Jinja – A True African Paradise

Jinja Uganda’s second largest town has been a major commercial center after capital city of Kampala; but nowadays it is also coming up as a gorgeous tourist destination. It is interesting to know more about this relatively off-beat city.

Jinja was founded in 1907 by the British, at a time when the importance of Lake Victoria in transportation grew due to the Uganda Railway which linked a Kenyan town on the lake named Kisumu, with Mombasa on the Indian Ocean, 1,400 km away. Jinja lies in the southernmost part of Uganda and can be accessed by road from Kampala – it is just 87 km east of the capital. Lake Victoria provides a perfectly picturesque ambience to the town, along with the source of the mighty River Nile. Nearby is the Owen Falls Dam to regulate the flow of the Nile and for generating electricity.

Jinja is particularly famous for its white-water rafting, a huge brewery and the “Source of the Nile”. Lake Victoria has a private sailing club on its shores, while 30 km north there is a wildlife sanctuary at Buwenge, on the highway to Kamuli.

Some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were flown into the Source of the Nile and the spot has a small memorial garden too. Jinja has a functional Hindu temple with a bronze bust of Mahatma Gandhi and also a Buddhist temple.

Buvuma Island in Lake Victoria is an attraction for some bold bird-watchers.

A 9-hole golf course laid out in the mid-1920s offers stunning views of Lake Victoria and the Nile. This course has an interesting rule of allowing a free drop of the ball if it stops in a hippo’s hoof mark.

Jinja has a number of cafés, restaurants and hotels for relishing yummy dishes.

Plus the town keeps you busy with its plenty of activities like horse-riding, water skiing, bungee jumping, camping, quad cycling and rafting.

Jinja boasts of a vibrant nightlife with scores of bar like Leo, Bebes and Spot Six, casinos like Nile View Casino, and nightclubs like Mayfair and Sombreros.

So, for the next vacation if you are wondering where to go, keep the name ‘Jinja’ in mind!