UGANDA
Entry Visa: $50
Conversion rates: $1 = 2624UGX
1,000 TSH= 1630 UGX
Other comments:
-Change a small amount of money at the border (just enough to get to Kampala if you can) because the exchange rate the guys wandering around changing money isn't ideal
-At Red Chilli and Nile River Explorers you can pay with USD for rafting and accommodations. DO NOT USE A CREDIT CARD at these places if you can avoid it.
-Bring a small padlock to store valuables in the lockers provided. (you can buy one at Red Chilli if you don't already have one). Padlocks are provided in the lockers at Nile River Explorers
There are two main options when traveling from Mwanza to Kampala (both take about two days):
1) There is a ferry from Mwanza to Bukoba that leaves from Mwanza Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings at 8:30 for 35,000 Tanzania shillings. From Bukoba you take a bus bus to the border town of Mtukula (about 2 hours). At the border you get out and go through immigration and get your Ugandan visa for $50. After crossing the border you take a matatu/daladala to Kampala for 20,000 Ugandan Shillings (UGX) which takes about 4 hours.
2) You can also take a bus directly from Mwanza to Mtukula (the border town) for 25,000 Tanzanian shillings. We used Bunda bus line, which may have just been having a bad day, but our bus was 6 hours late arriving to Mwanza and we didn't get on the road until 2pm (arriving at the border just after midnight). In Mtukula the next morning we got stamped at immigration, crossed the border into Uganda, got our visas, and took a matatu/daladalda to Kampala for 20,000 UGX.
In Kampala we stayed at Red Chilli Hideaway (http://www.redchillihideaway.com) which is a backpackers place just outside the downtown area. Directions to get there are on their website, you can take a matatu/daladala for 1,000UGX or a taxi for about 15,000-20,000UGX. At Red Chilli you can set up your own tent, get a double room, rent a cottage that sleeps 5 people (3 twin beds, 1 double bed), or stay in the backpacker bunk room. For $8/night per person we stayed in the bunk room. They had twin bunk beds and a communal bathroom with more bathrooms and showers in a separate shower house attached to the main building. They have great food (including really good pizza, salads, french toast:)) which is really affordable (ranges from 3,000UGX-15,000UGX), beer, soda, free wi-fi, outdoor and indoor hang spots, and a pool table (and a fat old dog and a three legged cat). We were really happy with the accommodations and would definitely recommend staying here if you're in Kampala. It was nice to meet other people traveling around and get some ideas for fun things to do in and outside of Kampala. The staff are super helpful and really nice, answering all of our questions about what to do and where to eat in Kampala, and how much things should cost.
Kampala highlights:
-Garden City Mall (great rooftop restaurant serving really good Indian food, a movie theater, bowling alley, shops, etc)
-Oasis Mass (huge supermarket, ATM, salon, coffee shops)
-Craft Market near the National Theater
-Juice Bar across the street from the Craft Market
From Kampala we traveled to Jinja to go rafting. We organized our rafting trip and stay in Jinja through Nile River Explorers (http://raftafrica.com). They picked us up at Red Chilli in Kampala along with other rafters and took us to Jinja, about a 2 hour trip. We stopped at their rafting headquarters in town to get some rafters on their way, then they drove us out to the "Explorer River Camp" that overlooks the Nile. Here you can set up your own tent, stay in a 2 person tent, or stay in their bunk rooms which have 3-4 twin bunk sets. For 10,000 UGX (Peace Corps discount, regularly $10) we stayed in the bunk rooms which are a little cramped but the beds are much more comfortable (and warmer) than Red Chilli. The food is really good (sandwiches, salads, hummus) and affordable (5,000-16,000UGX). Right outside the gates you can get a rolex (spanish omlette rolled up in a chapati with avocado on the inside) for 2,000UGX - soooo good. The view of the Nile is breathtaking from their site up on a bluff overlooking the river. There is a dock and river front access for swimming too.
