The Nile Porch River Lodge in Jinja

Tucked away on a cliff overlooking the Nile, The Nile Porch River Lodge is a breathtaking tented camp that offers a truly luxurious safari lodge experience.

We were introduced to The Nile Porch by a good friend, “King” Arthur, who recommended we stay there while in Jinja. We had just spent 10 days in the hustle and bustle of Kampala trying to buy a car so when we arrived at the Nile Porch Lodge it was a breath of fresh air. The manager Salim made us feel right at home, and after dropping our stuff in the family room we hit the idyllic pool to cool off with a cold Nile Special. Arthur had already warned us that the restaurant, The Black Lantern, was home to the best ribs in Jinja, little did we know that a full rack of ribs means such an incredibly scary pile of meat, that clearing the whole plate will land you a spot on the wall of fame, where your appetite will be glorified for decades to come.

In 2009 a British-South African couple took ownership of the lodge and have since completely rebuilt it to another level. The lodge now has a strong focus on eco-friendly tourism with a minimal carbon footprint, which has resulted in an increase of fauna returning such as pangolin, porcupine, mongoose, hedgehogs, caracal, genet, vervet and red tail monkeys.

Just a short walk downhill you will find the Nile River Camp, a lovely backpackers joint with incredibly friendly staff (shout out to my boys Enok & Franco), a youthful spirited bar/restaurant and a whole bunch of interesting travellers to hang with. We met some really cool people there & had some amazing nights including DJing in the bar till the wee hours. No matter what your budget is, NRC or the Nile Porch has the accommodation to float your boat. It’s the perfect stop before or after travelling upcountry and has grown to be our base on our travels throughout East-Africa.