Uganda Travel Tips

By plane

Entebbe Airport is the main airport for Ugandan air travel. Many flights to cities in Africa and Europe take place from here. Direct flights to and from Johannesburg run three days a week on South African Airways. Direct flights to and from London run every other day on British Airways.  Emirates offer flights from Entebbe to Dubai via Nairobi and Addis Ababa on Airbus A340S with onward connections to Europe, N. America, and Asia from Dubai. Ethiopian Airlines offers service to Addis on Boeing 737s. Kenya Airways and KLM fly daily from Entebbe to Amsterdam either via Nairobi or direct.

 By bus

Several bus companies offer direct lines between Kampala to Nairobi, Kigali and Dar-es-salaam. A night bus from Kampala could start at 4PM to arrive at 6AM in Nairobi.
Uganda has decent bus system. There are two classes of buses. The "taxis" are actually minibuses or commuter vans which run fixed routes (see below).
There are also real buses which run less frequently, usually leaving Kampala early in the morning. There are many companies which almost all leave from the same general area. The buses fill up so if you get on mid trip you'll be spending some time standing before somebody gets off and you can get a seat.
Both buses and taxis run along most roads between cities, paved (sealed) or dirt.
Domestic bus travel is reasonable and cheap between major centers, and is a good choice for backpackers with time, but may not run reliably on schedule.
Note that both buses and "taxis" do not run on fixed schedules; rather, they leave their terminus stop when they are completely full. On heavily-traveled routes they fill up within minutes and this is not a problem, but on less-traveled routes (or if getting on a large bus), be prepared to wait a while before departure

 By boda-boda(Motor-cycle)

In Kampala and some other towns, the boda-boda is a good way to get from place to place. These are small motorcycles, bicycles or scooters with cushions on the back and are cheap transport as used by locals.
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By taxi

The best way to get around Kampala and the neighboring towns is by using minibus-type taxis called matatus. This is the most efficient and cost-effective method of transportation in urban areas, but try not to get ripped off by the conductors as they sometimes try to overcharge tourists. The Matatus are crowded, cheap, frequent, and make lots of stops.
They run along fixed routes, picking up and dropping off people anywhere along the route. If you want to get on, stand at the side of the road and wave your arm. To get off, say "stage" and the driver will pull over and let you off. They're not marked with destinations, so you'll have to listen to the destinations that the drivers are yelling out the window. If you're not sure where to catch a taxi going to your destination (especially at Kampala Taxi Park, which is huge!), just ask a nearby driver or conductor, and they'll probably be able to point you in the right direction.
Taxis, called special hire taxis, are available in most every decent sized town. Fares are negotiable over long distances.

By car

The roads in Uganda are comparable to many in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Many of the minor roads and side roads are made of hard packed earth (murum) and when graded are quite quick and reasonable. However they will deteriorate in heavy rains and wash boarding frequently occurs. The best way to deal with the wash boarding is not to slow down, but to find a speed sympathetic to the road surface and effectively skip from ridge to ridge. Un tarmarked roads, if wet, may be impassable in the mountainous regions of the south-west. Commercial drivers of buses and trucks compound the danger, as do pedestrians, livestock, cyclists, dogs, and the odd police roadblock. Plan on 60km/hr as a typical rate of travel (speed will vary, though!). The best advice is drive cautiously and stays totally alert.
When planning a journey it is best not to ask how far it is but to ask how long it will take. Local drivers normally have a good idea of how long journeys will take.
Expect to pay a lot to hire a vehicle. A sensible choice is to hire a 4x4 with a driver given that you will need local language assistance and expertise should something happen on the roads. Most places have accommodation and meals for drivers as this is common among travelers. This will cost upwards of USD100.00 per day (not including fuel) A cheap option is likely to leave you stranded somewhere remote and that can mean days of your itinerary lost. Unless you are comfortable paying cash in advance without a signed contract and no network to help you get out of a breakdown, go to one of the major agencies.

