Sudan Desert Tours

Day 1

Upon arrival at Juba imternational airport, you will be met by the African Encounters representative who will transfer you to the hotel for check in and briefing. The rest of the day is free for relaxation or exploring depending on arrival time. No cameras to be used in Juba, smartphones can be used with utmost caution. Accommodation: Pyramid Continental Hotel Meal plan – Lunch (if needed), Dinner

Day 2

You will have breakfast and then go to the airport for your internal flight to Kapoeta. Kapoeta located in the Eastern Equatoria state is an ideal place to visit different tribes like the Toposa, Jie and Larim communities. Accommodation: Kuleu Hotel Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

You will have breakfast and then drive to the Toposa communities. The Toposa are Turkana speaking cattle rearing people that have resisted western influence to this date. Toposa have traditionally lived by herding cattle, sheep and goats, and in the past were involved in the ivory trade. The Toposa belong to what has been called the “Karamojong cluster”, which also includes the Karamojong people of Uganda, the Ntangatom people in South Western Ethiopia and the Turkana people of Kenya. The Toposa economy and social life revolves around herding livestock including cattle, camels, donkeys, goats and sheep. Boys are first given goats and sheep to care for, then they later graduate to looking after cattle when they come of age. Possession of cattle, along with possession of a loaded gun are the main measures of status and wealth. Cattle are central to Toposa culture. The Toposa have always competed for water and pasturage with their neighbors and have always engaged in cattle rustling. The Toposa also pan for gold and other precious minerals in the stream beds and dress in their traditional clothes (leather – beaded skirts) and pierce their lips and scarify their arms, chests and faces. Each scarification is a work of art. Visit different communities and enjoy the intense welcome dances Accommodation: Tents Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

The Jie people live in the arid flat lowlands of the South East corner of South Sudan in Eastern Equatoria State. They are agri-pastoralists they grow sorghum and raise cattle, sheep, and goats. They are very closely related to the Toposa of South Sudan and speak the same language. The Jie pierce and scar their bodies as marks of beauty. The women wear beaded head bands in colors which represent the clan of their husband. They believe in a supreme being named Apayok, who resides in a crater in Mt Kesegor. They believe if you commit an offense against him, Apayok will not give you water when you visit him there. They believe Apayok sent a sorcerer named Natidiita to protect and guide them. They also believe in the spirits of their ancestors, with whom they communicate through a medium. Accommodation: Tents Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

You will have breakfast, spend the last moments with the Jie and then drive back to Kapoeta for an overnight. Accommodation: Kuleu Hotel Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

After breakfast, you will drive to Boya Hills to meet the Larim (Boya) tribal minority. The Larim speak Murle and are excellent architects. They also pierce their nose and lips and scarify their bodies. Larim keep cattle and grow seasonal crops such as sorghum, maize and beans. Widowed women wrap vegetable cords around their legs and head. Larim is considered one of South Sudan’s most traditional groups. Accommodation: Tents Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

You will have breakfast and then spend the rest of day in the different Boya communities enjoying their intense welcome dances and watching their daily life activities. Accommodation: Tents Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Breakfast and then drive to the Lopit community. The Lopit are Eastern Nilotic who inhabit the Lopit hills, they practice agriculture as rearing livestock on the mountain slope and also harvest products such as honey and shea nuts. They practice initiation ceremonies: a naming ceremony for a baby, and a second one as a young adult. Marriage begins with courtship and then the girl elopes with her boyfriend; when they return home the dowry is settled and she goes to her new home. The transfer of power to the younger age-set happens every 25 years in a ceremony called hifira. The village administration and authority over community affairs is handed to the next generation. Their culture is transmitted through songs, poems, dramas and music that express feelings and emotions as well. Accommodation: Tents Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

You will have breakfast and then head out to explore the different Lopit communities enjoying their intense welcome dances. Accommodation: Tents Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10

You will have breakfast, spend the last moments with the Lopit and then drive back to Juba for an overnight. Accommodation: Pyramid Continental Hotel Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Breakfast and then drive to Bor to visit the Dinka people. The Dinka are one of the largest ethnic groups living in South Sudan and are part of the Nilotic people living in the Nile basin. They are cattle keepers and also practice agriculture with men mainly doing cattle herding and the women doing the growing of crops and cooking. Their traditional homes are constructed with wooden poles and thatched roofs with women doing the roof thatching with dried grass and reeds. They are famously known for their height are believed to be some of the tallest people in Africa. They carry out rituals for initiation of boys into manhood through cutting lines on the boys’ foreheads. The Dinka practice polygamous marriages with the Dinka clans practicing exogamy, in which men have to marry outside of their home village. Men usually pay the prospective wife's family with a monetary and cultural gift known as bride wealth. Accommodation: Bor Park Palace Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12

Breakfast and then take a boat to the Sudd wetland to visit the Akwaka fishermen. The Sudd is Africa’s largest wetland and one of the largest tropical wetlands in the world representing one of the largest freshwater ecosystems in the world. It is inhabited by Dinka and some other Nilotic communities. Accommodation: Bor Park Palace Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13

After breakfast, you will drive to the Mundari tribal territory. Reaching Terekeka, the regional capital, walk around the market to meet the first Mundari tribal people. After having checked with the local authorities, drive to a cattle camp to spend the night. Mundari are a small ethnic group related to the Nilotic people. Mundari together with neighboring Dinka people are sometimes noted for their height. With the Tutsi of Rwanda, they are believed to be the tallest people in Africa. The traditional Mundari tribal lands are located roughly 75 kilometers North of Juba, the capital of South Sudan and are centered on the town of Terekeka in the state of Central Equatoria. The land like much of South Sudan is predominantly flat and marked by occasional isolated large hills. The low – lying contains many rivers and lakes and provides fertile basis in support of cattle grazing. Accommodation: Tents Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14

You will have breakfast, spend the morning hours with the Mundari. You will then bid farewell to the Mundari, get the last glance of the beautiful landscapes as you drive back to Juba for an overnight. Accommodation: Pyrmaid Continental Hotel Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15

You will after breakfast head to Juba international airport for your flight back home. Passengers are advised to be at the airport for check in 3 hours to their departure time. This will bring your amazing South Sudan cultural expedition to an end