Starluck Tours and Travel Ltd.

07/04/2018

The beautiful South Sudan you haven't seen.

17/10/2017

Three natural cultural sites in South Sudan have made it to the tentative list of World Heritage sites. The Sudd wetland, the Deim Zubeir slave route and the Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape are all being considered by the UN Education and Scientific Organization – UNESCO for the world listing.
The sites were presented by the South Sudan government, based on their outstanding universal value.
The cultural body will review the submissions and decide which meet the criteria to join the list of more than 1,000 sites located in 167 countries.
Karalyn Monteil a Culture Programme Specialist with UNESCO explains that the recognition would allow South Sudan to tap into international support and expertise to protect and conserve the sites.

https://audioboom.com/posts/6400884-south-sudan-cultural-sites-make-it-to-tentative-world-heritage-list

Three natural cultural sites in South Sudan have made it to the tentative list of World Heritage sites. The Sudd wetland, the Deim Zubeir slave route and the Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape are...

31/08/2017

Humanity is not without answers or solutions regarding how to liberate itself from scenarios that invariably end with mass exterminations. Tools such as compassion, trust, empathy, love, and ethical discernment are already in our possession. The next sensible step would be to use them. Lets be careful.

04/05/2017

A typical village in South Sudan during a dry season.

01/02/2017

Welcome to Juba!!
I am sure sure you will enjoy your stay in this warm and peaceful new country with friendly people and a wide variety of facilities and entertainment.
Juba is the fastest growing city in the world. The country is developing very rapidly with unlimited opportunities for investment and cooperation.

There is an abundance of natural resources, jungles, both white and blue river Nile, minerals and oil, an un-spoilt paradise. South Sudan boasts the second largest wildlife migration in the world.
The country held a referendum in January 2011, and almost 100 percent of the population voted for independence, thus the country became independent on July 9th, 2011. There was a lot of excitement and celebrations. This is a great time to visit and see the newest Nation in the world.

29/09/2016

Juba is indeed one of the fastest growing cities in East and Central Africa. It's developing at a quick pace with boundless opportunities. Not only does Juba have a profusion of natural resources, Juba also contains luscious jungles as well. Not to mention, South Sudan features the second largest wildlife migration in the world. While the tourist attractions are limited, there are plenty of entertaining hotspots and nightlife in Juba.

South Sudan’s protected areas are generally in the flood plains of the Nile River. The habitat predominantly comprises grasslands, high-altitude plateaus and escarpments, wooded and grassy savannas, floodplains and wetlands.
Below is an account of scenic attractions in the country.

* Wildlife Migration:
As mentioned earlier, South Sudan is home to the second largest wildlife migration on the globe, making game and wildlife a huge tourist attraction. South Sudan hosts several National Parks and Game Reserves, bringing spectacular and important wildlife populations to Africa such as buffalo, elephants, giraffes, topis, lions, etc.

* Nile River:
The longest river in the world, the Nile is the dominant geographic attraction of Sudan and is a must stop if visiting Juba. There are many bars and restaurants you can visit that will give you a beautiful scenic view of the White Nile River.

* Sudd Swamp:
Sudd Wetland, which is an important bird life area covering 57,000 km 2 (22,000 sq mi). It is also a Ramsar Site with over 400 bird species, 100 mammal species, and 100 fish species.

* Jonglei Canal:
The Jonglei Canal was a hydro-construction project that was proposed, started but never completed to divert water through the vast Sudd wetlands of South Sudan so as to deliver more water downstream to Sudan and Egypt for use in agriculture. This afterwards paralyzed by the SPLA malitia and appears to stretch for endless miles.
This has boosted the tourism sector of the state and hence counting for more visits.

* Mount Imatong:
The Imatong Mountains (also Immatong, or rarely Matonge) are located in the state of Imatong State in southeastern South Sudan, and extend into the Northern Region of Uganda. It was earlier a part of Eastern Equatoria before reorganisation of states.
Mount Kinyeti is the highest mountain of the range at 3,187 metres (10,456 ft), and the highest point of South Sudan.
The range has an equatorial climate and had dense montane forests supporting diverse wildlife. Since the mid-20th century the rich ecology has increasingly been severely degraded by native forest clearance and subsistence farming, causing extensive erosion of the slopes.

* Lake Ambadi;
Lake Ambadi (Coordinates of 8°42′N 29°19′E / 8.700°N 29.317°E) is a lake of South Sudan. It forms one of the world's largest wetlands and is home to large numbers of the rare Shoebill.

* Lake No;
is a lake in South Sudan, located just north of the vast swamp of the Sudd ; at the confluence of Bahr el Jebel and Bahr el Ghazal rivers. It marks the transition between the Bahr el Jebel and White Nile proper. Lake No is located approximately 1,156 km downstream of Uganda's Lake Albert , the major lake on the White Nile preceding Lake No. The lake is considered the center of the Reweng people of Panaruu section of Dinka peoples.

* Traditional Cattle Market:
The White Bull is prized and sacrificed for celebration as a symbol of peace after struggle. The cattle market near the city center has herds of cows that cross town going to the market. The bulls have horns up to six feet long and are a sight to watch. The White Bull is a popular beer in Sudan and Red Bull is the most popular imported energy drink – I’m sure you’ve heard of it!

