1 Day Jinja Tour, Sezibwa falls and Mabira forest Hike

If you are visiting Uganda on a business trip and are unable to take long Uganda safari, especially the different gorilla trekking safari, you can take this 1 day Jinja tour to see a bit outside of Kampala to three main sites. The tour starts after an early breakfast preferably 6.30 am in the morning from the Kampala or Entebbe to avoid the traffic jam. You will drive through tea plantations, sugar plantations and colorful roadside fruit and vegetable markets. On two stops you will see several Ugandans selling roast meat as a quick snack for travellers in buses and taxis.

Sezibwa falls tour

Our first stop over will be at Sezibwa falls – a Buganda cultural site rich with birds, folktales and great scenery. This is a great spot for bird lovers Uganda birding, cultural site with folk stories and traditional healers and lastly the water falls that have a story. On arrival, after payment of entrance fees, a resident tour guide will lead you to the different sites and share legends surrounding the river.

The name Sezibwa is derived from a Luganda phrase “sizibwa Kkubo” which translates into “my path can never be blocked”, the locals say is because its flow could not be stopped even with different obstacles it encountered along its path like Rocks etc. The rivers flows down a set of rocks creating beautiful water falls especially during the rainy seasons. In the dry season, the water is less hence the waterfalls are not as magnificent. This stopover will give you a glimpse into the traditional beliefs of Buganda kingdom and great pictures from the scenery and landscape.

Hiking Mabira forest

Our next stop on this Uganda Safari will be Mabira forest the largest rain forest near to Kampala city. Just like the Sezibwa falls site, you will start with payment at the Eco tourism center after which you will be given a local guide to lead you through.

After learning about the duration of the walk, the guide will choose one of the many forest trails where you will take a hike through the forest. On average the walk can take about two hours after which you continue on your journey.

On the trail, you will learn about the different medicinal trees and how people lived and survived on the forest. You will encounter different bird species, beautiful butterflies, red-tailed monkeys jumping from one tree to another and hopefully sight the Uganda Mangabeys on a good day.

Boat ride on Source of River Nile – Jinja

On arrival in Jinja, you will start with lunch after which we shall enjoy a boat ride on River Nile as it starts exiting Lake Victoria. This is will be the last site on this adventurous Jinja tour with a boat ride to the “Source of the Nile” at the now submerged Rippon Falls. This is where the Nile starts its 4000 mile journey to the Mediterranean Sea traversing various countries along the way. The boat rides take between thirty minutes and two hours depending on the available time. Listen to your local site guide tell you stories of the ‘source of the Nile’ as believed by the locals.

Jinja is also known as ‘the adventure capital of East Africa’ because of the many adventure activities carried out on the Nile and along the Nile which include water rafting, kayaking, jet boating, bungee jumping, squad biking and horse riding along the Nile. You are free to stay longer and enjoy these many activities or arrange to return for the same.