Safety is a top priority when planning a visit to South Sudan, given that it is known for political instability. The safest national parks to visit in the country are Bandingilo and Boma National Parks. These parks are heavily guarded by government forces for the protection of visitors and wildlife. For the last 21 years, South Sudan has faced unimaginable unrest caused by civil wars among the different tribes. In the recent past, the wars stopped, and visitors have since flooded the country in different areas of the country. A casing point is Bandingilo and Boma National Parks, which have seen a drastic increase in visitors as they are the safest national parks in South Sudan.

Bandingilo National Park

Situated in the Equatorial region of South Sudan, Bandingilo National Park is an incredible destination. It was established in 1992, long before South Sudan was gazetted as a national park. Bandingilo National Park stretches over 10,000 square kilometers. Bandingilo National Park contains a wide range of vegetation zones from the savannah grassland and woodland plains to the wide swamps of riverine vegetation. The park harbors a variety of wildlife species that make it a popular hotspot for tourism in this area. The wild species in Bandingilo National Park include lions, cheetahs, ostriches, spotted hyenas, elephants, giraffes, and zebras, among others.

Bandingilo National Park’s rich biodiversity goes further to the skies, as the park is home to over 400 bird species. These species are a great addition to the ecological systems in the park. These birds are both migratory, meaning they fly into the park in specific seasons, and endemic species, which are the resident birds. Bandingilo National Park is bordered by a stretch of hills called Bandingilo Hills, which the park is named after. The park has an extension of wetlands that get their water from the Baro River. These wetlands harbor hippos, crocodiles, and several fish species, which are the aquatic species of the park. This park is managed by the African Parks, which got this mandate from the South Sudan government in 2022.

Boma National Park

At the extreme east of the border with Ethiopia, lies Boma National Park, a premium destination in South Sudan. It stretches over 22,800 square kilometers of smooth savannah grassland and woodland plains. Boma National Park, established in 1977, is among the popular national parks in the country. This park is home to various flora and fauna species, from the wildlife to the birds. Lions, reedbucks, antelopes, cheetahs, Grant’s gazelles, oryx, lesser kudus, zebras, giraffes, and leopards, among others. The common birds include Ruppell’s vulture and black-chested snake eagle. As of August 2022, the management of Boma National Park was transferred to African Parks by the Government of South Sudan. This was intended to develop it and increase the number of visitors it receives per year.

How to get to these parks?

Bandingilo and Boma National Parks can only be visited by air transport. This is highly attributed to the poor infrastructure, especially the roads. These roads hinder mobility, thus making exploration of these parks impossible. From a safety viewpoint, air transport is ideal for visitors planning to visit these parks.

What to see at these parks? – Attractions

Bandingilo and Boma National Parks are South Sudan’s top national parks, and both harbor an epic set of attractions. The following are some of the things to see when visiting the safest national parks in the country.

Great Nile Migration

Similar to the Great wildebeest migration in Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti, the Great Nile migration is considered the largest animal migration on early. This migration sees over 6 million antelopes, gazelles, reedbucks, and tiangs cross from Bandingilo National Park to Gambella National Park in Ethiopia. These animals follow the rains in search of fresh pasture and water. Visitors to these national parks have an opportunity to witness this great Nile migration.

Wildlife species

Bandingilo and Boma National Parks combine to craft the best wildlife experience, given that they harbor many species. From the carnivores like lions, leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas, among others, to the grazers like elephants, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, antelopes, and tiangs, among others. Visitors are assured of spotting most of these animals during their visit to these parks.

Vegetation

The vegetation zones of Bandingilo and Boma National Park offer amazing scenic beauty and are perfect for photography and film tours. These parks have different vegetation types such as riverine, savannah grassland, and woodland, etc.

Bird species

When it comes to the bird species in Bandingilo and Boma, the list is endless. These parks house close to 700 bird species. There are both migratory and endemic species of birds in these parks. These bird species nest across the different vegetation zones in the park. Some of the birds include black-chested snake eagle, shoebill stork, Ruppelle’s vulture, herons, African kingfishers, grey crested cranes, African blue flycatcher, Abyssinian ground hornbill, and black-billed bustard, among others.

What to do? – Activities

With many attractions in Bandingilo and Boma National Parks, visitors have many activities to explore these national parks. Below are some of the things to do while at the parks.

Game drives

Game viewing or game drives are the major tourist activities in Bandingilo and Boma National Parks. This activity gives visitors an incredible opportunity of exploring these parks and spot the wildlife in the safety and comfort of a safari vehicle. Game viewing allows visitors to safely extend closer to the wildlife for a much clearer look.

Birding

Bandingilo and Boma National Park host many bird species, thus making them important birding areas. Visitors from far and wide fly into these parks for an unforgettable birding experience. Birding opens the parks to more exploration, where visitors traverse the different birding trails to find birds.

Cultural tours

Other than the wilderness landscapes of Bandingilo and Boma National Parks, cultural tours are also done here. These parks are bordered by many communities of the Mundari and Dinka tribes that offer uncharted cultural experiences. Culture is one of the major selling points of South Sudan, given its unspoiled cultures protected for many generations. Visitors can enjoy their time with the Mundari and Dinka people at their cattle camps.