Uganda

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Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Kampala

Population

25,633,000

Government

Republic

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant), Islam, indigenous beliefs

Languages

English, Ganda, Nyankore, Soga

Calling Code

+256

Nationality

Local name

Contributors

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Introduction

Family watching on as we dig ourselves out of the mud

© All Rights Reserved dave cooke

Uganda is a landlocked country in central Africa that has endured a troubled past marked by human rights atrocities, political corruption and the current AIDS epidemic.

Still, there's much for travellers to enjoy in Uganda. Its lush, arable land is unusual in this part of the world, while Bwindi National Park is home to half the world's population of mountain gorillas. Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks are two more parks boasting a rich variety of flora and fauna. Meanwhile, adventurous travellers can go white water rafting down the Nile in Jinja.

Warning: Despite some improvement in the country's political landscape over the past decade, travel in Uganda is not without its risks. Travellers are strongly advised to avoid northern Uganda and anywhere near the borders with Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rest of the country is more secure, but still make sure you're aware of any major developments.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

Uganda's 80 districts are spread across 4 administrative regions.

• Northern Uganda
• Eastern Uganda
• Central Uganda
• Western Uganda

Cities

• Kampala is the capital and largest city in Uganda.
• Entebbe, just south of Kampala, is where the international airport is located.
• Jinja is known as the source of the Nile river and capital of extreme sports and activities in the country.
• Fort Portal
• Tororo
• Kabale
• Kisoro

Sights and Activities

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the prime spot in Uganda to go on a trekking to see the Mountain Gorillas. The park is located in the southwestern corner of the country and apart from gorillas offers a wide range of monkey, birds, butterflies and other wildlife to view upclose. A gorilla permit is expensive though, around 500 USD and as this is the most favorite spot in Africa to go on a trekking, the permits sell out quickly, especially by tour groups who buy them well in advance. As an independent traveller, you might be more lucky in Rwanda to get a permit within several days.

Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale Forest National Park is located in the west of the country, not far from Fort Portal and is famous for its chimpanzee tracking and bird watching.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is known for its waterfalls, where the Nile drops down for over 40 meters, making it one of the most powerful waterfalls in Africa. A boat ride will take you past hippos and crocodiles and other wildlife in the park, including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard and many species of antelope and birds.
The park is only accessible by a tour, or by private vehicle, as the actual falls are far from the gates, and walking alone is not permitted. The hike up to the top of the falls is a short walk, but steep uphill, but does afford fantastic views over the falls.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park, crater

© All Rights Reserved Winkekatze

Queen Elizabeth National Park offers another option to go on a safari, with great wildlife viewing between Lake Edward and Lake George and on top of that the Kasinga Channel has the largest concentration of hippos in the world! Also, the endemic Ugandan Kob, a species of antelope, lives here.

White Water Rafting

As one of the sources of the Nile is in Uganda, the country offers fantastic white-water rafting. The centre of the activity is in Jinja, conviniently on the route between Kampala and the border to Kenya. There are several tour operators in town, offering full-and half-day packages with various options. Usually, the full-day means about five hours on the river, as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner - sometimes the accommodation for the night after as well. The rapids are between grades one and five, so expect the boat to tip over at least once! Prices start from about 75 USD for a full day - however, it is worth checking the company's safety records before committing as new companies seem to come and go. One of the tour operators also offers a bungy jump over the river (dipping into water optional).
Note that there is bilharzia in the still parts of the river.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Uganda has a tropical climate with hot and humid weather throughout the year. There are two dry seasons, the cool and long from June to September, and the warm and short from December to February. From March to May is the long rainy season, with heavy rain possible for days on end.
From October to early December is the short rainy season with showers at the end of the day but most of the time it is dry. Daytime temperatures usually hoover around 30º C, but a bit lower from June to September. Some parts in the north are warmer though and temperatures over 35º C are not uncommon. Night temperatures are typically around 20º C. In the mountains in the west temperatures at night can become rather chilly though.

Getting There

By Plane

Air Uganda is the national airline of the country and only started flights in 2007. It is based at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) near the capital Kampala. International destinations are Nairobi, Mombasa, Khartoum, Kilimanjaro/Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Other airlines serving the country are mainly African airlines serving a number of destinations in East and Central Africa. South Africa Airways flies to Johannesburg, Brussels Airlines to Brussels, British Airways to London and KLM to Amsterdam. Eagle Air has many charter flights to lots of African countries only.

By Train

Back in the old days, trains from Mombasa continued all the way to Kampala, but for know there are no plans to reinstall this great journey.

By Car

Most border crossings are open to cars as well, including those with Kenya and Rwanda which are relatively straightforward. Travelling to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo is not recommended.

