Covering 22,800km2 Boma is one of Africa’s largest wildlife reserves with a migration that compares in scale to that of the Serengeti and the famous Kruger and Ruaha parks. Between March and April and November to January, you can see as many as two million animals on the move. The majority of these are kob, antelope and gazelle but you can also see some of the park’s 7,000 elephants, giraffes, oryx and baboons.
South Sudan- 9 Days Boma National Park Tour Itinerary
With a boat trip on the Sudd one of the largest wetlands in the world South Sudan’s stunning birdlife is best appreciated. More than 400 species of bird can be found here, including shoebills, great white pelicans and black-crowned cranes
2022 Bird Watching & Tribal South Sudan Tour
The most easily accessible of South Sudan’s national parks, Nimule National Park was established under British rule in 1954 and the park extends 540km2 along the border with Uganda. With wildlife, moving freely back and forth it straddles the White Nile River. In this trip Crossing the river by boat to Opekoloe Island visitors are able to see the elephant herds, and then on foot to spot zebras, warthogs, baboons and even the occasional leopard
A closer encounters with elephants and defassa waterbuck at Kidepo Game Reserve is a common phenomena Contiguous with the famous Kidepo National Park in Uganda across the border, it’s a sea of greenery that extends for more than 1,200 square kilometers across the savannah grasslands and gallery woods of the region.
Off-the-beaten-track to Southern National Park Covering close to 7,800 square kilometers of land in the very heart of South Sudan, the seemingly endless swathes of patchwork woodlands and grassy savannah that form the Southern National Park, are amongst the largest protected game areas in the nation. At Southern National park, lion, the colobus monkey, bush babies, Marabou storks and Kobs are plenty.
The domed Catholic cathedral in Wau dates from 1913 and is a symbol of the important role that Christian missionaries have played in developing the country since the late 19th century. It is one of the largest churches in Sudan and has some attractive stone carving as well as a stained-glass window. South Sudan’s second city, Wau is home to a remarkable cathedral that can boast to be one of the largest solid structures in the country. Wau is the main city of Bahr el Ghazal and South Sudan’s largest city after Juba, with a population a little over 150,000 people (2011 estimate). It sits on the western banks of the Jur River and, due to the prevalence of colonial-era buildings, including the unexpectedly impressive cathedral, the urban landscape and resulting atmosphere feels somewhat different from other cities in the country. Wau has a pleasant climate, with a maximum temperature of 38˚C, and a rainy season that lasts from May to October. It is driest at the start of the year. There is no one dominant ethnic group in the city, and this, combined with the large number of UN agencies and national and international NGOs with offices and personnel in Wau, gives it an almost cosmopolitan feel. The aid presence has also ensured that there are a handful of decent places to stay.
The Mundari Tribe: The Mundari live to the north of Juba, centered around the small settlement of Terekeka. The Mundari people are farmers, living from herding and agriculture they live in small villages and follow a largely traditional lifestyle. They have a strong cultural believes, where the young men and women are marked with a series of parallel “V-shaped scars on their forehead – this tradition is now officially discouraged by the government and is starting to die out but most over the age of around 25 will sport these markings. The Mundari are locally famed wrestlers, and on certain days of the week young men from neighboring villages will gather to compete against each other in traditional shows of strength. These are quite a spectacle as the men daub themselves with mud and etch patterns into their bodies, each trying to throw and hold the other to the ground. Watching the surrounding crowd is just as interesting as they cheer and sing songs for their respective teams. Another chance to see a side of Africa that may not exist for much longer.
4 Days Mundari South Sudan Tour
The Boya Tribe: The Boya people live east of the town of Torit, centered around a small and rather ramshackle settlement with the unpoetic name of Camp 15. Living in pretty villages in the shadow of mountains and gigantic boulders, the Boya paint their houses in attractive patterns and adorn themselves with intricate beadwork. Although scarification is practiced here, interestingly it is more prevalent among the younger women rather than the older ones, and the local explanation is that they are copying a ‘trend’ from the Toposa, one of their near neighbors. Traditional mourning dress for Boya women involves wearing animal skins around the waist and binding the legs and arms with thin leaves to make a striped pattern – when a husband dies a Boya woman becomes the property and responsibility of his closest male relative. The Boya are also hunters and it is not uncommon to see groups of children practicing their skills with a bow and arrow on the outskirts of villages.
The Toposa Tribe: The Toposa are the principal ethnic group living around Kapoeta and are perhaps the most interesting in the whole country. Closely related to the Turkana of Kenya and the Karamojong of northern Uganda, they are herders with an economy based largely around livestock. They are also prolific cattle raiders, which has led to conflict with other groups in the past, although with the independence of the country and greater stability this is now less of a problem.
