Bandingilo National Park, South Sudan

Bandingilo National Park is a national park in South Sudan positioned in the Equatorial region. Established in 1992, the park is situated in a wooded area close to the White Nile River. With approximately 10,000 square kilometers, the park covers the erstwhile states of Central Equatorial and Eastern Equatorial.

Bandingilo national park is a home to the world’s second largest annual animal migration after that of Serengeti. This migration involves the movement of multiple species of antelopes including the tiangs, reedbuck and the white eared kob. The park is also a home to iconic African megafauna like the Nubian giraffe and also consists of predators like the lions, cheetahs, caracals, the African wild dogs and the spotted hyenas.

Bandingilo national park is made up of large marshlands that stretch up to the Jonglei state and it supports a various population of bird species.

Safari activities in the park

There is a lot to see and do in Bandingilo national park during a safari in South Sudan including local community visits, bird watching, game viewing, the beautiful landscape and others.

Game drives

Enjoy a drive through the park during a guided game drive and spot a number of wildlife. The second largest annual animal migration after the Great migration in Serengeti takes place in this national park. This migration involves multiple species of antelopes like the reedbucks, white eared kob and tiangs. Others to be sighted during the drive include the cheetahs, caracals, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, African wild dogs, and many others.

Bird watching

Spot a number of beautiful and colorful bird species in the park. Bandingilo national park is crossed by River Nile which encompasses a wide range of different types of vegetation which provide habitat to a number of bird species including the African blue flycatcher, the Abyssinian Ground hornbill, African cuckoo hawk, African grey hornbill, African palm swift, African pygmy kingfisher, African jacana and many others.

Local community visits

Visit the local people and get to know more about their culture and traditions. Get some entertainment from these people through traditional songs, dances and poems. Also, enjoy listening to the traditional stories and the history of their culture.

Best time to visit the park

Bandingilo national park is visited anytime throughout the year but the best time for game viewing is between the months of June to September during the dry season. Due to climate changes in the country- South Sudan, the dry season can change to November and December.