Uganda: Rafting the Nile at Jinja
We crossed the border from Kenya into Uganda, our first destination the town of Jinja. Jinja is one of several places that claims to be the source of the Nile (other contenders include Burundi and Ethiopia). We stayed at an incredibly scenic campsite on the banks of the river, fully conducive to lazing in the sun, drinking Nike beer and enjoying a bit of a break from truck life.
For those interested in being more active, Jinja has many options. You can kayak, go tubing, take a sunset cruise, go mountain biking or quad biking. But the classic Jinja activity is white water rafting on the Nile.
There are currently 8 rapids (grades 3-5) along a 25km stretch of the river. A full day of rafting gets you transpiration to and from the river, breakfast, rafting with a guide, a snack on the river, a barbecue lunch and as many beers as you see fit to drink.
We started with a lesson in the basics of rafting - how to paddle, paddle harder, paddle backwards, and get down into the raft while not losing your paddle. And then we hit the rapids.
We had a fantastic time. The water was warm, the rapids were a blast, and our guide was great. He steered us through with an ease that made me suspect our paddling contributions were quite minimal. Kind of like when a small child wants to “help” you in the kitchen - we weren’t really helping, but we liked feeling involved.
The photos in the post were provided by Nile River Explorers Rafting - they did a great job with all aspects of our day trip!
If you go: Between the safety equipment (helmet, life jacket) and the competence of the guides, anyone who is a reasonable swimmer and likes the water would enjoy rafting in Jinja. They are building a new hydroelectric dam with will likely alter the number and grade of the rapids in the very near future, though, so check with the locals for the latest information. While most Nile parasites live in standing water rather than the rapids, it is worth at least considering taking a dose of an antibiotic (praziquantel, available over the counter at any drug store in Uganda) a few weeks after a potenttial exposure.