Rafting with Nile River Explorers was an incredible experience. They picked us up in the morning at the backpackers place and took us all to the rafting offices where we got chai and breakfast. One of the Ugandan guides, 'Yo', told us about the day in impressive detail (saying he knew his white customers well and how much detail they liked to know about what they were getting themselves into:)). He was very knowledgeable and we all felt great about what we were getting ourselves into. We piled into an open air truck and headed down to the river where he told us about some safety basics. Once out on the water we practiced a few things before heading into the first rapid! (where we promtptly flipped our raft for the first time...:)) Alex, our guide on the boat, was a stud. He knew when we could take another flip or when to steer us around a massive wave just looking to eat us alive. After 4 rapids we had pineapple and biscuiti, then on to 4 more rapids. We all came out laughing and in awe of how much fun we just had, and thoroughly impressed that we were all in one piece. We were given soda, water, and beer and a late lunch on the shore after finishing then it was back to backpackers.
Rafting isn't the only thing Nile River Explorers can coordinate for you. Horseback riding, kayaking, paddle boarding, bungee jumping, jet boat riding, etc are all available for those who want more to do.
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend rafting with Nile River Explorers if you're looking to plan such a trip. They were very helpful and responsive from the first email to the last Nile Special Beer on the porch overlooking the mighty Nile.
ZANZIBAR
I've traveled to Zahbar three times now and each trip has been amazing. To get to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam I've always taken the Kilimanjaro (Azam) Ferry for 25,000tsh (resident rate). The ferry ride is about 3 hours and depending on the time of year most people recommend taking the morning ferries (there are 2 or 3 departure times in the morning) because of rough seas and weak stomachs.Once you land in Stone Town there will be lots of taxi's eager to help. If you're new to the area it might be easier to take a taxi at first to get your bearings. If you head south after getting off the ferry you'll be walking towards the Forodhani Gardens and most of the shops and restaurants we've named the 'labyrinth'. In the evening Forodhani Gardens is transformed into a street food market with booths set up cooking fresh seafood, Zanzibar pizzas, and other great food. Its affordable and great for those who love multiple courses.
Where I've stayed -
In Stone Town
-Flamingo Guest House: +255.242.232.850 (not sure if the number is still working)
This is on the cheaper end, I think we paid 40,000tsh for a self contained room with a double bed. I've heard mixed reviews but the location is good and the cost includes breakfast.
-Jonathan's Apartment: +255.718.360.117
This may sound sketchy but it's not and he is super nice. Not totally how we head about him but a few groups of PCVs from our class have stayed there. It's his aunt's apartment that he manages and it has three rooms. One sleeps one or two people and the others have two big beds and matresses you can put on the floor. It has a shared bathroom and living room and kitchen for you to use too. The location is awesome, right near the 'big tree' and only a few minutes walk to the shops and restaurants. Very easy to get lost though so try to get your bearings right away when you get there
-The Swahili House: www.theswahilihouse.com Swahili House is a beautiful luxury hotel I was lucky enough to stay at when my parents came to visit. It's also in the heart of Stone Town and is absolutely beautiful. The hotel is set in an old Sultan's house, with hand carved Dhow furniture and authentic style, this place has great atmosphere. The service is great and the rooftop bar/restaurant has good food and an incredible view.
At the Beach
-Mtoni Marine: http://www.mtoni.com
Located only about 10km north of Stone Town this beautiful beach resort can be reached by daladala from the central dala stand. The resort is amazing, great food and drinks and easy to do day trips into Stone Town. They have an infinity pool that is really nice but the beach isn't ideal. It's not really swimmable and only walkable at low tide. The hotel is really fancy, the rooms all decorated in traditional dhow furniture and swahili style. The service was great and we really enjoyed the ocean view from the balcony.
-Matemwe Beach: www.matemwebeach.com/matemwe-01.htm
Located on the northeast part of the island, everything about this place is incredible. It absolutely MADE our trip to Zanzibar unforgettable. The resort is super luxurous, the beach is beautiful (walkable, swimmable, runnable), and it's located just a few hundred feet from a small local fish market that's fun to visit in the evenings when fisherman bring in the day's catch. The food at the resort is amazing, with dinner being served at a different location around the resort each night (including a private dinner on the beach in a bungalow). The resort works very hard to promote eco-friendly operations, they employ staff from the local village and the beach is open to locals including women harvesting seaweed or men heading out to fish. From here we coordinated a snorkeling trip through their dive shop. I highly recommend staying here if it's within your budget. My parents booked through Africa Travel Resource.
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