On my recent trip to Uganda, I stayed at Lemala Wildwaters Lodge, on the Nile River – one of the most unique and gorgeous places I’ve visited so far.
There aren’t many places that have wow’d me at every point. Approximately 25km from Jinja (the Source of the River Nile), Lemala Wildwaters is located on a private little island one of the bends of the mighty River Nile, accessed only by boat. The whole place is surreal and magical. From calm waters to the raging rapids of the Nile, the scenery is absolutely breathtaking!
Lemala Wildwaters is most definitely on the list of places with the best views!
The lodge’s pool is set right on the bend of the river, the perfect place to relax, enjoy the cocktails and get caught up in the mesmerising flow of the river.
My cottage – WOW! (The wows just keep coming and I’m afraid my words may not do enough justice!) They’ve put me in the honeymoon suite 😊 (definitely need to come back here with my hubby!) The room is spacious with a large double bed, storage space for luggage and clothes. A tea and coffee station along with a mini bar means I can indulge anytime I want.
The bathroom is almost carved out of the natural granite rock with the insanely unique shower hidden amongst the rocks! The sink too – (here I go again – wow!)
View from my room is of the river rapids coming down a small waterfall area with fallen trees (in white water rafting they call these rapids ‘Hypoxia’). My deck has an outdoor bathtub and lucky me – and a plunge pool all to myself too, so yes, I indulged and opened a bottle of wine from my mini bar and made the most of my deck and the view all afternoon!
The food at Lemala Wildwaters is delicious! Three course lunches and dinners, served a’la carte with a large variety of options. Besides the non-veg and veg options, there are also a choice of local cuisines to try – which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was most tempting to try everything, but alas, if I did, I would not even be able to get into my one-size-fits-all kaftan!
White Water Rafting on The Nile
I decided to let my adventurous spirit loose and try white water rafting. So much adrenaline filled fun! My travel buddy who’s done white water rafting about 6 times said this was one of the better rafting experiences.
The whole set up is so impressive. We had a whole retinue of people to take care of us and give us the best experience – our guide, two more guides on our raft, a guide on another raft carrying our things and pineapples and water, three kayakers and a photographer. We couldn’t have been in better hands.
We rafted down rapids from grade 1-4 and swam (actually more like floated) in the calmer waters to cool off! Yes, I can now proudly say I have conquered the mighty River Nile!
Back at the lodge, a short pool-side nap was much needed before I went on a quick walk around the island to see if I could see some of Uganda’s birdlife.
The storm clouds rolled in and we experienced the most incredible torrential thunderstorm! Sitting on the bar counter, I enjoyed the island cinema with views for days, watching the river rage in one direction and the storm moving in the other. All my senses woke up with the sounds of the rain, thunder, the river and the lightning, it was hypnotic.
My trip to Lemala Wildwaters has been an incredibly eye opening experience! I was promoting the lodge as an adrenaline filled destination. Yes, there are heart-pounding activities to experience, but this is also a piece of paradise to come and switch off from the world. Immerse yourself in complete R&R, sit back, relax and listen to the sounds of the Nile rapids. Be hypnotised by the water in constant motion, and lose yourself in the moment. Slow down and watch the red tailed monkeys in the trees, the hornbills and greater blue turacos flying around the island, not to mention the fish eagles, cormorants, darters and pied kingfishers fishing in the river.
Ideally I highly recommend spending three nights here, but I could only stay for two – the mighty mountain gorillas await.
