The Nile is an incredible sight, especially when you’re viewing it from the back of a magnificent horse. I’d returned from Murchison Falls NP to Jinja, the Adventure Capital of East Africa. Having seen the falls from the deck of a boat I was keen to see this magnificent river again, but from a different viewpoint. Over a drink someone mentioned horse riding along the Nile. I was sold, but was it really possible? Of course it was - Nile Horseback Safaris is magically located in a prime location just 4kms outside the bustle of Jinja town, right on the grassy banks of the Nile. Just perfect. It was a beautiful morning as I arrived and was greeted by Natalie McComb, who owns and runs the wellestablished yard of 20 horses. I’ve ridden often, but never in Africa, so was curious to see what the horses would be like. Needless to say I was delighted by just how healthy and smartly turned out the horses were, all saddles and bridles were well maintained and of a good fit, all this giving me great confidence. I was asked about my riding history before being matched to one of their more experienced horses, then fitted for a riding helmet.

There were five of us going out on a 2hr ride plus two very experienced guides, Lawrence and Francis. Before
leaving the stables we were given a talk on the basics of riding - how to stop, how to make the horse go forward and how to turn – it sounds simple enough but came as a great benefit to one of the men who had never ridden before. A children’s ride was going out for an hour walk, the kids having a brilliant time patting
the horses before they even started! Our gear was checked and our cameras were placed into accompanying saddlebags. We rode along the edge of the river and opposite the famous Bujagali Falls. From our vantage point we could see the raging rapids below, as flocks of birds flew up from the trees on islands within the river. Our horses stood quietly as we took photos from the saddle and marvelled at the view. We moved on, waving at people as we passed through small villages, with communities of people greeting us delightedly. Lawrence confirmed the horses are now part of the scenery, but to begin with everyone showed fear having never seen one before – someone thought they were camels without a hump! For those of us who could ride we were asked if we’d like to have a trot and a canter and for those less experienced they continued walking ahead with Lawrence. Three of us followed Francis on a different path through the sugar cane and when it opened up we went faster. It was fantastic, the horses were beautifully controllable and we comfortably cantered along before stopping to take in a different view, this time of Lake Victoria and Mabira Rainforest rolling off into the distance. This ride has some of the most breathtaking views in the world.

It’s true to say that ‘time stops for no man’, but on the back of a horse time slows - maybe it’s because you cover the kilometers at such a gentle and relaxing pace. We made it back to the stables just as the sun was turning up the heat. Our horses were attended to whilst we were taken to a picnic table to drink in the view as well as the complimentary bottles of water. To see the Nile from horseback is not to be missed and with Nile Horseback Safaris offering you the only place in Uganda to do this, you’d be crazy not to try it! One, two and three hour safaris twice daily. Overnight and multi-day safaris, including swimming the horses in the Nile, available on request.

For More Information please visit:
www.nilehorsebacksafaris.com or See ad on page 27.