Rapids the kids have called ‘Bella boo’ and ‘Stuck tree’ are a delight to the young ones who usually choose the front of the oar-powered rafts for the wettest ride of the day. After the first afternoon of rafting we pull into the Hairy Lemon island where Rob and Erin have made their home. The kids are in charge of choosing the campsite where we erect tents for the night. Erin and her staff prepare dinner and we enjoy relaxing in the surroundings of their island home.

The next morning, the adults have a chance to river surf at ‘Nile Special’ the infamous surf wave found near to the Hairy Lemon. The wave behaves in much the same way as an ocean wave rolling upstream in a wall of whitewater. We put fins on our feet and attach the lightweight board to our wrist. After some basic instruction from our expert guides you will be surfing thousands of miles from the ocean. There is nothing quite like the thrill of riding a surf wave especially when you are only metres from the spectators. The kids can watch the action or have fun nearby building sandcastles on a small beach.

Floating down the calmer section of river we meander our way through the lush forested islands and encounter local fishermen in their canoes. The kids have a chance to try river surfing as well bouncing down the smaller rapids or riding on the kayaks with our safety kayakers. There are plenty of opportunities to swim, relax on the raft and spot the amazing array of wildlife, including red-tailed monkeys, fish eagles, monitor lizards, otters & thousands of members of the cormorant family.

Malalu is the only other significant rapid of the day. This again provides a fantastic opportunity for the adults to to river surf while the kids can watch from a nearby rock. Our river journey ends after 19 kms immediately after Malalu.