Introduction
Uganda's long string of tragedies since independence has been a staple of the Western media so most people still regard the country as a volatile place to be avoided. However, most parts of the country have been stable for several years and the country's transformation has been little short of astounding. Kampala is now the modern, bustling capital of a new Uganda, a country with one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. Travellers are drawn by Uganda's beautiful mountains, trekking opportunities and mountain gorillas. Before independence, Uganda was a prosperous and cohesive country. Its great beauty led Winston Churchill to refer to it as the 'Pearl of Africa', but by the mid-1980s Uganda lay shattered and bankrupt, broken by tribal animosity, nepotism, insanely corrupt politics, mass murder and military tyranny. Despite the killings and brutality, Ugandans appear to have weathered the storm remarkably well.
Full country name: Republic of Uganda
Area: 237,000 sq km (92,300 sq mi)
Population: 22,804,973
Capital city: Kampala
People: Baganda, Lango, Acholi, Pygmy, European, Asian, Arab
Languages: English, Swahili, plus 30 indigenous languages such as Luganda.Religion: Roman Catholic (33%), Protestant (33%), indigenous beliefs (18%), Muslim (16%)
Government: RepublicPresident: Yoweri Museveni
Major industries: Coffee, sugar, brewing, cotton, tea, textiles, tobacco
Major trading partners: Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Kenya, UK., Japan, India, South Africa
Facts for the Traveler
Visas: Citizens of most countries do require visas. All nationalities require an International Health Certificate showing proof of a yellow fever vaccination within the past 10 years.
Health risks: Bilharzia, HIV/AIDS, trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), malaria, yellow fever
Time: GMT/UTC plus three hours Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
When to GoThe best time to visit Uganda is late December to late February, as the weather at this time of year is generally dry (though hot). A close second is the mid-June to mid-August period. Don't even think about trekking outside of these dry months.
EventsUganda celebrates many Christian holidays, including Christmas, Easter and Good Friday. The Muslim population honors Islamic holidays, which follow the Muslim calendar. Hari Raya Puasa, the sighting of the new moon, signifies the first day of the Muslim calendar and the end of Ramadan, the fasting month. Women's Day takes place throughout the country in early March. There are also several holidays associated with independence and events during the civil wars: NRM Anniversary Day is 26 January; Martyrs' Day is 3 June; Heroes' Day is 9 June; and Independence Day is 9 October.
Money & CostsCurrency: Uganda shilling (USh)
The Ugandan shilling is a stable, fully convertible currency, fluctuating very little from day to day. It doesn't matter too much where you change your money, though the forex bureaus generally offer better rates than the banks. You'll find forex bureaus at most border posts and in all major cities. For maximum flexibility take most of your money in travellers' cheques and the rest in cash, preferably US dollars, British pounds or South African rand. Credit cards are accepted only at larger hotels and restaurants.You won't be expected to tip in Uganda, though feel free to do so if you've received exceptional service. Bargain when buying things from a market, street stall or craft shop.
AttractionsKampalaA modern, bustling capital, Kampala suffered a great deal during the years of civil strife. In the decade or so since President Museveni came to power, the city has gone from a looted shell to a thriving city befitting the capital of one of the most rapidly developing countries in Africa. The electricity works, clean water comes out of the taps, damaged buildings are now habitable, many new ones have gone up, and the shops and markets are once again well stocked. These days, Kampala even has casinos, nightclubs and fancy restaurants. And it's safe.Kampala is said to be built on seven hills, but the city centre is on just one of them, Nakasero. The top half of the hill is a garden city of wide, quiet avenues lined with large houses behind imposing fences. This is where you'll find the embassies, international aid organisations, upmarket hotels, government offices and the rich. The bottom half is a completely different world, composed of shops, small businesses, budget hotels, cheap restaurants, street markets, Hindu temples, and the bus station and taxi parks. The streets in this congested area overflow with people, battered old cars, lottery ticket sellers and pavement stalls offering everything from rubber stamps to radio repairs.If Kampala's streets don't put a spring in your step, there are a few standard attractions.
