What kind of traveler are you? I’m the sort that decides to go somewhere months ahead then forgets that time waits for no man until a week or so before said travel with zero booking and plans made for the trip. This is what pretty much happened for my travel to Uganda. A friend decided on Uganda for his wedding destination and I wanted to be there to celebrate his union with him, as well as check out the country; two birds one stone. There really was not enough information online so, hopefully this would help others like me.
Two weeks before the trip, I scored an awesome deal with Kenya Airways to Uganda, so that biggie was sorted. All I needed to worry about next really was everything else. lol. Not a big deal, really. Just needed a visa, sort out accommodations, transportations, money, and activities…yeah, no biggie.
So here are a few tips for those that want to visit Uganda:
Top Airline options from Lagos, Nigeria to Entebbe, Uganda are Kenya Airways and RwandAir. Both have similar flight schedules and price points, so you can go either ways. I’ve only ever flown Kenya Airways of the two, and they are pretty awesome. Bookings can be done on Travelstart.com.ng, Wakanow.com, and for those with dollars or similar international currency, Kayak.com, Priceline.com, and Skyscanner.com usually have pretty competitive rates.
See video below for my flight experience
Getting a visa to visit Uganda is really easy for tourists. You may purchase tourist visa online by hitting up this link or get it on entry at the Entebbe airport for $50. Based on my friend’s experience in using the online service, the visa on entry service is much easier and faster. All that was required from me was to show my yellow fever card, my passport with at least 6 months on it before expiry, a hotel booking, and $50 for the visa. It took less that 2 minutes to fill the paper work, and less than 3 minutes to complete the process. In about five minutes, I had my visa stamped on my passport and was ready to explore the country. For those visiting Kenya and Rwanda also, the East African Visa covers that at a great deal $100! Just note that the visa becomes null when you leave those countries…sucky. Muliple entry only when traveling in that region.
Accommodation hunts in Uganda is also pretty easy. Airbnb, Booking, Jumia Travel, and a slew more of others offer pretty awesome rates. For those who earn the Naira, I would lean more towards booking from Jumia Travel and paying with Naira, because we all know how difficult it is to get international currency to travel with. I also found it about the same price with Booking.com and the likes using the government exchange rate.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWPGtyTFpBr/?taken-by=zeegoes
Getting Around in Uganda is comme ce, comme ca (so, so). Many tend to go the cheap route of using local buses and then using the bikes called Boda Bodas, and way too many complain about it. First of all, in Kampala, many in the expatriates community have war stories to tell about they got robbed in really affluent neighborhoods by their Boda Boda drivers. Boda Bodas, like the okadas in Nigeria, are prone to serious accidents, and account for the reason of most accidents in Uganda.
So if you do want to use them, make sure to do so during the day only and to busy areas where the chance of risk is much less. if you are not about that struggle life, Uber works really well and is pretty affordable too (most especially for those that earn dollars, euro, and the like). As for the local buses, they are rarely on time, and the rides can be very uncomfortable, but it really is the only other logical option to make use of for those traveling to other regions and do not have a car or a rental.
In my case, I hired a car and driver service for 9 days from a man named Grace. He was referred to me by the Uganda Tourism Board, so it really does not get more legit than that. It would have been much cheaper if I traveled with friends and shared the cost, but ah well. His rate was about $100 lower than the market rate, so that was a steal too. If you are keen for his services, send him a mail at EMAIL he is pretty good at responding on time too. There’s also a quick glimpse of him in the video below. Quick note, he made for a pretty awesome travel companion and helped loads with capturing most of my travel moments, mvp!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BW9-3P8lLEw/?taken-by=zeegoes
Activities in Uganda are bountiful, and in my case, I was spoiled for choices. I did the Eastern region of Uganda, so I can only help with that on here…for now. If you are not so keen on dealing with the planning of activities by yourself, definitely give a shout at the folks from TrekBuyFly I will also have another post out on activities to get into while in the East of Uganda.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWIkj3cFmR8/?taken-by=zeegoes
Staying Safe, I found Uganda to be pretty safe, and besides the issues with Boda Boda, I did not hear much else about lack of safety in the areas I visited. But make sure to stay vigilant and observant of surroundings whilst traveling, and a can of pepper spray could save a life!
12 Comments
Nice tips and trick.. Rwanda air have started their operations in India too 🙂 would love to visit Uganda someday !!! Will look forward to the activities post 😀
You had me at rafting in the nile, but all the other peripheral tips are definitely helpful. Nice job capturing the essence of what I could experience there, and how to get the most out of it!
Good to know that Airbnb is alive in Uganda. I didn’t know what the currency was until reading this post.
This is an informative post for me because I have actually never considered Uganda in my list of places to visit within the next 2 years. Actually, I did not know that there are so many activities that you can indulge in, I’m enlightened by this! Thanks for sharing.
Looks like you scored a great place to stay. Loved watching your videos as well. So entertaining!
Wow talk about goal! Scored a luxurious flight and accommodation. I enjoyed your short video, will take some time to check out some of your other videos
Uganda is such a great place! love your videos looks like you’re having fun 😉
The accomodation you had looks incredible. How expensive was it to hire a car + driver per day, if you don’t mind me asking?
I enjoy reading your post on Uganda. Stirring me up to make a trip also myself. Anybody looking for some tips on Uganda travels and things to do can now rely on these vital article. Bookmarked!! Thanks for sharing!
What a great trip! Uganda must have been fascinating. I love the look of the resort you stayed at! Good to know you felt pretty safe for the most part.
I have never though about uganda even as a africa lover! It seems so interesting