Jinja in Uganda (pronounced Ginga) is located near the source of the Nile, and is a hot-spot for adrenalin junkies. We don’t consider ourselves thrill-seekers by any means, but in such beautiful surroundings, and unsure when we would next have a chance to cruise on the Nile, white-water rafting seemed the obvious activity choice.
We were picked up and driven to our start point, about a 40 minute drive from our campsite in Jinja, where we were greeted by breakfast and coffee and kitted out with lifejackets, helmets ad paddles.
We started in a calm, wide stretch of the river where our guide took us through the basics – forward paddle, back paddle, placement on the raft and the importance of our lifejackets – which we would soon value……We also went through what to do if we were in the water, practised a flip, and how to get back in the raft – the least easy and glamorous of the rafting manoeuvres.
Once we’d mastered the essentials we were straight into it. Our first rapids challenge was a grade 5 waterfall named ‘Overtime’. Despite some frantic paddling, our guide must have decided that backwards entry was going to be the best or perhaps most fun option. For several seconds we thought the raft would do a backwards somersault, but we popped out the other end, a great deal wetter but exhilarated by our reverse entry into and down a waterfall.
We were all charged up after our first waterfall ride, so we were a little disappointed to hear that the next bit of white water action was 40 minutes away. However we made the most of the quiet time and stripped off our lifejackets and helmets to dry off in the warm morning sun. We cruised down the Nile, which was lined with grassy banks, and every so often, boys bathing and swimming off boulders.
The next two challenges were ‘Retrospect’ a grade 3, and ‘Bubugo’ a 3.5. Both of these were over pretty quickly in a white-wash of pounding water, stray paddles, and in one case a sideways entry. Hard to know if it’s better to be on the bottom or top side when you’re going into a drop sideways, but you have very little say in the matter anyway. 
After surviving these rapid patches we got to watch the raft behind us, who didn’t fare quite as well, and their 6-person team ended up in the drink – something we vowed we didn’t want or need to experience, but again, we had very little control over these wild water events, given we were at the mercy of the river……..and our guide.
Then we went on to the Itanda Falls, which was a grade 6 – well beyond our amateur reach – so we were dropped onshore and walked a short distance over a bank, bypassing the falls. A detour we were grateful for when we saw the raging water from the other side. We then piled back into our rafts and completed a tamer part of the waterfall, which was grade 4. We felt a little cheated, but probably more relieved, when we saw one of the rescue kayakers drop from the top of the falls, and bounce in and out of the churn at the bottom. His sheer skill and absolute bravado were amazing as we watched and marvelled, mouths wide open.
All the white-water action had left us starving, so we were pleased that lunch was just around the corner. We replenished our energy levels with soft drinks, chapattis, salads and fruit, and talked about what we’d accomplished so far from the dry comfort of an open-aired hut perched on a hill. We were keen to set back off again to see what else was in store, knowing that during the afternoon the rapids would come quick and fast.
And quick and fast they came…….ten or so minutes back on the water and we were approaching ‘Vengeance’ a grade 4 washing machine of water swirling over rocks. The name should have been the biggest clue, but we were all so committed to staying in the boat. This is where it got really hairy. As we were going over, we lost two of the team – one doing an elegant superwoman flyover past several of us before exiting the raft, taking out another teammate on the way. 
We dragged one of the team back into the raft, but weren’t ready for the wave of water that picked us up and dumped us into the white churn, several of us swallowing water on the way down, and going under for longer than we would have liked. 
There were manic head counts but we all made it – some already cast further downstream. We were so grateful for the rescue kayakers and rescue raft who helped us clamber back into our raft, some of us energised, some a bit shaken, but we’d all survived.
After a quick regroup and collection of paddles, we were off again, destined for the three remaining rapids. We made it through ‘Hair of the dog’ (grade 4) and Kulu Shaker (grade 3), so thought we were on the home stretch.
The eighth and final rapid was called ‘Nile Special’ (also a popular Ugandan beer), which is a grade 4. Again we were intent on staying in the boat, but we had adopted our favourite sideways pose and we got to the point there was no turning the raft around. We tipped again, in a flurry of flying paddles and desperate clutches for rope, but we were pummelled into the water. At least this time we knew what to expect and what to do, and the advantages of rolling up like a ball, so that your life jacket would carry you to the top.
Tired and breathless we piled back into the raft, and peacefully paddled our last stretch of the Nile. We were greeted by a hot snack, and plenty of cold ‘Nile Special’ beers, which felt totally deserved, and better than the gulps of the ‘Nile Special’ we had tasted earlier during our roll on the river.
Tips for rafting
This was the first time white-water rafting for both of us, so here are the key things we learnt.
- Don’t take any valuables on the raft (jewellery, cameras, phones etc) – they will either come off, or suffer severe water damage – our water resistant watches survived, along with our rugged camera.
- Apply sunscreen! The reflection from the water can be severe, so make sure you apply and top up your sun protection. Most rafts will have a dry-box you can put your sunscreen in – if it’s in your pocket and you fall out, you’re likely to lose your lotion.
- Keep hydrated – water is likely to be provided / stored in the dry-box. On a hot day, make sure you keep your fluids up – you will need your energy.
- Listen to the instructor/guide – they’re not just telling you key safety techniques for fun, they know what they’re doing. Tips like ‘curling into a ball’ really do help you float to the top if you’ve been dunked under a long way.
For anyone interested in rafting on the Nile near Jinga, we used ‘Adrift’ who were helpful, fun and really looked after us. There are also several other rafting and action activity companies in the area who offer bungee jumping, quad-biking, jet-boating and horse-riding.
Photos taken by and purchased from ‘Adrift’.
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