The 5 best Things about City Jinja, Uganda

Jinja, the red city, is quite famous for backpackers and travelers. Connected to the Nile, it is the start point of water activities and offers good coffee shops and restaurants to hide out and other travelers.

Recommended time: 3 days

It is a city with a different flair, surrounded by nature, the Nile river, and an attraction for tourists due to multiple sightseeing places. In my opinion, it's more for those people who want to do water rafting or sportive activities. The other attractions are not worth it and pricy.

Source Of The Nile

It might sound more exciting than it is. You have to take a Boda Boda; it's pretty far from the city center or any housing area. Reaching there you have to pay approx. $20 pP is the entrance fee. We thought it was much and could gamble the price lower. Still, you should try it, especially if fewer tourists are around as within Corona times.

A path leads you around this area and finally to the wide strong Nile river. You can read some information signs, grab food, and that's it. So not a lot to see for that amount of money. We were a bit disappointed and didn't spend more than 1 hour there. At least we met lots of monkeys on our way back. Trees full of them, jumping around, approaching us, or hunting some cats. Never saw so much time in Uganda at one time so far, so that was something special about that place.

Rafting

One of the most common activities here is rafting. The Nile is vast and wild and has the best conditions for rides on the water. We didn't try it but saw the offers on every corner. Often, the hostels have trip packages for a full day or an even more extended tour, including food, transportation, photo shooting, and equipment for wild water rafting. The prices vary - we met a guide that would have offered us a full-day all-inclusive trip with six people in one boat, for approx. $60 per person. It is still a lot compared to the standards over here, but it seemed to be good to spend your time with if you enjoy adrenaline adventures. Overall, as always, the prices are flexible, and you can deal with some discounts if you get in touch with the guide in person and show some enthusiasm.

Multiple Day Adventure Tour

Another reason for the popularity of Jinja for travelers is the multiple-day adventure tours. You can buy packages and get packed full of adrenaline sports, including rafting, white water tubing, ziplining at Mariba forest, hiking at the Ssezibwa Falls, doing some quad biking, and horse riding. It feels like an endless list you can choose from and enjoy the organized adventures. As always, it is pricy but might be worth it for lots of people. We wanted more details and the short, calm trips around the town, so we didn't go for those offers. Also, it would help if you planned way more time for that. If you are still interested, check their websites to see the offers but always book the tour in place to avoid paying too much money.

The Ripon Falls

Similar to the Source, an attraction I wouldn't recommend. Taking a Boda Boda for around 30min., an adventurous ride to the other side of the city, waving kids, and muddy roads. So good so far, as soon as we reached, we paid the entrance fee for only 5.000 UgS, but we have been forced to take a guide that would lead us to the falls. He wouldn't stop talking, and it's not comfortable being conducted, especially if you mention not liking it. The peak was that the Ripon Falls doesn't even exist anymore since the government built a reservoir dam and the Nile lost a good amount of its water strength. He guided us down the river and wanted to take us with his boat to a miniature version of a fall. We declined and took our way back. Not sure what this attraction is about, but it's more marketing than anything else.

City Center

It is a typical Ugandan city, maybe more modern with tarred roads and alternative bars and restaurants. We saw our first white tourists in that area. Since this city is more used to tourism people are bagging less and leaving you more alone. I guess that is why most tourists come here, to have a relaxing and not too challenging place to spend some time.

I can highly recommend a coffee place called the 'Sikia Cafe Jinja'. Served by deaf people, it is a special place with a beautiful atmosphere and delicious food. Also, entry is prohibited for beggars, and it is ensured that you can enjoy your time inside as a tourist and be treated with respect. The staff is super friendly and caring. I felt comfortable and used this space often to do some online work.

Do you want to learn more about Uganda, its cities, and things to explore? Check out other blogs here.