The Nile River vastly regarded as the world’s longest river is the not only the lifeline of Egypt but many other nations. Its rich history from the medieval times, biblical right up to today makes one wonder of its Genesis. Jinja in Uganda is the proud source of River Nile, notably the longest river in the world and the adventure capital of East Africa. Today it attracts numerous visitors from near and beyond.
Jinja is just a 2 hours’ drive from the Entebbe International Airport the main entry point into Uganda and a 1 hour drive from the capital Kampala. It boosts of rich history that continuously gets a new addition to its list. It’s the main town of the Busoga Region and seat of the traditional leader, the Kyabazinga (king) of Busoga. The Basoga are among the most prominent tribes in the Pearl of Africa. The Kyabazinga’s palace is located in Bugembe the new state of art structure which is fast growing as a landmark in the region which means a lot to its tourism.
Due to the fact that at Jinja, The River Nile is in its upper course the waters are quite strong, which gave way for the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954. Today it is known as the Nalubale Power Station, Nalubale being the name of Lake Victoria in the local dialect. The dam construction fostered industrialization of the area with factories like Kakira Sugar Works, Nile Breweries and Nytil Uganda setting up, and many other sugar & tea processing industries. It is also going to host East Africa’s first automobile plant, The Kira Motors Corporation.
The sights and sounds of Jinja are breathtaking with tranquility and gush of the thrills. This part of the Nile is also symbolized by waterfalls, rapids, steep gradient and fast moving and calm waters. All this give surge to wild adventures like the grade 5 white water rafting adventure that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The Nile High Bungee Jump allows you to take the leap of faith from the cliff and reach down to touch the waters. It’s a life time experience one should have while they are on safari in Uganda. It’s also good for team building adventures while having this adrenaline rush.
Adventure at R. Nile
Particularly Jinja has five classes of awesome water rapids surrounded by the beautiful greenish and lush vegetation. The most interesting part of river Nile is its roar of rapids that are categorized into 5 classes of water rapids characterized by flat waters, steeper nature of water, scale magnitude providing a better ground for white water rafting in Uganda. Bujagali falls was the first place where white water rafting was first introduced in Uganda due to the high levels of water rapids during the early days.
The Tropical Island amidst Lake Victoria with warm water, friendly sunshine and perfect sounding roar of water fall gives you a memorable experience during your visit and the famous crashing white water providing a wonderful background for visitors who are interested in photo shoots.
White water rafting is an amazing adventure activity (leisure sports) which is preferably undertaken in fast moving waters; while participating in this activity people are encouraged to wear light clothes and strapped sandals among others. This premier adventure provides a visitor with a long lasting memorable out door experience because there is lots of fun during this activity due to its uniqueness and out of the ordinary extreme adventure.
In Jinja, one can also enjoy other sporting activities like mountain biking, quad biking, jet skiing, kayaking, horse riding, sunrise and sunset boat cruises along lake victoria. The exquisite attractions of Jinja make it one of the best honeymoon destinations in Uganda. Be assured you will nourish love and enjoy more romance with your partner as nature inspires you.
A safari to the source of River Nile is one of the short excursions you can choose to do while in the pearl of Africa. It is just a day’s trip that can be done at the start or end of your safari. At Jinja is where outdoor adventure naturally begins and ends.