How to Go Gorilla Trekking on Budget
The Bujagali falls are some of the great water falls on the Nile River course. These are situated in Jinja district about 8 kilo meters from the Jinja town. The Bujagali falls consist of a 1km of raging rapids, forested islands on the Nile waters and a wide variety of bird species. The Bujagali falls are among the best East African tourist destinations due to its unique and exclusive tourist activities; white water rafting, bungee jumping, quad biking, among others. This tourist center is a well-developed and established site with several great accommodation and infrastructure facilities, offering all sorts of comfort to its visitors (the services here range from budget to mid-range and luxury according to individual choice).
Getting there:
The Bujagali falls center can be accessed from either the Uganda side when coming from Kampala or the Kenyan side when travelling from Kenya. Once at the Shell Filling Station or Chinese Restaurant roundabout, as you reach Jinja- there stands a big Bujagali Falls sign post and it’s about 8 kilometers drive form the junction to the destination. Sometimes a motor cycle may be used in case of public means and this can be got at the roundabout junction.
The Various Tourist Activities at Bujagali Falls Tourist Center
White Water Rafting:
White water rafting is an incredible tourist activity which most limited to the strong hearted. It’s usually done from the Bujagali falls and includes a whole day and half day rafting adventures with BBQ, light breakfast and drinks. It’s carried out at the grade 3 and 5 rapids.
To be a part of this exciting activity, tourists have to travel to Jinja and arrange a white water rafting activity with; Nile River Explorers, Adrift Rafting, Equator Rafts and Nalubale Rafting. These are the major white water rafting companies in Uganda. Each company provides unique services to its clients so you may choose accordingly. For example;
• Equator Rafts offers fortnight camping at Spekes Camp Bujagali,
• Nile River Explorers (NRE) offer a fortnight at their Explorers Bujagali campsite and Explorers Backpackers in Jinja. NRE’s videographer ‘Against the Current Productions’ produces a video/dvd of the day’s events which is available for US$35-/US$45-. Nile River Explorers also offers free shuttle services n booking that run from Kampala and Jinja in the morning and evening respectively. They usually set off from either Back packers, Lugogo Shopping Mall, / Game Mega Store and Red Chilli in the mornings returning in the evenings.
• Adrift Rafting also provides accommodation at their campsite close to the Nile High Bungee jumping near the Jinja Nile Resort.
Full day white water rafting in Jinja is usually offered at a cost of 125 USD and half day at 115 USD by all the rafting companies except for the Equator that is yet to look into its pricing. To book rafting tourism activity one can do so by contacting any of the above mentioned rafting companies;
– Adrift in Kampala can be reached via, Tel. 0772 454206, 0712 707668, 041 425 2720,
– Equator Rafting in Jinja on Tel. 0772 960964, 041 425 2106,
– Nile River Explorers in Jinja on Tel. 0772 422373
– Nalubale Rafting on 0782 638938.
Kayaking on the River Nile:
This is a tourist activity which involves training / teaching and learning or acquiring new important white water rafting skills. Kayaking on River Nile , involves the tourists / visitors together with their guides rolling and facing the huge wave chains, crashing white water and power hydraulics while they focus at making it through the water rapids safely, it’s a very exciting and scaring activity at the same time, still worth a try. There’s the Kayak the Nile school which offers great experiences to first time rafters and those who may wish to learn new skills while on the Nile waters. It’s a very safe activity normally done with the help of kayak instructors and it offers varied packages which are;
• The full day introduction to white water where visitors get a whole day on the Nile waters learning all the basic skills of Kayaking- it’s a very exciting and rewarding sport. This Kayak school introductory lesson is usually offered at 115 USD.
• The Introductory lesson trip in which visitors spend 3 (three ) hours on the waters of River Nile mastering the basic whiter water skills of stroking, rolling and even moving the water, it’s a very exclusive encounter one should not afford to miss. It can be enjoyed at a fee of 95 USD.
• Introductory River trip, here tourists are introduced to moving water, provide with the basic river running skills and even provided a chance to learn how to read the white water movements. It’s also offered at 95 USD.
