Overview
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Although it’s the capital of Uganda,
Kampala lacks major attractions. It is not known for much
else than being the seat of a series of tyrannical governments
during the 1960-70s. Despite this, it’s one of East
Africa’s most laid-back and friendly cities and you
will undoubtedly pass through it overland, en route to other
Ugandan destinations and national parks.
Kampala is situated
40 kms north of Uganda’s international airport at Entebbe
on Lake Victoria, and is spread haphazardly over seven hills.
Its name comes from a Kiganda expression – kasozi k’empala
– meaning the hill of antelopes (impala) – not
that there are any impala in those there hills today. For
a city it’s quite young and was only established in
1962. A settlement has been there since Kampala was
made headquarters of the Imperial British East Africa Company
in 1890. With a population of around a million, it’s
on the small side for a capital city compared to say, Kenya’s
Nairobi, but it retains a small town charm. People passing
each other in the street often know each other and stop for
a chat. Local clientele mix in the bars and restaurants
and shopkeepers greet regular customers warmly. And, unlike
some other African cites, it’s safe to stroll around.
On the downside, it’s a victim of 1960s concrete architecture.
The office blocks and faded shopping malls bear testament
to European town planners addicted to hideous ugly grey cement.
At the end of the war years, when systematic looting and
destruction destroyed much of the city, Kampala sat cracked
and crumbling for three decades. The buildings were riddled
with bullet and shell holes, and electricity wires, sewers
and drains lay exposed and broken. It’s only over
the last five years that the government has started to fix
it up and the city has been rejuvenated as a result. Unfortunately
they chose to repair the concrete monoliths rather than replace
them. But the city's infrastructure has been restored and new
hotels, sports stadiums and shopping malls are appearing almost
monthly. It’s a fairly green city, with a number
of gardens, parks and golf courses.
The city centre is on the centrally situated Nakasero Hill.
The top half is where most of Kampala’s parks are, with
quiet avenues of large houses, embassies, international aid
organisations, up market hotels and government offices, all
with an ever-present view of Lake Victoria. The bottom half
of Nakasero Hill is a world away from this. It's a vibrant
African street atmosphere of shops, roadside traders, budget
hotels, cheap restaurants, markets and the mind-boggling
matatu (minibus taxi) stands.
The streets in this congested
area overflow with people, battered old cars, lottery ticket
sellers (a huge deal in Kampala!) and pavement vendors selling
everything from rubber stamps to watch repairs and cheap electronics.
To soak up the African street feel, visit the mind-boggling
taxi stands and the markets. The Nakasero fresh food market
just off the city’s main drag is one of the most colourful
places in East Africa. You can find piles of bananas,
pineapples, tomatoes, mangoes, every fruit and vegetable you
can think of, and some you can’t – ugly jackfruit
or matoke (cooking banana).
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What will the weather be like?
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Despite it being only 80kms
north of the equator, Kampala has a relatively comfortable
climate thanks to its elevation of 3 900 feet.
Most days are sunny and warm, except during the rainy seasons
between March to May, and October to November, when it gets
moderately humid and the city gets a pounding of rain most
afternoons.
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What can I see
and do?
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The Kasubi Tombs are the traditional
royal tombs of the Buganda Kings and are situated 5kms away from
the city centre. Built in 1881 the collection of traditional
reed and bark buildings is where the dead kings of the Buganda
Kingdom are buried. They are an 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 covering hunting, agriculture, archaeology,
natural history and traditional musical instruments.
The Makerere University, situated on Makerere Hill, is one
of the most prestigious universities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It was established as a college in 1922 and was for many years
Uganda's only university. Many African leaders studied here.
The Anglican Namirembe Cathedral is the largest cathedral
in East Africa. The imposing building stands on Namirembe
hill, and some of the most prestigious weddings have taken
place here including those of the Buganda kings. The congregation
is called to prayer by the beating of drums.
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How do I get there?
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Entebbe International Airport
is 40km from Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria. The doomed
Air Uganda is now defunct, but the airport is served by regular
Kenya Airways flights and some international airlines. However,
it’s not cheap to fly into Kampala, and most travellers
fly to Nairobi, East Africa’s gateway airport, and travel
to Kampala overland. Note: there is a US$40 international
departure tax from Entebbe Airport.
