How to support Sudanese businesses – Freetime Edition

If you read this cause you are looking for new hobbies or freetime activities in Khartoum, this article can fill you calendar with a variety of freetime activities, your mind with new experiences and your contact list with new and interesting people.

For those of you who newly moved to Khartoum, are here just for a short mission or basically did not step into the vibrant world of Sudan yet, let me tell you something: there is a variety of things to do in Khartoum, you just have to know where to look for it. Of course, not everything is everyone’s taste, but how can you know what you like if you did not try. I categorized my recommendation into Music, Art, Sports, Cafe&Restaurants and others things that are so unique and special, you can not put it into a box.

Note on @: As per previous articles, the names of people and places are named in the way their instagram/facebook name is called, so its more easy for you to find them.

Music

You are playing an instrument yourself or you just like to listen to music, take your mind to a different world, see and listen to instruments you do not know the name of? Khartoum provides many opportunities.

In Khartoum, there is at least one modern music event per week. I usually check the pages from @contraband249, @andaryiamag, @ogali_creative_events, @nirvanacultural, and @rateenabookcafe if I want to know what is happening this week. I recommend you to follow them on instagram to keep yourself in the loop. It happens that in the event information you just read about ticket pre-reservation and payment via mbok. Let this not scare you away. Most of the time there are tickets at the door or you can reserve a ticket on your name and pay at the door. Do not hesitate to text the event organizer, most of them speak English. Here is also a list of some bands to follow – in case they have a concert somewhere they will also publish it on their pages: @dopamine249, @aswat_almadina, @wdalzainthesanrise, @saluteyal

If you wanna play yourself, there are couple of jam and open mic sessions that @contraband249 and @sobajo_khartoum are publicly organizing. Also, Bait Al Oud is an iconic place that is at the top of my list. You can find and buy and learn Sudanese instruments. Or you can be lucky that you can attend one of their concerts while you are in Sudan. If you come regularly to concerts its also easy to connect with musicians who often meet for private jam sessions.

Art & Culture

I can not even count the number of young people I met so far who are professional artists or creating art in their freetime. Nearly every week I get to know about a new one. In my last article I already named some of them in order to promote their products as the perfect gifts. If you follow them on social media you will get to know when and where they are participating in in exhibitions. Furthermore @downtown.gallery has changing exhibitions. Once a month they organize a bazar where every artist can showcase and sell their art, no matter how known they are. Often you will even experience that exhibition openings are combined with life music or discussions which is of course even more exciting. And don’t be shy, in 75% of the time the artists are in the space, they speak English and you can get to know them and their art even better. In general I think it is a nice weekend activity to check out different art galleries such as Dara Art Gallery and Remenar Art Gallery.

For museum lovers, Khartoum has more to offer than you think. Myself I visited the “Sudan National Museum outside”, the Khalifa House Museum and the Jebel Barkal Museum. My friend from Germany further went to Republican Palace Museum and Sudan Ethnographic Museum. Out of personal interest I loved the National Museum here in Khartoum, especially the outside area where you can see a lot of temple parts with hyroglyphs from ancient time (Kush Kingdom). Officially it is currently closed (due to renovations inside). But last time they let me in to visit the outside area. So you can give it a try. If you are also fascinated by ancient Sudan and Nubian culture I can recommend to take a trip to the North. The museum next to Jebel Barkal in Northern State (close to Karima) was a positive surprise. I went there with the travel agent from @Kirullos for Tourism in Sudan who is a studied expert on archeology. But even without his explanation, the museum has a lot of treasures from the pyramids and from within the temples. An online magazine @Rihla on Facebook made a post recently and showcased additionally to the named once: Natural History Museum, Karma Civilization Museum, Sultan Ali Dinar Museum, Shikan Museum and two museums in Port Sudan. Also @lovinkahrtoum is an online magazine to follow, sometimes they showcase cultural events (in English & Arabic) and Khartoum related news.

If you wanna do a whole museum day, you could combine for example Ethnographic Museum, Natural History Museum and the University of Khartoum. If the guards at the university are not in a good mood of letting you in, switch plans and visit the Roman Catholic Cathedral or Tuti Bridge with a great view on the nile. Both are close to the Museum and you can relax on the café boat that is floating under the bridgewhich after your museum tour. Note that the Ethnographic Museum is only open Tuesday and Thursday currently.

Sports

Yes, Sudan is hot and probably you can not continue your jogging activities that you are used from home due to the bad streets. But there are many other options. Personally I tried out the Kickboxing Classes @muqatelmma in Ryath Family Park and I tried Zumba in a gym near Impact Hub and Sena Supermarket (also Ryadth). For yoga I know that the embassy of Japan offers classes and there is @my.little.yoga who is doing yoga and meditation sessions. Two sports activities that you might not guessed that people are actively doing here: Inline Skating and Cycling. If you go on a weekend day to the Green Yard you will find a group of people skating and riding, just approach them and you will find yourself joining that group faster than you think. For long cycling trips, there is the @sudanese.cycling.network in Khartoum where one of my friends and my former kickboxing coach are actively part.

