Flip out on the Nile

When we arrive at Wildwaters Lodge in Kangulumira village, about half an hour away from Jinja, Uganda, a guard at the jetty calls the lodge.

Wildwater Lodge send a wooden canoe steered by a man using a wooden paddle to pick us up. As we glide towards the lodge, we see some of its traditionally thatched cottages which are raised on stilts mid-stream on the Nile.

The lodge is nestled on its own private island surrounded by a riverine forest, with its 10 cottages being spread along the circumference of the riverbank, giving each an incredible view.

Mine has an expansive balcony with a freestanding clawfoot bathtub perched underneath foliage. It is overlooking a class six rapid called Hypoxia which crashes onto the huge boulders on the river as it roars past. I love the sound, but for those that don’t, there are quieter rooms facing calmer stretches of water.

On the first morning, having no alarm, I am woken up by two birds chirping merrily out on the deck, and when I peep through the flaps of my tent, I see the space covered by mist from the rapid, and it is indeed a magical sight to behold!

The communal space has a restaurant, bar, mini-library and sun-deck from which various guests spend time tanning or lounging. This is completed with a plunge pool separated from the river’s class three rapids by a stone wall, whose foundation is also curved from natural rock.

Dinner on both days is a lavish five course spread amidst a sea of flickering lights emitted from clay candleholders. Both times, the Nile Perch, fresh from the sea either pan seared, baked or grilled, is the main draw.

Other than white water rafting for which Wildwaters is famous, they can also set up kayaking, horseback safaris through the local village, ATV tours, bungee jumping (which was sadly not available as at the time of my trip) and more in East Africa’s adventure capital of Jinja. At around 5:00pm, we met up with Sam Ward from Kayak The Nile at the reception area of Wildwaters.

The plan for the evening was to head out to the flat bit of calm water on the river for a gentle and relaxing sunset cruise.

He even had a cooler with Gin & Tonics, soda and more, and it certainly doesn’t get much better than Nile Special beers on the River Nile!

I got on a solo Sit-on-top kayak and Sam showed me a few basics like how to hold the paddle, move in various directions or turn around, then we set off. The scenery was spectacular, and I spotted numerous fresh water bird species and trees.

I learned about Kayak The Nile’s conservation efforts along the river banks by involving the local community in beekeeping so they can make money through that as opposed to cutting down trees. Sam even told me about two friends who set off from the source of the Nile in Jinja to Egypt on a four month kayak and rafting trip.

Run by husband and wife duo, Kayak The Nile offers trips for beginners and advanced solo freestyle kayakers keen to take on the exhilarating class five rapids, as well as Stand Up Paddleboarding.

Sam actually first came to Uganda 14 years ago on a two-week Kayaking trip and never went back. He bought Kayak the Nile six years ago, having coached in the outdoor sport in over 25 countries worldwide.

Going out onto the raging rapids of the Nile on a raft seems like a rather scary notion. Adrift Uganda, who introduced commercial whitewater rafting to the country, however have a great safety record, which was assuring.

They offer everything from gentle family-friendly floats to thrilling class-five flipathons.

After breakfast at our lodge, Adrift drove us to their premises. There were seven guests in our group and our guide, an amiable chap dubbed Babyface, started with some theoretical safety instructions after which we suited up and headed down to the river for practical lessons.

One of the things I’m glad we tried practically was what to do in the event that the raft flipped over, but even this did not prepare me for what would actually happen when we eventually overturned in raging class four rapids!

The said rapid, or the scene of the crime as I now like to call it, was nicknamed Bubugo, which translates to ‘condolences’.

Given that the group unanimously voted that we navigate it from the middle which increased our chances of flipping by about 90 per cent, we paddled hard in that direction. As the raft started its descent, it overturned from the sheer force of the water sending everyone hurling into the river.

I can still vividly recall the spluttering for air as I came up to find that I was trapped under the raft with water rushing fast towards me, and had to manoeuvre my way from beneath to find that I had drifted upstream.

One of the Adrift team members who had been following along on a solo kayak saw me starting to panic, despite already being safe, and swiftly paddled over to help me onto the safety boat.

It was only later while we were tucking into delicious sandwiches and fresh pineapples on calm waters, bumping fists and hooting into the air as the adrenaline kicked in, that I realised I would probably do it all over again!