Wau

Wau keeps the northwest's urban graces: the second city grew where the Jur river meets old trade routes, and its landmark - the red-brick St Mary's cathedral, raised by mission builders a century ago - presides over mango-shaded avenues, market quarters trading Bahr el Ghazal's produce, and a riverside where pirogues and washing-day colour keep the town's clock. The mix of peoples - Fertit, Dinka, Luo and more - gives the market its languages, and the town's role as regional hub makes it the natural base for the wider northwest, within the country's standing arranged-travel frame.

What you actually see

• St Mary's cathedral - the century-old red-brick landmark.
• The mango avenues - the old town's shaded outline.
• The Jur riverside - pirogues and the washing-day shore.
• The market languages - Bahr el Ghazal trading in plural.

When to go

December to March for dry-season ease. Check current travel advice before planning, and arrange the trip through specialist local operators.

Honest expectations

The frame first, as for the country entirely. In town: facilities are provincial-simple, courtesy and local guidance carry the day, and the pleasures are texture and welcome rather than sights-per-hour.

Nearby

The Jur river country and the northwest's routes.