Descending the Nile

October 17, 2005 11:47 AM

I'd like to travel the entire length of the Nile River, from headwaters to Cairo. This would involve crossing from Uganda into southern Sudan. Is this possible or just a pipe dream? How would I find out, and go about planning?
posted by gottabefunky to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

abu simbel may pose somewhat of an obstacle...?
posted by dorian at 11:49 AM on October 17, 2005

Be sure to read Dark Star Safari, by Paul Theroux. He describes endless visa issues with Sudan.
posted by cior at 12:07 PM on October 17, 2005

You'll want to read Charlie Pye-Smith's The Other Nile: Journeys in Egypt, The Sudan and Ethiopia (though he did it in the other direction).
posted by languagehat at 12:18 PM on October 17, 2005

You'll also want to read up on Sir Richard Burton.
posted by klangklangston at 12:22 PM on October 17, 2005

There is an imax film called mysteries of the nile which did just that. Perhaps you could contact the production crew and get some info from them?
posted by smcniven at 12:35 PM on October 17, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestion. They descended the Blue Nile, through, from Ethiopia. The trip I'm thinking about would eb down the White Nile from Uganda.
posted by gottabefunky at 12:42 PM on October 17, 2005

Thanks for the suggestion. They descended the Blue Nile, through, from Ethiopia. The trip I'm thinking about would eb down the White Nile from Uganda.

Doesn't matter, they both go through Sudan. You won't have any problems on the Uganda side, except maybe a lack of guides willing to take you into Sudan. There are *lots* of people who cruise the nile's Lake Victoria source, that part is easy.
posted by rkent at 3:08 PM on October 17, 2005

I saw an article in a recent Paddler magazine, I think, about some guys who did just that in kayaks.
posted by atchafalaya at 3:24 PM on October 17, 2005

You might also want to read The White Nile, by Alan Moorehead.
posted by languagehat at 5:00 PM on October 17, 2005