Additional Info

Visas and Passes

All visa prone nationalities must obtain Uganda visas to facilitate their entry into the country. Uganda visas may be obtained at Uganda missions abroad or on arrival at the ports of entry in the country. All travelers to the Republic of Uganda MUST have a valid Yellow Fever Immunization card.

Visas do not permit gainful or voluntary employment in Uganda and passports are required for all and must be valid past the date of expected departure from Uganda.

Disclaimer

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is prohibited. There is free import of foreign currency if declared on arrival. Unspent Uganda shillings can be reconverted to foreign currency.

Credit and Debit Cards: American express, Diners, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted, especially in National Parks, Hotels and other well established restaurants. However, most purchases at shopping points may involve use of cash and especially in Uganda Shillings. Check with your credit or debit Card Company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Customs

Import: The following Items may be imported into Uganda by visitors over 17 years without incurring customs duty (except from Kenya and Tanzania): 200 cigarettes or 225g of tobacco or a combination thereof; one bottle of spirits or wine; 568ml of perfume.

Heath information

Yellow Fever: Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required from travelers over 1 year of age arriving from infected areas. Travelers arriving from non-endemic zones should note that vaccination is highly recommended for everyone coming to Uganda even if an outbreak of the disease has not been reported.

Cholera and Typhoid: A cholera and Typhoid vaccination certificate is not a condition for entry into Uganda, however we recommend that our clients consult their doctors and if possible get vaccinated on precautionary basis.

Malaria: Try to have your hotel windows closed at night and sleep under mosquito net throughout your stay in Uganda. All hospitals and health centers in Uganda have medication in case of Malaria fever.

Food and Drinks: Eat from recommended food outlets or restaurants and Hotels. Your food should be served hot and it is recommended that you only drink bottled water from recommended brands served at eating outlets, restaurants and hotels. Some well-established restaurants and hotels also serve boiled water, but bottled water is highly recommended.

Other health risks: Avoid swimming in Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga and River Nile; there have been some cases of Bilharzia reported. But one can swim in well maintained Hotel swimming pools because the water is always treated and also swimming is recommended in Lake Bunyonyi the deepest lake in Uganda and the third deepest in the world after Lake Baikal and Lake Tanganyika.

Health care: visitors should bring personal supplies of medicines that are likely to be needed because of personal health history. However, one needs to enquire first from the Embassy or High Commission whether such supplies may be freely imported. Comprehensive health insurance is essential and should include cover for emergency air repatriation in case of serious accident or illness.

General Transport Information

Air transport: Currently the main International Airport is Entebbe International Airport. Entebbe is served by Many International Airlines like: Uganda Airlines; KLM the Royal Dutch Airline; Brussels Airways; Qatar Airways; Fly Emirates; Ethiopian Airways; Kenya Airways; Air Tanzania; Turkish Airline and Rwanda air among others.

Water transport: Between Kampala and Mwanza in Tanzania or Kisumu in Kenya is possible to catch a boat, but this is unreliable and not recommended for tourists. However domestically most tourist destinations on the beautiful Islands of Lake Victoria can be accessed by boats and ferry services.

Rail transport: Currently Uganda Railways Service operates only one commuter with train between the main City center and Namanve Industrial area. The other trains operated by Uganda Railways service are cargo trains that operate between Kenya and Uganda.

Road transport: There are road connections with all neighboring countries, however travelers should seek local advice before crossing the border to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. There is Daily bus service between Kampala and Neighboring countries’ cities like: Nairobi, Arusha, Dar-es-Salam, Kigali and Juba. For Safari in Uganda it is highly recommended that you hire a private customized reliable safari car that can enable you do game drives with pop-up roof for proper game viewing.

