► Ethnographic trip to South Sudan: Dinkas and hill kingdoms

1 - 10 December 2023 (10 d. / 8 n.) / TRIP COMPLETED

The itinerary of this ethnographic trip to South Sudan has been designed to explore mainly the Nile and Lafit Hills regions, as well as the cultures that have developed there.

The trip will begin through the swampy territory along the White Nile. There we will meet the tall and majestic members of the Dinka tribe. Bordering them to the south we will find the Mundari. Both tribes are characterized by having their cattle as the central axis of their lives, their culture and their religion.

Afterwards, we will enter the Lafit mountains. There, we will visit two hill kingdoms, where we will enjoy some of the best examples of vernacular architecture to be found in Africa today. First, we will tour the Lopit kingdom, in a remote and beautiful mountainous area. Secondly, we will go to the Lotuko kingdom, near the town of Torit. Both have kings who, among their functions, have the duty to invoke rain. Also, they present a social organization based on age groups.

The tour will be guided by an experienced anthropologist who will help to understand the cosmology of the 4 ethnic groups.

Download the itinerary of this ethnographic trip to South Sudan

Throughout this ethnographic trip to South Sudan we will try to understand the cosmology of these four ethnic groups. If you want to know the detailed itinerary you can download it through the form that you will find below. Click here to easily reach the form.

The guide for this ethnographic trip to South Sudan will be Eva Colomer, an anthropologist who will help us understand the particular way of seeing and interpreting the world of the tribes that we will meet.

Discover the highlights of this ethnographic trip to South Sudan

We will meet traditional tribes of South Sudan

► Dinka tribe

The Dinka are cattle herders and revere their long-horned cows. It is in the camps of the bush where the Dinka boys will take their lessons to become men. They will care for the clan's sacred cattle and learn to behave like adults.

► Mundari tribe

Probably visiting a Mundari cattle camp will be the ethnographic and aesthetic highlight of our trip to South Sudan. Cattle camps are a learning space. Here young people from 11 to 30 years old learn about life. For the Mundari, cows are considered intermediaries between people and spirits.

► Lotuko tribe The Lotuko tribe still lives on top of the Lafit Hills and retains some of the original tribal culture. Although Italian missionaries arrived in the 1950s, the essence of the culture lives on. Lotuko tribal society is governed by a tandem consisting of a hereditary “rainmaker” queen or king and an age group that changes every 20-30 years.

► Lopit tribe

We will discover the different types of architectural techniques for the construction of the Lopit. Some older Lopit women still have the traditional lower lip piercing. We will have the opportunity to witness one of the most spectacular dances one can experience in South Sudan. The Lopit king and nobility (former warriors) will dance with some of the older women while children watch from a distance.