Getting Around

Kampala is a mess, traffic-wise. The matatus (the white minibus taxis with the blue squares on their sides) are the cheapest way to move apart from walking, but you need to know the route you want to take. The most efficient mode of transport is the boda-boda motorbike taxi, which costs a bit more but moves much quicker. Prices vary but a journey (even across the whoooole city) will never cost more than 15k, and the normal range is 3k-6k. Please wear a helmet, and if you’re not using the guys from our stage we recommend the SafeBoda app, which works a bit like Uber but for motorbikes. They’re cheap, they’re fast and they provide helmets.  Kampala also has the real Uber these days (just use your normal Uber app) and it’s cheap, but keep an eye out for innovative routes. The hustle is real.

You Are What You Eat

Apart from the truly magical house of wonders that is the Bushpig Bar (home of BUBU Mondays, Trivia Tuesdays, Board Game Wednesdays, Friday nights, and live music on Saturdays- thanks for asking) there are a load of great places to go and eat in this fair city of ours.

Cheap: 

Meza Shawarma– a kebab and falafel joint situated opposite the entrance to Acacia Mall, you can get some great food for less than 15k. Google Map Link

Eat a Rolex at the Market– In Uganda everybody can afford a rolex. That’s because it’s Uganda’s unofficial national food, an omelette wrapped in a chapatti and sometimes filled with a little chopped cabbage or tomato. They vary a little by region (shout out to Mubende for the softest chapattis, and to Jinja for experimenting with adding sausages) but the basic form is pretty much universal. Choose a number of eggs (we like two, they’re 500 shillings each) and chapattis (one is usually enough, each costs 1,000/=) and maybe ask them for less salt unless you’re a really big fan. Should cost a total of 2,000/= and you’ll go home happy. Google Map Link

Find a Kafunda– kafunda (in your correspondent’s pretty poor Luganda) means ‘corridor’, and the restaurants that share this name are usually exactly that- informal canteens set up in shared spaces like corridors, where workers can grab a quick plate for cheap. Every boda knows their favourite, and so does everybody else. Ask the reception or ask around. If you’re a vegetarian, order kikomando (chopped chapattis and beans), and if you eat meat the chicken stew with rice and matoke (steamed banana) is delicious. For breakfast try to find a place that does katogo (banana stew) but check that it’s not being made of offals unless you’ve got a strong constitution.

Less Cheap (But Not Expensive):

Casablanca– Eritrean food, less than a minute’s walk from Bushpig and you get to sit in a place that looks like a boat for some reason. If you’re two people, get the vegetarian mixed platter and eat like vegetarian kings for a total price of 22,000/=. If you’re keen on meat, get the chef’s special mixed platter or gamble on quanta firfir. Top tip- always add an extra injera (fermented teff bread) if you’re bigger eaters. No need for a map- you can see it from our gate.

Que Pasa– Kampala’s finest Tex-Mex. Get a burrito the size of a baby, or just hit up Taco Tuesday til you pop. Google Map Link

The Roots– Uganda’s food is unfairly represented in guidebooks and online. To change your opinion you can’t do better than The Roots. It’s nearby, well priced, with great service and a nice garden, and the food slaps. Order the smoked beef luwombo with rice and sweet potato (or try malakwang instead of beef if you’re a vegetarian) but come early- their food tends to run out! Google Maps Link

For great curry you can’t do much better than the Masala Chaat House on De Winton Road. Their dosas are an absolute deal.

Stuff To Do

Keefa Motor Tours is our preferred dude for boda tours. While Solomon is sorely missed, his nephew now runs the show and the gang charge around $20 per person to show you everything you could possibly want to see. Facebook Page

Free Guided Walking Tours are always popular. Kampala may be one of the most difficult cities in the world to walk in, but the payoff is huge as you gain an amazing perspective, particularly in the congested parts of downtown where the bodas fear to go. A couple of people offer this service, but please tip them generously if you have a good time. We suggest 25k per person. Book via the reception.

Bicycle Trips can be organised through the magnificent folk at Red Dirt Uganda who do day trips, safaris and bike rental. They’re gents, and we love what they’re doing.

Boat trip on Lake Victoria. Wilson is a nice guy with a nice boat, and he can show you as much or as little of the lake as you have time for. He charges around 50,000/= per hour for his services, and the boat has a cover in case of rain. Ask the reception for his number.

For other regular cultural events we recommend checking the Facebook pages of the National Theatre (UNCC), the Alliance Francaise and Goethe Zentrum, Otters Bar, the Uganda Press Photo Award, Bayimba, Kardamom and Koffee, SoFar Sounds and the Dancing Cup. Also the noticeboard at the reception usually has a bunch of useful flyers and what what. If you’re running an event, please tell us and we will post it!

Other Stuff:

Need a Massage? We got you, fam. Head for Soothing Spot Spa in Acacia Mall. Good, cheap massages.

Need a Haircut? Go to Aisha’s Salon in Kisementi (here) and let Maimunah cut your hair as she grumbles to you about the state of the world.

Need a Day At The Pool? Kabira Country Club is the biggest, deepest and bluest of the pools, though it’s not cheap. If you want a cheaper one try Royal Suites. To make a day of it, try going out of town to the Speke Resort in Munyonyo. The food is crap but there’s palm trees.

Need Some Clothes? Downtown there are two excellent thrift stores where you can pick up great second-hand clothes for a super price- genuine Levis jeans cost about $4. Instead of buying poor-quality new clothing from bogus department stores, do as the locals do and get yourself some lightly-worn Armani. One shop is here (on the second floor, up that rickety-ass staircase) and the other is here (also on the second floor, but the stairs are cement). New arrivals come on alternate Mondays.

And if you’re interested in the history, politics and impact of the second hand clothes trade (spoiler alert: it’s not pretty) there’s a great podcast by two of our friends about it, titled ‘Vintage Or Violence‘.

Looking For A Safari, Rafting, Gorilla Permit, Travel Advice, Car Rental or Anything Else?

For DIY, message us. We only ever recommend services we know and love.

For budget you can’t beat Graceland Safaris. Grace is an amazing guide who will hook you up.

For midrange and more luxurious safaris we recommend The Adventure Committee, who do safaris right.

And be sure to check permit prices with UWA as they keep doing weird things like making gates cash-free but not telling people. We don’t want to tell them how to run their parks, but if we were in charge of taking candy from babies we would at least tell the babies what candy to bring.

And finally, this month’s unreliable rumour is: if you want to have a BBQ in the Bushpig garden (which you can- just ask!) the best sausages in the city come from a little place called Rosa’s Butchery on Ggaba Road. Take a boda over- it’s worth the trip!

 

DO YOU NEED AN AWESOME CAR?

This beast is fully licensed and insured and comes with an expert driver/guide who will take you anywhere in the country, and who also has some decent off-the-peg itineraries in their head. It has a fridge, pop-top, adventure gear and other goodies. It can be rented surprisingly cheaply. Email here!