Kayak the Nile aims clientele satisfaction and is therefore known for its unique and exclusive experiences, safety and many other great services like delicious meals, comfortable accommodation, airport transport services, which all create a wonderful environment for those interested in learning or even acquiring new skills on the Nile River.
Soft Power Education:
Soft Power Education is a project or system which was initiated by travelers in Uganda with an aim of giving back to the community. The project provides volunteering opportunities to travelers from around the world. This SPE was initiated in 1998 and aims at enhancing the quality of children’s Education. It is basically a community supporting project promoting education in the country. Through their work, the travellers were able to establish an orphanage pre-school at Buwenda in Jinja in 1999 and officially started work in 2002. Here the children are able to learn English, play games, write, sing and dance with the help of well trained and devoted staff. Following its successful establishment, several other schools were set up to continue helping the children born with AIDS and those coming from desperate poor families such as the Kyabirwa Children’s Centre which was opened in the spring of 2004 and several other government schools within Jinja have been renovated and improved under the same project.
There’s also the Amagezi Education center which was established in 2007 , a technical school whose teaching programs are based on hand practical lessons providing courses in Sustainable Agriculture, ICT, Science, Art, Drama and Library sessions. The year 2007, still saw the development of another important project along River Nile – The Murchison Falls Conservation Area whose focus is at promoting and improving conservation education among the local communities and schools (working closely with the Uganda Wildlife Authority).
It’s no doubt that through this project – Soft Power Education, the tourists and travelers have been able to positively impact on Uganda’s local communities and tourism development. Overland and independent travelers together with sponsors make their contributions to Soft Power Education which then uses the funds in the establishment, development, refurbishing, and improving the schools under the project.
Quad Biking:
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Quad biking is an interesting tourist activity which is usually available at the Bujagali falls and can be enjoyed at a fee of 25 USD ranging from full day riding, half day as well was training services are also provided for this sport.
In addition to Quad biking, tourists can also engage in Mountain bike tours. These take visitors around the river bank villages reaching areas which are inaccessible with a car while taking in the African air l viewing local industries in Jinja, birding ,and vegetation types. Mountain Bike tours can be done on both individual bike ride and a guided ride where the individual bike ride goes for 25 USD and the guided bike ride is offered at 30USD.
Bungy Jumping:
The Nile River in Jinja also offers an exciting tourist activity of bungee jumping. It’s a unique tourist sport in which one leaps over the Nile source from any of the existing bungee jumping sites. This sport involves tandem jumps, water touches and the full moon jumps.
There is the Nile high bungee that offers great sights for bungee jumping. It’s a 44 meter leap above the Nile river source creating a great bungee jumping site along which there’s a technical ‘climbing wall’ (which can be enjoyed at 5000 Ugandan shillings per session). This offers great views of River Nile from above, seeing the various thick inland islands on the Nile River. Some wildlife can still be seen around the tour like the vervet monkeys, and long tailed cormorants. This jump can take about 235 kgs per jump and it can be done with a friend, bicycle, chair , kayak etc, there so many various forms from which it can be enjoyed either with the ankles tied up or with an entire free body but remember, this tourist activity is very exciting but not for the faint hearted. First time bungee jumpers can still feel free to be a part of this sport as there is always the best staff, great training services and equipment that are always readily available for a fun and secure / safe encounter for the jumpers.
It should be noted that the Nile High Bungee Tower offers first class services since it was built on the standards of Australia and New Zealand- the world’s best bungee jumping states. This is so because commercialized bungee jumping was first initiated in New Zealand and therefore great advice was used from this country during the establishment of the Nile High Bungee Tower of Uganda and it keeps up to date since it’s annually innovated and improved.
The Nile High Bungee tower is found in Jinja via the Bujagali falls road and to be a part of this adventure, bookings can be made through The Adventure Centre, Plot 7 Kira Road, Kamwokya (in the Uganda Wildlife Authority compound), next to the Buganda Museum, Kampala Tel: 041 252720 / 0712 707668 or 0772 454206 or Jinja Nile Resort Tel: 043 122190. The bungee jumping sport ranges from 55 USD, 75 USSD, and the 3rd jump at a free cost. Come and discover the source of the Nile from above- such an amazing experience!
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