The Uganda Museum's most interesting feature is its collection of traditional musical instruments, which you're allowed to play. The Kasubi Tombs are on Kasubi Hill, a royal palace enclosure first built in 1881. This is where you'll find the huge traditional reed and bark-cloth buildings of the kabakas (kings) of the Baganda people. The Uganda Wildlife Authority Office, a few kilometres north-east of the city centre, makes bookings to see the gorillas in outlying Bwindi National Park.Bwindi National ParkBwindi is one of Uganda's most recently created national parks. Formerly known as the Impenetrable Forest, the park covers 330 sq km (128 sq mi) in the south-west of the country, very close to the Congo border. It encompasses one of the last remaining habitats of the mountain gorilla, and is home to half of the surviving mountain gorillas in the world - an estimated 320 individuals. Because of the unrest in Rwanda and eastern Congo, Bwindi has become the main place in East Africa to see the gorillas.The park is one of the richest areas in Africa for flora and fauna, containing elephants, the rare giant forest hog and at least 10 species of primate. The park headquarters is at Buhoma, on the northern edge of the park, and it's here that gorilla visits start and where you'll find the park's only accommodation.There are direct buses every day between Kampala and Butogota, the nearest town of any size to Buhoma. Butogota is approximately 350km (220mi) south-west of the capital. It's another 17km (11mi) from Butogota to Buhoma; there's no scheduled transport so you'll have to walk or hire a pick-up or motorcycle.
Jinja
Jinja lies on the shores of Lake Victoria and is chockablock with old Asian-style buildings, reflecting the days when the town had a sizeable Asian community. The town was virtually owned by Asians until Idi Amin unceremoniously kicked them out of the country. Many of them have started to return and the town is once again becoming prosperous. Jinja is also one of the spots on which Mahatma Gandhi chose to have his ashes scattered. A statue commemorates Gandhi at a Hindu temple near town. Jinja is close to the Owen Falls Dam, a hydroelectric station which supplies Uganda with the bulk of its electricity. The main Kampala to Jinja road runs across the top of the dam, and the railway line crosses on a bridge close by. Before the building of the Owen Falls Dam, the Source of the Nile was Ripon Falls, where the Nile left Lake Victoria on its way to the Mediterranean. The falls were inundated by the waters of the dam, but you can still make out where they used to be from the turbulence.Jinja is about 60km (37mi) north-east of Kampala and is easily accessible by bus, taxi or train.
Ssese Islands
This group of 84 islands lies off the north-western shores of Lake Victoria. The islands escaped the ravages of Uganda's civil wars and remain largely unspoiled. Their inhabitants, known as the Basese, form a distinct tribal group, with their own language, culture and folklore. They live primarily by catching fish and farming coffee, sweet potato, cassava, yams and bananas.The main islands of Buggala, Bufumira, Bukasa, Bubeke and Khome are hilly and, where not cultivated, forested with a wide variety of trees. Animals you're likely to come across include monkey, hippo, crocodile and many different types of bird. Other than wildlife viewing, the Ssese Islands are a good place to fish, swim or just lie back in the sun.The islands, which lie just south of Kampala, are connected to the mainland by ferries that run from Bukakata (about 80km/50mi south-west of Kampala via Masaka) to Buggala Island, and by fishing boats from Port Bell (immediately southeast of Kampala) to Buggala.
Ruwenzori Mountains and Kibale Forest National Park
The mist-covered Ruwenzori Mountains offer some of the most challenging trekking in East Africa. The mountain range stretches for about 100km (62mi) and is one of Uganda's most illustrious national parks. At its centre are several permanently snow and glacier-covered mountains; the highest is Mt Stanley, in the middle of the park, at 5109m (16,760ft). Check with the tourist office in Kampala before planning a trip here, however, as trekking is occasionally suspended due to the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army in the area.
Fort Portal, a green, pleasant and quiet town at the northeast end of the Ruwenzori Mountains, is the centre of a verdant tea-growing area. It's also the base from which to explore the Kibale Forest National Park, 30km (19mi) to the southeast. The park is famous for its chimpanzees, and is said to have the highest density of primates in the world. It's also home to baboons, red and white colobus monkeys, and larger mammals such as bushbucks, sitatungas, duikers, civets, buffalo and elephants.Fort Portal is about 270km (168mi) north-west of Kampala, accessible by bus and taxi. Frequent buses and taxis shuttle between Fort Portal and Kibale and Ruwenzori national parks.
