As it was a long weekend we drove to the Hairy Lemon on Friday afternoon, from where the two days trip would start the next morning. It’s just a great opportunity to get out of town, be by the water and relax. Apart from the scenery I can also recommend the free range spit roasted chicken we had for dinner.

On Saturday morning our guide Jared arrived at 10 am with custom designed kayaks and all the equipment we would need on our trip. Unlike the small professional kayaks, the ones we were using were much larger and made for 2 people. As opposed to sitting in the kayak, you sit on top of the kayak and the drain plugs will get rid of any excessive water that splashes over the top. To our surprise the kayaks were also very stable,
simple to paddle, and perfect for all ages – yet it is recommended to be at least 6 years or older when going on this trip. While on the Nile you don’t need much apart from enough drinking water, plenty of sunscreen and maybe a camera to memorise the experience. The latter and other things that shouldn’t get wet can be stored safely in a little bag in each kayak. Additionally our guide had a large dry-bag for larger items. Everything else for our overnight stay on one of the islands on the Nile was taken by a truck down river together with the nice fairies that built our overnight camp. Once we had finalised the logistics and were organised in teams, Jared gave us a brief introduction course on how to paddle, and off we went. After a couple of kilometres including some minor rapids, we entered a gap between two islands and stopped for lunch on a rocky beach under the shade of some large trees. Jared flipped a kayak over to make a table and offered us olives while he chopped some tomatoes and lettuce. We all helped by making our own ham and cheese sandwiches which were rounded off with some bananas, pineapple and melon. Being in no hurry at all we took the chance to have a swim and sit in the natural water jets caused by the river flowing down the narrow gaps between the rocks. Sure enough we also had a laugh at one or two of our colleagues who were flushed down river off the slippery rocks to the calmer pool below. After lunch our adventure continued at a nice and easy pace, meandering through flat pools and stunning jungle islands with the odd small rapid which added to excitement. After travelling down river some 7 km we arrived at about 5pm at our overnight island. The truck had already arrived and tents had been erected for us, a canteen area and an ice cold beer or gin and tonic was at hand. I had brought my own tent which had also been ferried across to our island. I decided to set it up next to the river with a stunning view of some rapids upstream and a small pool near by that would make an excellent bath. Before it got dark we tried our best at catching some of the yellow fish you find in the river, but to no avail. So after a bath in the river we changed for the evening and put on some mozzie repellent. Since we had caught no fish, we had to settle for the dinner prepared for us: fillet steak, whole baked stuffed cabbage, rice and gravy followed by chocolate bananas for dessert – all of which were delicious. After dinner we settled around the camp fire to tell stories, gaze at the amazing night skies, roast some marshmallows and enjoy a few more drinks to the sound of the river running by before retiring to our tents for a well deserved sleep. The next morning I awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee and wandered over to our canteen to enjoy a healthy breakfast including fruits and cereals,
bacon and eggs and freshly brewed coffee. We leisurely packed up camp and once again boarded our kayaks to continue our adventure for a further 8 km down the river. Doug, another guide joined us for this section and took advantage of the fish rod holder, trawling a line behind him. (For the keen fishermen all kayaks are fitted with two rod holders). As the day before, we kayaked through pools for most of the time but had to overcome
a fairly large rapid before we stopped for our deli style lunch.

With the experience from the previous day, we were all semi-professionals and no one capsized! After lunch we paddled over more pools to a small island on the Nile, where the really adventurous amongst us had the chance to do some cliff jumping from three to six meters. One or two backed out on this activity (it’s not compulsory)
but for the rest of us we felt we had got our fare share of adrenaline and great photo opportunity! After this excitement we paddled the last bit and it was all too soon before we were enjoying a beer on the bank and loading our equipment back onto the truck. All loaded up on the truck, we drove through villages on winding tracks and were brought back to our vehicles at the Hairy Lemon. All in all it was a very enjoyable trip. The guides were very professional, priding themselves on safety, environmental awareness and customer satisfaction which translates to you having an excellent time on the river, enjoying the views and the birdlife. The guides made us feel at home on the water and were happy to assist in taking photos for us, identify birds and making sure we all enjoyed the unique environment. Other trips include:
• Short Haul Explorer
• Sunset Trip
• Sunset Trip Lake Victoria
• Lake Victoria Discovery
• Specialist Fishing Trip

I am sure whatever trip you choose, Kayak the Nile will make sure it’s an experience of a lifetime.
For more information or to book your
adventure call, Mobile: +256 752 880322.
Email:info@kayakcruises.com or log on to their
Website: www.kayakcruises.com