Jinja
A Ugandan alternative to a beach ending
Jinja is most renowned for being the source of the River Nile – a major north-flowing river in north eastern Africa and at a length of approximately 6,850 kilometers, it is longest river in the world! For that reason alone, thousands of tourists include make a visit to Jinja to see the source of the river, but also to participate in all of the adrenaline activities that the destination offers.
The city itself was established in 1907 and at that time, it was a former industrial city and largest town in Uganda (the city of Kampla now has that title). The city of Jinja today is a fun place to explore as there are vibrant markets and cultural activities on offer. But a stay in Jinja would not be completed without participating in the active and adrenaline-based activities on offer. These include white water rafting on the Nile, kayaking, horse riding, quad biking and bike riding across farm lands and beautiful trails.
Location
Jinja is located on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, and was once an important stop on the historic ‘Lunatic Express’ railway line from Mombasa in Kenya. From a logistics point of view, you can drive to Jinja from Entebbe which takes around 3-4 hours. To get the best experience in Jinja, we would recommend at least two nights here, but three would be ideal if you are planning on doing a range of the adrenaline activities and explore the characteristic town.
Accommodation
There are a couple of accommodation options but the best, in terms of the location, accommodation level and service, is Wild Waters Lodge (part of the Lemala portfolio that also operate in northern Tanzania). The lodge sits on a unique private island mid-stream of the River Nile and can only be reached by boat which makes it adventurous to start with. On the lodge platform, and in Jinja generally, you will see hundreds of bird species (up to 1,000 species), famous for turacos, cuckoos, hawks and eagles.
