The capital of Uganda, Kampala, is located near the northern shore of Lake Victoria. The name of the city, founded in 1890, comes from the word “impala” (a local species of antelope). Despite the fact that the city has about a million people, Kampala remains an open, hospitable and safe city, in which there are practically no traffic jams, and the people are welcoming and friendly. According to populationmonster, Kampala is one of the largest cities in Uganda.
How to get to Kampala
Planes arrive at Entebbe International Airport, located 35 kilometers southwest of Kampala. From the airport you can get to the city by taxi (about 80000 UGX) or minibus (4000 UGX).
Transport
There are quite a lot of minibuses in the city and its environs. Each bus (or matatu in Ugandan), in addition to the driver, is also equipped with a navigator who loudly shouts out the window the direction in which their vehicle is moving. The cost of the trip is 500 UGX in the city and about 1000 UGX in the suburbs and surrounding areas.
City taxis, which are easy to hail anywhere in the city center, are usually unmetered, so bargain before you start your trip (the usual price for a city trip is 5000 UGX).
Adrenaline lovers can try to move around the city on motorcycles (boda bodas). As you walk down the street, motorcyclists will constantly stop to offer you a ride. Drivers who are interested in delivering you to your destination as quickly as possible disregard absolutely all traffic rules. You can get to any place in the city in this way at a price of 1500 UGX.
If men ride as a passenger on a motorcycle in the traditional way, then women, according to local notions of decency, are advised to sit sideways.
Kampala Restaurants
On the streets, small eateries sell delicious matoke – mashed green bananas in peanut sauce, the famous rolex, which is a pancake wrapped in a cabbage-tomato omelette and grilled white corn.
On a budget, you can dine at vegetarian restaurants Bhagwatt and Govindas, popular with the local Indian community, Garden City Food Court, Fang Fang Chinese Restaurant, continental restaurants New York Kitchen and Just Kicking.
Gourmets should visit The Lawns restaurant, which offers local exotic game dishes, Paradise, which specializes in Indian cuisine, and Pyramids, which has a menu full of fusion dishes.
Markets and shops
A separate entertainment in the city is hiking in local markets. Owino Market, located near the center of Kampala, is one of the largest in Africa. Literally everything is sold here, including souvenirs and local exotic products. There is a craft market on Buganda Road where they sell musical instruments, jewelry, batik, wooden carved figurines, and you can order or buy national clothes from local tailors.
In the prestigious malls Garden City and Nakumat Oasis, you can buy upscale clothes, shoes and jewelry, relax in cafes and restaurants.
Entertainment and attractions of Kampala
Recommended to visit:
- the Uganda Museum, which, in addition to exhibits on history, culture and ethnography, has a wonderful collection of musical instruments;
- the tomb of Kasubi, where the burial places of the rulers of ancient Buganda are located;
- art gallery Nommo;
- National Theatre;
- Cathedrals of Rubaga and Namirembe;
- building of the Parliament of Uganda.
You can go on a rafting or safari on the upper Nile, go on a gorilla safari in Bwindi National Park, visit the Mburo National Park, which is home to hippos, zebras and crocodiles, or Ngamba Reserve, located on the island of Lake Victoria, where you can observe the habits of many chimpanzees.
