Overview
In about 9 days, you will experience some of Africa’s top cultures that have stood the test of time for a while amidst the pressures of modernity. Kenya and South Sudan offer the best cultural tours with a variety of tribes from the Toposa, Jie, Buya, Lopit, and Mundari. In these 9 days cross-border cultural tour – Kenya to South Sudan, these tribes are up for exploration. The detailed itinerary below shows a day-by-day plan of your tour.
Full itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at the Nadapal border, Clearance, and proceed to Toposa village.
You will arrive at the Nandapal border by 9 am and do the necessary clearance, and continue with your journey to the Toposa villages. Arrive by 1 pm, have lunch prepared by our chef on the ground, and then take a nature walk to the village to explore the evening Toposa activities. Meet and interact with village elders who will welcome you with sprinkles of blessed water, and meet women preparing meals.
The Toposa are Nilotic-speaking people related to Turkana, Nyangatom, and Karamojong of Uganda. They keep cattle and practice subsistence farming, growing mainly sorghum and maize. The Toposa currently does business in gold mining, which is their main trading nowadays.
Accommodation: Tents with a mattress and pillow provided.
Meals: lunch and dinner served.
Day 2: Morning experience with the Toposa people, drive to Jie. Evening experience with the most decorated people with lots of beadings.
After your morning experience with Toposa traditional dancers, last photos, have breakfast, and then drive for 3 hours to the Lopet village of the Jie people. Evening experience with the Jie people.
Accommodation: Tents with a mattress and pillow provided.
Meals: Full board (BLD)
Day 3: Morning experience with Jie traditional dance. Drive to relax in Kapoeta town at Kuleou Resort Hotel.
After a morning experience with Jie traditional dance, have breakfast, you will then pack and drive 4 hours to Kapoeta town, with another en route to Toposa village of Mogos, enjoy your packed lunch in this village. After which, continue to Kapoeta. Check into the hotel. The rest of the day is to relax and energize for tomorrow’s programs.
Accommodation: Kuleuo Resort Hotel
Meals: Dinner
Day 4: Morning market tour, drive for 4 hours to Buya hills. (Evening experience with the Larim tribe, people with amazing body scarifications in the whole of Africa.)
After your morning market tour, have breakfast and drive for 4 hours to the Buya Hills. You will arrive by noon local time, relax with coffee and fresh fruits, and thereafter, take a nature walk to explore the most beautiful villages built right at the mountain slopes.
Meet and interact with local people, experience evening activities of stone grinding by the ladies, and take amazing photos of ladies with beautiful body scars. The name Buya is a nickname given by the Toposa, meaning people living in the mountains. But their real ethnic name is Larrim.
Accommodation: Tents with a mattress and pillow provided.
Meals: Full board
Day 5: Morning experience with Buya traditional dancers. Drive 5 hours to Lopit Hills. Experience tribe with sexy traditional dance, dressed in leopard skin, and ostrich feathers.
After your morning experience with Larim morning activities accompanied by traditional dance, have breakfast and then pack to drive for 5 hours to Lopit hills. The Lopit, also called Donge are Nilotic a Nilotic-speaking tribe related to the Lotuko tribe. They live on the mountain slopes of the Lafit Mountains in the region of Lopa, their county headquarters. Lopit practice subsistence farming, growing mainly sorghum and simsim, and keep cattle, sheep, and goats.
The Lopit build their houses with grass, palm leaves, and bamboo. You will arrive in the village of Imehejek-Lopa, relax with coffee and cold drinks after a long, dusty road drive. After which, you will take a nature walk to explore the Lopit village built on the mountain slope. Lopit huts are considered the tallest in Africa. Explore the rocky arranged paved streets of the village.
Accommodation: Tents with a mattress and pillow provided.
Meals: Full board
Day 6: Morning experience with Lopit. Drive for 6 hours to Juba.
After your morning experience with Lopit’s sexy traditional dance, have breakfast, and then you will pack and drive for 6 hours to Juba. Arrive and check in Royal Palace Hotel, where you will spend your night. Thereafter. You will move with a city tour guide to explore the mighty White Nile. You may choose to have your dinner at the Nile hotel, such that you can view and enjoy the breathtaking Nile waves.
Accommodation: Tents with a mattress and a pillow provided.
Meals: Lunch and Dinner.
Day 7: Drive for an hour to explore the Mundari camp.
After your nice breakfast, you will meet with a city tour guide who will drive you through the city to explore the largest market in the city, visit the Garang mausoleum, visit the parliamentary buildings, visit the biggest mosques, and visit the cathedral. After which, you will get back to the hotel to pack and drive for 1 hour to arrive at the Mundari cattle camp. Arrive and have lunch, walk around the camp to explore the ongoing activities at the camp, like burning of cow dung, cleaning and beating of drums to welcome cows back from grazing fields, etc.
Accommodation: Tents with a mattress and pillow provided.
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Day 8: Spend the whole day experiencing more about the lovely Mundari lifestyle- visit one of the largest villages of the Mundari.
You will spend the whole day immersing yourselves in learning more of the Mundari lifestyle, and you will visit one of the largest villages of the Mundari by the riverside. This day, you will have sunrise photos, walk to witness how the Mundari young boys cross the Nile with their cows, and join them in the grazing fields if you like.
During the day, you will spend time in storytelling with the Mundari ladies and gentlemen. Join them in swimming, while waiting for cows to come back from grazing fields at around 4-5 PM, at which time you will join for evening activities, photography, and enjoy taking photos in a smoky arena with sunset striking at the background. Thereafter your last evening, you will pack and drive to Juba for your overnight at the Royal Palace Hotel.
Accommodation: Royal Palace Hotel
Meals: Dinner
Day 9: Breakfast and transfer to Juba airport for your flight back home /next destination.
After your nice breakfast, you will pack, and our city tour guide will transfer you to Juba airport for your flight back home.
End of tour.