Source of the Nile
Source of the Nile is located in Jinja and is known as the longest river in the whole world and the largest River in Africa with the source starting from Jinja in Uganda. River Nile covers about 6,695 kilometres long with two tributes namely the White Nile which is the longest and flows north to Khartoum and converges with the Blue Nile which flows into Sudan and these two rivers meet in Khartoum. River Nile starts its long journey to the Mediterranean Sea through Sudan and Egypt and it flows or pours its water to 11 African countries which include Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Egypt.
River Nile was discovered a British Explorer John Speke Hanning in 1858 who was travelling with his friend Richard Francis Burton and were had travelled to explore Central Africa. John Speke Hanning named after the queen of United Kingdom as Lake Victoria. River Nile passes through Murchison falls national park where you can have about the trip at the bottom of the falls and is Uganda’s main source of hydro-electricity.
Activities engaged in at the source of the Nile
Tourists who visit the source of the Nile in Uganda will participate in a number of interesting, adventurous and exciting activities which include
White water rafting, this is one of the popular and exciting activity on River Nile where the visitors on a tour will experience beautiful scenery, sunshine, warm water, little rainfall in case it’s a rainy season among others. Rafting is an activity where you ride in a small raft filled with air on River Nile with a trained guide or captain of the rafting team who gives instructions on how to paddle. Rafting on River Nile is done according to grades where you start slowly from grade 1 as the guide is training you to grade 5 where the river is more adventurous at Bugagali falls. At the end of each rapid grade the guide asks if you want to continue to the hard grade which is usually in the middle of the river or the easy grade at the edge of the river, the higher rafting grades of 3 to 5 can only be carried out by adults above 14 years of age. White water rafting on River Nile gives you an opportunity to explore the river channels, forested islands, bounce down on the small rapids were you will be able to experience spills of water, thrills, rapids among others hence making your activity unforgettable.
Horse riding, this is an adventurous and unique activity that gives you an opportunity to explore on the shores of River Nile, neighboring communities, tea and sugar farmlands, Jinja town, hills around among others on the horseback. horse riding on River Nile can either be done in the morning, evening or sunset and starts from the source of the Nile with a trained guide one who leads the tour and the other one who follows behind to ensure that no one gets any difficult during riding. All horses on River Nile have a mounting block, saddlebag, rain jacket and are trained which means that they know what to do. Horse riding activity starts with a briefing where those who do not know how to ride are trained and it also offers ponies for the kids on a tour and takes about 1 to 3 hours. Horse riding activity is also done in Lake Mburo national park and the visitors who want to participate in this activity should book in advance because the horses or the guides are limited.
Bungee jumping, this is an activity that has been introduced recently and the source of the Nile is one of the few Uganda tourism destinations that offers bungee jumping activity in Africa. Bungee jumping is an exciting activity that can either be done during the day or at night. During bungee jumping you can be tied in two way for example tying the ankle or the body with your face looking down which allows you to float like a butterfly and jump off a tall structure with a large elastic cord which can be connected or tied to your two legs and dive down a tower and kiss River Nile which can be about 40metres from the high ground. Bungee jumping activity is only done by adults above the age of 13, should have a minimum weight of 35kgs and 260kgs, and is discouraged for visitors suffering from heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, pregnant women and any life-threatening disorder.
Kayaking, this is also an interesting activity that offers visitors an opportunity to explore the source of the Nile in a slow kayak boat. Kayaking can either be done on a full day, half-day or for multiple days on River Nile with an experienced guide. You will be able to explore the wildlife, birds, River Nile itself, surrounding communities, Farmlands, Seaweeds as you paddle through the rapid roars, Islands, warm water among others. On River Nile, there are two types of kayaks, the tandem kayaks and the sit on top kayaks which do not need an experienced visitor in order to participate.
Quad biking, this is an exciting activity for visitors on a tour on the source of the Nile. Quad biking is an interesting activity that is done in the community countryside’s and it begins with a briefing and training lessons about how to ride, changing of gears, managing a bike on the road, looking out for kids and animals in the community, remaining on the tracks while riding, warnings about competition and overtaking. Visitors to participate in quad biking on the source of the Nile are always grouped into three groups, the expert visitors, beginners and children who should be at least 12 years of age and above. The company in charge of the bikes will provide overalls, helmets and other safety equipment’s before you start riding and there are manual or automatic bikes available to riding where you will choose from depending on what you want. during Quad biking you will be able to explore the forests, tour the local villages where you will view tea and sugar plantations, kids crossing, women carrying babies on the back, girls carrying Jerri-cans of water, boda-bodas, riding on the river banks where you will be able to view kids swimming in the river, women washing, participate in canoeing on the river where you will view different bird species, water animals among others hence making your tour on River Nile memorable.
Mountain biking, this is an activity where you will ride bikes with an experienced guide following trails which take you through the communities, Nile banks, Bujagali falls , Bugembe trail where you will be able to view Lake Victoria, follow Mabira trail where you will pass through Mabira forest reserve that is 20km from Jinja and view various bird species, butterflies, plant and tree species, monkeys, explore the coffee, banana and sugar plantations, tour Jinja town among others hence making your tour rewarding.
Jet boating, this is an activity where you cruise on River Nile on a motorised high-speed boat with an experienced guide captain. During jet boating activity you will enjoy the hit of the rapids, jumps, spins, various turns among others hence giving you a great moment on the river.
Sportfishing, source of the Nile is a home of various fish species where visitors who participate in sportfishing will enjoy the activity in that they will catch fish species like Nile perch, Catfish, Tigerfish, Tilapia among others using a catch and release method. Sportfishing activity should be booked in advance for either morning, afternoon or full-day where the guide will be available to help you during the activity and the equipment’s or fishing gears are provided while on River Nile and you are free to bring your own equipment’s.
Swimming, source of the Nile is one of the destinations in Uganda where you participate in swimming. River Nile has no records of bilharzia, other infectious diseases and free from dangerous water animals like hippos and crocodiles which makes it a safe water body for swimming while on your tour in Uganda.
How to get to the Source of the Nile
Source of the Nile is located in Jinja, From Kampala city, you will drive on Jinja highway via Mabira forest where you will be able to view roadside markets, tea and sugar plantations to the source of the Nile which takes about 2 hours’ drive depending on Kampala jam.
Source of the Nile is a unique and breath-taking tourism destination that can be visited during a tour in Kampala or done after your gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park because it’s a destination where you will enjoy various activities, relax and feel the sunshine while at the beach hence making your tour in Uganda fascinating and unforgettable.
