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.
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: Republic
President: Yoweri Museveni
GDP: US$22.7 billion
GDP per head: US$1020
Inflation:2.6%
Major industries: Coffee, sugar, brewing, cotton, tea, textiles, tobacco
Major trading partners: Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Kenya, UK., Japan, India, South Africa
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.
Kampala
A 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.
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.
Further Reading
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