Lake Albert
Lake Albert is part of the Great Rift Valley system which extends from the Middle East to Mozambique, and since 1894 has formed part of the border between Uganda and Congo. The first European to spot the lake was the British explorer Sir Samuel Baker in 1864, who named it after Albert, prince consort of Great Britain.The best time to visit the lake is in the late morning when the fishing catch is brought ashore by local boats. One place to watch this is Butiaba, along the road that connects Kampala with the lake area. The approach to it down the Albertine Escarpment is spectacular, with sweeping views of the lake and the Blue Mountains of Congo in the distance.Butiaba is approximately 250km (155mi) north-west of Kampala. Buses and taxis travel via Masindi, east of Butiaba, or Wanseko, north of Butiaba on the lake's shore.
Activities
The Ruwenzori Mountains in south-western Uganda offer some of the best trekking in East Africa and are almost as popular with travellers as Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya, though definitely harder to climb. Be prepared for a five-day trek and take warm, waterproof clothing. Within the Bwindi National Park in the south-west, the Waterfall Trail, Muzabijiro Loop Trail and Munyaga River Trail are three beautiful walks of varying degrees of difficulty. The water around the Ssese Islands south of Kampala is clean, cool and perfect for swimming. On the Nile River, white-water rafting is an unforgettable experience; most rafting operators are based near Jinja, a town at the confluence of the Nile and Lake Victoria.
History
Indigenous kingdoms popped up in Uganda in the 14th century. Among them were the Baganda, Bunyoro, Toro, Ankole and Busoga. Over the following centuries, the Baganda people created the dominant kingdom. The tribes had plenty of time to work out their hierarchies as there was very little penetration of Uganda from the outside until the 19th century. Despite the fertility of the land and its capacity to grow surplus crops, there were virtually no trading links with the East African coast. Contacts were finally made with Arab traders and European explorers in the mid-19th century - the latter came in search of ivory and slaves.After the Treaty of Berlin in 1890 defined the various European countries' spheres of influence in Africa, Uganda, Kenya and the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba became British protectorates. The colonial administrators introduced coffee and cotton as cash crops and adopted a policy of indirect rule, giving the traditional kingdoms considerable autonomy, but favouring the recruitment of Baganda tribespeople for the civil service. A few thousand Bagandan chiefs received huge estates from the British, on the basis of which they made fortunes. Other tribes people, unable to get jobs in the colonial administration or make inroads in the Baganda-dominated commercial sector, were forced to seek other ways of gaining influence. The Acholi and Lango, for example, were dominant in the military. Thus were planted the seeds for the intertribal conflicts that were to tear Uganda apart following independence.In the mid-1950s a Lango schoolteacher, Dr Milton Obote, managed to put together a loose coalition that led Uganda to independence in 1962, promising that the Baganda would have autonomy. It wasn't a particularly advantageous time for Uganda to come to grips with independence. Civil wars were raging in neighbouring southern Sudan, Zaïre (now Congo) and Rwanda, and refugees poured into the country. It also soon became obvious that Obote had no intention of sharing power with the kabaka (the Bagandan king). Obote moved fast, arresting several of his cabinet ministers and ordering his army chief of staff, Idi Amin, to storm the kabaka's palace. Obote became president, the Bagandan monarchy was abolished and Idi Amin's star was on the rise. But events soon started to go seriously wrong. Obote rewrote the constitution to consolidate virtually all powers in the presidency. He then began to nationalise, without compensation, US$500 million worth of foreign assets. In 1969, Amin was implicated in a financial scandal and he responded to the bad press by staging a coup. Obote fled and so began Uganda's first reign of terror.All political activities were quickly suspended and the army was empowered to shoot on sight anyone suspected of opposing the regime. Over the next eight years an estimated 300,000 Ugandans lost their lives, often in horrifying ways. Amin's main targets were the Acholi and Lango tribespeople, the professional classes and the country's 70,000-strong Asian community. In 1972 the Asians - many of whom had come from other British colonies to work Uganda's plantations as far back as 1912 - were given 90 days to leave the country with nothing but the clothes they wore.Meanwhile the economy collapsed, infrastructure crumbled, the country's prolific wildlife was machine-gunned by soldiers for meat, ivory and skins, and the tourism industry evaporated. The stream of refugees across the border became a flood. Inflation hit 1000%, and towards the end the