Top 5 Adventure Activities to Do in Jinja
Jinja is the adventure capital of Uganda. This former industrial town of Uganda has become of the best tourist destinations that adventorous travelers can’t miss. Hosting the Source of the Nile, there are lots of adventure activities that have been developed along the Nile. Here are five adventure activities that you must include in your Uganda safari vacation in Eastern Uganda;
Rafting
Rafting trips on the Nile are offered by four companies: Adrift, Nile River Explores, Nalubale Rafting and the Equator Rafting. All four companies offer similar one-day itineraries starting at Bujagali Falls and finishing at Itanda about 20km downriver. This route includes nine major rapids, four of which are classed as grade five, namely Total Gunga, Big Brother, Overtime and Itanda. While o the river, you will get to see a lot of different birds, and you can swim in the calm stretches of water between the rapids. The long-established Adrift and NRE charge some amount of money for a full-day excursion, as does Nalubale, the youngest company on the river. The deal includes rafting equipment, return transportation from Kampala or Jinja, buffet lunch, and beers and sodas. Stiff competition ensures that rafting operators offer an ever-growing list of inducements such as free accommodation, a post-rafting barbecue, discounts for a second trip, and optional extras such as DVDs of the day’s action, so its worth checking out the different packages before you make a booking.
White –water rafting, and all of the adventure sports offered in the Jinja area, come with an element of inherent risk that’s after all what makes them exhilarating. When choosing any adventure company, see what you think of their safety equipment and ask a few searching questions concerning guide experience, first-aid training, certificates and others. Two-day rafting trips are also available through the same companies. The first day covers the same ground as the day excursion, with an extra rapid called Novocain tagged on at the end. On the second morning, four more rapids are traversed: Hair of the Dog, Kula Shaker, Nile special and Malalu. After lunch the going is smoother, though the day culminates with one last rapid called Weleba.
Kayaking
Bujagali is also a top spot for kayaking, attracting experienced proponents from across the world. More testing than rafting, kayaking offers the opportunity to develop your own skills, rather than just bouncing along in a raft controlled by the professionals. Courses and expeditions are offered by Kayak the Nile based at NRE’s Explores Camp at Bujagali Falls. Instructors are trained to the UK’s BCU standard. Options start with a one-day introductory course and progress to longer and more testing two/three/five-day courses. Gentle cruises explore calmer stretches of the river using open-top kayaks for a full day with packed lunch from Jinja’s Indulge.
Quad biking
The company All Terrain Adventures runs quad-biking trips out of Bujagali between some stunning Nile viewpoints using local footpaths and tracks. Day rates have their range price per person for an hour-long ride for a nine-hour day with lunch. Two-three-day trips to explore the Nile Valley are also available, as well as quad-bike safaris in Lake Mburo National park.
Other activities
Another major step in Bujagali’s development as east Africa’s answer to the more southerly adventure-activity capital of Victoria Falls is a 44m bungee jump located at A drift’s Nile High Camp between Jinja and Bujagali. Jumpers leap from a 12m cantilevered steel structure on top of a 32m cliff above the Nile and pay some money for the pleasure. If one jump isn’t enough, a second will cost more money and the third is free. Note that, following complaints from local people (presumably those equipped with telescopes), clothing is now mandatory for daytime jumps. Naked bungee jumping is now permitted only at night and at the discretion of the management.