For other group or team sports let me share you some basketball, volleyball, tennis and ping pong locations. There are 2 basketball courts, the first one in Amarat where a private group of people plays on Fridays from 4pm, the second basketball court belongs to University of Khartoum and its open for everybody. You can go by luck and join a group wh is playing or you can check with your friends to go there as a group. Same counts for this location. You can rent the courts (volleyball and basketball) with your friend. The google maps has a number, the guys name is Ibrahim. Not so far from that sport hall, you find a tennis club. Its on Africa street and you can reserve through this number 0926999995. And last but not least – @Night Shot Billiards a place where you have several billiard tables and pingpong tables. You can just go and one a group who plays already.

In case someone opened this article just because the picture shoes someone cayaking – apologies. I know you can rent it at Nile Street, between Corinthia and the confluence but I never tried it out. If anyone has infos, please leave your comment 🙂

Cafe & Restaurants

There are 1000 café and restaurants in Khartoum, so I decided to design two small foody-tours where you can combine eating and drinking with a fun or special Sudanese activity.

Sudanese Cuisine Day: Starting with Sudanese traditions: in case you have not been invitied to enjoy Sudanese cuisine, you can have a full day of Sudanese kitchen experience without visiting a family on a friday. Although I highly recommend making friends with your co-workers or other Sudanese and ask whether you could visit them for Friday Fatur! But until you try out that, start in the late morning. Every day, except Friday you can order Sudanese Breakfast in Nile Street @Square Cafe, additional to Sudanese coffee and fresh juice. Bring your hand sanitiser and test your skills eating with your hand. Note, that Sudanese Breakfast is usually eaten between 11am and 1pm but you can check on google maps at which time the Square Cafe opens their doors. The next meal is lunch or dinner – for both find the restaurant called “Kurnuk” in Ryadth, in Safa Road, just three builds south from Hanno`s or the junction of Mashtal Street and Safa Street (https://goo.gl/maps/e5Mp3aCY2B9Set1d8). They offer only traditional Sudanese kitchen, usually do not have 70% what is written on the menu, they are very affordable and have amazing juices. Last but not least, you can not end a Sudanese Cuisine day without Shay bil Leban & Zalabia! After Kurnuk Restaurant you can stretch you legs and walk along Mashtal Street, until Street 117. In this street you will find @Djib Maak. It is opposite site from Impact Hub and like 300 meters behind the Chinese Hotel. Just follow along the street and be alerted for a kiosk with hundret plastic chairs in different colors in front where a bunch of Sudanese in their traiditonal white Jalabia or Alaa dress are sitting and chatting. There you can drink Hot Tea with Milk (if you do not want a sugar shock, tell them “Sukar barra”) and order definitely Zalabia (for all Germans reading – it is the Sudanese version of our Christmas market “Kräppelchen”).

Ryadth Fun Day: Sleep in, do your laundry, relax and head to @booktino, @rateena or @vibecafe. These are all book cafés in different neighborhoods of the city. Order a coffee, maybe a cake, choose a book and read. The advantage of @booktino is that you find a lot of English Books (even some Sudanese auhtors, translated into English books) and you can also buy them. Anyways, after enjoying your favorit book café, you might be hungry. In that case, within the last year, many food trucks came alife and located themselves in Mashtal Street. You can find the most delicious fries in town @friso, you can get crepe filled with vegetables, cheese and meet, you can discover new variety of Endomi and Pasta as well as the Sudanese Version of Hotdog. In case you are interested in football and your game is on that night, most probably @Made in DC already built up the screen on the rooftop for you and others to watch it. You can eat, drink and watch there.

Specials

Missing the cinema? Besides a cinema that is located in Afra Mall, I recently got to know about a very small cinema in Ryadth. It is called @becasso.sd and it is located in Mashtal Street, in the same building like D-Roof Café and the @Friso Foodtruck. They have new international movies, each movie is in English and Arabic (subtitled).

You are in the mood of handcraft? @_tru.color and @sobajo_khartoum offer exactly that! Tru Color organized pottery painting activities every Friday, with registration you can secure yourself and your friends one of the two timeslots. Sobajo offers now and then workshops where you can learn how to make colorful fabrics, pottery or other handcraft activities.

Always wanted to be a wedding crasher? Especially during Eid two times a years, you can theoretically stop buying groceries. There are lots of weddings every day that can feed you through the day. Unfortunately it is very rare that the food is actually delicious at weddings. But don’t leave Sudan without at least 3 wedding experiences. And dont be shy, 50% of the guest usually do not know the groom and bride and from my experience Sudanese will be very grateful to welcome you as a special guest.

You are in shopping mood? From my perspective shopping is not that convenient in Khartoum, but I have some tipps. Check out my last article regarding the Bazars, where you can get gifts and nice stuff for yourself, mostly made in Sudan. Furthermore the Market in Omdurman is worth a visit, but make sure you go with a local as you can get lost easily. In case your friend will only lead you to the tourist handcraft section, try to convince him to check out the spices section and fabrics and others.

Its your friends’ birthday and you wanna do something fun in the group? Check out bowling (Afra Mall), Lasertag (Laser House Khartoum) or pack some snacks and blankets and put your feed into the water on the beach at Tuti Island.

In case you prefer having some assistance in discovering new places, a friend of mine is organizing and accompanying such day tours as a side-job. So I am able to connect you with someone in case.

My energy level is empty now after doing all these activities with you. I hope you enjoyed the second part of my series of articles “How to support Sudanese businesses in Khartoum“. I am happy if you share that link with your networks. Stay tuned for #4.

Yours Theresia