Jinja White Water Rafting Trip & Source of River Nile Retreat
Trip overview
Jinja lies in the south east of Uganda, 87 km north east of the capital, Kampala. The beautiful city is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, near the source of the White Nile River. It’s the chief town of Jinja District, remained the capital of Busoga region and is considered the capital of the Kingdom of Busoga. It was the industrial heart of Uganda between 1954 and the late 1970s.
Jinja has a population of approximately 106,000. Most of them being Bantus by ethnic group origin. Cotton-packing, nearby sugar estates, and railway access all enabled it to grow in size. By 1906 a street pattern had been laid out, and Indian traders moved in from around 1910
Power was from the hydroelectric Nalubale Power Station at the Owen Falls Dam. In the 1960s, Jinja, like all the towns in Uganda, was subtly segregated, with little mixing of white, East Indian and black neighborhoods. The white area was by the lakeside, whiles the East Indians who were the commercial and the business class and lived in the rest of the town. In 1971 and 1972, Idi Amin expelled East Indians from Uganda.
Farming here thrives on the productive soils, plentiful water sources and dependable rainfall. Additional industries are metal processing, leather and paper processing, grain milling, sugar, some organic fruits and coffee growing for export, and brewing for local sale. There is some local and export fishing on Lake Victoria.
Jinja is the second commercial Centre in Uganda which was established in 1907 by the British as an administrative Centre for Busoga region.
The tour will give you a chance to taste the real beauty of Jinja ‘s attractions which include white water rafting, Kalagala falls, Ssezibwa falls, trekking Mabira forest , the “Source of the Nile”, and a boat cruise at the Nile; though one would want to extend the trip to involve in activities like; visiting the craft village, Bujagali Falls which is located downriver from Owen Falls Dam about 8Kms north of Jinja. Bujagali Falls is a world-class spot for kayaking and white water rafting, and also a popular weekend picnic area for local Ugandans and visitors also there is an active Hindu temple near Jinja, which has a bronze bust of Gandhi.
There is also a Buddhist temple which you can visit the next time you’re in Jinja or if you do an extension of your trip and the city tour of Jinja town. But because you have limited time in Uganda, you will involve yourself in exciting activities like water rafting, boat cruise, source of Nile, Mabira forest nature walks, exploring Ssezibwa falls and Kalagala falls
