Getting there and away.
Arrival in Uganda A few visitors arrive in Uganda arrive by bus from Nairobi, after a journey lasting anything from 10 – 20 hours, depending on how many breakdowns they have on the way, or hold-ups from accidents blocking the road! They will be dropped off near the city centre, usually at the individual bus company’s offices.
Most of our volunteers and tourists fly into Entebbe Airport (EBB) and its preferable to book for either Denis or another friend of Uganda Lodge to meet you. They will be waiting for you outside the terminal and take you into Kampala – a journey that takes approx one hour. It is not very easy to find your own way into the city centre.
If your flight arrives early in the day then we can take you straight to find the correct bus and ensure that you will be dropped outside the gates of Uganda Lodge. If the flight arrives after lunch its advisable to stay in a hotel in the city centre overnight and we can book you into a clean cheap one that is centrally located.
Don’t forget to have ready US $50 for the visa when you arrive at the airport. If you wish, we can provide someone to travel on the bus with you for £20 extra per journey (60,000 Ugx)
For visitors arriving before lunch and going straight to the project:
One person: £40 covers airport pick-up, transfer to bus station in Kampala City via a foreign exchange bureaux and bus fare to the project
Two people: £55 covers airport pick-up from Entebbe transfer to bus station via a foreign exchange bureaux, and bus fare to project for two people
For visitors arriving after lunch time and staying overnight in Kampala
One person: £55 covers airport pick-up from Entebbe airport and transfer to Kampala city centre, visit a foreign exchange bureaux, overnight stay in guest-house, pick-up and transfer to bus station and bus fare to the project
Two people: £75 covers airport pick-up from Entebbe airport and journey to Kampala city centre via a foreign exchange bureaux, overnight stay in hotel, pick-up and transfer to bus station and bus fare to project.
If your budget runs to it, you could book a car and driver to take you right down to Ruhanga but this will be about £220 in total if you arrive on a morning flight, or £200 from a city hotel. (Car Hire is expensive all over Africa, and this has to cover the return journey for the driver – including the fuel)
INFO FOR THOSE CHOOSING NOT TO HAVE ASSISTANCE:
From the airport – get a taxi to Entebbe Town and then a shuttle bus to Kampala City. Next find a special hire (private) taxi or a Boda-Boda (motorcycle taxi) who will – after some bargaining – take you to find a bus going to Rukingiri or Kabale (via Ntungamo) . They go from several different places in the city; you will need to check and double check with man actually selling tickets – (not with a tout) – that that bus does indeed take that route.
About 4 hours or so after leaving the bus park you will reach Mbarara town, and then Uganda Lodge is about 50 kms further on (about another hour or so) You will begin to see hills each side of the road, the Lodge is on the left hand side of the road about three three kms after Itojo Hospital and just before Ruhanga Adventist School. Ntungamo is another 10 kms further on. Most regular drivers now know it when requested to stop outside.