Worldwide Photographic Journeys

Africa & Madagascar

SOUTH SUDAN: TRIBAL WONDERS OF THE WHITE NILE

Saturday 6th February – Saturday 20th February 2027

Leaders: Ingrid Koedood and local cultural guides

15 Days Group Size Limit 5 (tour full)
Saturday 5th February – Saturday 19th February 2028

Leaders: Ingrid Koedood and local cultural guides

15 Days Group Size Limit 5

SOUTH SUDAN: TRIBAL WONDERS OF THE WHITE NILE PHOTO TOUR

South Sudan.  It is Africa’s newest country. Although it gained independence just over twenty years ago, South Sudan is home to some of the most ancient and diverse cultures in East Africa.

On a clear day, flying over South Sudan, it is fascinating to watch a series of rugged mountain ranges unfold beneath the plane, and if you look carefully, you may catch a glimpse of isolated villages dotted across this incredible landscape.  These villages are home to some of the most untouched and beautiful people, living in finely sculpted traditional homes that are among the finest examples of African vernacular architecture in the region.

Travelling in this remote part of Africa is a real adventure.  The country’s youthful nature and lack of infrastructure lend South Sudan a frontier-like feel, yet for photographers who want to travel off the beaten path, this young nation offers a richly rewarding experience of highly decorated people still living much the same way they have for centuries.

Our expedition in South Sudan journeys to remote villages to meet five different, yet startlingly beautiful, groups of African people, including the Toposa, Jie, Laarim, Lopit and Mundari.

TOPOSA

The handsome, beautifully decorated Toposa people of South Sudan belong to the Karomojong cluster of African people, which includes the Turkana people of Kenya, the Nyangatom people of Ethiopia, the Karomojong people of Uganda, and the Dongiro and Jie people of remote southeastern South Sudan.  Living deep in the Ilemi Triangle, a secluded geographical corner between South Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia, the Toposa are proud, statuesque and friendly.  Visiting their villages is like stepping into another world.  Built by Toposa women, their curious, stilted granaries, called Ekores, stand in communal stands between pretty, sculpted roundhouses.  As we explore Toposa villages on foot, we may see women preparing Ekores for the rain with a mix of mud and dung, or stitching beads by hand onto their beautiful Nyadols, or goatskin skirts.

To date, the Toposa people have largely resisted a lot of the influence of our modernised, outside world.  Their economic and social life revolves around herding cattle, camels, donkeys, goats and sheep.  Boys are first given goats and sheep to care for; then, after they come of age, they are given the role of caring for cattle.  The Toposa have always competed with neighbouring tribes for water and pasturage.  Traditionally, they engaged in the ivory trade, but that has now been banned; they pan for gold and other precious minerals in local streams.

During our stay with the Toposa, we will experience an afternoon of traditional dance.  Toposa ceremonies feature beautifully adorned women dancing in circles while performing the high leaps into the air that are so characteristic of other dances in Turkana cultures.

JIE

As we travel into more remote regions of Eastern Equatoria, we will visit several communities of the beautiful Jie, who are a sister culture of the Toposa.  Sharing the same stunning facial and body keloidal scars as the Toposa people, the Jie also practice specific lip piercing, and the women adorn themselves with beaded, semi-circular crowns, multi-stranded bead necklaces, brass bands and nose rings.  These beautiful beaded decorations use colours that tie a Jie woman to her husband’s clan.

Visually, their villages resemble those of the Toposa with their pretty stilted granaries and roundhouses, yet the Jie communities differ in that their homes are sometimes multi-story and their granaries are even more intricately constructed. Unlike the Toposa, each Jie home usually has a small plot for growing tobacco and other crops.  Tobacco is a highly favoured plant, harvested, dried, and smoked in large water pipes called Ebolo.

Wandering through Jie villages is like plunging into the world of Africa’s wildest hunters.  Each home is adorned with skins that come only from wild antelope, for the Jie are known for their hunting prowess.  They use these skins to line babies’ cradles and as sleeping mats, where the Jie curl up close to the ground under the stars of an African night sky.

The Jie remain geographically isolated in a region of rolling hills and golden grasslands.  They rarely visit towns like Kapoeta because of the distance they must travel to buy necessities, so we will spend two nights living alongside family communities in their villages at the base of the remote Boma Plateau in the Kathangor Hills.

LAARIM

At the foothills of the spectacular Kimotong Mountains of Eastern Equatoria live the Laarim, a smaller ethnic group of people who practice the most intricate scarification we will see on our tour.  Considered some of the most traditional people in South Sudan, the Laarim live in beautiful villages at the foothills of the rugged Kimotong, a mountain range home to troops of Olive Baboons, Rock Hyraxes, and many bird species.  The steep granite peaks of the Kimotong pierce the sky above Laarim villages, almost watching over them like stony sentinels, and as we walk the undulating paths from village to village, we will see many desert rose succulents, shaded by large Acacias and stands of Doum Palms.