By Bus

International bus connections include those to Kigali in Rwanda (8 hours, some continuing to Bujumbura in Burundi), Nairobi (12 hours) in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. You can also cross from Uganda directly to Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although it's quicker and safer from Rwanda. You can also travel in stages by minibus if you want to stop in other places like Eldoret in Kenya.

By Boat

There used to be passenger service across Lake Victoria to Tanzania, but services were suspended. You might be able to book a passage on a cargo ferry (operated by Tanzanian Railways) to Mwanza though. Most boats start at Port Bell near the capital Kampala.

Getting Around

By Plane

Eagle Air probably has the most domestic flights, flying between Entebbe (near Kampala) to most major towns. Several other smaller charter airlines have flights as well, including those to small airstrips in or near national parks.

By Train

There is no internal train service. For now, the international train link with Nairobi is out of order as well, although this is worth checking, as the situation seems to change often.

By Car

Renting a car in Uganda is very expensive, as is fuel. Add to that the absence of road signs and the occasional rough roads, and you start to realize how hard it can be to drive in Uganda. Hard, but certainly not impossible.

Hiring a car is possible with international companies at the airport in Entebbe and in Kampala and major towns near the national parks. You can ask for a car with a driver as well, for a few more dollars. If driving yourself, be sure to have an international driving permit. Driving is on the left.

By Bus

Buses connect most major towns on at least a daily basis. Many buses originate in Kampala. The Ugandan postal service has minibuses travelling from Kampala to all major centres several times a week as well, usually being cheaper as well as faster and more reliable.
Minibuses, matatus, are an essential part of life in Uganda. Regular minibuses travel between Kampala and Entebbe, and many other towns, such as Masindi in the north, and Jinja in the east. Minibuses do not have set schedules, but depart when they are full; be aware that sometimes you might be waiting up to two hours. Most matatus in Kampala depart from either the New Taxi Park, or the Old Taxi Park, located about 300 metres apart. Note that matatus are sometimes called Taxis in Uganda, and buses simply mean the large, inter-city buses, which have a set time table.

By Boat

Local boat services link Entebbe to the Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria. There is no boat service to Tanzania.

Red Tape

Most national need a visa, but these can be obtained at most major ports of entry. Visa fees are generally $50 for single entry and a massive $200 for multiple entry.

People from the following countries do not need a visa:

Angola, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Comoros, Cyprus, Eritrea, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Money

See also Money Matters

Like a lot of African currencies, the Ugandan shilling floats against other currencies, and it is therefore a good idea to check the correct rate before exchanging money. There are plenty of bureaus de change in Kampala, as well as plenty of ATM's. Most machines accepts Visa; the Barclays in town centre also allows you to withdraw with foreign debit cards.
When crossing over from Kenya, there is an ATM right at the border, as well as money changers. Try and carry small notes with you, as change is usually hard to come by. Ask your money changer to give you small notes.
It is possible to pay with US dollars at some hostels/guesthouses, and for some activities; however, they usually offer a much poorer exchange rate than the exchange bureaus.

Work

Study

Language

There are about 32 tribes each with their own culture and language. These can be grouped into bantu and nilotic languages. In fact, in the west of Uganda, the languages spoken are collectively known as Runyakitara and have a lot of similar words.
However, as Uganda was a British Colony, English is the official language, and so you are more likely to find English speakers. Also Swahili is spoken in the North of Uganda and borders with Kenya and Tanzania.

Eat

Bananas are the main staple in most parts of Uganda. There are different types of bananas. Large bananas called bogoya ; thick finger sized bananas called sukari because of their intense sweet flavour; then there is roasting bananas called gonja usually sold at road side stalls. Green bananas known as matooke are usually steamed in leaves and served with savoury sauce.

The diet of most Ugandans is vegetarian and consists of starchy foods like sweet potatoes, cassava (manioc or yukka), white potatoes, yams, bread made from ground maize flour called ugali or posho and also bread made from a combination of ground millet and cassava, pumpkin. These are served with sauces made from legumes like peas, kidney beans, chickpeas, sauce made from groundnuts (peanuts) which is similar to satay.

Ugandan cuisine has been influenced by Indian settlers and so you'll find chapatis (flat bread made from wheat flour). Sometimes this is rolled up and stuffed and is nicknamed rolex. Another influence from India is chillies kamurari. Ugandan food is traditionally not chilli.

Meat is eaten once a week. The rich can afford to have it every day. Chicken is for very special occasions or special guests. Roast pork and goat muchomo are popular in drinking establishmets.
Fish - large Tilapia is grilled whole. You will also find smoked fish sold in the markets. this is normally cooked in peanut sauce. Uganda has a wide choice of delicious fruit and availability depends on the season - large sweet pineapples, mangoes, oranges (with green skin but very sweet), tangerines, jackfruit, passion fruit, papaya (called pawpaw) sugar cane, coconut etc

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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