Rafting with Sana Gorilla Rafting: A thrilling adventure

It’s been quite a great year and it’s always the hard work and the adventures that make it better. One of the amazing experiences I took off my Bucket list this year, was White water rafting! I used to have fear of adrenaline-rushing experiences but I always wanted to try this one, at the same time. Thanks to the Sana-Gorilla-Rafting crew, that made this adventure wholesome and unforgettable!
I got to know about SANA from a friend. And was compelled to check them out. And so I visited their website.

“It all began with an idea! We are Sadat Kawawa and Nathalie van den Brekel and we are the founders of Gorilla Rafting. Sadat is Ugandan, originally from Jinja, and has been crowned King of the Nile due to his professional white water kayaking career. Nathalie is Dutch and is a Medical Doctor, working in Global Health. Together we traveled to the untouched rain forest of the West of Uganda and found amazing rivers. We knew this needed to be shared with the rest of the world!”

I have had some great travel experiences already, here in Uganda, as a travel enthusiast; such as participating in the travel Uganda campaign to different locations, which enabled me connect more with travel enthusiasts and opened me to other travel opportunities.

As we dive to this rafting experience, by 8:00 AM we were already on the road to the Kahengye River in Rukungiri-Ntungamu border. We had opted for the morning session on the river. I met the rest of the team and we shared  a lot about travelling and other topics. 

After a 45 minute drive, we could see the River Kahengye in a distance, but we had another 30 minute ride to get to our starting point, so we cut through plains and hills and the view was quite incredible, since the region is close to the rift valley and has plenty of hills and plains.

With the help of Nathalie and Kawawa, the team leads, I grabbed the rafting gear; - a helmet, a paddle and a life jacket.  At this time everyone was busy, as the guides were now preparing, pumping the inflatable kayaks, that take about two – three guys. 

The thrill 
The rumbling of the river in the distances and the winds through the valley were giving me a bit of goosebumps.
We then headed to the river where we got some instructional briefing. 
Here, our guide, John, taught us how to paddle forward and back, which is essential as the river changes course in different areas. As we hit the first set of frothy waves, the water roared around us. 

Our kayak almost bucked and twisted, and I felt the exhilaration of being part of nature’s tempest. The splash was relentless, drenching me from head to toe. But it was a baptism of adventure, and I enjoyed it! And on a count of three to one, Kawawa the leader blew a whistle and it felt more like a warrior group ready for battle and we started the activity.

We navigated the river through the wetlands and huge thickets and the eucalyptus trees that were towering over us. At some point the river gets still and it all feels like you in another realm, the birds chirping from their nests, it’s more like an orchestra. The whole place was a top spot for birdwatching.  We also had to move through creeks which were with constant rapids and I would paddle them with ease. I also had a glimpse of a few kids who would be swimming in gazetted places which was amazing as well.

After about two hours on the water, we had to first rest and moved to Lake Nyabihoko which is situated a few miles off Rwashameire from where we had a meal as well and chat about the whole experience. The lake itself is a nice place to catch a cool breeze and find tranquility. It is also home to beautiful bird species such as the pelicans, fish eagles as well as grey crowned cranes.
In conclusion, the experience with SANA Gorilla Rafting was one of a lifetime as it was a mixture of rafting time, adventure as well as relaxing moments!

SANA Gorilla Rafting is perfectly located for anyone who comes from Bwindi Forest to see the gorillas, going to Queen Elizabeth National Park to see all the animals of Uganda, or the other way around! It is about a 1:20h drive from Ishasha (Queen Elizabeth) and a 1:40h to Buhoma (Buwindi). It is a tarmacked road all the way to the Kihihi airstrip as well. Driving to the airstrip will cost you about 45 minutes (shown in detail on the map). The route to Ishasha and Bwindi are also shown on the map.