* Traditional Dance:
Dancing is also a huge part of South Sudan and they feature a lot of local dances. South Sudanese tribes each have a dance that reflects their life. Additionally, art is a part of their culture. If you are looking to take a gift back home, there is a group of local sculptors that operate in Buluk next to JCC. They carve their work as you watch and none of them speak English. You can purchase sculptures nearby if you’d like.

* Additional Attractions:
The John Garang Mausoleum is also a great spot to check out while visiting. New stunning skyscrapers across the city, Jebel Kujur hill, a new bridge, a mountain west of Juba town, is a beautiful attraction that is also a must see while in South Sudan. A little further up the mountain is a place called Rock City.

As you can see, Juba is a great place to visit. There is not a lot of attractions, but it is full of culture and intriguing information – a place you’ll surely never forget!

03/06/2016

BOMA NATIONAL PARK'S FACT SHEET.
As water sources dry up after the seasonal rains, and then again when the seasonal rains return, enormous herds of animals migrate in Boma National Park, South Sudan. It is estimated that the migration is far greater than the famous migration of the Serengeti, where nearly 2,000,000 animals search for grazing. See the map on the home page of this web site to locate Boma National Park and an animated movement of the migration.
See following link to an excellent video about collaring of elephants, Kob and Tiang in Boma National Park, by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the South Sudan Wildlife Service-
Boma National Park is the 5th largest national park (NP) or game reserve (GR) in all of Africa. Boma National Park is 22,800 square kilometers (km2). Boma National Park is 2,280,000 hectareas (5,631,600 acres) in size. This vast park has virtually no roads or park ranger outposts. Mostly flat it is crossed by many small streams and swamps.
There are only 4 parks larger than Boma in Africa. They are Mudumu NP 85,000 km2 (Namibia), Selous GR 55,000 km2 (Tanzania), Central Kalahari GR 52,000 km2 (Botswana), and Namib-Nankluft NP 49,768 km2 (Namibia)
In South Sudan, as in the Serengeti, the migration takes place all year, it is a slow movement dependant on the grass and the rains. In March/April/May/June the animals are moving from North to South and West to East, from the Sudd flood plains and Bandigalo National Park, back into Boma National Park and Gambela Park in Ethiopia, because the rains will have started. In November/December/January the animals are moving from South to North and East to West as the dry season is well under way and the animals are searching for grass. In November/December/January the white-eared kob will be calving as they migrate north into the Sudd flood plain and west into Bandigalo National Park. The major migrating species involved are: white-eared Kob antelope, Tiang Antelope,and Mongalla Gazelle. Prior to the the war with the north there were huge herds of Zebra, these animals were considerable reduced in number. A 2008 survey estimated that there were 6,850 Elephants in the park and surrounding area adjacent to the park. The Elephants and Zebra also migrate with the water and grass.
In 1982 it was estimated there were about 6000 Giraffe in the Boma Park area, by 2007 it was estimated there were only 404 Giraffe remaining. The armies used the animal to feed their soldiers during the 25 years of war with Khartoum.
MAJOR SPECIES OF WILDLIFE IN BOMA NATIONAL PARK
In 22,800 square kilometer (2,280,000 Hectareas or 5,631,600 acres) Boma National Park the major species are: Elephant, Giraffe, Hippopotamus, Nile Crocodile, White-eared Kob, Tiang, Mongalla Gazelle, Lion, Leopard, Caracal, Serval, Cheetah, Wild Dog, Jackal, Hyaena, Nile Buffalo, Zebra, Topi, Ostrich, Grant's Gazelle, Roan, Lesser Kudu, Lelwel Hartebeest, Beisa Oryx, Derby's Eland, Bohor Reedbuck, Warthog, Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey.

24/10/2015

Heartless though it may seem to some, among the least harmful things to eat are sustainably culled wild animals. In the absence of natural predators, deer populations in parts of Junub have reached such dense numbers that the Savannah grasslands they browse fail to regenerate.

26/08/2014

Range Description
Found only in South Sudan and Ethiopia. In South Sudan, the bulk of the population is found in the Sudd swamps and in Boma National Park near the Ethiopian border, with smaller numbers in the Machar marshes on the Northern part of Boma National Park. In Ethiopia, the Nile Lechwe occurs marginally in the south-west, in the Gambella National Park, where its survival is probably highly precarious because of expanding human activities.

Population
Aerial surveys of the Sudd region conducted in the early and late dry season of the Jonglei State in south Sudan in 1980 yielded estimated counts of ~12,000 and ~32,000 animals, respectively. Most animals were concentrated mainly within the swamps on the west bank of the Nile (Mefit-Babtie 1983). Probably less than 1,000 animals were present in Boma-Gambella.
An aerial survey carried out by Wildlife Conservation Society in the early dry season in south Sudan in 2007 yielded an estimate of 4,291 animals, and identified the Zeraf Reserve as the most important protected area for this species.

Habitat and Ecology
The Nile Lechwe is confined to seasonally flooded swamps and grasslands within the Sudd and Boma-Gambella wetlands of south Sudan and south-western Ethiopia. They are almost always in shallow waters on the edge of deeper swamps where the water is between 10 and 40 cm deep.