Entertainment

Food and Drink: Many restaurants and hotels in Uganda serve both local and international food and beverages; the cuisine has been influenced by cooking techniques from all over the world. However, our national specialties include: Matoke staple food made from green bananas (Bantu speaking people); Kalo / Atap (Teso speaking people) /Kwon (Luo Speaking people) made from Millet flour and sometimes mixed with Cassava flour, served in all parts of Uganda; Cassava, a root tuber that is commonly made into flour; Sweet potatoes also served in all parts of Uganda; Chicken, Fish and Beef stews; The fresh fish is commonly got from Uganda’s fresh water bodies like Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga, and the Mighty River Nile. It is also common to find fresh cooked greens, beans and groundnut sauce in many restaurants and Hotels. Also famous is the ‘Rolex’ which is originally a mixture of fried eggs, tomatoes, onions, green pepper and cabbages rolled in pan fried dough commonly known as ‘chapatti’; however, sometimes it is modified to have meat, chicken or fish. As far as food production is concerned, in Uganda Bananas, millet, maize, sorghum, rice, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes are grown in abundance. Fresh Fruits are also plentiful like: water melon, passion fruits, pineapples, mangoes, tomatoes, avocado, lemon, oranges, and pawpaw among others. The popular National drink is ‘Uganda Waragi’, a gin popular among visitors as a cocktail base. Uganda also has two main distilleries that produce the largest percentage of beers consumed in Uganda: Uganda Breweries located in Kampala and Nile Breweries located at the source of the Mighty River Nile in Jinja Town. Fresh coffee and Tea are also readily available in all restaurants and hotels all over Uganda.

Leading dinning places in Kampala City include: The Lawns, Cayenne Restaurant and Lounge, Kabira Country Club, Kampala Casino, Mango Grove Restaurant, Nyanja Restaurant, Paradise Terrace (Sheraton Kampala), Piato, Sam’s Restaurant, Shahi Darbar Restaurant, Soho Café and Grill, Spectrum at Labonita, The Bay, The Bistro, The Peal of Africa, The Space, Victoria (Sheraton) for breakfast only, Villa Kololo, Pyramids Casino and Restaurant, The Fez Brasserie and Wine Bar, 7 Hills Revolving Restaurant, Pardis Corner, Faze 2 and II Patio.

African Cuisine in Kampala can be accessed at: 2k Restaurant, Baguma Restaurant, Spectrum Restaurant at Labonita, Shaka Zulu Foods, St. Anthony’s Restaurant and Kembabazi Catering Center. Other specialty Restaurants can also be found in Kampala like: Ethiopian Food (Ethiopian Village and Gojo Ethiopian Bar and Restaurant); Greek Food (Athina’s Taverns and Mythos Greek Taverna and Loungue); Indian Food (Handi, Kati Restaurant, Khana Kha Zana, Khyber Pass-Speke Hotel, Nyanja Restaurant, Oasis Club House-Munyonyo, Open Hous, Pavement Sizzles and Flames, Sizzler’s and More, The Asian Fusion, Top Tree-Fairway Hotel; Italian Food (Caffe Roma-Lubowa, il Patio, Mamba Point Restaurant, Mediterraneo Restaurant, Pizzeria Mammamia, The Explorer, Villa Kololo); Japanese Food (Kyoto Turkish Restaurant and Pizza Meter, Yujo Japanese Restaurant); Korean Food (Arirang Restaurant); Mexican Food (Romeo’s Restaurant), Thai Food (The Oriental Simply Thai-Metropole Hotel); and West African Food (Mama Ashanti Restaurant).

Night Life and Performances: Nightlife is more interesting in Kampala than any other part of the country. Unlike other towns, Kampala never closes the eyes; it stays awake, wide eyed and ready to party. From Monday to Sunday there is point in every party of Kampala that keeps happy people on their toes. This has also been revealed by some recent studies that found out that actually most people from Kenya, Sudan, and Rwanda choose to spend their weekends in Kampala because of the enormous entertainment and leisure opportunities in Kampala City. The safety and Security in Kampala is one of the most important factors attracting many people to spend their leisure time in Kampala. Kampala is also graced by countless Bars, Restaurants, night clubs, comedy venues, cultural centers for cultural entertainment and very many music concerts. Few cities across African Continent can rival the nightlife of Kampala. Popular Bars and Night Clubs in Kampala City include: Bamboo Nest Bar and Restaurant, Bubbles O’Leary (Irish Pub), Capital Pub, Casablanca Pub and Restaurant, Cayenne Restaurant and Lounge, Equator Bar and Lounge, Faze 2, Lotus Mexicana, Mammamia Restaurant, Obama’s Kabalagala, Olive Garden, Palm Café’ Pizzeria and Bar, Piato, Punchline Bar and Night Club, Rock Garden, The Mist Bar, The Park Square, The Terrace Bar (The Barn Steakhouse) The wine Bar, Big Mike’s, Fame Loungue, Club Ambiance, Club Amnesia, Guvnor Club, Insomnia, Illusion, Kampala Casino, Kings Casino, Casino Simba, Mayfair Casino, Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino, Ceasars Palace Casino and Empire Casino.