Five years ago we decided to go see gorillas in Uganda. We flew from Victoria on AC, connected to BA to London and flew on them for 8 hours until the plane landed at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
There were small lines to get your visa applications. Once we were in the office everything when quick and quite soon we picked up our bags. Outside Robert, (our driver and guide), was there to meet me. It took us less than ½ an hour, (40 km) to Kampala.
Kampala:
Kampala is the capital city of Uganda. The official language of Uganda is English. In 1962, Kampala replaced Entebbe as the capital of Uganda. It is Uganda’s largest city in the country. It is quite close to the equator, (similar to Kenya).
Kampala’s name comes from the Kiganda words "kasozi k’empala" that means "hill of impala, (antelopes). It is built on seven hills.
The population is about 1, 155, 000. It is north of Lake Victoria. I have no idea if the population is counted correctly because in Uganda people that living with HIV/AIDS are 530, 000 while 78, 00 have died. Be careful who you get in bed with!
This city was once a fort built by the British East Africa Company. The biggest money makers for Kampala are having the East African Development Bank and Makerere University here.
The industries are processed foods, beverages, furniture and machine parts.
The people were nice and the talked to me on the street, in bars and cafes.
Even though it is a new city, (it was built in 1962), the town planners did a terrible job! The office blocks and faded shopping malls are The office blocks and faded shopping malls. When the war ended Kampala crumbling for three decades. The buildings were riddled with bullet and shell holes, and electricity wires, sewers and drains lay exposed and broken. They are beginning to fix things here now.
The Hotel:
We decided to stay at the reasonably price Fang Fang Hotel.
My room had a double bed, had air-conditioning, a TV and telephone.
The hotel was an old colobial house that is in a residential area close to the center of the city. It has two floors and from the moment I stepped up to the desk I felt very comfortable
We paid$75.00 USD for a double room. The rate include breakfast but I still had to pay a 18% VAT tax.
Address: Plot 9 Ssezibwa Road, Kampala, Uganda.
Phone: 1-256-41-235828
The Anglican Namirembe Cathedral is the largest cathedral in East Africa. It is on Namirembe hill. Some of the Buganda Kings were married here. The congregation is called to prayer by the beating of drums.
I enjoyed seeing the Kasubi Tombs. They are the royal tombs of the Buganda Kings and are 5kms away from the city center. They were built in 1881. The reed and bark buildings are where the dead kings of the Buganda Kingdom are buried. I believe that they are a very important cultural site for the Buganda people of central and southern Uganda.
The Uganda Museum has a collection of exhibits on Uganda’s cultural heritage. I saw how they hunted, how there agriculture progressed, the archaeology finds, natural history and traditional musical instruments.
The Makerere University is on Makerere Hill. It is one of the most prestigious universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was built as a college in 1922. It was for many years Uganda’s only University.
Uganda has over 1 000 species of birds, (making it a good bird watching destination). It has large variety of primates anywhere in Africa. I came here to see the chimpanzees and the endangered mountain gorilla.
We went to show at the Owino market in Nakivubo Place to pick up some souvenirs.
We walk through the Shoprite Mall on Ben Kiwanuka Street. The prices in the shops were very low.
We ate at Nanda’s, (fried chicken), Steers(burgers & steaks) and I went to the pub at the Sheraton Hotel. The food was great and so was the food.
Al’s Bar and the Half London bar are next door to one another on Gabab Road.
The Tour:
We took a 6 day Overland Tour. We paid$1, 200.00 USD for the tour.
Address: PO Box 16194, Vlaeberg, 8018, Western Cape, South Africa
Phone: 1-27-21-481-4900
Before we left the tour leader asked us to put money into a "kitty" to cover the local expenses. The only currency they will accept is American dollars. The cost of food gas, charcoal, firewood, incidentals like paraffin to light the fire, washing liquid, the odd occasion when there is the need to pay for water, repairs equipment, entrance fees to get into national parks and game reserves comes out of the "kitty". A ‘bulk buy’ is usually bought out of the kitty at the beginning of the tour by the tour leader or safari cook. They buy dry goods, tinned food, condiments, etc. During the tour the kitty will cover the cost of buying fresh food and every couple of days the people on the tour helped the tour leader or safari cook with shopping.
I enjoyed bartering in the markets! Sometimes on long driving days, breakfast can be as early as 5 am and dinner as late as 9 pm with lunch sometime in between. I was told to bring snacks and drinks. If we wanted we could stop at a restaurant and we paid for our meal.
Most vehicles have fridges or cool boxes on board so we could put our beer, water and things that might spoil into them.
The first day we went on a boat through the Kazinga Channel to Mweya. They told us that there were 600 birds here. I saw a lot but not 600. I did see a few hippopotamus though.
The second day we went on a safari to see lions, elephants and buffaloes. Then we stopped a Ishasa to see tree climbing lions. I wasn’t too impress because I saw a lot of lions in trees in Kenya.
The third day when I woke up I was so excited because we were going to go track gorillas. The tracking starts where the gorillas were the previous day. The beauty of this rain forest is spectacular. When we found them I was overwhelmed. They acted like humans.
The forth day we went to the Kyamburu Wildlife Reserve. In the river valley we found some chimpanzees. I also saw some birds and butterflies.
On the fifth day we went canoeing and swimming on Lake Bunyonyi
The last day we went to Lake Mburo National Park to see élan antelope, zebra and impala. A boat came and took us back to camp packed up our gear and went back to the airport.
Your Heath:A yellow fever vaccination is required. Malaria is prevalent in Uganda and it is advisable to take anti-malarial and mosquito repellents.Other information:Most places don’t accept credit cards. The American Dollar is the most common foreign currency accepted.
Tipping is not standard practice at local hotels and restaurants, but it will always be appreciated. It is normal to tip 5-10% at tourist-oriented restaurants. Guides and drivers should always be tipped.Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Casual dress is usual for most occasions in the daytime orevening. Ugandans have adopted a socially conservative culture and homosexuality and drug abuse is illegal. What I Think: Would I go to Uganda again? I would if I could but I’m not healthy enough now.Thanks for reading my review.
©Lyla 2007