My last 10 countries have been taking a bit more time than I had planned to visit. Finally I should have a chance to explore South Sudan and Sudan, country 187 and 188!

In preparation I needed to get visas.

My visa for South Sudan was a simple mail-in application to the Washington D.C. Embassy. This is my second attempt, with my first being in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Sudan proved a bit more difficult. I tried once in Ethiopia and again in Washington D.C. Both attempts were unsuccessful. Eventually one of my sponsors in Khartoum helped me apply through the Ministry of Tourism and voila! I now have my letter of invitation which will allow me to get my visa on arrival in the airport.

My rough itinerary will be to fly from Rome to Juba with a layover in Cairo. Then direct with a local airline from Juba to Khartoum and finally from Khartoum back to Milan.

I look forward exploring the capital of South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world. Then in Sudan, I will seek out the attractions of Khartoum as well as the ancient pyramids of Meroe.

This will be an action packed weeklong adventure. So join me on my Sudans Tour on Instagram #sudanstour!