Overview
Experience culture like never before in a 12 days exclusive cultural tour to South Sudan, where you will indulge in the tribes of Mundari, Toposa, Larim, Lotuko, Lopit, and Jie. Gain an exclusive insight into the daily livelihood of the people from these tribes as you participate in their traditions, like cattle herding and others. Follow the day-to-day plan for your entire 12 days tour as illustrated below.
Day 1. Preparation and relaxation day.
Arrive by air in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, the youngest country on Earth. The driver guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the Royal Palace hotel. Briefing with the guide. The guide will arrange travel permits and take your passports for registration. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore.
Day 2. Tour to the Mundari cattle camp
After breakfast, we will depart by 4WD jeep to the northern part of Juba to visit the Mundari cattle herders. About a 1-2-hour drive on a newly tarmac road. The location of the camp destinations will depend on the season of migration. On arrival at the camp, you will explore the Mundari morning activities of collecting cow shit and drying it for burning in the evening.
After lunch, you will take a nature walk to the nearby villages of Mundari to explore their traditional buildings. While waiting for cattle to arrive back at the grazing land, this is the best time to witness the love between the Mundari and their cows.
Day 3. Whole day with Mundari cattle herders.
Early morning at 5.30 am, we will wake up for coffee, tea, and snacks, and after walk into the camp for your morning photos with sunrise. And our guide will help you experience the blowing of cow pusy and washing of urine, massaging of cows using ashes, including milking. This day is your full day to explore and learn more about the Mundari cattle herders.
Day 4. Morning, last experience with Mundari and departure to Lotuko Hills.
You will wake up for your last morning photos with the Mundari people. Have breakfast and then pack and depart to the Eastern part of the country (about a 3-hour drive). On your way, you will stop in Juba to buy some liquor, soft drinks, and snacks in the supermarket or have a shower at the hotel. You will have your lunch upon arrival at Torit hotel, located in the main town of Torit capital of Eastern Equatoria. While the tour guide/driver clears permits with the state authorities.
Thereafter, you will drive for another 1 hour to Lotuko village – Chalmini. Upon arrival, you will be met by the village guide who will take you on a nature walk to the village and, firstly, to the village’s traditional healer, considered to be the Queen of the village or God of the village. The Lotuko people build their huts with grass and coconut leaves, practice subsistence farming, growing mainly sorghum and maize. And also keep cows, sheep, and goats.
They believe in two gods, being God of Roman Catholic and African traditional religion/ God of the mountains. You will then slope back to your camp. And the guide will brief you for 2moros program to witness the Lotuko traditional dance.
Day 5. Lotuko morning experience and Departure to Lopit Hills.
Morning coffee with snacks, then walk to the village for sunrise, morning photos, and enjoy one of the amazing traditional dances of the Lotuko people. And thereafter, you will slope back to the camp for breakfast. While the team unfolds the tents and other luggage into the cars. Departure to Lopit hills for a drive of 3 hours. You will have your packed lunch on the way. On arrival, you’ll relax for 1 hour and then go for a nature walk to the village with the village guide, who will walk you through the rocky hand-paved streets in the village of Imehejek. Witness tall traditional houses built with grass and overnight in tents with Dinner provided.
Day 6. Lopit traditional dances and drive to Larim/Buya.
Morning coffee and snacks, and go to experience the Lopit traditional Dance. You will witness some men dressed in ostrich feathers and leopard skins, and women dressed in traditional costumes made of goat skin. The Lopit people have different kinds of Drums that produce different kinds of sound and are used for different traditional ceremonies, such as funerals, traditional healing, alerting when enemies come in, and traditional weddings, to mention but a few.
Thereafter, you’ll slope back to the camp for breakfast. While the rest of the team loads luggage into the cars. You will depart for Buya Hills. You will drive for 5 hours to arrive at the destination. On arrival, relax and then go for a nature walk to the village to witness the Larim evening activities like grinding and milking, cooking, and many more. You will have a packed lunch on the way.
Day 7. Spending the whole day with the Larim people.
A whole day to see aspects of the Larim daily lifestyle. You will spend this to fully interacting with the Larim people and learn their way of life, through storytelling and conversation. After breakfast, you will witness the Larim traditional Dance with women dressed in traditional costumes made of goat skin and, more so, with exposed, beautiful scars on their bodies.
Few men will be among the dancers because the Larim men are shy to dance with their women during the day, since most of the songs sung are sexy and for love times. You will enjoy the amazing scars of the Larim people, and if lucky, you will witness how they cut their scars. You will also take a nature walk to more than 3 villages surrounded by beautiful mountains and amazing scenery. Overnight in tents with meals cooked by our chef.
Day 8. Bye to the Larim people and head to the Topoth Region.
Last morning experience with the Larim people, have breakfast and then pack and drive for 2 hours to Kapoeta Town, relax and have your lunch in Kuleo Hotel, while the guide clears up permits with the authorities. Thereafter, drive for 3 hours to the Toposa village of Mogos, which is one of the largest villages and a clan of Toposa.
On your way, you will be experiencing Gold mining activities by the Toposa people and local trade markets along the way. On arrival at your destination of Mogos village, you will relax while the guide meets the village elders and chiefs for introduction, and then later you will connect for a nature walk to the village. Experience evening activities like milking, cooking, and night dances accompanied by prayers.
Day 9. Toposa – Jie (last day with Toposa).
You will have your last morning photos with the Toposa, have breakfast, and then pack and depart to Lopet- the village of the Jie people. You will experience Toposa traditional dances in the morning before driving to the Jie Territory. You will drive for 3 hours to the final destination and have lunch on arrival. And after, you will drive or walk to one of the biggest villages in Lopet payam to witness the Jie way of life. The Jie people are related to the Toposa, speaking the same language and believed to have originated from Northern Ethiopia.
You can have your farewell party with Jie people this evening.
Day 10. Bye-bye to jie (last day with jie).
Morning, last photos with the Jie people accompanied by traditional dances, have breakfast, and then pack and drive to Kapoeta Town, the main city of the Toposa People. You will have your packed lunch, inclusive of cold drinking water and fruits on the way.
Note: On this evening at the hotel, you will choose to have your last dinner together with the team and share stories about the tour experiences.
Day 11. Market tour. And bye-bye to the team.
After breakfast, you will tour the busiest market of Kapoeta town, where you can make purchases of local goods to take as gifts to your friends and family. The market is mixed up with traders from Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and South Sudan. With the local traders of Toposa dominating the gold and tobacco trade, and bead shops.
Thereafter, you will drive to the Kapoeta airport, which is 800 meters from the hotel, to take your flight back to Juba, while the rest of the team drives on the road to Juba.
Note. This is the last day of the tour. Those willing to offer gifts and tips to the team are requested to do it on this morning before driving to the airport.
Day 12. End of the trip. (Fly back home).
After breakfast, you will have a city tour to visit one of the biggest markets of South Sudan (called Konyo-Konyo market), and after get back to the hotel for lunch and then drive to the Juba Airport for your flight back home.
Those who have an early flight back shouldn’t worry since we are flexible in fixing our clients’ needs. You will be served as per your wish.
Note: You will have water to wash throughout the tour destinations!