Rivers of South Sudan

South Sudan is the youngest country in Africa, having gained independence from Sudan in 2011. It is unfortunately still politically unstable, with armed conflict a regular occurence in parts of the country.

The country is in North-East Africa, just north of Uganda, and the White Nile continues it’s journey from Victoria Lake to the Mediterean Sea through South Sudan.  It includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd, formed by the White Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal.

There is some good whitewater to be found on the White Nile between the Nimule National Park and Juba though. 2 and 4 day rafting trips are offered by African Rivers, owned and operated by Pete Meredith. The 2 day trip covers 80km of river, while the 4 day trip covers about 150km of river. The rapids are in the class 2 to 4 range, winding between islands with abundant jungle growth and mountain views. There are some small settlements of farmers and fishermen along the way, but this stretch of the Nile remains sparsely populated and is beautiful, remote and suprisingly unspoilt.