‘Forward, left-turn, hold on.’ I reach for the rope that traverses the perimeter of the raft and grasp my paddle tightly as the river drops away beneath us. Seconds after I fill my lungs with a healthy gulp of fresh air, a giant wall of green water is towering above us. The raft buckles as the bow explodes into whitewater and droplets of spray sparkle in the sunshine. Moments later we are under water.
Dressed lightly for a day in the sunshine the slightly cooler waters are a welcome relief. A split second later we emerge ecstatic as the raft summits a giant wave in what has become the Nile’s roller coaster. Another trough looms ahead and I exhale an enthusiastic whoop before preparing for the next dousing. I have rafted all over the world but nothing has quite prepared me for the Nile. Minutes later the raft is rocking gently in the calm pool below the legendary Big Brother rapid, no-one escaped the dunking and it is smiles and disbelief all around. Some of us turn upstream to watch as the next raft races down the long green tongue of the rapid and accelerates toward the first towering wave.
In popular paddle-rafts, each person joins as a member of a team and a professional guide captains the team. Paddlers are instructed comprehensively on how best to enjoy themselves on the water and on all aspects of safety including the use of safety kayaks which accompany every raft trip on the water. The highly-trained safety kayakers are world class paddlers who adeptly pilot their tiny boats through the mountainous waves of each rapid ahead of the rafts. When rafts flip upside down or people are washed overboard they are nearby to provide assistance in getting people back to their boats.
The trip on the water begins slowly and the first few kilometres give the raft guides an opportunity to train their crews fully on all aspects of Nile rafting. The young river dances into action at Bujagali Falls as if anxious to race to the thirsty deserts downstream and one major rapid follows swiftly after another for most of the morning. By the time the rafts drift toward Wakisi island, a wholesome and inviting lunch is waiting eager consumers. There is nothing quite like a morning on the Nile for whetting one’s appetite. Succulent pineapples, giant avocadoes, crisp bell peppers and tasty carrots are all organically grown in nearby villages. Fresh bread, roasted ham, salami and juicy tomatoes all combine wonderfully well to satisfy even the most insatiable appetites from a morning of fresh air, wildwater and sunshine.
After a leisurely lunch on beautiful Wakisi island, the rafts enter Wildwaters Reserve which is a private conservation initiative started by Adrift to protect the unique flora and fauna of the mid-stream islands of the Nile. There is more time between the rough water but the rapids on the Nile become larger and more spectacular. In Overtime rapid (when the Nilometre is reading above 10 cubits) the Adrift rafts leap over a 4.5 metre waterfall, race downstream to the ever surprising Retrospect then teeter hesitantly at The Bad Place. At Itanda, the young Nile gathers far too much power for our rafts and we are forced to portage around the top of the rapid on land and then contemplate the huge hole at the bottom.
The Bad Place is optional but those choosing to raft through it take with them only a slim chance of staying onboard the raft. Once in The Bad Place, the raft takes on the character of a wild horse being ridden for the first time. It often surfs in the huge breaking waves (probably the largest hole rafted commercially anywhere in the world) and rears, bucks and kicks like thoroughbred saddles for the first time.
It makes the most spectacular video footage as riders are often thrown in the air before hitting the racing current and being swept downstream to the calm pool below.