treasury was so bereft of funds that it was unable to pay the soldiers. Faced with a restless army wracked by intertribal fighting, Amin was forced to seek a diversion. He foolishly chose a war with Tanzania. The Tanzanians rolled over the Ugandan army and pushed on into the heart of Uganda. Amin fled to Libya. The 12,000 or so Tanzanian soldiers who remained in Uganda, supposedly to help with the country's reconstruction and to maintain law and order, turned on the Ugandans.In 1980 the government was taken over by a military commission, which set a presidential election date for Uganda later that year. Obote returned from exile in Tanzania to an enthusiastic welcome in many parts of the country and swept to victory in a blatantly rigged election. Like Amin, Obote favoured certain tribes. Large numbers of civil servants and army and police commanders belonging to southern tribes were replaced with Obote supporters belonging to northern tribes, and the prisons began filling once more. Reports of atrocities leaked out of the country and several mass graves were discovered. In mid-1985 Obote was overthrown in an army coup led by Tito Okello.Shortly after Obote became president in 1980, a guerrilla army opposed to his tribally biased government was formed in western Uganda. It was led by Yoweri Museveni, who had lived in exile in Tanzania during Amin's reign. From a group of 27 grew a guerrilla force of about 20,000, many of them orphaned teenagers. In the early days few gave the guerrillas, known as the National Resistance Army (NRA), much of a chance, but by the time Obote was ousted and Okello had taken over, the NRA controlled a large slice of western Uganda. Fighting proceeded in earnest between the NRA and Okello government troops, and by January 1986 it was clear that Okello's days were numbered. The NRA launched an all-out offensive and took the capital.Despite Museveni's Marxist leanings, he proved to be a pragmatic leader, appointing several arch-conservatives to his cabinet and making an effort to reassure the country's influential Catholic community. Meanwhile, almost 300,000 Ugandan refugees returned from across the Sudanese border. The economy took a turn for the better and aid and investment began returning to the country. Museveni won democratic 'no-party' elections in 1994 and again in 1996 and 2001. One of Museveni's major challenges in the late 1990s was the north, which was plagued by various anti-government rebel factions such as the bizarre Christian group known as the Lords Resistance Army, allied with Sudan's Islamic government, and the West Nile Bank Front, led by Idi Amin's former minister. Today the country's levels of AIDS and HIV infection are among the highest in the world, with a conservative estimate of 1.5 million Ugandans infected; in some villages the infection rate is as high as one person in every four.The 1996 elections were seen as Uganda's final step on the road to rehabilitation and the country was rewarded by a visit from US President Bill Clinton in 1998. In August 1999, Uganda signed onto the Congo peace agreement.
Culture
Uganda's population is made up of a complex and diverse range of tribes. Lake Kyoga forms the northern boundary for the Bantu-speaking peoples, who dominate much of east, central and southern Africa. In Uganda they include the Baganda and several other tribes. In the north live the Lango and the Acholi, who speak Nilotic languages. To the east are the Teso and Karamojong, who are related to the Maasai and who also speak Nilotic languages. Pygmies live in the forests of the west.Each tribe has its musical history; songs are passed down from generation to generation. Ndigindi (lyre), entongoli (harp), amadinda (xylophone) and lukeme (thumb piano) are commonly played instruments. An Acholi, Okot p'Bitek, is one of Uganda's most famous writers of folklore, satirical poems and songs. His book Song of Lawino (1966) describes the stories told in Acholi songs.While about two-thirds of the population is Christian, the remaining third still practises animism or follows Islam. There were sizeable numbers of Sikhs and Hindus in the country until Asians were expelled in 1972, although many are now returning following an invitation from the president.For the most part, Ugandan cuisine consists of a stodge filler with beans or a meat sauce. Main dishes are usually centred on beef, goat or mutton and the starch comes from ugali, or maize meal. Ugali is cooked up into a thick porridge until it sets hard. It's then served up in flat bricks. If that doesn't sound appealing, the country's tropical climate contributes to a healthy choice of fruits. Something you don't come across very often but which makes an excellent snack meal is mkate mayai (bread eggs). Originally an Arab dish, it's wheat dough spread into a thin pancake, filled with minced meat and raw egg, and then folded into a neat parcel and fried on a hotplate. Beer is probably the most widely available commodity across Uganda. Pombe is a locally made fermented banana beer and waragi the local millet-based alcohol. Both can knock you around and give you a mean hangover.
