CATTLE HERDERS AND PURE PEOPLE

Day 1 - Juba

  • Our tour guide will meet you in the arrival hall of Juba International Airport (exact meeting time will be communicated well in advance per email in accordance to your flight schedule).

  • Introductory briefing about the region, the route and the set of rules to observe while travelling in South Sudan.

  • The rest of the day will be devoted to a slow-paced exploration of Juba: John Garang de Mabior Mausoleum, Konyo Konyo Market, Craft Market, All-Saints Cathedral, Central Mosque, Nyakuron Cultural Centre and the Old Iron Bridge over the White Nile.

  • Meals and overnight in Juba.

Day 2/3 - Mundari

  • We’ll leave Juba early in the morning and head north towards the heartland of the Mundari, semi-nomadic cattle herders that despite the relative proximity with Juba and the collateral effect of the South Sudanese Civil War have managed to keep their tribal way of life almost intact.

  • Our first stop will be the market town of Terekeka, where we’ll enjoy a quick roadside snack, while our guide pops in at the local government offices to register our visit to the Mundari cattle camp.

  • Once at the camp, we’ll pay our respects to the Mundari elders and then introduce ourselves to the rest of the tribe.

  • The following day will be entirely spent in the company of the Mundari, who will share with us their rituals, their stories and the arcane secrets of their ancient culture.

  • Meals and overnights in comfortable modern tents that our guides will set up for you in the proximity of the Mundari village.

Day 4 - Back to Juba

  • In the late morning we’ll take our leave from the Mundari and head back south for Juba.

  • Besides the routine pauses for landscape photos and toilet stops, we’ll break the four-to-five hour drive in Lado Koda, a small traditional hamlet located on the edge of the Koda River’s floodplain.

  • We’ll arrive in Juba in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day relaxing at our hotel with stunning sunset views over the mighty White Nile.

  • Dinner and overnight in Juba.

Day 5/6 - Toposa

  • Morning transfer to Juba Airport for our domestic flight to Kapoeta, the largest settlement in the heartland of the Toposa people.

  • After landing, we’ll take a short stroll around town and then take a deep plunge into the kaleidoscope of colours, scents, sounds and faces that is the Kapoeta Market, a traditional bazaar where the Toposa and other tribal groups converge to trade their goods.

  • The next day will be fully devoted to the Toposa people, a Nilotic-speaking pastoralist tribe famous for the unique architecture of its traditional fortified villages.

  • Over the course of the day, we will visit three different Toposa settlements and get to understand the complex culture of this isolated and highly misunderstood people, which since the mid-80s have been at the centre of tribal conflicts and full-scale wars.

  • Overnights in Kapoeta.

Day 7 - Boya Hills

  • After breakfast we’ll embark on a scenic road trip towards the Boya Hills, the homeland of the Larim, a Surmic ethnic group speaking an Eastern Sudanic language and known for being excellent architects..

  • The practices of piercing and body scarification are widespread amongst the Larim, making them one of the most traditional tribes you’ll ever have the honour to encounter during your gallivanting around Africa.

  • The hilly area around the small town of Kimatong is the place to be to get in touch with this secluded gens of brave hunters, scarified warriors and resilient herders, who will open for us the well-guarded doors of their houses and of their souls – and this is precisely where we’ll be setting up our camp.

  • Dinner and overnight in the Boya Hills.

Day 8 - Lotuko

  • From Boya we’ll head further west, slowly making our way back to Juba.

  • Before returning to the hectic chaos of the capital, we’ll allow ourselves a final detour into the untamed wilderness of Eastern Equatoria and pay a visit to the Lotuko tribe.

  • The Lotuko, also known as Otuho, are Nilotic agro-pastoralists, whose native region is characterised by spectacular ranges and gorgeous mountain spurs such as the Imotong, the highest mountain in South Sudan.

  • The main settlement of the area is the picturesque hilltop hamlet of Iliu and—needless to say—it is here that we’ll spend the rest of the day and the night in.

  • Dinner and overnight in Iliu.

Day 9 - Torit

  • After breakfast we’ll leave Iliu and set off for the last leg of our journey back to Juba.

  • The trip will last approximately ten hours and will include a visit to Torit, the capital and largest city of Eastern Equatoria State, as well as a few photo breaks in the traditional South Sudanese hamlets scattered along the road.

  • Late-afternoon arrival in Juba and grand South Sudanese dinner in the best restaurant in town, completed with a stunning evening view over the White Nile.

  • Overnight in Juba.

DAY 10 - Flight back home or transfer to further destinations

  • After enjoying a last lavish South Sudanese breakfast together, we'll take care of your transfer to Juba International Airport for your flight back home.

  • End of the tour.

3295 €

INCLUSIONS
Double/twin room accommodation (breakfast included; single supplement: 20 euros/night), private transport in the region, domestic flights, entrance fees for the attractions listed in the itinerary, English-speaking guiding and translation service, 24/7 in situ and remote assistance.

EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, meals, drinks and tips, visas if required, entrance to attractions not listed in the itinerary, insurance.