Perhaps in direct response to their stunning landscape, the Laarim people have a highly valued aesthetic reflected in everything they do.  From the decorations on their homes, which include animal bones and shells, to kitchen utensils like wooden spoons and gourds decorated with beads, beauty underpins the entire world of the Laarim people.

The crowning glory of this elaborate tradition is the stunning decoration of Laarim women.  Starting with their many-patterned, intricate keloid scarification, which covers their faces and sometimes their entire bodies, Laarim women pair this with beautiful piercings and beaded jewellery, alongside pretty multi-layered floral skirts, colourful socks, and striped, sari-like dresses.  This stunning dress style is only abandoned when they become widows, in which case they dress down in a simple white dress, with headdresses and armbands fashioned from dried palm fronds and vines.

In this fairy-tale land of attractive people and sculpted villages, we may meet elderly Laarim women smoking tobacco from long pipes they call ‘Ijoo’.  Between watching young Laarim boys shepherding their goats and sheep, we will see small children seeking Doum palm seeds, which they eat like a rusk for breakfast.

A highlight of our time with the Laarim will be watching a ceremonial dance, and it is a magical experience to see these beautiful girls dancing in such a dramatic and ruggedly beautiful landscape.

LOPIT

Deep in a remote part of Eastern Equatoria, the spectacular Lopit people live in the Lopit Hills region near the Uganda-South Sudan border.  They are Eastern Nilotic people who practice agriculture and rear livestock on the mountain slopes.  Alongside raising livestock, they are also known for harvesting honey and shea butter nuts.

Spanning just six sub-communities, these lesser-known people of South Sudan celebrate important life events through dances and ceremonies performed for initiations, funerals, weddings, the elderly, or a successful hunt.  Lopit culture passes on knowledge through songs, poetry, drama, and music that express feelings and emotions.

Marriage begins with courtship, and then the girl elopes with her boyfriend. When they return home, they settle the dowry, 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.  This is when the village administration and authority over community affairs is handed to the next generation.

One of the most spectacular celebrations performed by the Lopit is a funeral, where young Lopit warriors don huge headdresses fashioned from cowrie shells, ostrich feathers, and native grasses, and wear traditional dress made from Colobus skins before dancing in circles out of respect for a recently deceased person.

MUNDARI

Statuesque and incredibly strong, the Mundari people are one of the most special remaining tribal groups in Africa.

Characterised by unique facial scarring featuring three parallel lines pointing downward in a ‘V’ shape across their foreheads, the Mundari are the traditional warriors of the White Nile.

The Mundari’s world centres on caring for their magnificent Ankole Watusi cows, which people tend from birth until death.  This relationship is so special that a Mundari man will often sleep beside his favourite cow, and if you gently ask someone to take their photo, they will hold their arms in the air in the same position as the horns of their beloved cow. The Mundari nomadically herd their cattle to places close to grazing and water sources, setting up cattle camps that are a frenzy of activity from dawn to dusk each day. A typical Mundari day starts with dusting their cows with ash from overnight fires to keep both cows and animals free of mosquito bites.  The ash helps protect Ankole cows from the harsh heat of the African sun.  Young Mundari children run around collecting milk from their favourite cow or freshly laid dung, which they transport in buckets to special piles that dry during the day for fire fuel.  Some children drink milk directly from the udders of cows, while others take a shower in a cow’s urine, which acts as a sterilising agent and bleach for their hair! During the day, young men and women take their cows out to feed and water them.  As the sun gets lower, they return, and the children are tasked again with tethering their cows overnight.  Women then gather dried dung to make fires for cooking, warmth, and to repel biting insects.  This is the Mundari cycle of life, and it is most spectacular during the dry season, when fire smoke and clouds of dust stirred up in the cattle camps create an almost ghost-like atmosphere, offering unrivalled photographic opportunities each day.

These hardy, resilient people are fascinating to learn about through our conversations around camp.  We will establish our expedition base right next to a cattle camp, giving us enough free time to wander through the cows, meet people, and take photos without rushing.

During our time with the Mundari, we will visit unique villages known for their spectacular African vernacular architecture, learn about the large black and white totem poles and their granaries, and learn about traditional ritual scarification and body decoration.

Our expedition has been timed to ensure we are in South Sudan at the peak of the heat and dust season in Mundari camps, and our longer time with these people will allow us to hopefully see a traditional wrestling match or the dance of Yanguera, which is performed by young Mundari men to attract a wife.

Why travel to South Sudan with Wild Images

Right now, several photographers and photography touring companies offer tours through South Sudan. Our expedition features several rarely seen ceremonies in isolated communities.  It is the only tour of its kind to feature photography opportunities of these magnificent celebrations.

