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Uganda 2007

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Route

  • Days: 14
  • Period: August 2007
  • Weather: Fresh in the hills (only about 16 degrees). Although it should be dry season we had a lot of rain throughout the whole country.

General information:

  • Currency: Ugandan Shilling (USH)   

  • Internet: Available in many places

  • ATM's: Visa ATM at Barclay's and Standard Bank. ATM's in all larger cities

  • Creditcards: Payments with creditcards are not very common

  • Safety: Uganda is a safe country, but as it is situated in an area where peace is fragile it is always wise to check the situation. At the time of our visit there were no unsafe parts that should be avoided.

Prices (per August 2007)

  • Value Money: €1 = 2350 Shilling

  • Fuel:  Between 1840 - 1900 USH

  • Camping: Between 5000-6000 per person per night.

Visa

  • Available on the border

  • 50 $ US per person

  • Single entry and valid for one month

Border crossing 

  • ENTRY: We entered at Busia and formalities took about one hour. You can buy your visa at the immigration office. For your carnet you must go to the gate and have your carnet stamped. Than go to the bank to pay roadtax (20 US$) and with the receipt you must go to the customs again with you Carnet. When everything is finished the police will open the gate. Make sure this is not during lunch time because then you will have to wait.

  • EXIT: We exit at Katuna. When leaving there are no further costs and formalities are quick and easy.

Highlights or not

  • Ssese Island: There is not much to do here than relaxation, but the island is a real beauty.

  • Kyambura gorge: In this gorge in the south of Queen Elisabeth NP you can do a very nice walk and you have an 80% chance of seeing chimps. Chimptracking is 30 US$ p.p. entrance fee for the park is 25 US$ p.p. and for your car you have to pay 40 US$ (for as many days as you want). As we only wanted to walk the gorge we did not had to pay the entrance fee.

  • Chimptracking in Kibale NP: In high season this is quickly fully booked. When we were there was no place for us. Entrance fee NP is 20 US$ p.p. and Chimptracking 70 US$. Instead of chimptracking you can also do a nature walk (10 US$ p.p.)

  • Rafting: In Jinja for 75 US$ per person. We did not do this

  • Flying the Nile: In Jinja for 25 US$ per person. We did not do this.

 

Roads

  • Busia - Jinja = 120 km tarmac. The first 60 km are good, the last 60 km tarmac with potholes.

  • Jinja - Kampala = 80 km good tarmac.

  • Kampala - Masaka = 130 km good tarmac.

  • Masaka - Bukakata (ferry) = 35 km good piste.

  • Road on Ssese island to Kalangala = good piste. Very beautiful road. 45 minutes.

  • Kampala - Mubende - Fort Portal = 300 km, about 4 hours, good tarmac.

  • Fort Portal - Queen Elisabeth NP = 100 km good tarmac.

  • Queen Elisabeth NP - Ishaka - Mbara = good tarmac.

  • Mbara - Kabale = tarmac. Some part good some part with many repaired potholes.

  • Kabale - Bunyonyi Overland Camp = Rough piste that can be very slippery when wet.

  • Kabale - Katuna (border Rwanda) = 40 minutes good tarmac.

 

Tips

  • National Parks in Uganda are not cheap, but there is a maximum you have to pay. Also for your car you only have to pay once for every NP. So this means that the longer you stay the cheaper it gets and for the price of 3 days you can also stay a whole week.

  • When you want to go to Ssese Island: The ferry from Bukakata is for free and leaves at 8:00, 11:00, 13:30 and 16:30. From the Island it leaves at: 9:00, 12:00, 14;30 and 18:00. At sunday it only goes once or twice.

  • When you want to go to Ssese Island: There is also a quick ferry leaving from Entebbe at 15:00 every day. The ferry takes 3 hours and leaves from the island every day at 8:00. Costs are 50.000 USH for one car and driver and 10.000 USH for every aditional adult.

Important addresses

 

Nederlandse ambassade in Oeganda
Rwenzori Courts
4th Floor
plot nr. 2, Nakasero Road
Kampala, Uganda
 
Postadres:
P.O. Box 7728
Kampala
 
Tel. 00-256-41-346000
00-256-75731859 (tel. Ambtenaar van Dienst)
Fax 00-256-41-231861
E-mail: kam@minbuza.nl
Website: www.netherlandsembassyuganda.org
 
Openeningstijden:
maandag-donderdag van 07:30-17:15, vrijdag van 07:30-14:45

 

Holidays

 

New Year 1 January
Liberation Day 26 January
Womens Day 8 March
Easter March / April
Labour Day 1 May
Day of Martyrs 3 June
Day of Heroes 9 June
Independence Day 9 October
Christmas 25 December

 

 

GPS-waypoints

 

Grid: Lat/Lon hddd°mm.mmm"

 

Jinja N00.25.328 E033.12.345 Banks Standard bank ATM for Visa
Jinja N00.29.067 E033.09.734 Camping Eden Rock Camp Nice quiet campsite
Kampala N00.19.234 E032.37.849 Camping Red Chilli Hideaway Just outside the center. Nice place but can be very busy with overland trucks
Kalangala S00.18.677 E032.17.456 Camping Pearl Gardens Nice place, better than the neighbours. You can camp on the beach and the ferry to Entebbe leave just in front of you.
Kibale N00.29.391 E030.20.005 Camping Chimpansee Forest Guest House Very quiet place with nice few. Camping can arrange nice walks. The spots to park you car are nog very flat.
Queen Elisabeth S00.13.802 E030.05.371 Camping King Fisher Lodge Expensive lodge built for camping. You can camp here, but you have hardly any facilities and you have to pay a lot of money. View over Queen Elisabeth NP however is priceless.
Kabale S01.16.334 E029.56.230 Camping Bunyonyi Overland Camp Nice place on right next to the lake. Showers and toilets are the best. The restaurant however is not that great.
Bukakata S00.16.437 E032.01.580 Transport    Free ferry to Ssese Island leaving at 8:00, 10:00, 13:30 and 16:30
Ssese Island S00.14.884 E032.04.023 Transport    Free ferry from the island to Bukakata leaving at 9:00, 12:00, 14:30 and 18:00
Fort Portal N00.39.183 E030.16.481 City Center    
Kabale S01.15.565 E029.59.575 Junction   Junction Kabele to Rwanda, good tarmac
Kampala N00.19.845 E032.36.840 Garages   Landrover dealer
Kampala N00.19.168 E032.35.458 Shops Garden City Mall Big mall, Visa ATM
Kampala N00.17.954 E032.35.764 Shops Quality Hill Mall Exclusive mall, good butchery and bakery
Kampala N00.19.542 E032.36.420 Shops Logogo mall Also hairdresser inside
Kampala N00.18.791 E032.34.868 Officials Post Office  
Jinja N00.29.093 E033.09.795 Place of interest Nile Explorers Here you can book rafting
Katuna S01.25.551 E030.00.781 Border   Border Uganda - Rwanda
Kampala N00.19.232 E032.35.899 Garages Toyota Official Toyota dealer