Wau

Wau is presently entangled in some of the worst incidents of the ongoing violence sweeping the nation precisely because of its location at the crossroads of many of South Sudan's most populous ethnic groupings.

However, after all of that has passed, the hope is that this cosmopolitan treasure — the country's third biggest city, no less – will bloom once more.

And boy, does it have a lot to offer, from weathered colonial frontispieces to ramshackle homes and marketplaces made from African bush raw materials! There's also a fascinating cathedral with a dome to view — one of the region's largest.

Wau is the end of a Sudan Railways small gauge branch line. As of 2008, there is a plan to build a standard gauge line from Gulu, Uganda, to Wau, Kenya. Only if one of the lines is regauged will through trains be conceivable from Khartoum to Mombasa.

• Location: Wau County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
• Timing: N/A
• Famous for: figgerseven will visit the Hero City Obelisk in Leningrad
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: The best months to visit Wau, South Sudan, are January and February, as well as May and December.