Paddle boarding on the River Nile
Brief: write a 1500-word article discussing the experience I had in Uganda, January 2024.
Aims: explore a new part of the world, the culture, food, white water paddle boarding.
Objectives: Deliver the Sleepwell project and trial the capabilities of the Tambo Pro.
I decided to spend January 2024 paddle boarding in Africa for three reasons. The first was to connect with the country where my Mum was born, gain insight into why my Grandparents have happy memories of this country, and learn some stories from the local people about what this beautiful country has to offer.
The second was to help deliver The Sleepwell Project, a small fundraising project created by Tommy Hatwell. The project provides mattresses, mosquito nets and blankets to communities who cannot afford them.
The third reason for a trip to Uganda was, of course, to SUP the white water sections of the Nile, using the prototype iSUP Tambo Pro made by Tambo.
Think People, Think Story
Think People Think Story was developed as a photography project by Tommy in 2019. It will share the stories of people and communities. The first and most memorable project was the Borehole project, which captured the Bujagali children congregating around their water pump.
This project inspired the Sleepwell Project after Tommy wanted to give the community more than just a lollipop for their contribution to his photography. In 2022, six people from the UK travelled at their own expense to Uganda to help deliver mattresses, mosquito nets, and blankets to the Acholi Quarters in the capital city, Kampala, where my mother, who is of Indian heritage, was born.
Tommy’s presentation at last year’s Gene17 festival in Dartmoor inspired me to attend this year’s Sleepwell Project, where we delivered 150 mattresses.
The Sleepwell Project
The project always continues the previous year’s connection. This year, we travelled to a northern area in Uganda, near the city of Gulu, where two team members’ families originate.
It is a very remote village with no electricity or running water. The sunshine is very hot, and the people live in round huts with straw roofs. These huts have no windows, and often, they have an open fire to cook on.
The area of Gulu was subject to a terrorist group that controlled the area since the 1990s. When the terrorist group fled, the northern state struggled to rebuild its economy, resulting in the villages not having the opportunity to catch up to modern-day Ugandan society. We were warmly welcomed to the village with a traditional dance.
The local mayor, who accepted the offer made by the Sleepwell Project, was very emotional seeing the articulated lorry trundling along the dirt track to the village, and all the locals were exceptionally grateful for their brand-new mattresses and bedding.
First impressions of Uganda
The nine-hour flight from Brussels dropped us on the shore of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and the source of the Nile, the world’s longest river. Our friends, David and Ambrose, welcomed us with big smiles and even bigger hugs; although this was my first time meeting the boys, I already felt a tremendous sense of being welcome in their country.
On arriving at our Airbnb, we ate the tastiest fruit I’d ever experienced, including ‘real’ bananas, pineapples, apples, and watermelon. The conversations soon turned philosophical, leading me to believe that the next four weeks would provide more memories than simply enjoying the white water.
The following day, after fixing up the Nookie waggon, we collected the rest of the team at Entebbe International. We started making our journey towards Jinja, the closest town to where we’d spend the next four weeks.
The River Nile
We stayed with a family in the rural village of Bujagali, famous for its Bujagali Falls and, further downstream, the location of the Nile Special Rapid and the Hairy Lemon Island. Unfortunately, the world-class white water now lies far beneath the water due to the hydro dams completed in 2012 and 2019.
While the dam can supply Uganda with half of its annual energy, allowing the country to develop alongside meeting the targets to minimise climate change, the local tourist businesses have suffered.
The remaining white water is a short, bumpy, 30-minute drive downstream. Class 3, 4, 5, and 6 rapids can still be found here, but access is much less convenient and requires more planning.
The new wave known as ‘The Covid Wave’ has formed, and the other play waves of ‘Super Hole’ and ‘Vengeance’ are two of the most incredible waves/rapids I have ever surfed/SUP’d. I was too intimidated to surf Vengeance, so I ran the rapid and watched the playboaters get thrown around by the huge volume of water that funnels through.
Back in the village, the scenery remains beautiful. Banana trees, mango trees, sugar cane, and a vast amount of farming land surround the homes of those living in Bujagali.
The river is flat, tranquil, warm and safe. I was told to watch out for crocodiles, but I think the boys were only joking. Small rapids form around the islands, and the deep, swirly, eddy lines make for a perfect playground on SUP.
Anyone from a complete beginner to a well-seasoned white water paddler can enjoy the water here. On our rest days, we frequently paddled up to the Nile River Resort to grab a burger and a beer. Our housemates, Ashimu, Musa, and Shakul, often paddled our boards back to the village, enjoying the water while we stayed and enjoyed a beer.
The people
We stayed with Mumma Muganda, the mother of Muganda, one of the team’s long-time friends. Mumma Mu had a modest yet modern house. The kitchen was a shed outside, and the toilet was simply a hole in the ground; our shower was a refreshing jerry can.
Bed with breakfast in the village was roughly £10 per night, which I thought was good value as the breakfast alone was worth staying for. Freshly friend ‘Irish’ chips, with the best-scrambled egg of my life. Rolex, or ‘rolled eggs’, was my second favourite breakfast served here.
The competition
For many years, the Nile River Festival has been the highlight for many white water enthusiasts on their trips to Uganda. This year was no different. The Think People and Kayak The Nile teams hosted 50+ kayakers, paddleboarders, and anyone willing to wear a buoyancy aid, sit in a tractor tyre tube, and float down the Super Hole rapids.
Upon arriving, the first rapid I ran was Super Hole, graded as a class 3 rapid. I asked Tommy what the line was, and he responded, “Just go through the middle; you’ll be fine.”
I was unprepared for how powerful this rapid was without scouting or seeing any white while here. I leisurely paddled into the rapid and immediately fell off my board at the end of the ramp, where I met the V-shaped curler. I swam the entire rapid, lost my GoPro from my helmet, and watched the Bubugo Banana Kayak School kids laugh as I coughed and sputtered out water. Little did they know, they would be gifted that board after the festival.
Thankfully, I was fully prepared to take on this rapid when I entered the SUP race. With a large crowd cheering all the paddlers on, I stood through the stoppers, touched the rock behind the middle island, and successfully ferry-gliding the rapid to finish the race in the first place.
The kayakers took the harder, grade 4 line named Real-Deal, which has an iconic video on YouTube; just search ’Epic Kayak Carnage Mega Train’. I promise you will not be disappointed. Big up to Steve for pulling his deck whilst upright because his helmet fell in front of his face.
The festival offered free tickets to local kayakers, raft guides, and kids. This was all concluded with Nookie, our trip sponsor, giving six buoyancy aids and two spray decks to the Kayak school, giving more kids safer access to their river.
Tambo also donated the paddle board to the kayak school, along with a bunch of prizes that the Think People Team bought from the market, including Uganda Football shirts, bars of soap and brushes.
This is the school’s first SUP, but you would have thought the kids have SUP’d hundreds of times. I cannot wait to return next year to see how far they have taken it. The person who surfed Super Hole standing for the longest, I will give them my buoyancy aid.
Next Year
January is perfect for escaping the UK’s dreary weather and getting winter sunshine. This trip has set my year off in the most positive, inspiring, and motivating way. This is why, next year, I’ll be returning to continue developing my whitewater SUP skills, eating a Rolex daily, and reconnecting with my friends in Bujagali Village.
I also invite you to join me on an adventure to Uganda, where you can experience white water, enjoy memorable sunsets and cold beer, and meet some of the finest people on the planet, all while improving your SUP game. If this is something you are interested in, get in touch.
Check out my website at www.crawfordcoaching.co.uk for information.
Visit www.thinkpeoplethinkstory.com to learn more.
