Check out this great video at adventure.tv about Uganda

 

Uganda is saturated in color, the outstanding natural beauty of its people and its landscapes have always stirred inspiration in travelers and residents. Uganda has just started to receive positive international attention. But lessons concerning international donations have been learnt. The result has been fast, real progress has been made. In some cases, Uganda has started to set trends for other countries to follow.

Tourism, the most sensitive of all industries to develop, is finally attracting investment and interest. Significant progress has been made in the redevelopment of infrastructure in the National Parks. The devastation of the animal populations that took place during the war years is beginning to be repaired through increased control and management.

New areas of interest such as mountain gorillas and eco-tourism, white water rafting and sport fishing have put Uganda back on the East African tourist circuit. Jinja, at the source of the Nile, Mbarara, on the road west, Fort Portal, at the foot of the Rwenzoris, and Mbale on the eastern border are all howling promising signs of economic recovery. The apparent slow development and poverty of areas outside Kampala is combined result of cautious investment and the relatively recent restoration of countrywide infrastructure.

Uganda is rich with culture and artistic talent, Ugandans are lively actors and public speakers. Hardly a night passes without the rhythmic sounds of traditional dancing or, in Kampala, modern disco music. The overriding impression of Uganda is of its happy people. Hardship and war are not forgotten, but they are in the past, to be recalled in silent prayers and thoughts for absent friends.

Uganda is situated in East-Africa and has a total size of 241.139 km². The country posses many different lakes, like Lake George or Lake Kyoga. The biggest and most important lake is Lake Victoria. The most important river is certainly River Nile - whose source can be found in Jinja - in the eastern part of Uganda. Other important places to mention are Mbale, Mbarara, Fort Portal, Kasese or Gulu. Beautiful places invite to visit pure African nature. To name a few: Rwenzori Mountains on the western border to Congo, Mount Elgon, Bwindi Impenetrable Nationalpark or Ssese Islands.

Kampala, the modern capital, is the centre of most economic activity. It is steadily being rebuilt after systematic looting and destruction during the changes of government. The city infrastructure has been restored and new office towers, hotels, stadiums and shopping malls are appearing almost monthly. Entebbe, the former administrative capital, is still very picturesque, though rundown and neglected. The century old botanical gardens are being restored to their former splendor.

Uganda with its 24 million inhabitants is surrounded by Kenya, Sudan, DRC, Rwanda and Tanzania. The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. You can find many big cities, whereby its capital Kampala is a metropolis with 1,200.000 inhabitants. The other big cities include Jinja (100.000 inhabitants), Mbale (53.600 inhabitants), Entebbe (20.500 inhabitants) and Gulu with 15.000 inhabitants.

The economic side Ugandas depends a lot on agriculture. It consists basically of very small farms but also large concerns. The major traditional cash crops are coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, sugar cane, plantains, cassava, manioc, corn, rice, peanuts, sesame, vanilla, soy beans as well as pineapples, passion fruits, mangos, oranges, bananas and also flowers.

There is a new Uganda, a country with one of the fastest growing economies in Africa.

Whereas there are traditional shepards in the north-east of Uganda, you can find big modern farms in the very west of Uganda, producing milk and other animal products. The most important animals are cattles, goats, pigs, rabbits, chicken and fish. Industrial fishing can be found at Lake Victoria, where you can enjoy Tilapia at its best.

There is a large industry for textiles, cement, soft drinks (sodas), bakery products and breweries. Electronic products are mostly imported. There are banks, insurance companies, transport systems (private basis) as well as trading companies in all forms and scales.

The main attractions for tourists in Uganda are animals and nature. Here you can find a perfect combination of geographic specialties, exotic wildlife as well as traditional and historical places. There are many national parks where you can follow game viewing.

Uganda lacks many of the environmental pressures faced by other countries in East Africa. The national parks and wilderness areas are generally in good shape, and conditions are ideal for the native animals to re-establish themselves. The highest density of primates in the world live in Kibale National Park, while Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the last remaining habitats of the mountain gorillas.

The land varies from the lush and fertile shores of Lake Victoria in the southeast, to semi-desert in the northeast. Uganda is fairly flat, with mountains only in the extreme east (Mt Elgon), far west (Rwenzori Mountains) and the beautiful southwest, close to the Rwandan border.

Though flat, the country is high, with an average altitude of over 1000m (3280ft) - so the climate is comfortable and mild. The country enjoys a tropical climate tempered by altitude. The hottest months are from December to February, when it gets up to 29°C (84°F). The rainy seasons in the south are from April to May and October to November, the wettest month being April. In the north the wet season is from April to October. The best time to visit Uganda is late December to late February, as the weather at this time of year is generally dry (though hot). A close second is the June to September period. Don't even think about trekking outside of these dry months.

