As such the 300-mile Victoria Nile, which flows from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert, still holds ample surprises--the scariest being a 55-mile stretch that drops one continuous Class IV-V rapid after the next for 800 feet. A quarter of that drop, by the way, takes place at 200-foot Murchison Falls, a mandatory portage.
Jinja, near Kampala, is a good first stop for a couple of days of relaxation. It is a quiet town with a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and also, it is the home of Uganda's white water rafting industry. The rafting is awesome;We did the trip with Nile River Explorers, which is run by some very friendly South Africans who even throw in a night's free accommodation at their magnificent campsite.
It is a full day's entertainment with the rafting rounded off by an excellent meal near the river. Jinja is also at the source of the Nile so don't miss out on the visit to the plaque marking the spot where the Nile leaves Lake Victoria on its long, long journey to the sea. There is a definite mystique attached to the Nile, something quite exciting knowing that the water flowing past your feet will continue its progress through the deserts of Sudan, past the Valley of the Kings and through Cairo to Alexandria.
More than four thousand miles in length, the Nile is the longest river on the planet. Until very recently no one had dared to challenge this river at its source in Uganda - some of the most powerful and sustained rapids on earth. Adrift made an historic first descent of the Victoria Nile in July 1996, and now make regular descents of this mighty stretch of water. Up to seven times the volume of the Zambezi thunders between heavily forested islands, creating massive rapids. After exploding through these 'monsters ' we drift lazily through large pools, in hot equatorial sunshine - until the next one ! ! This is white water rafting at it's best.
The ancient Egyptians were certainly not into white water rafting on the River Nile, but at the source of the Nile at Jinja, inhabitants have been floating down the Bujugali Falls for centuries. In the old days, it was fishermen in wooden canoes. Now it is thrill seekers in bright orange inflatable paddle rafts and streamlined kayaks.
Where the Nile spills out of Lake Victoria through the Owen Falls Dam - over which runs the Nairobi-Kampala road - it soon quickens pace and hits a 30-km stretch of world class white water rapids. Most are grade four to five, so you’re in for a turbulent time on a rafting trip.
Bujugali Falls is first up: a one km wall of raging white water, followed by a series of 12 challenging water obstacles, like the legendary 'Overtime' - a 4.5 metre waterfall - and 'The Bad Place' - supposedly the largest commercial rafting eddy in the world. The idea is to flip, have a washing machine cycle good time in a rapid, before being popped by your life jacket from the depths of the Nile into the frothy sun.
For the real adrenaline junky, get a closer perspective of the Nile on a river board. Surf ten kms of rapids attached to a boogie board. The Nile is also the only river in the world where you can raft under the light of a full moon. Thanks to its popularity, the rafting companies are now offering 5–day kayak courses.
But it’s not all about getting wet. It’s a beautiful stretch of river with abundant bird life and richly green forested banks. There is ample opportunity to drift leisurely in the calm pools between the rapids, and stop for lunch on one of the islands. But if you want to raft the Nile you need to go soon. The Ugandan government has every intention of constructing a hydroelectric dam at Bujugali Falls to provide power for the country. In a few years time the existing rapids will be flooded. |
