Khartoum with young children

"My two year old son has a more hectic social life than I do! There is a large, and growing, group of parents setting up a range of activities for young children e.g. fun fit on a Saturday morning in the school gym for the under 3s."

Natasha, UK, Senior School teacher of Geography.

Travel in Sudan and Africa

"The Red Sea offers outstanding diving possibilities and is only 1 1/2 hours from Khartoum by plane. The lack of tourism pressure on the Red Sea coast of Sudan makes it a pristine travel destination.

"Linda, USA, Optimal Learning Centre

"Travel opportunities in Sudan involve being out in the heat for much of the year, but when it finally cools down a bit, you HAVE to go to the beautiful lake for camping under the desert sky, and you have to take a daytrip to the pyramids. Only a three-hour drive! One family took a bus to Ethiopia and flights at mid-term break to staff to Lamu, Cairo, Nairobi, Dubai and Europe directly.

" Myna, USA, Head of Juniors

"There are so many places to explore both in Khartoum and a few hours flight away. Enjoy the amazing Safari experiences in Tanzania and then relax in paradise on Zanzibar. It’s great to get away from it all and walk along the sandy beaches and see exotic parts of the World."

Liz, UK. Junior & Senior PE Teacher.

Health and Safety Issues in Sudan"I haven't been sick here, but there seem to be many hospitals and doctors around. I am sure the quality varies, but I find the place very safe and not a risky place healthwise.

Myna, USA, Head of Juniors

We’ve had a few reasons to seek medical advice with typical things like fevers and stomach pains, but the doctors here are usually trained in the UK and are very good. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend having elective procedures done here, if you can help it. Dentists are great – and again, UK trained with all the latest, clean, equipment.

Leah, Canada, Senior school Geography/ToK teacher and Subject Coordinator Humanities

Leisure Time

"There are more leisure time activities available in Khartoum than one would ever have time for. From sport to fitness, from history to archeology, it is easy to stay as active as you wish."

Jim, USA, Optimal Learning Centre

“I’ve found the enthusiasm of the staff at KICS, in addition to the high standards of its sports facilities, offer great leisure opportunities. The school also provides a way of socializing beyond staff and students, as many other people working in Khartoum come to play team sports. Whether it’s playing badminton on one day, or getting involved in Ultimate Frisbee on another, there’s always something going on! I recommend bringing some sports equipment with you (a good quality Frisbee, for example…) as this will generally be unavailable in Khartoum.”

Madeleine Cox, UK, English Teacher

"Leisure time for teachers in Sudan can be rather limited due to the nature of the job, but in my experience is more than a primary teacher in the UK has! Leisure pursuits are also limited by the climate (i.e. you will want to avoid the sun here just as you avoid the rain back home) but there are still lots of things to do here. Many teachers find the church to be a useful point of contact with local people and other expatriates and find that serving others through local churches accounts for most of their leisure time. As you can imagine there is no shortage of things to do and working alongside others in this way builds strong relationships as well as being great fun."

Peter, UK, Music Teacher

Socially, life was very busy when we first got to Khartoum, but things slow down. Khartoum is as iasocl as you make it. There are lots of opportunities if you look for them, and as more cafes open,you look for them, and as more cafes open, they are good to go to for a treat.

Leah, Canada, Senior school Geography/ToK teacher and Subject Coordinator Humanities

"This really does depend on the individual, but I have found the Sudanese people to be very welcoming and accepting. You do need to make an effort to create a social network of friends, both Sudanese and expatriate, but it does pay off. I spend a lot of evening and weekends invited to friends’ houses for dinners and gatherings. It is a great way of meeting people."

Maria Gabriel, Year 3. Egypt

What to bring to Khartoum

"I brought lots of medicines for me and my 9 year old son. I’m not sure what is available locally…but in the event of an emergency I feel comforted to know I have ones that both he and I respond to…ready in the fridge. (Calpol, Lemsip etc) I won’t have to comb the pharmacies of Khartoum in the event of a cough or cold. I also bought lots of stationery and computer printer ink. It seems the nice birthday cards and thank you cards I bought might not be so useful… as there doesn’t seem to be any outgoing post! I brought all our shoes, and clothes for a growing child. I haven’t really looked for any here, but I’m not sure they would be good quality or reasonably priced. I tried to avoid bringing anything white!"

Siobhan Barker, New Zealand/ Britain, Junior Section.Y5 class teacher

“We come back to Sudan with consumables, mostly things like seasoning and spices, chocolate chips and marshmallows, tampons and socks – we go through a lot of white sport socks! Any food stuffs that you love – bring them! You can get most staple products here, especially with the new grocery store – but you pay more for them. We also bring reusable plastic containers, razors and hair products. Also, it’s great to bring an array of ‘little gift type things’. You can’t bring a bottle of wine when you go to someone’s house for dinner, so it’s nice to bring something like candles or chocolates, I bring little jugs of maple syrup sometimes! And clothing – you need to bring all your shoes, clothes, etc there is no GAP here!”

Leah Davis Edwards, Canada, Humanities Teacher

Life for teenagers in Khartoum

"Surprisingly enough, life for our two teenage children here is busy and we appreciate them being away from some of the distractions of life back home."

Peter Nielsen-Vold, Junior Teacher, New Zealand
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