Travel: East Uganda

Jinja, Tororo and Sipi Falls.


Travelling east from Kampala, the next major city you come to is Jinja, home of Ugandan extreme sports and 'The Source of the Nile' (apparently).

One of the highlights of Jinja are Bujagali Falls which are essentially some cool rapids. Bujagali Falls can be found just north of Jinja town centre. 


Photo 1: Locals swim the rapids to entertain tourists. A very dangerous way to earn your living.

Photo 2: White Water Rafting is one of the extreme sports found at Bujagali along with a bungy jumping, kayaking etc

Photo 3: Laura and I at Bujagali Falls 

Not so impressive is the site claiming to be the source of the Nile. While it is picturesque and you can enjoy a relaxing boat trip, it is not as spectacular as the falls and far more commercial, perhaps perfectly summed up by the billboard in the car park.

Photo 5: Boat trip anyone?

Photo 6: 'The Source of the Nile'

Tororo

Tororo is a town near to the Kenyan border and most famous for it's cement. The Tororo brand can be seen all over Uganda. 


While it is not a particularly touristy town, it is home to possibly one of the best hotels in Uganda, the Prime ( www.prime-hotel-tororo.com).


The Ugandan owned hotel has benefited by the proprietor's experience if hospitality in UK where she lived for ten years. It is clean, spacious and does some of the best curries I have ever had.

Of course no drive in Uganda would be the same without saying hello (with windows up) to a family of baboons.

Tororo is a good base for exploring Mt Elgon National Park and visiting Sipi Falls which lie on the edge of the park. There are three main waterfalls to visit although we decided to only do the two main ones. The first one (below) involved a gentle walk downhill.

The second, more spectacular waterfall required a moderate climb which was made more difficult due to recent rain. It was cool to be able to go behind the waterfall and explore the cave.

Thanks for reading!