Fancy a party on a boat?
Aug 21, 2011
ANYONE remember the Bell cruise? What of a boat called The Sundowner? They started the tradition of dressing up for a dinner on the waters and promoted the romance of cruising with elegant food and music on board.
ANYONE remember the Bell cruise? What of a boat called The Sundowner? They started the tradition of dressing up for a dinner on the waters and promoted the romance of cruising with elegant food and music on board.
But these were either invites-only or high society parties. Today, leisure cruising on Lake Victoria is just another way to have a good time for anyone who cares to happen; from dinner dates to Saturday night rave parties.
How times have changed! Today, cruise boat parties are accessible to anyone who cares to party on the lake. Actually, there are lots of people in Kampala who consider a cruise boat party as the number one way to ‘happen’. Every Saturday afternoon, for example, Mutesa I, a cruise boat sets off from Ggaba to Gobero Bay and back with about 200 revellers on board. The boat sets sail very slowly, at less than half speed, to allow patrons enjoy the scenic view of the islands they cruse past but also to enjoy the cool breeze that gently brushes their faces.
Loud booming music is played on board. Beer and spirits are served to patrons on board and muchomo is also roasted on the deck. This mix of delights does not fail to please the patrons; most of whom are hip young people. They sail along drinking, dancing and raving with abandon.
Mid-water, the boat sails so slow that it seems as though it is stationary. At such times, surprises are unleashed onto the revellers on board. Once, for example, bikini-clad dancers were suddenly brought up on the deck to entertain the patrons. All this fun goes for as low as sh20,000 for a boarding pass.
Themed cruise parties like those that include bikini dancers or the ‘tease-and-please’ can cost up to sh100,000 per head. However, such is the popularity of the ‘floating’ parties that even celebrities like Peter Miles, Bebe Cool, Toniks and Juliana Kanyomoozi have been known to hang out here. Ragga Dee also often attends some of these cruise boat parties and even lends his hand at spinning the discs. More often, however, the party on board the cruise ‘ships’ is run by famous DJs who are brought in from some of Kampala’s top nightclubs.
“Ugandans have always been fascinated by cruise boat parties. They just could not afford them in the past. The thing with cruising is that you get to have it all; clubbing, good food, lots of booze, sight-seeing, bird-watching, meeting new people, even fishing and deep lake-diving, all in one go. Cruises are less expensive nowadays. I think that is the reason why many people travel from Kampala to Ggaba or Entebbe every weekend so that they can board the cruise boat to an Island and back,†says Phiona Bright, a marketing executive, who often goes cruising the Lake Victoria on weekends.
Such is the allure of cruising that some people are now holding stag parties (kasiki) aboard cruise boats. Holiday makers and university students have also caught in on the trend, holding their back-to-school bashes on cruise boats. Musicians too are increasingly shooting videos against the backdrop of floating parties.
Iryn Namubiru shot her Bonna Obasinga video on the Big Yellow Banana, another cruise boat that plies Lake Victoria between Waterfront Beach Entebbe and Sanga Island.
The boat often hosts live music performances by Fusion band, during which patrons are served with wine and Mongolian barbecue as they dance. Comedian Pablo has once been invited to play comic antics for the patrons on board.
“There is something magical about a party that doesn’t occur at a resort, club or at a hotel. People let down their protective walls and become playful. They smile and talk to strangers. It is as though you are at a private party and it’s proper to introduce yourself. A cruise boat also works its magic on married couples who “fall in love all over again,†says dancehall star Peter Miles, a regular on the Big Yellow Banana.
When you find the Big Yellow Banana out in the waters all decorated in festive ribbons, silks and balloons, you know that the boat has been booked for a wedding.
But these were either invites-only or high society parties. Today, leisure cruising on Lake Victoria is just another way to have a good time for anyone who cares to happen; from dinner dates to Saturday night rave parties.
How times have changed! Today, cruise boat parties are accessible to anyone who cares to party on the lake. Actually, there are lots of people in Kampala who consider a cruise boat party as the number one way to ‘happen’. Every Saturday afternoon, for example, Mutesa I, a cruise boat sets off from Ggaba to Gobero Bay and back with about 200 revellers on board. The boat sets sail very slowly, at less than half speed, to allow patrons enjoy the scenic view of the islands they cruse past but also to enjoy the cool breeze that gently brushes their faces.
Loud booming music is played on board. Beer and spirits are served to patrons on board and muchomo is also roasted on the deck. This mix of delights does not fail to please the patrons; most of whom are hip young people. They sail along drinking, dancing and raving with abandon.
Mid-water, the boat sails so slow that it seems as though it is stationary. At such times, surprises are unleashed onto the revellers on board. Once, for example, bikini-clad dancers were suddenly brought up on the deck to entertain the patrons. All this fun goes for as low as sh20,000 for a boarding pass.
Themed cruise parties like those that include bikini dancers or the ‘tease-and-please’ can cost up to sh100,000 per head. However, such is the popularity of the ‘floating’ parties that even celebrities like Peter Miles, Bebe Cool, Toniks and Juliana Kanyomoozi have been known to hang out here. Ragga Dee also often attends some of these cruise boat parties and even lends his hand at spinning the discs. More often, however, the party on board the cruise ‘ships’ is run by famous DJs who are brought in from some of Kampala’s top nightclubs.
“Ugandans have always been fascinated by cruise boat parties. They just could not afford them in the past. The thing with cruising is that you get to have it all; clubbing, good food, lots of booze, sight-seeing, bird-watching, meeting new people, even fishing and deep lake-diving, all in one go. Cruises are less expensive nowadays. I think that is the reason why many people travel from Kampala to Ggaba or Entebbe every weekend so that they can board the cruise boat to an Island and back,†says Phiona Bright, a marketing executive, who often goes cruising the Lake Victoria on weekends.
Such is the allure of cruising that some people are now holding stag parties (kasiki) aboard cruise boats. Holiday makers and university students have also caught in on the trend, holding their back-to-school bashes on cruise boats. Musicians too are increasingly shooting videos against the backdrop of floating parties.
Iryn Namubiru shot her Bonna Obasinga video on the Big Yellow Banana, another cruise boat that plies Lake Victoria between Waterfront Beach Entebbe and Sanga Island.
The boat often hosts live music performances by Fusion band, during which patrons are served with wine and Mongolian barbecue as they dance. Comedian Pablo has once been invited to play comic antics for the patrons on board.
“There is something magical about a party that doesn’t occur at a resort, club or at a hotel. People let down their protective walls and become playful. They smile and talk to strangers. It is as though you are at a private party and it’s proper to introduce yourself. A cruise boat also works its magic on married couples who “fall in love all over again,†says dancehall star Peter Miles, a regular on the Big Yellow Banana.
When you find the Big Yellow Banana out in the waters all decorated in festive ribbons, silks and balloons, you know that the boat has been booked for a wedding.