Nimule National Park

Nimule National Park, on the southern border of South Sudan where the White Nile flows in from Uganda, is one of the country's most scenic and accessible protected areas. Here the great river winds through a landscape of green wooded hills and grassland, its waters home to substantial numbers of hippos and crocodiles, best seen from viewpoints and boat trips around the Fola rapids. The park shelters elephants, along with antelope, baboons and a rich variety of birds among its riverine forest and rocky hills. Set up in 1954 and covering about 410 square kilometres along the Ugandan border, compact and picturesque, with the Nile at its heart, Nimule offers a genuine taste of South Sudan's wild beauty in a more reachable setting than the country's remote interior.

The landscape

• The White Nile - the great river winding through the hills.
• The hippos - the substantial river hippo and crocodile populations.
• The Fola rapids - the scenic rapids and viewpoints.
• The wooded hills - the riverine forest, elephants and birdlife.

When to go

December to March, the dry season, is the best time for wildlife viewing and easier access, when animals gather near the river and tracks are passable; the rains make travel harder. Boat trips and viewpoints over the Nile are the highlights.

Things to know

Nimule is modest in scale with limited facilities, and its wildlife, while genuine, is best appreciated with realistic expectations rather than as a big-game safari. As one of South Sudan's most scenic and accessible parks, with the White Nile winding through green hills among hippos and elephants, though, Nimule offers a real and rewarding taste of the country's wild beauty.

Nearby

The border town of Nimule and the road to the capital Juba lie nearby.

Key facts