Our tour is longer than most on offer because we believe the best images come from people-to-people photography.  We encourage our guests to chat with locals, laugh with them, engage with them, and simply enjoy the experience of being immersed in their world.

Accommodation & Road Transport

The hotel we use in Juba is a good standard with hot showers, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and ensuite facilities. During the expedition, we will stay in tented camps. There will be 2-man tents (but each person can have their own tent: couples may prefer to use one tent for luggage) and a dining table with chairs. Our support staff will provide and cook all meals. Washing facilities include a bowl of cool water, taken in your tent, and a shared toilet tent with a seat. Our camp staff will set up and take down your camp for you at each location.

With stand up tents, comfortable mattresses, a sit down toilet, showers and shaded dining area, our camps in South Sudan are truly wonderful

With stand-up tents, comfortable mattresses, a (shared) sit-down toilet, (shared) shower and shaded dining area, our camps in South Sudan are truly wonderful

The transport for the South Sudan expedition will be by 4×4 vehicles. Roads in South Sudan are only reasonable in the cities; the few tarred highways are usually dotted with potholes. For much of our journey, we will be on dirt roads and tracks, so we will travel in 4WD expedition vehicles.

Walking

The walking on this tour is mostly easy. To visit the Lopit people may require a short hike up a hill.  The most challenging hike is in the Lopit hills to photograph Lopit warriors at sunrise, but this hike is optional.

Climate

The weather in South Sudan will be hot. Expect a mix of sunny and overcast conditions. Rain is unlikely.

Photographic Highlights

  • The only tour in South Sudan that offers a myriad of ceremonies, many of which are seen by few outsiders
  • Visit the remote Lopit people, just one in a cast of five that also includes the Jie, Toposa, Mundai and Laarim
  • A true adventure in the frontier-like countryside of Africa’s newest country
  • Photograph the spectacular Mundari people in their mesmerisingly beautiful cattle camps at the peak of the 'dust season'
  • Explore the beautiful body scarification and decoration of the Laarim, Toposa and Jie people
  • Travel to the remote Boma Plateau in the Kathangor Hills to meet isolated communities of beautiful Jie people
  • Traverse three rugged granite mountain ranges, the Liria, Ileu and Kimotong which are home to spectacular tribal villages and wildlife including nesting Ruppells Vultures, rock hyraxes, olive baboons and bushbuck
  • Travel with a highly experienced team who know the villages we will visit intimately
  • Experience lively and fascinating tribal dances
  • Visit the lesser known Lopit people to learn about their spectacular ceremonies and intricate tribal decorations

OUTLINE ITINERARY

  • Day 1: Arrive in Juba in time for dinner by the side of the White Nile and an overnight stay
  • Day 2: After finalising our travel permits for the expedition we will fly from Juba to Kapoeta and then drive to the region of the Toposa people
  • Day 3: Full day of photography in Toposa communities
  • Day 4: After a final sunrise with the Toposa we will drive northwards towards the Boma Plateau to visit the Jie people
  • Day 5: Full day of photography with Jie people
  • Day 6: A final sunrise shoot in the Jie villages before we drive to the Kimotong Mountains to visit Laarim people
  • Day 7: Full day of photography in Laarim villages
  • Day 8: A final sunrise shoot with Laarim people before we drive a long distance to reach the remote Lopit people, arriving in time for sunset photographs in their villages
  • Day 9: Full day of photography in Lopit villages
  • Day 10: Final photos with the Lopit before we pack up our vehicles to make the journey back to Juba.
  • Day 11: Today we will drive out to the Mundari cattle camps, arriving in time to spend our first afternoon taking photos until sunset
  • Day 12: A full day of photography with Mundari people
  • Day 13: A full day of photography with Mundari people
  • Day 14: After a final morning of photography with the Mundari people we will return to Juba
  • Day 15: The tour ends after breakfast in Juba

To see a larger map, click on the square-like ‘enlarge’ icon in the upper right of the map box.

To see (or hide) the ‘map legend’, click on the icon with an arrow in the upper left of the map box.

To change to a satellite view, which is great for seeing the physical terrain (and for seeing really fine details by repetitive use of the + button), click on the square ‘map view’ icon in the lower left corner of the ‘map legend’.

PRICE INFORMATION

South Sudan Photography Tour Prices: Tour prices in South Sudan are high because of local conditions. First, tourism transport is very expensive. South Sudan is a country with only a thin ‘meniscus’ of development, sitting on an otherwise very undeveloped part of the world. Furthermore, and even more importantly, the country is quite rigidly controlled by costly road permits to travel, and police at the checkpoints often require ‘extra fees’ which are unavoidable if we want to complete our tour! This combination makes for high prices.

