Related Uganda Favorites Tips

Favorite thing: There are many currency exchange office all over Kampala and the exchange rates are same as Central Bank of Uganda, Prefered Currency is US Dollar (50's and 100's)

The rates fluctuate daily (3 times a day)
http://www.bou.or.ug/bou/collateral/interbank_forms/interbank_forms.html

Favorite thing: It is simple and swift procedure

I arrived via Malaba Border (GPS 0‹ 38Œ 20" 34‹ 15Œ 57") from Kenya about 480 km from Nairobi, reached the Uganda Immigration at 3.30 am there were 2 Immigration Officers on duty and they handled 2 buses full of passangers within 30 minutes.

You will need to fill one landing card (will be provided by the Bus/Coach Company) on boarding from Nairobi and Fee in US Dollar (in my case it was $50) for 1 month Single Entry, no photo graphs required,

The Passport must be valid 6 months from the date of entry and also must have atleast 1 full blank page for the Visa Sticker

4 more images

Favorite thing: Ugandans still have their ancient traditions at heart. Many different tribes live in Uganda and all of them have their own traditions; Baganda, Batooro, Acholi, Toro, Teso, Bauyoro, Bagisu, Alur...and many others. Most of the tribes were organized into kingdoms, based on tradition and each with ots own king. Disintegration of the traditional societies started soon after the coming of the missionaries, followed shortly by the colonialists.
In 1962 the colonialists and missionaries left Uganda but the left behind their own system of governing and their religion. The new leader of independent Uganda and its first President Milton Obote didn't change much in the system of governing established by the colonialists, in fact, he found it very practicable for own rule. Only in 1992 the current Presidend Museveni announced that traditional tribal leaders would be reinstated, but with very limited power.
The Ugandan population is divided into two religious gruops, Christians who believe in God and the traditionalists who have their own gods. Traditionalists make the minority but still have significant role in the society since even Christians make use of traditional healers sometimes.
It is almost unknown fact that Uganda is in the civil war which last over 20 years now. Obote's second rule after Idi Amin's 1979 overthrow was marred by repression and the deaths of many civilians, as a result of a civil war known as the Ugandan Bush War, or Luwero War. Most northern parts of Uganda, where is the teritorry of Acholi, Lango and Teso tribes is inder the control of so-called Lord's Resistance Army. The leader of LRA is notorious Joseph Kony, who proclaimed himself the spokerperson of God, a spirit medium and who is nurturing a cult of personality. Kony has been accused of ordering the abduction of children to become child sex-slaves and child soldiers. Kony was indicted for war crimes and crimes against the humanity, by the I.C. Court in the Hague/Netherlands, but has evaded capture.

4 more images

Favorite thing: Kampala as a capital city and gives the impression of a very busy place but fact is, most of this people just wandering aimlessly around. During day light everybody is out in the streets moving up and down around Nakasero where no traffic rules excisting. Streets are virtually occupied by the crowd of people and thousands of cars and just in a certain moment nobody moves coz any moving is impossible at all.

4 more images

Favorite thing: Uganda is incredibly poor country, from the Pearl of Africa, as it was used to call before, it turned into one of the poorest country in the eastern Africa. During era of Idi Amin Dada the whole economy of the country was totally ruined and demolished. Just to mentioning, before Idid Amin Uganda was the major producer of cocoa in the world and the whole production was sold out ten years in advance. After Idi Amin called Dada, the production of cocoa was reduced to zero!
Many Ugandans are jobless, many of those who work have very poor sallary which is insufficient to provide for a family. Corruption is extremelly high and people do not see any perspectives for changes and better life in near future.

4 more images

Favorite thing: Kampala is full of contrasts, on one side stands fancy buildings (mostly banks) and next to it the city slums. Next step, same in the city centre, one could see marabou while digging wild junkyard. The city streets are in terribly bad conditions, big open holes all over the city centre which making driving during rain very risky and dangerous. I have never seen such a powerty in any other big city in Eastern Africa.

Favorite thing: Murchison Falls National Park

Fondest memory: A 3-day safari through Murchison Falls National Park, complete with a cruise along the Nile River, was a great way to end our 5 1/2 weeks in Africa. We went with Speke Uganda Holidays and Tony was an excellent guide (very knowledgeable on his birds & mammals while still being very personable). Access from Kampala is fairly good (a few hours drive) and the park provides an opportunity for some excellent game viewing.

Favorite thing: Phone calls are really cheap in Uganda using a local sim card, which are available literally everywhere in Uganda from specialist shops run by the phone companies to independent mobile phone sellers to young lads on the street with a handful of brand new sims from all the phone companies.

If your own phone in your home country is locked it is cheap enough to buy a phone in Uganda. MTN always seem to have offers on that include some air time as well. When I was there in May they were advertising what they called a "kaportable" phone for the equivalent of £18 similar to the one in the photo.

If you have time shop around for phones and sims I found Celtel cheapest company to call with but MTN had better coverage.

I was almost tempted to buy a dual sim cell phone while I was there so you can have both cards active at the same time. One guy I know has two dual sim card phones so he had a sim card for all four phone companies.