Environment
Uganda occupies a chunk of eastern Africa about the size of the United Kingdom. It's bordered by Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Lake Victoria, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south, and Congo (formerly Zaire) to the west.With its relatively low population density and scarcity of wildlife (the latter courtesy of the decimation that occurred during the bad old days), Uganda lacks many of the environmental pressures faced by other countries in East Africa. The national parks and wilderness areas are generally in good shape, and conditions are ideal for the native animals to re-establish themselves. The highest density of primates in the world live in Kibale National Park, while Bwindi National Park is one of the last remaining habitats of the mountain gorillas.About 25% of Uganda's land is fertile and arable, making the country quite capable of producing a food surplus. Lake Victoria and the Victoria Nile, which flows through much of the country, create one of the best irrigated areas of Africa. However, the growing problem of water hyacinth threatens the ecology of Lake Victoria and the livelihood of the people who live by its shores. This aquatic weed floats in large 'islands' on the lake surface and grows so prolifically that it chokes waterways and stops light from penetrating the lake surface, making it impossible for fish to live beneath it.The land varies from the lush and fertile shores of Lake Victoria in the southeast, to semi-desert in the northeast. Uganda is fairly flat, with mountains only in the extreme east (Mt Elgon), far west (Ruwenzori Mountains) and the beautiful south-west, close to the Rwandan border. Though flat, the country is high, with an average altitude of over 1000m (3280ft).The bulk of the country enjoys a tropical climate tempered by altitude. The hottest months are from December to February, when it gets up to 29°C (84°F). The rainy seasons in the south are from April to May and October to November, the wettest month being April. In the north the wet season is from April to October.
Getting There & Away
Kampala's international airport is actually in Entebbe, 35km (22mi) south-west of the capital. The airport is remembered for the 'Entebbe Raid' of 1976, when uninvited Israeli commandos dropped in on Uganda to release a planeload of their fellow countrymen held hostage by Palestinian militants. Plenty of taxis and minibuses ply between the airport and Kampala. Most flights to East Africa from Europe and North America use the Kenyan capital Nairobi as a gateway. From Nairobi, most people then travel by bus to Uganda. There are flights to Entebbe from Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. The two border posts used by most visitors travelling by bus from Kenya are Malaba and Busia. The route into Uganda from Tanzania goes through the Kagera salient on the western side of Lake Victoria between Bukoba and Masaka. From Zaire, the two main crossing points are west from Kisoro to Rutshuru via Bunagana, and north-west from Kasese to Beni. However, the situation in eastern Zaire has been uncertain; check the security situation before attempting this crossing. Overland entry into Rwanda can also be unsafe and entry into Sudan is impossible at present. Direct buses operate between Kampala and Nairobi daily, and take around 12 to 14 hours. There's a regular boat service on Lake Victoria that travels between Kampala in Uganda and Mwanza in Tanzania.
Getting Around
Uganda Airlines has no scheduled internal flights. Most locals get around by share minibuses (known as taxis), and there's never a shortage of them. Fares are fixed and vehicles leave when full.Buses connect the major towns on a daily basis and EMS Post minibuses travel from Kampala to all major centres several times a week. The latter cost less and are safer and faster than the former. Kampala also has bicycle taxis (known locally as boda-boda, as they originally used to shuttle people between border, or boda, posts). There's an excellent system of roads between most major centres in the southern part of Uganda, though some require a 4WD. Rental car companies are based near the airport in Entebbe, and in Kampala and other major towns. Drivers need an international drivers licence and should drive on the left. Note that road signs are non-existent and fuel is expensive.