Wild Images Inclusions: Our tour prices include the South Sudan tourist visa, one-way flight between Juba and Kapoeta, transportation, accommodations, meals and national reserve entrance fees.  All photography, guide, village and driver donations and tips are included in the tour price.  Since all camera equipment needs to be registered and paid for in South Sudan, we include registration for two camera bodies for each guest.

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)


2027: £7880, $10800, €9230, AUD15110. Juba/Juba.
2028: provisionally £8190, $11230, €9600, AUD15720. Juba/Juba.

Single Supplement: 2027: £290, $410, €350, AUD570.
Single Supplement: 2028: £290, $410, €350, AUD570.

If you are travelling alone, the single supplement will not apply if you are willing to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available. The small single supplement applies to the overnight stays in hotels in Juba. The tented accommodation on the main tour is the same cost for a single or twin share.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

SOUTH SUDAN – TRIBAL WONDERS OF THE WHITE NILE PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

South Sudan: Day 1

Our South Sudan photography tour starts in the early evening in our Juba hotel, where we will enjoy dinner on the side of the pulsing White Nile, one of the most iconic rivers in Africa.

South Sudan: Day 2

After breakfast and finalising our travel permits, we will fly to Kapoeta in Eastern Equatoria, where we will meet our drivers, who will take us to a remote corner of Eastern Equatoria, home of the spectacular Toposa people, with their intricately beaded crown jewellery and body scarification.

South Sudan: Day 3

Today we will spend the day visiting Toposa communities for photography.

South Sudan: Day 4

As we pack up our camp, we will drive north to the Jie region, arriving in time to visit our first Jie villages, doing photography of these beautiful people and their wonderful vernacular architecture, including their stilted granaries, stunning homes and gardens.

South Sudan: Day 5

Today we will enjoy a full day with the Jie people, wandering through their villages and taking photos.

South Sudan: Day 6

After a final morning of Jie photography, we will leave for the rugged and incredibly spectacular Kimotong mountains that are home to many villages of the Laarim people.  These soaring granitic peaks also feature huge stands of desert rose plants, whimsical Laarim huts, animal enclosures and traditional grinding pits at the foothills of these mountains.  For centuries, Laarim women have used these pits to grind grain, and with luck we will watch them grinding grains while sometimes cradling their children in the warm stone.

South Sudan: Day 7

Today we will spend a full day exploring Laarim villages on foot, photographing their intricate and highly decorative bodily scarification and jewellery.  With luck, we may see traditional dances like Nakeku, the coming-of-age dance for young Laarim girls.

South Sudan: Day 8

The next day we will travel out to the remote region of the Lopit people.  We will arrive in time to explore the beautiful Lopit villages on foot and take photos.

South Sudan: Day 9

Today we will spend a full day exploring Lopit villages for photography. We will also witness a simulated ceremonial dance for a Lopit funeral.  This highly decorated dance involves Lopit men dressed in leopard skins, colobus skins, and headdresses fashioned from cowrie shells and ostrich feathers.  As the most spectacular ceremony of our tour, this will be an absolutely memorable highlight of our visit with these remote people.

South Sudan: Day 9

After a final morning of photography in the villages of the Lopit people, we will drive through three spectacular mountain ranges back to Juba, arriving in time for a much-needed rest, shower, battery charge and dinner.

South Sudan: Days 10 to 13

Today we will embark on the final leg of our expedition, travelling to a remote cattle camp of the stunning Mundari people.  We will establish our expedition base right alongside our camp, where we will spend three magical nights learning about Mundari ways, attending a traditional dance and witnessing a wrestling match.  As we enjoy numerous photography sessions with these amazing people, we will immerse ourselves in the Mundari world of worshipping their beautiful Ankole Watusi cows, watching children drink directly from their cows, young Mundari men sleeping alongside them, and we will enjoy the daily rituals of fire building, cattle caring and life amongst some of the most visually stunning people in all of Africa.

South Sudan: Day 14

After a final sunrise photography session with the Mundari, we will pack up our expedition, say our final farewells and drive back to Juba, where we will once again enjoy a wonderful, final dinner on the banks of the White Nile.

South Sudan: Day 15

Our tour ends today after breakfast with a transfer to the airport to meet your international flight.

South Sudan: Tribal Wonders of the White Nile Tour Report 2025

by Inger Vandyke

I’ve always had a great affection for South Sudan.  Before I visited Africa’s newest country for the first time a few years ago, I used to help South Sudanese refugees fleeing from the war of independence just a mere 14 years ago, to settle into their new homes in Australia.  Since then, when I’ve been […]

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South Sudan Photography Tour Report 2021

by Inger Vandyke

It’s quite something to arrive in Juba, the capital of the world’s newest country. After navigating the chaos of the airport, you are richly rewarded with dinner on the banks of the incredible White Nile. This is how our expedition began and, as we sat watching Palm Swifts gather in the fronds of the Doum […]

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