Kampala's international airport is actually in Entebbe, 35 km (22 miles) southwest of the capital. The airport is remembered for the "'Entebbe Raid" of 1976, when uninvited Israeli commandos dropped in on Uganda to release a planeload of their fellow countrymen held hostage by Palestinian militants. Idi Amin was later found to be in cahoots with the hijackers. Plenty of taxis and minibuses ply between the airport and Kampala.

Few travellers enter Uganda by air because most flights to East Africa from Europe and North America use the Kenyan capital Nairobi as a gateway. From Nairobi, most people then travel by bus to Uganda. There are flights to Entebbe from Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. If you leave Uganda by air there's a departure tax of US$40.

Direct buses operate between Kampala and Nairobi daily, and take around 12 to 14 hours.

All Ugandan passenger-train services have been suspended for several years and until a large injection of cash is found the situation is unlikely to change.
Uganda Airlines has no scheduled internal flights; however, there are several smaller airlines offering both scheduled and charter flights. Eagle Uganda offers flights throughout the country. Most locals get around by share minibuses (known as taxis), and there's never a shortage of them. Fares are fixed and vehicles leave when full.

The time lag is + 2hours MEZ, respectively +1 hour MESZ. The international time zone for Uganda is Greenwich +1. The international dialling code is +256. The only international airport in Uganda is at Entebbe, 35 km from Kampala, and the principal airline which flies there is Sabena. As at June 1995 all nationals require visas in order to visit Uganda. Visas are valid for one month and may be extended to a maximum of 6 months.

Please be aware to get immunization against malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, yellow fever (required) and bilharzias before you enter Uganda. An absolutely must is contradiction and contact lens solution with you. Travellers should be aware that advance payment for medical services might be required. Never forget - only bottled water is safe for drinking.

Buses connect the major towns on a daily basis and Ugandan postal service minibuses travel from Kampala to all major centers several times a week. The latter cost less and are safer and faster than the former. Kampala also has bicycle taxis (known locally as boda-boda, as they originally used to shuttle people between border, or boda, posts).

There's an excellent system of roads between most major centres in the southern part of Uganda, though some require a 4WD. Rental car companies are based near the airport in Entebbe, and in Kampala and other major towns. Drivers need an international drivers licence and should drive on the left. Note that road signs are non-existent and fuel is horrifically expensive.

Ugandas currency is called Uganda Shilling (Ush). In Kampala, Jinja and other big cities you can easily exchange US Dollars or Euros. New monetary and exchange rate policy operating procedures were implemented in 2002 and have facilitated sterilisation operations and resulted in a reduction in volatility in interest and exchange rate movements.

The privatisation of the Uganda Commercial Bank in 2002 and its consequent merger with an international bank contributed to the continual strengthening of the country's banking sector. Measurements concerning bank supervision have also been strengthened. Inflation rates in 2001 were exceptionally low with an average rate of 2%.

Uganda utilises the "Harmonised System" of customs tariffs.

Major Trading Partners: Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Kenya, UK, Japan, India, South Africa

Uganda is governed by a presidential government with its president Mr Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. He founded the National Resistance Movement (NRM). There is a non-party system, but efforts are being made by the opposing "parties" to change to a multi-party-system. Opposing "parties" are Democratic Party (DP), Ugandas People's Congress (UPC), Conservative Party (CP).

Uganda has been one of Africa's recent success stories with its groundbreaking accomplishments against HIV/AIDS and reports of robust economic growth. This economic success has been as a result of the implementation of economic reforms. Despite this, private investment has to be increased in order to ensure continued economic growth. In 2001 the country had foreign direct investments totaling US$144.7 million.

The most important media are:

TV:

Uganda Television (UTV - staatlich)
TV-Africa (private, before Sanyu Television)
Multichoice (several Pay-TV-Kanäle, private)
Channel TV (private)
WBS (Wavamunno Broadcasting System - private)
Lighthouse TV (private, clerical, US-american)

Radio:

Radio Uganda (governmental)
Sanyu FM (private, before Radio Sanyu)
Capital Radio (private)
Central Broadcasting Service (private)

Newspapers:

Daily:

The New Vision (governmental)
The Monitor (independent)

Weekly:

Sunday Vision (governmental)
The Sunday Monitor (independent)

Regional:
The East African (für Kenia, Tansania und Uganda)

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