Language:

English is widely spoken and Swahili will come in handy in places (though many Ugandans do not speak Swahili at all, it is a common African trade language). As English is the official language, many people in the major cities speak English (though to varying degrees of fluency). Dozens of African languages are spoken in Uganda, the most common being Luganda

Money transactions:

The national currency is the Ugandan shilling, code UGX, sometimes written as UgSh. There are 50000, 20000, 10000, 5000 and 1000 shilling notes and 200,500, 100, 50 and 10 shilling coins (although the 10 shilling coin is no longer issued).
Other currencies that might be accepted for transactions are the US dollar (USD), notes must have been issued since 2001, or possibly the Euro (EUR) or British pound (GBP).
Cash can be complicated to deal with, as there are only a few ATMs in Kampala (and in Mbarara) and credit cards are only rarely accepted. Even cashing traveler’s checks can be difficult. Exchanging notes is possible in the larger towns if you need Ugandan Shillings. Note that there are better rates for exchanging larger notes (US$50 or more), so do it in big chunks if you need to. Try to have all your cash needs arranged before leaving Kampala if you can ('Forex bureau at Grand imperial hotel and Crane Forex at speak hotel road is thought to offer the best rates in the country).
With Visa cards you can withdraw money in at least one ATM in Kampala's City Garden mall. With MasterCard cards you can withdraw money in Barclay Bank's main office, opposite the main post office in Kampala. There are also many other ATM points around the city. Information can be obtained from the bank branches. As for your American express card: leave it at home - you can't use it.

 Costs

Food and goods are cheap. On a shoestring you can get by on less than 10 euro a day, excluding park visits and other expensive activities. Make sure you bargain for everything you buy around town except in the bigger stores and malls. Never pay face value when buying from the local vendors around town. Hotels can be costly, so if you are a student it would be a good idea to look for a hostel in Kampala.

 Eat

Food from Uganda is a sensation. You could sample the luwombo, which is meat cooked in green leaves. It has a tantalizing aroma. You could also try the fried fish, though it’s mainly cooked on the beach and it is found to be succulent. You might also want to try the traditional matooke, binyebwa (ground nut sauce), chappatti, and meat stew. Toasted sandwiches can be found in some places for the less adventurous. If this does not appeal, it is best (and far more interesting) to stop at roadside stands or in markets to purchase fresh produce -- fruits and vegetables abound and are very cheap, to say nothing of the roasted mealies and roasted chicken. There are also a number of fast-food places, such as Nando’s, Steers, Domino’s Pizza, and Hungry Lion, in the city centre.
A basic local dish start at around 3000 USh, and goes up to 10,000 USh.

 Drink

Coffee is one of the best products from Uganda, but the British hooked the locals on tea, so finding a decent cup of native Joe is nearly impossible, especially outside of Kampala. In Kampala, try the coffee house 1000 Cups on Buganda Road. You can also buy coffee beans there (see above under Buy).
Chai (tea) is available widely, and is best in the rural areas near the tea plantations. You will see signs posted on shops and kiosks where it can be purchased. Sadly, ordinary black tea is likely to be Five Roses imported from South Africa, not the local tea.
Lower-end South African wine can be had in some restaurants, but stick with the local beer brands. Any of the four major brands are acceptable, but the Pilsner brand is the only one made without added corn sugar for those who care about such things.
Be advised to drink Bottled water. Water flowing from taps is not treated.

Safety

Uganda has been home to some of the more gruesome atrocities in modern African history since its independence in 1962, particularly under the heinous dictator Idi Amin, but in the years since 1987 things have consistently improved.

As in any urban area, Kampala can be dodgy. One is well advised to remain in tourist areas, but sensibly garbed visitors not dangling the latest cameras, flashy jewelery or bulging bags are not likely to draw unwanted attention to themselves. However, any caucasians walking in the street stand out and are likely to be stared at openly, which may cause discomfort to those unaccustomed to traveling in Africa. What little begging exists is some of the most polite and inoffensive to be found in African cities. Small children are sadly becoming a nuisance in some rural spots frequented by tourists doling out sweets and coins, but nowhere near the swarming throng one can attract in many cities around the world.

 Health.

AIDS/HIV infection rate is very high.
Take precautions against malaria! It is worth seeking out a packet of Artenam while you are in Kampala if you are traveling up-country. Artenam is a reliable cure and works on chloroquine-resistant malaria strains too.

 Contact
Mobile phone network coverage is available in most parts of the country (over 70%, but geography can make trouble in the mountainous regions. SIM cards are cheaply available everywhere in 'starter packs'.
Internet cafes can be readily found in Kampala and Jinja. In all towns with more than about 20,000 you'll find internet cafes running off of either VSATs or mobile phones. The Internet connection bandwidth is very low and can be frustrating for one who is used to a high speed internet connection.

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