Whether you are living in Uganda, a nearby country, or simply visiting on vacation, a trip to Jinja should be added to the itinerary. Jinja is a city on Lake Victoria, at the source of the Nile River, about (50 miles) East of Kampala. This city is quite charming, with a bustling town center full of cafes and markets (be sure to stop in The Deli on Main St). Jinja is a happening place, and in my short two and a half months living in Uganda I actually made it back a second time for a concert at The Black Lantern!
Don’t feel limited if whitewater rafting isn’t for you! You can do lot of other adventurous activities in Jinja; horseback riding, ATV (quad bike) riding, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding, bungee-jumping and more are accessible in Jinja!
Getting To Jinja From Kampala
Getting to Jinja from Kampala is pretty straightforward and there are several options. I was living in Kampala at the time, and a group of us chose to use Nile River Explorers for our rafting trip, who included a shuttle to-from Kampala in their rafting package. More below, but this company was fantastic because they literally took the guesswork out of everything for us that weekend! They have several pickup/drop off locations in Kampala, and having lived near the Fat Cat Backpackers hostel, we opted to be picked up from there at 7:15am.
If you are not whitewater rafting in Jinja, or want to find your own means of transportation to get to Jinja, you can choose from the following:
- While most rafting companies offer free transport to-from Kampala, if you aren’t rafting you could see if there is a spare seat on one of their buses for about 10,000ugx (2.67 USD).
- The Pineapple Express shuttle makes daily trips at 7:15am and 1:30pm for about $14.
- You can also look for minbuses, taxis, Ubers and Matatus – but I recommend one of the above options first.
- Rent a car and drive – or drive your own car, be prepared for lots of traffic.
Snapshot – 2 Day Rafting Itinerary
Saturday
- 7:15am Shuttle pick up at Fat Cat Backpackers in Kampala
- 9:30am Arrive Jinja town
- 9:30am – 11:30am Spend time in Jinja town exploring, visiting source of the Nile, eating at The Deli, shopping on Main Street
- 11:30am Boda boda ride to the Nile River Explorers office to meet fellow rafters / campers
- 12:00pm Shuttle to our campsite at Explorers River Camp on Lake Bujagali
- 12:30pm Arrive campsite, set up tent, change into swimwear
- 2:00pm – 4:00pm rented kayaks and SUP’s from Kayak the Nile (on located at our campsite) and SUP’d Lake Bujagali
- 5:00pm – 7:00pm sunset dinner cruise on the Lake (more like open bar with limited snacks)
- 7:00pm – partied the night away at the campsite with all of our new friends
Sunday
- 8:30am Picked up from Explorers River Camp, boarded vehicle with all luggage in hand (important to keep change of clothes with you, for after rafting as this is what you will travel to Kampala in)
- 9:00am Arrive at office in Jinja town for breakfast and briefing on the day
- 10:00am Leave to drive to the river
- 10:45am Arrive at start point for safety briefing
- 11:00am start rafting – snack provided during rafting
- 3:30pm Arrive at take-out point for BBQ
- 4:30pm Start drive back to Jinja, meeting shuttle back to Kampala (and where our luggage was being held) along the way
- 6:30/7:00pm Shuttle arrives back at Fat Cat Backpackers Hostel in Kampala
The Rafting Experience
We used Nile River Explorers for our whitewater rafting weekend, and stayed at their camp Explorers River Camp.
This company was fantastic! It was run by a South African duo, and they took care of absolutely everything for us. Transportation, accommodation, sunset dinner cruise, whitewater rafting, referred us for kayak / SUP rentals, etc.
You can choose class 3 or class 5 rapids (we chose class 5), and you will hit 5 major rapids during your 4-5 hours on the river. Not only are the rapids a hell of a time, but the in-between time is magical. The scenery, the people, the occasional dip and float next to our raft, was the absolute best. We flipped, clearly (see slideshow at top of post) but what would whitewater rafting be without a wipe out? By the way, do you see that person with the long arms holding on for dear life? That’s me!!
Accommodation
There are several accommodation options at Explorers River Camp, so pick what suits you and your budget. I made a friend (Hi, Gracie!) like a week before this trip and we bought camping equipment together planning to use it while traveling Uganda, so we paid the $7 to use our own tent and camp on site!
Options include
- Camping with your own gear ($7) pp
- Dormitory beds ($12) pp
- Safari Tent Standard ($30) per tent, sleeps 2 – I did this the next time I visited for a concert and it was fantastic, highly recommend! See photos above!
- Safari Tent Extra ($35) per tent, sleeps 2
- Rooms ($30) 1 double bed, 2 singles – extra person is $10
- Self contained units ($50) sleeps 2
The campsite has a bar with a restaurant that overlooks the Lake. Its really beautiful and the food / drinks were perfect.
Cost
- Full day Rafting + Sunset Cruise + Transport to-from Kampala: $140
- One night camping with own tent: $7
- 2 hour SUP rental: $20
= $167 without cost of food/drinks and other activities you might want to do in Jinja!
What To Pack
It depends what you choose to do, but you’ll definitely want these items:
Swimsuit (maybe two if SUP/Kayak/swimming is on the agenda, active wear, a couple changes of clothes, towel, sunscreen, cash, clothes for night out / dinner cruise / bar.
Medications
Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by parasitic worms. This is commonly found in the Nile River, and while it should be taken seriously, there are medications you should pick up before your trip to take with you (and then consume AFTER exposure) that will put your mind at ease.
Praziquantel is the recommended treatment drug (CDC). See your doctor for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. We just went to a local health clinic in Kampala and grabbed the appropriate dosage and instructions, and took it after the recommended amount of time post-exposure.
Ideally, when you are there avoid just wading in the water. Fast and running water may potentially limit your susceptibility, rinse off when you can and keep dry when you exit the water.
A Blonde Escapes 
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