Jinja

A small town in south-eastern Uganda where the Victoria Nile flows out of Lake Victoria and begins its 6,650 km journey to the Mediterranean. For the independent traveller it is a base for adrenaline: world-class rafting and kayaking, and you can cover it in a couple of days.

What is actually worth doing

Jinja is not about museums and old towns but about water. The essentials:

• White-water rafting — the main reason to come. The route runs below the Bujagali dam, 25 km of river with a series of rapids up to grade V, each with a name of its own. It is a full day, with lunch and transfers included. The leading operators are Adrift and Nile River Explorers (NRE), both with their own camps by the river. Beginners are taken: between the rough sections there are calm stretches, and a briefing and safety boats are standard. If you are unsure of yourself, ask for the gentler line — operators adjust to the group.
• The Source of the Nile — the symbolic starting point of the river, with a monument to John Speke, who "discovered" the source in 1862. The site itself is modest: a viewpoint, and boatmen offering to take you out to where the cold lake water mixes with the warmer river. Half an hour to an hour, more for the photograph than anything else.
• The bungee jump — about 44 metres above the Nile. Expensive for Uganda, but cheaper than in Europe or South Africa.
• Kayaking — there are schools for beginners, teaching on flat water, and drop-offs on the rapids for the experienced. An alternative to rafting if you want to steer your own craft.
• Itanda Falls — the most powerful rapids below Bujagali, which rafters do not attempt. Worth the drive for the viewpoint and for understanding what grade V-plus means.

If time allows, around the town there is Mabira Forest (relict rainforest some 30 km away, with trekking, monkeys and a zipline), Sezibwa Falls, sacred to the Buganda people, and boat trips on Lake Victoria with Nile perch fishing.

How many days, and how to plan them

Two days is enough. The sensible scheme: day one a full day of rafting, which takes almost all the daylight and leaves you wrung out; day two the source of the Nile in the morning, then a choice of Mabira, a kayaking lesson or the forest. The bungee slots into any day, taking a couple of hours including the drive. If you are here only for the water, one night will do.

Getting there and getting around

The country's only international airport is Entebbe (EBB) near Kampala, about 90 km from Jinja — two to three hours on the road once the capital's traffic is counted.

• From the airport or Kampala: the easiest is to arrange a rafting operator's shuttle in advance — cheaper than a private taxi and it delivers you straight to camp. Independently, take a matatu minibus from the Kampala bus station, two hours, though with luggage and no experience of local minibuses it is a challenge.
• Locally: the town is compact and the centre walkable. For the river camps and out-of-town points, the boda-boda motorcycle taxi is the standard transport. Agree the price before getting on and ask for a helmet; in the evening and on wet dirt roads, take care — this is the main source of injuries among visitors.

Where to stay

Two logics:

• By the river (the NRE and Adrift camps and the eco-lodges along the Nile) — atmosphere, views, evening fires and no worries about transfers to activities. The downside is the distance from town and dinner only at the lodge.
• In town itself — cheaper, closer to cafés, the market and ATMs, and convenient if you plan trips around the area. There is a decent choice of hostels and guest houses.

Food and money

The cooking is simple and filling: matoke (stewed plantain), the rolex (an omelette rolled in chapati, the street classic and the best cheap bite), posho and tilapia. Lunch at a local café costs very little; dinner at a lodge by the Nile is markedly dearer — you are paying for the view and a European menu.

Jinja feels inexpensive, but the activities hit the wallet: rafting and the bungee cost as much as several days of accommodation. Budget for them separately; there is no saving to be had, as operators charge much the same.

Where you can save: eat in the street and at local cafés rather than only at lodges; take the operator's shuttle instead of a taxi; use a matatu instead of a private car from the capital; and book rafting directly with the operators rather than through agents in Kampala.

Safety and common mistakes

• The main risk is not the rapids but the roads and the boda-bodas. Rafting with a proper operator and safety boats is relatively safe.
• This is a malaria region — take prophylaxis and repellent, and cover up in the evening.
• Cash: there are ATMs in town, but the camps and activities are often cash only; operators frequently accept dollars, so bring clean, uncreased notes.
• Do not arrive in the rainy season blind: the water level changes the rapids and the logistics; the best months are the dry seasons, roughly December to February and June to August.
• A common mistake is allowing one day for everything: rafting eats a whole day, and there is then no time left for the source of the Nile and the surroundings.