Jinja and the Nile

The Adrenalin center of East Africa
Jinja town stands beside the sole outflow from Lake Victoria, a location that John Speke proclaimed in 1862 to be the source of the River Nile, thus settling the mystery of this iconic river that dated back to the time of the Ancient Egyptians.
Today, the Source attracts thousands of visitors each year. Some are drawn by a sense of history and a fondness for geography. Others are lured by the knowledge that discovering the headwaters of the Nile is considerably more comfortable and entertaining than it was in 1862. Many of Jinja’s fine old Asian and British buildings have been restored as hotels and restaurants, while the riverbanks can be enjoyed with equipment as basic as a set of golf clubs. The prospect of adventure still persists, however, and the source of the mighty river can also be explored with kayaks, white water rafts, jet boats, quad bikes, mountain bikes, on horseback, on foot and even on the original ‘African Queen’ at spectacular Kalagala Falls.
Climate
The Nile corridor enjoys good weather all year round.
Landscape
Below its outlet from Lake Victoria, the Nile valley descends between high, cultivated banks over a series of rapids marked by forested mid-channel islands.
Culture and people
 The Nile at Jinja divides two tribes, the Baganda on the west bank and the Basoga on the eastern, Jinja side. The Nile is of great cultural importance to both, with rituals being performed at shrines at the Bujagali Falls and Kalagala Falls.
Major attractions
JINJA
Relaxation, history and adventure: Thanks to a combination of high octane activities and relaxing excursions, decent hotels and restaurants, pleasant scenery and an enduring historical significance, the Jinja Nile is one of Uganda’s main tourism destinations. The town is located on a plateau above the Nile as it funnels out of Lake Victoria. For many visitors, enduring memories of the town are of the bicycle taxis plying their trade along the flat main street, and the view across the golf course towards the river from Nile Crescent, a road lined by fine 1950s mansions. Seven kilometers north of Jinja, the pace of life is very different at Bujagali Falls, a location firmly established as East Africa’s adventure tourism epicenter. Each year, thousands of tourists visit the fall simply to stand on the banks and watch 1.8 million liters of water per second churning over the rock ledges between the mid-river islands. In addition, however, Bujagali hosts a constant stream of tourists, backpackers and overland truckers seeking a more interactive experience, namely travelling over this and numerous other rapids in a white water raft. For, since it was first negotiated in 1996, the 30 km section the world’s finest tracts of white water. The thrill lies in the series of high-grade rapids – mostly four and .five – and a consistently high volume of water in the river compared with other top rafting destinations. Rafting is no longer the only high; other activities keep the adrenalin flowing, such as kayaking, tubing, and quad biking, jet boating and a 44-metre bungee jump over the river. The menu offers mild as well as wild options. Family boat trips, sundowner cruises, horse riding and mountain biking provide an opportunity for gentler explorations on water and dry land. For movie buffs, the 60th anniversary of the classic movie ‘The African Queen’ is being celebrated on the source of the Nile this year with the restoration and launch in April at Kalagala Falls of the original steam-powered boat from the film. In 2011 a new hydropower dam will open on the river to submerge the Bujagali Falls. Several of the original rapids on the upper stretch of the river are now no longer used for rafting and will be submerged as a result of the dam later in the year, including the well known Bujagali Falls. Rafting, however, will continue from new embarkation points below the dam. Improved road access allows rafting operators to access this lower action-packed section of the Nile, with just as enthralling rapids, guaranteed to endorse the river’s status as one of the best one-day white water rafting trips in the world.
Mabira forest
Mabira Forest, between Kampala and Jinja, offers a taste of a tropical forest just an hour from the capital.
Central Uganda’s largest forest reserve offers guided and unguided forest walks, specialist birding and mountain biking.
Accommodation
Jinja town offers up market guesthouses, and mid-range and budget hotels. Bujagali Falls has backpacker accommodation and a mid-range tented camp while; upriver, superior lodges overlook the Overtime rapid and Kalagala Falls. Mabira Forest has an up market lodge and backpacker accommodation.
Travel

 Jinja is 80 km east of Kampala on a tarmac road. Travel time is about two hours