Jinja City

Jinja is a city in the eastern region of Uganda. It is the second-largest and busiest commercial center after Kampala. It was established in 1907 and dubbed the adventure capital of East Africa.

jinja city

jinja city

Jinja sits along the northern shores of Lake Victoria near the source of the White Nile. The city sits at an elevation of 1204 meters above sea level and is near the Owen falls dam which is significant in regulating the flow of the popular white Nile which helps to generate electricity.

It takes about 3-4 hours to travel to Jinja town while covering a distance of approximately 83 kilometers from Kampala. Jinja is one of the adventurous points travelers prefer to be simply because it has a major waterfall which is the Source of the Nile. There are many more activities done in Jinja like;

  • Visit the Source of the Nile

River Nile is the longest river in the world that was discovered on 3rd August 1858 by John Hanning Speke. It flows from Uganda in Jinja to the Mediterranean Sea passing through Egypt, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

While in Jinja, travelers can either use traditional dugout canoes or speed engine boats to reach the point where River Nile starts from.

  • Boat Cruise

While in Jinja, the best experience one can ever get is getting on the boat to explore the source of the Nile. With the help of engine boats, travelers get to the maximum beat of experiencing leisure while passing through the rapid falls of the Nile. The boats normally cover distances close to 90kilometers to enable you to have enough fun and also acquire knowledge about the history of the Nile. View different bird species and mammals around.

  • White Water Rafting

Water Rafting is one of the fascinating water sports adventure activities in Jinja while on the Nile. It can be conducted on a full day or half-day depending on the client’s request. Get to navigate through the rapid falls of the Nile with the sighting of wildlife like different bird species, Primates along the Island like Vervet monkeys.

What to bring for water rafting

  • Sunglasses with retainer strap
  • Hat with a brim to protect the face from the sun
  • Sturdy foot ware
  • Bathing suit/quick-dry shorts.

Requirements for Rafting

Different rafting sites have different requirements however a few of the stated are;

  • The participants in rafting should be healthy with no abnormalities
  • Should be with excellent skills in swimming
  • Should be adults only especially for grade 5 rafters
  • Should go rafting with a helmet
  • Should have a buoyancy life jacket
  • Should have a communal watertight case
  • Should have the first aid supplies tied on board.

Other activities are Bungee Jumping and Golfing.