Uganda offers a spectacular world-class white water rafting experience along the Nile river near it’s source at Jinja City. White-water rafting experience is a major highlight to most visitors to Uganda, providing a full doze of a thrill-filled adventure and an opportunity to stretch beyond comfort zone.
White Water Rafting Experience – The Action
The white water rafting experience at Jinja is conducted along a 50-km stretch of the Nile taking on a series of water rapids classified from Grade 1 to Grade 5 offering an exhilarating wild experience. The thrilling experience run under half or full-day packages tailored for all categories of adventurers from first-timers and novice swimmers to high-adventure extreme enthusiast. Following the recent submerging of a few world-class rapids by the new constructed hydro-power dam, water rafting daily activities now begin further down-stream through the little village of Bujagali, 12km east of Jinja town.
A rafting day begins with a safety briefing followed by a hands-on orientation session on a quite stretch of the Nile. Thereafter, you will be given safety gear and be head out to the Nile where the captain and lead guides train you on paddling, rope handling, recovery and regrouping tactics. After the final safety checks on helmet straps, the captain will lead the assault, shouting out commands to make sure there is uniformity in paddling according the velocity of the rapids. It is worth mentioning that white water rafting is a team-work experience. The main raft is escorted by a fleet of safety kayaks and a safety boat to rescue and recover quickly any participant incase of an emergency. The assault begins from an easy rapids progressing on depending on the enthusiasm of participants. Along the experience, visitors are accorded breaks for a quick snack to recharge and appreciate a variety of wildlife along the lush riparian woodlands that team with birdlife.
White-water Rafting in Uganda – What you need to know.
White water rafting on the Nile doesn’t require any swimming experience whereas the minimum age is about 12yrs, children must be in accompany of an adult.
The oddly named rapids are classified into several groups Grade 1 to Grade 5 according to the level of difficulty and toughness.
Getting to Jinja
The adventure city of Jinja lies only 80km a 1.5hr drive from capital Kampala and 120km from Entebbe. All rafting activities begin on the northern banks of the Nile river, in the small village of Bujagali some 12km from the main round-about after the Nile bridge crossing. Visitors aiming for white water rafting adventure are required to report at rafting office by 8am.
What to pack for white water rafting at Jinja
Carry that swimming suit and an extra pair of clothes to change in after the experience. Carry along a sun cream as it really gets hot on the Nile. Don’t forget that sense of humor and a whole load of adrenaline, you need lots of them!!
Other Adventure activities on the Nile at Jinja
Jinja offers extra dozes of adrenaline activities including;
- Kayaking
- Tubing
- Biking
- Abseiling,
- Quad biking
- Horde riding
- Nature walks
- Community walks
- Boat cruising including sunset cruises, birding and visiting the source