White Water Rafting in Uganda

River rafting is one of the few outdoor adventure sports that requires absolutely no expertise or experience on the part of the client - all you need is the guts and you can take on any rapid up to a Grade V (the most extreme that a commercial company is allowed to run) without ever having held a paddle before. Uganda provides for the best white water rafting environment in the world. Uganda is blessed with source of the longest River in the world – The Greta River Nile. The source of River Nile is at Jinja in Uganda and provides for the best rapids as the river is at high speed current that forms rapids. With help of trained guides anybody can carryout rafting.The only person who needs to know what they are doing is the guide, who steers the boat. Provided you do what they tell you, you will get down the run. If you are not a strong swimmer, you will be wearing a life-jacket, so if you fall out you will be picked up by one of the back-up safety canoes which accompany the boat. Assuming that you don't get stuck under a rock, that is. As you start rafting , your briefed what it entails. There are two types of rafting trips: where the guide does the paddling (with a giant set of oars, shouting at you to throw your weight left, right, back or front as needed), or where you do the paddling. There is no contest between the two types - in a boat where you do the paddling it is all action; do the wrong thing and the boat will flip or you will fall out. It is also more physically demanding. Generally you need to be fit to get involved in this exercise. You do not have to be in top shape, but rafting companies will not take anyone with epilepsy, bad hearts, dislocating joints, severe asthma, or other chronic medical problems. Be honest about this when filling in the application forms and liability disclaimers before going - it is very, very rough once you get down in the water. Just humble your self and will enjoy one of the best uganda safari expeditions of your life time. Cool down and listen to your guide instructions. It takes short time and you’re a master of yourself. The rest of the boat will respect you. If you are doing the Zambezi, eat under the thatched cover when you stop on the bank for lunch - the monkeys in the trees above have learned it is fun to pee on the people and food below . Downtime - being under water in a rapid. Grades I and II - easy; Grades III and IV - scary; Grade V - wow!. Grade VI is not open for commercial rafting. Grade VII is un-navigable. All rafting companies provide decent lunches for clients as part of day-trips. For longer runs (some routes are up to 20 days) you generally camp (cold countries) or sleep out on the sandbanks under mosquito nets (hot countries). Food is cooked by the guides, but you put up the tents (theirs) and provide your own sleeping bags. Rafting is a year-round activity, if you have the money to travel , will enjoy rafting in Uganda throughout the year. Uganda lies astride the equator. This gives al year around climate of hot and wet that favour rafting all year around.