Airport taxis, identified by their horizontal yellow stripes,
will take you to Kampala for around US$35. A cheaper option
is to take a taxi the three kms to Entebbe and then board
a shared minibus taxi (matatu) to Kampala. As you leave the
airport, look out for the old bullet-ridden terminal building
and the abandoned plane on the edge of the runway. This is the Israeli El Al jet that was hijacked, and
rescued by an Israeli swat team in the 1970s. After the drama,
the Ugandan airport authorities simply moved it off the runway
and put a fence around it, so it’s now considered something
of a tourist attraction.
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How do I get
around?
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The centre of Kampala is safe
and easy enough to navigate on foot, despite a complete lack
of signposting. For longer journeys, there are regular taxis
(negotiate the fare before you get in) and an extensive network
of matatus – minibus taxis common all over East Africa
that depart when full. They are quick, convenient and pick
up/drop off wherever you want them to. Just remember to yell
the Swahili word for stop, ‘simama’.
There are
two matatu parks in downtown Kampala, known as the 'Old' and
'New' taxi parks, where all matatus start and finish their
journeys. To visit a taxi park is a mind-boggling experience
– crammed with thousands of identical looking vehicles,
their drivers touting loudly for business. Despite seeming
chaotic, they are actually very organised and you just need
to ask where the matatu going in your direction is parked.
Kampala’s motorbike taxis known as boda-boda (pronounced
‘border-border’) are convenient and cheap but
a little scary. Helmets are not worn, and you should yell
‘pole pole’ (‘slowly, slowly’) to
your driver if you are uncomfortable with the speed.
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Where can I change money?
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Kampala is the best place to
change whatever money you need for your visit to Uganda. There
are countless banks and foreign exchange bureaus along the
city’s main drag, Kampala Road. They offer competitive
exchange rates far better than you would get in smaller towns
where the process is painfully slow as the banks are not familiar
with traveller’s cheques.
Kampala’s banks accept
US$, GBP, and Euros in both cash and traveller’s cheques
in exchange for Uganda Shillings. Both are usually exchanged
with no commission. The exchange rate for cash transactions
does vary, depending on the denominations changed.
For example US$50 and 100 notes receive a higher exchange rate
than the smaller US$10 and 20 notes. ATMs are available at Barclays
and Standard Chartered banks but usually only accept visa-linked
cards and are unreliable.
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Where can I eat
and drink?
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South African fast food chains
have taken Kampala by storm. Nando's (fried chicken), Steers
(burgers and steaks), and The Chicken Inn (more fried chicken)
have all taken residence along Kampala Rd.
Around town, there’s a fair selection of Chinese, Ethiopian
and some excellent Indian restaurants, thanks to Kampala’s
large Asian community.
For local food, try the worker’s cafes or the open-air stalls
around the market or taxi parks where you can pick up nyoma
choma (meat stew) or luombo (meat steamed in banana leaves),
accompanied by a chipati or matoke (cooked, savoury bananas
and the country’s staple). Uganda's fresh water fish
is also highly recommended especially the Nile perch and the
tilapia. The best deal is the all-you-can-eat Ugandan buffet
at the Kampala Casino - one of a rather staggering five casinos
in Kampala - but you have to be nicely dressed to get in.
The best place for a night out, and Kampala residents like
to party, is in the Kabalagala district on Gabab Road –
all taxi drivers know the way. Al's Bar and the Half London
bar next door are institutions on Kampala’s
nightlife scene. Both are partially open air, with large dance
floors, live music and boisterous bars. They attract a mix
of local clubbers, ex-pat workers and overland travellers.
The Sheraton Hotel also has a British-style pub serving ale
from around the world - at a price!
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How do I send
a message home?
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If you are going to call home,
do it from Kampala, as communications are limited in other
parts of the country. You can make an international call or
send a fax from the main post office on Kampala Road. Alternatively,
the backpackers' and the Sheraton Hotel have international
phones.
The appetite of Ugandans for Internet access is growing massively
and cyber cafes are on just about every street corner.
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