The Toposa live in villages made of mud and sticks, with thatched roofs often adorned with the skulls of cattle. The most striking feature of the Toposa is their practice of scarification. Many of the men and women are decorated with elaborate raised patterns caused by careful incision, covering their upper arms, torsos, backs and in some instances their faces. Although modernity is starting to erode their customs, many of the older Toposa still adhere to traditional dress – for women this is usually animal skins worn around the waist, while men often go naked. No self-respecting Toposa male will leave his compound without the obligatory AK47 slung over his shoulder – while this does not pose a problem to visitors we do ask that you heed your tour leader’s advice when in the Toposa villages, as central authority is weak here. The Toposa are likely to be as curious about you as you are about them though – tourism is virtually non-existent and the concept is not well understood, so expect yourself to be the focus of attention somewhat. To the south of Kapoeta the Toposa pan and dig for gold by the banks of a river – although the quantities are not large the presence of this resource has created something of a mini gold rush, and it is fascinating to watch the traditional methods used here.
South Sudan 11 Days Tour Itinerary| Packaged Tour
The Dinka Tribe: The Dinka people are a Nilotic group with no centralized political power but are rather divided themselves into independently interconnected clans. Most of the Dinka community resides in Sudan’s Anglo-Egyptian historical province of Bahr el Ghazal. The Dinka traditionally believe in one God known as Nhialic who temporarily possesses individuals and speaks through spirits. Later in the 19th century Christianity was introduced by the British missionaries, and now it predominates as the religion in South Sudan. The Dinka are the most populous ethnic group in South Sudan accounting for 36% of the population.
The Lotuko are the main ethnic group living around Torit, the capital of Eastern Equatoria State. Although less traditional than some other groups, many of the Lotuko live in villages nestled in the hills and hidden among the rocks, which they moved to in order to escape the predations of the civil war. Many of the houses are perched upon raised terraces made of stones, and the general construction and location of the villages makes them difficult to see from afar. In days gone by the Lotuko were led by a ‘rain-maker’ who was the spiritual head of a number of different villages, and it was his job to intercede with the spirits in order to guarantee rain and ensure a profitable harvest. In some villages it is still possible to find the traditional stone enclosures that served as a meeting point for the men, where problems and issues relating to communal life would be discussed. Around 100,000 in number, the Lotuko have in many ways embraced modernity to a greater extent than other groups, but the attraction of visiting is to wander around their picturesque settlements, different from the villages of the Boya or Toposa and showing a different perspective of life here in South Sudan.
12 Days The Highlight of South Sudan Itinerary
The Nuer Tribe: The Nuer are the second largest group in South Sudan and are also Nilotic. The Nuer had a white army who derived their name from applying white ash on their bodies to act as an insect repellent. Originally the white army consisted of armed youth and was established to protect the Nuer people’s cattle from other Raiders. After South Sudan’s independence, the white army resisted to give up their weapons due to lack of confidence in the SPLA’s ability to protect them which led to the SPLA trying to confiscate their cattle and unsuccessfully destroying their economy. The Nuer accounts for 16% of the population of South Sudan.
This is one of the smallest a group of people mainly located in Imatong state in southeastern South Sudan earlier known as eastern Equatorial before reorganization. They are settled in the Imatong mountains, living in the ancient tradition update. The range has an equatorial climate and had dense montane forests that houses their shrubs as well supporting diverse wildlife. They also practice farming to support their economy.
The Otuho Tribe: The Otuho are part of Sudan’s Nilotic group that are pastoralists situated in the Eastern Equatorial where they settled in the 1800’s. The Otuho speak the Otuho language and have strong beliefs based on nature and ancestral worship. The community holds the land in trust for no particular one in authority. However, in recent times the Otuho and their neighboring community have been in conflict with the Murle who are consistent cattle Raiders who also kidnap their children. The Otuho accounts for 2% of the population.
The Shilluk are responsible for establishing the Shilluk Kingdom which ruled between 1490 and 1865. The Shilluk King was regarded as divine but is now traditional chieftain operating in both Sudan and the South Sudan region of the Upper Nile. The majority of the Shilluk are Christian converts. The Shilluk also controls the White Nile, and Kodok is the meditating city of the Shilluk King and a place where most ceremonies take place. The Shilluk accounts for 3% of the population.
The Didinga live in the Didinga hills—in the valleys, on the plateaus and slopes, and on the adjacent plains of the region. Their neighbors include the Boya, Toposa, Dodoth, Dongotono and Lotuka/Lopit. There were tensions in the past but now they are generally on friendly terms and intermarry and speak a similar language to the Boya, Murle and Tenet. Traditionally the Didinga arrived in their present home during the sixteen century, as part of a group migrating either from Lake Turkana or Ethiopia. The East and West banks of the Nile were divided during the British period into Protestant and Catholic influence spheres, which put the Didinga into the Catholic area. Amongst some older people there remains a bit of Catholic influence, but not genuine faith. Culturally the Didinga are pastoralists by inclination and farmers by necessity. The herding of cattle is very important, and at 2000m elevation, the area has sufficient rainfall to grow two crops per year. They live in homesteads by clans, in round houses with cone-shaped roofs. They also enjoy making music and various crafts. Although there is a paramount chief, which is a hereditary position, decisions are made by the community, and younger people have the right to question the older. They desire education. The didinga have religious believes Like their neighbors, the Didinga accept the existence of a supreme being, and the sphere of spirits interacting with the living. They worship and sacrifice to spirits and gods and place great importance on the worship of dead ancestors. The rainmaker is an important person in the community, who performs certain rituals and is seen to carry great influence.
