Sudanese Nubia 8 Days/7 Nights All Meals Included All Gratuities Included

Transcription

1 Sudanese Nubia 8 Days/7 Nights All Meals Included All Gratuities Included Featuring: Mogran Park. National Museum. Khalifa Museum. Old Dongola. Jebel Barkal. Kurru. Pyramids of Nuri. Gazali Valley and Monastery. Meroe Pyramids. Mussawarat. Naga. Amun Temple. Lion Temple. Roman Kiosk. Farewell Dinner. Day 1 Thursday: ARRIVAL IN KHARTOUM Arrive in Khartoum. Upon arrival at Khartoum airport, you will be met by a Baity Tours representative. A bus will take you to the Corinthia Hotel, the best 5 star hotel in the city. Enjoy your dinner at the hotel. Meals: Dinner Overnight: Khartoum (Corinthia Hotel) Day 2 Friday: GUIDED EXPLORATION OF KHARTOUM After breakfast, you will meet your Program Director in the hotel lobby. You will be transported by bus to the Mogran Park to see where the White Nile and the Blue Nile merge together; where the mysterious Nile emerges from the deserts heading northward to Egypt. We will visit the National Museum of

2 Archaeology which represents the remarkable UNESCO endeavor to rescue the Nubian antiquities from the Aswan High Dam flooding. During this endeavor, whole temples and tombs were moved hundreds of miles to Khartoum to be reconstructed at the Sudan National Museum. Some of these archaeological remains, almost perfectly preserved, date back nearly four thousand years. The Christian frescoes on display represent the richest collection so far discovered in the Nile Valley. Later we will drive to Omdurman to view the Mahdi tomb and visit Khalifa Museum. After lunch at a fine restaurant located on the Nile, we will visit the local market of Omdurman, considered the largest market in the country. After shopping, we will drive to Hamad El Neil cemetery to attend the Dervish dance, which will be ending a few minutes before sunset. After a drive back to the hotel in Khartoum, you can explore on your own or relax until 8 pm, when we will drive to Al-Saha Restaurant for dinner. Overnight: Khartoum (Corinthia Hotel) Day 3 Saturday: KHARTOUM BAYODA DESERT OLD DONGOLA KARIMA After an early breakfast, we will meet in the lobby and drive to Omdurman. Just outside of Omdurman, we will stop to investigate the termite colonies scattered in the desert. We will cross the Bayoda Desert on a paved road, traveling towards Dongola Village. At Multaga Station, we will take a short break and have lunch. Resume driving to Old Dongola, the land of Makuria, one of the Christian kingdoms. The center of this kingdom was built along the shore of the Nile and includes a complex of beautiful churches, offices and the palace. After we explore the relics of the city, we will drive across the Nubian Desert to Karima, and transfer to the Nubian Rest House in Karima, located at the foot of Jebel Barkal. Dinner and Overnight at the Nubian Rest House. Overnight: Karima Day 4 Sunday: KARIMA KURRU PETRIFIED WOOD JEBEL

3 BARKAL We will begin our day by visiting Jebel Barkal, a massive isolated sand stone mountain. The natural monument was a source of myths among early Egyptians and Nubians. During the new kingdom and through the Nubian 25 th dynasty, when Nubians ruled Egypt, Jebel Barkal town was known as Napata. Its beautiful temples and palaces at the foot of the mountain remain as the primary sanctuary of the kingdom where Nubian kings claimed their royal power and had to be confirmed by the god Amun, who dwelled in the mountain. We will visit the huge Amun temple and the temple of the goddess Mut. After a short trip back to Karima to visit the local market, we will drive back to the Nubian Rest House for lunch and to relax. Then we drive to Kurru to visit the royal cemetery of the 25 th dynasty kings and queens. We will visit a burial chamber, going down stairs where we can see the well preserved paintings on the walls. The first pyramid was for the King Tanut Amani and the second pyramid was for his mother, Queen Kalahata. A short ride will take us to a forest of petrified trees. Late in the afternoon, we will return to Jebel Barkal to visit the pyramids west of the mountains, and then as an optional activity, we can climb Jebel Barkal and enjoy the sunset. Return to the Nubian Rest House for dinner. After dinner, those interested can explore Karima and spend time mixing with the locals who come out for tea and coffee and socializing. Overnight: Karima Day 5 Monday: KARIMA NURI- GAZALI BAYODA DESERT MEROE PYRAMIDS Our day begins by visiting the pyramids of Nuri. The cemetery was founded by King Taharka, mentioned in the New Testament for his first triumph over the Assyrians. Then we drive across the desert to the Gazali Valley, stopping at the monastery. Driving across the valley and to the Bayoda Desert, we usually meet nomads from the Hassania tribe. We will have lunch at Marwa Valley en route to the Meroe Pyramids. We then take a short drive to the Meroe tented camp for dinner and to spend the night.

