Traveling in and around Uganda
Getting around in Uganda
Self-Drive, Taxis, Boda-Boda Cycle, For-Hire, Buses, Airlines
Getting around in Kampala seems madness, but actually it is a lot easier than it may appear on the surface. Public Transport of one kind or another is readily available but it takes a bit of planning.
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Taxis are the easiest and lowest priced means in Kampala to move around. Fourteen passenger vehicles that plow the streets looking for customer,
stopping almost anywhere. Stand on any street corner and put your
hand out as you see one approaching (wave up and down). The only
thing for a foreigner to be aware of is frequent over-charges.
Ask any staff person at the hotel or other kind accommodation where
you are staying what the price should be to where you want to go and
they will tell you. Then when the conductor asks you for a higher
price you tell him what it should be, fellow passengers will readily
side with you. If you are going downtown this is quite easy and
you will be dropped off in the taxi park, from where you can most often
walk to your downtown destination. If you are going elsewhere
you might have to make a transfer to another taxi, but that is simply
done by asking the conductor of the taxi you are taking for direction
to the taxi that will take you there. Taking a taxi may seem like madness,
but there is actually a lot of order to it. This applies not only
to Kampala but for most of Uganda. -
Boda Boda Motorcycles: They started out as bicycles and you can still find them, but have evolved into mostly Indian manufactured motorcycles. They are the fastest means from one point to another, but also the most dangerous. Some foreigners find them exhilarating and enjoy the ride, while others such as myself shun them altogether. Boda-Boda drivers are a unique lot of men, most of them have no license, drive without required helmet and do not require a helmet for passengers. One American woman was recently shown with her own helmet. Boda-Boda cycles are more expensive but again faster since they break every law there is and the 20,000 of them in Uganda cause daily havoc on the road, or off road if the road is blocked, but they
get
you there. They do have a high rate of accidents and many lives
are lost yearly and bodies maimed, at the emergency ward, most are from
Boda-Boda riding. If you take one, you will learn how to pray,
no matter what your spiritual background is. Boda-Boda Motorcycles
are found everywhere in Uganda even in the most desolate of places,
there will be a boda-boda stage. Remember to ask the staff at
your lodging as to what the cost should be and negotiate, laugh a lot
and bargain. Tell the Boda-Boda Driver to take it easy and if he goes
beyond your fear threshold, let him know, enough is enough.
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Special Hire Taxi: This is the most expensive means of transport around Kampala and other towns there is the Special Hire Taxi. It costs the most unless you are sharing the cost with someone else and then it can come down to the cost of a Boda-Boda. Depending on how many people are sharing. Again most hotels have someone whom they can refer you too but also remember that often they get a commission for referrals and you may not get the best price. Only yellow taxi in downtown Kampala has metered rates, everywhere else it is negotiate.
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Hire a vehicle with driver: On that one I can be of assistance. You can hire a vehicle for so much a day, plus fuel. The rates in town will usually be a bit lower than out of town. I can arrange for you to have a passenger vehicle, a van, or 29 passenger bus if needed in around Kampala or any Uganda destination. If you need airport transfer we can also arrange that.
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Traveling to other towns in Uganda: To many places that are not too far, you can take a taxi. Otherwise there are buses that will take you there for a very reasonable price and at a speed that is often faster than what you might be comfortable with. They are a bit crowded but again the normal way to getting somewhere 350 kilometers away. Buses are also the means of getting to Rwanda, Kenya and South Sudan. You can fly, but the price difference is huge.
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Eagle Air: Flies to many destinations in Uganda at a reasonable rate of getting there and back. They have a good safety record and have been around for many years. If it comforts you, they have Biblical scriptures painted on the outside of the planes.
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Self Drive: Something you want to avoid unless you have to. It is best to have experience in death defying situations and being a risk taker. You will need a vehicle that is road worthy and check it out thoroughly when renting. Fuel is expensive about 1.70 USD per liter. Check for spare tire changing equipment. You will need a license. I have used my US license for years all over Africa without problems. You will need a log book, certificate of insurance. Car rentals are high and in many cases it is cheaper to rent a car with driver.
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Biking: Another one of those ways I would not suggest in Uganda unless you are experienced in chaotic conditions. Bicycles get no respect and in the first fifteen minutes of driving you barely escape death about 3 times.
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Hitch-Hiking in Uganda: Most often if a Ugandan gives you a ride, there is the expectation for some cash on your part. Pray that some westerner will pick you up. I have done so on occasion. You do not find too many hitchhikers here. Do not try using your thumb, but flap your arms like a bird and you might have a chance. I have known people to return home after some hours of trying.
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Last updated: 28 July 2010
Traveling in and around Uganda
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