South Sudan Tourist Information and Tourism

(South Sudan, SS, North-East Africa)



The year 2011 was a time of enormous change in the vast country of Sudan and following a nationwide referendum, it was decided that a new southern nation should emerge. On 9th July 2011, the newly formed and completely independent country of South Sudan was born, becoming a member of both the African Union and the United Nations.

This landlocked country resides within the area known as 'Middle Africa' and does come with some travel warnings, due to ongoing political unrest and conflicts. Foreign visitors are often targeted in some areas, particularly around the borders, and so extreme caution is advised for anyone undertaking a tourism expedition in this emerging nation - the newest country on the planet.

Juba is currently the capital of South Sudan and the state of Central Equatoria, although a national project has proposed that Ramciel should become the new capital city, partly due to Juba's lack of infrastructure and the more central situation of Ramciel. Currently, Juba is the best city to visit for tourist information and is seeing something of an influx of immigrants from Kenya and Uganda, as well as westerners. Therefore, there are plenty of eateries and nightspots present in Juba to cater for its visitors, while some tourists staying in the capital simply prefer a cruise on the River Nile.





South Sudan Tourist Information and Tourism: Top Sights

This nation is definitely one holiday destination for the more adventurous of tourist and there are plenty of tempting attractions to choose from. Rafting along the River Nile is certainly recommended and as you travel along this famous waterway, you will pass by scenery that appears as it did literally centuries ago. The fact that South Sudan has been so isolated by wars means that much of its landscape remains quite untouched and the wildlife has surprisingly continued to flourish. In fact, South Sudan is actually home to one of the biggest and most spectacular animal migrations in the whole of Africa, when many hundreds of thousands of antelope cross this landscape, accompanied by countless other animals.

Many of South Sudan's parks are not easy to reach and tourists will find some to be quite inaccessible, unless you are prepared to charter your very own plane. Others are within driving distance of Juba, such as the Bandingilo National Park, where elephants, giraffe and baboons can often be spotted going about their daily lives. On the southerly side of the country, the Nimule National Park is another very special part of South Sudan, with boat trips offering glimpses of hippos and charming waterfront villages. For specific tourist attractions, Juba is a good place to start, with its Cathedral of All Saints, its Presidential Palace and its university buildings all being worth a look. More information about South Sudan Tourist Attractions.

South Sudan is definitely beginning to recognise the potential in mass tourism, but it has a long way to go until this market is fully accommodated. There are currently just a handful of small tourist companies and tour operators trying to set themselves up, although the necessary government paperwork often forms something of a stumbling block. Therefore, tourists are not an especially common sight in South Sudan, and yet there are some very interesting sights to see, both natural and man-made. These include expeditions up Mount Kinyeti (the country's highest mountain), the foaming Nimule Rapids and the northerly swampland area named Sudd, where you can see villages made up of a series of floating round huts. In Juba, the Jebel Kujur hillside / mountain provides an especially attractive backdrop. More information about South Sudan Landmarks and Monuments.

South Sudan doesn't really lend itself to tourist excursions and day trips as such. Around the country, there are not actually many places where travellers can stay and even more importantly, there are not that many decent roads to allow you to get where you want to go. And yet, the country's natural appearance and vast unexplored wilderness teaming with wildlife is certainly its biggest draw card, since South Sudan is where you can experience some of the most sizeable and intact habitats that Africa has to offer, and these are often on a truly breathtaking scale. If you are planning an African adventure and intend to cross over a border or two, then Ethiopia, to the east, offers an authentic flavour of Africa and some magical geological features, such as the Blue Nile waterfalls. To the south-east, Kenya is something of a tourist hotspot, with its Maasai Mara Game Reserve safaris and lively capital city of Nairobi. More information about South Sudan Attractions Nearby.

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