4 Overnight: Meroe Tented Camp Day 6 Tuesday: THE ISLAND OF MEROE (MEROE PYRAMIDS AND THE ROYAL TOWN OF MEROE) Our day will be spent returning to the island of Meroe pyramids to explore the extensive pyramid field of antiquity. Two clusters of about 100 black pyramids rise dramatically out of reddish sand. we will offer a short drive to the area where the stones used for the pyramids were mined. We will return to our tented camp for lunch and a restful afternoon. Later in the afternoon, we will visit the metropolis relics of temples, palaces and offices, including a wellpreserved Roman bath. Also ancient Meroe is reputed to be the earliest African center to mine and refine iron ore. We will see a beautiful African desert sunset. Overnight: Meroe Tented Camp Day 7 Wednesday: MEROE PYRAMIDS SHENDI TOWN MUSSAWARAT NAGA KHARTOUM After breakfast, we will revisit the pyramids in the morning light then proceed to Shendi Town. In a local home, we will observe the weaving of traditional cotton textiles. We will then drive to Mussawarat es Sufra on a paved road, then desert track across the Awatib Valley. Here, the Kushites combined Egyptian hieroglyphs with indigenous features such as column bases shaped like lions and elephants. Mussawarat es Sufra is a vast temple area, widely known for its Great Enclosure, a major monument with no parallel in the Nile Valley. This labyrinth is a complex of religious temples, buildings, corridors, ramps and courtyards covering 485,000 square feet. Pilgrims from afar likely traveled here to celebrate festivals, including the Holy Wedding unification of the King and Queen, as indicated by thousands of pictorial graffiti scratched onto sandstone walls. We will visit the Lion Temple where Greek and Roman arts are mixed with Kushite art on one of the inside temple columns. We will travel to Naga in the afternoon, where we may find nomads watering their animal herds at the well, which was built in We will also visit the well preserved Amun Temple, the Lion temple and the Roman kiosk. We will bid farewell to the desert and head back to Khartoum, arriving in the

5 evening at the Corinthia Hotel. Overnight: Khartoum (Corinthia Hotel) Day 8 Thursday: DEPARTURE or EXTRA FREE DAY IN KHARTOUM Those who are leaving today will be transferred to the airport. Or if you have planned to stay another day, we hope you enjoy a free day in Khartoum. You can also extend your stay in Africa by looking at any of Egypt s programs. Meals: Breakfast Sudanese Nubia Tour Includes all the Following: Entry Visa. 3 nights at a 5 star hotel in Khartoum (Corinthia Hotel). 2 nights at the Nubian Rest House in Karima. 2 nights at Meroe Tented Camp. 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners (All meals are included starting with dinner on day of arrival and ending with breakfast on day of departure). Bottled water, tea coffee and soft drinks are included during all the included meals. Complimentary bottled water is always available during the whole trip. All the tours and entrance fees as per itinerary. All travel and photo permits. A private air-conditioned coach / 4x4 vehicles during all the included tours. An expert, English speaking Program Director throughout the trip. An expert English speaking local guide. All gratuities and tips to every person and service throughout the trip (such as program director, baggage handling, bus drivers, waiters at restaurants etc). Baggage handling to and from all your accommodations as per itinerary. The Tour Does not include:

6 Travel Insurance. International flights. Personal expenses.