South Sudan

Boarding the international flight to Juba , the capital of South Sudan , the starting point of our expedition.

Night on board

We landed in Juba , the capital of South Sudan. After visa and customs formalities, we went to the hotel and took a short break.

But we don’t waste any time: in the afternoon, we begin our first great photographic experience by heading towards the Cattle Camps Mundari , on the banks of the White Nile.

There we will experience our first encounter with one of Africa’s most striking cultures. Amidst ash, smoke, sacred cattle, and bodies covered in mud and scarification, the Mundari offer an almost mythical aesthetic and presence.

We await dusk, when the light turns golden and ghostly, and the camps transform into an unparalleled setting for photography. Sunsets amidst the dust and cattle mark the beginning of a journey where the image is much more than a document: it is emotion, respect, and wonder.

Camping. Dinner

Today will offer us one of the most spectacular and exciting experiences one can have on the African continent. The hospitality of the Mundari people will allow us to immerse ourselves in the daily life of this unique ethnic group, where time seems to move at the rhythm of the cattle and the land.

We will visit various Cattle Camps , the traditional cattle ranches where the Ankole-Watusi , sacred cows with majestic horns, share space, dust, and ashes with their owners. Their relationship with the cattle goes beyond the economic: it is mystical, symbolic, and vital .

Our camera will capture unique scenes: how the youngest milk the cows at dawn, how they dye their hair with bovine urine and ash as a beauty ritual, how they prepare to sleep among the cattle, enveloped in smoke that protects them from insects. With luck, we will witness the cattle crossing to other islands in search of green pastures, where they dismantle and rebuild their camps in a matter of hours.

An unforgettable day, where the semi-nomadic life of the Mundari people is revealed in all its visual, spiritual, and human power. Each photograph will be more than a document: it will be a connection to an ancestral way of life that proudly endures in the heart of Africa.

Camping on full board.

We will take advantage of the magic of the last sunrise with the Mundari , when the soft, golden light envelops the camps and life begins anew amidst ashes, mooing, and smoke.

It will be our last chance to photograph that unique atmosphere, where bodies and animals seem to merge with the landscape in an almost dreamlike scene.

After saying our goodbyes and packing up camp, we’ll begin our return to Juba . This route allows us to absorb what we’ve experienced, process our emotions, and let the images settle in our memories.

Once in the capital, we’ll enjoy a well-deserved rest at the hotel to recharge our batteries , review our photographs, and prepare for the next stage of the trip.

Hotel in Juba, Breakfast.

After breakfast, we embarked on an intense and exciting day along dirt tracks and through ever-changing landscapes in our 4×4 vehicles . Our destination: Lopit , one of the most striking and visually stunning villages in East Africa.

It will be a long day’s journey , crossing remote villages and vast savannas, but the reward is immense: the arrival in a territory where culture is expressed with dazzling aesthetic force.

The Lopit are known for their spectacular ostrich feather headdresses , symbols of status, beauty, and pride. Their bodies are adorned with colorful beads, scarification, and traditional textiles, but it is at dusk that the community truly comes alive: with their collective dances , an explosion of rhythm, energy, and ancestral elegance.

An unforgettable arrival, which opens the doors to one of the most charismatic and photogenic towns of the trip.

Camping on full board.

Today we dedicate the entire day to living alongside the Lopit people , one of the most fascinating and visually striking ethnic groups in East Africa.

We will have the opportunity to conduct a photo shoot , exploring their culture from within, talking with the village elders, observing their rituals, and experiencing their unique way of life firsthand. Their traditional architecture, adapted to the hills they inhabit, speaks of an intimate connection with the landscape.

As evening falls, the small village square comes alive. Young people adorn themselves with feathers and necklaces, drums begin to beat, and one of the most beautiful expressions of this culture takes place: the Lopit collective dance , a choreography of pride, belonging, and beauty.

An unforgettable day, where photography not only documents, but also participates in a living and shared experience.

Camping on full board.

Early in the morning, before the sun rises above the horizon, we’ll climb to the top of a nearby hill for a spectacular photo shoot . There, in silence and with cameras ready, we’ll wait for that magical moment when the silhouettes of the Lopit mountains are etched against the golden light of dawn. A unique and unrepeatable moment, where beauty and emotion merge in every image.

