Itanda Falls

Itanda is the biggest set of rapids on the accessible stretch of the Victoria Nile north of Jinja, a chain of Grade IV and V rapids through a rock gorge - among them the Big Easy, Clubhouse, Kev's Last Blow and the Bad Place - that rafting trips from Jinja run, some of the hardest commercially rafted water in Africa. The water is loud and continuous and the viewing is from rocks along the bank. Local Busoga tradition holds spirits in the falls and ceremonies are still performed at the site, so behaviour at the rocks matters.

The landscape

• The rapids - Grade IV and V water through the gorge.
• The gorge - the rock channel the Nile is forced through.
• The kayak lines - the routes expert paddlers take through the drops.
• The ritual site - the rocks where Busoga ceremonies are still performed.

When to go

Year round; water levels vary with releases from the dams upstream. Mornings are quietest. Rafting trips pass through on scheduled days.

What to expect

The rocks are slippery and unfenced. It is a ritual site and casual behaviour on the rocks causes offence. The flow is shaped by the Nalubaale and Kiira dams upstream.

Nearby

Jinja is south, and the source of the Nile is beyond it.

Key facts