After breakfast and saying our goodbyes, we set off for the Boya Mountains , territory of the Larim people, also known as the Boya. The road will take us through wild landscapes and sparsely populated areas until we reach this granite enclave, where we will camp alongside the community .

In the afternoon, we will begin our first encounter with the Larim, a people deeply connected to their traditions. Their bodies are adorned with impressive scarification , especially visible on young women, symbols of beauty, identity, and maturity.

We close the day by attending one of their communal dances, a living expression of cultural pride that will allow us to begin to understand their world through gesture, rhythm and gaze.

Camping on full board.

In the morning, we will have one last photo session with the Larim , taking advantage of the soft dawn light to capture the symbolic power of their scarified bodies, their expressive faces, and their architecture integrated into the hills. A moment to respectfully and profoundly conclude our encounter with this unique culture.

After saying goodbye, we begin the journey back to Kapoeta , crossing open landscapes that contrast with the intensity of the days we have lived.

Upon our arrival, something we’ve already been looking forward to awaits us: a good shower at the hotel , rest, and time to review images, share impressions, and prepare for the next stage of the trip.

Hotel in Kapoeta, Full board.

Today we leave Kapoeta for one of the most remote and visually stunning regions of South Sudan: the territory of the Jie people.

Along the way, we’ll make a brief stop near the Toposa , another fascinating group known for their scarification, their connection to cattle, and their warrior aesthetic. It will be an ideal opportunity to capture some candid photos and continue adding to the encounters that enrich our journey.

We continued along the route until, in the late afternoon, we arrived at the area where we would camp near the Jie village , one of the most unique ethnic groups in the country. The Jie are known for their distinctive facial scarification , traditional headdresses, and strong cultural identity. A nomadic community, they live in close connection with their livestock and their arid environment, in one of the most authentic landscapes of the trip.

This first contact marks the beginning of an intense, human and profoundly photographic coexistence.

Camping on full board.

Today we will dedicate the entire day to sharing the day with the Jie people , venturing into their scattered villages and discovering their spectacular ways of life , shaped by the arid environment and their close bond with cattle.

During the tour, we’ll have the opportunity to learn about their social organization, their simple yet functional architecture, and the daily rituals that mark the rhythm of their nomadic existence. What will surprise us most is their genuine hospitality , the openness with which they welcome us and allow us to observe—and photograph—from within.

If time allows, we will witness their traditional dances , where the community expresses itself with strength, rhythm, and pride. A vibrant spectacle that reveals their cultural identity and offers unforgettable scenes for our cameras.

A day to photograph calmly and respectfully , but above all to look with an open heart at one of the most authentic peoples of East Africa.

Camping on full board.

Early in the morning, we left Jie territory behind and began our return journey to Kapoeta in our 4×4 vehicles. It would be an intense and visually stunning trip, traversing open landscapes, remote villages, and horizons that encapsulate the raw beauty of South Sudan.

Upon arriving in Kapoeta, one of the great thrills of the trip awaits us: a spectacular flight in a small plane over the savanna, heading towards Juba , the capital of the country.

After days of shared experiences, dust, scarification, and magical light, we’ll return to our wonderful hotel , where rest will be as necessary as it is well-deserved. A night to relax, review photos, share experiences, and let our bodies and memories absorb everything we’ve been through.

Hotel in Juba, Breakfast.

After breakfast, it’s time to pack our luggage and begin the journey home.

We left South Sudan with the certainty of having lived one of the most spectacular adventures that a photographic trip can offer: unforgettable human encounters, cultures that defy time, impossible lights and scenes that are already part of our visual and emotional memory.

It has been much more than a trip. It has been an immersion, a discovery, a celebration of authenticity.

PhotoTravel quality.
See you on the next expedition.

Early in the morning we arrived at our final destination, marking the end of this unforgettable photographic expedition to South Sudan .

We return home with cards full of unique images, our souls vibrating with human encounters and the certainty of having witnessed a beauty that endures, far from the noise of the world.

Thank you for being part of this experience.

Night on board