Entebbe

For a town pretty well slap bang on the equator, Entebbe is a few degrees cooler than you might expect because of its elevation. Instead of the day-time temperatures hovering around 32°C as residents of Guayaquil, Cayenne, Singapore or Pontianak, Indonesia might expect, maximums are usually closer to 26°C or 27°C. However, humidity is consistently high.

🌍 Entebbe International Airport (EBB  ^IATA), ☏ +256-312-352-000, aviation@caa.co.ug. This airport is Uganda's sole air gateway and, as such, is served by several African and international airlines.

As of April 2017 there are flights from Addis Ababa, Juba and Kigali with Ethiopian airlines, from Cairo with Egyptair, from Dubai with Emirates, from Doha with Qatar Airways, from Istanbul with Turkish airlines, from Johannesburg with South African Airways, from Kigali, Juba and Nairobi with Rwandair , from Dar es Salaam with Precision Air, from Dubai with Flydubai, from Brussels with Brussels Airlines, from Amsterdam with KLM. Kenya Airways flies in four times a day from Nairobi. Fly-Sax airlines has flights from Nairobi. Jambojet fles twice a day from Nairobi. (updated Jul 2023)

The airport looks in need of renovation, with the aerobridges looking rather unused, and walking to your plane wherever it happens to be on the tarmac seems the usual way to embark and disembark. There is a collection of ATMs in the building, as well as a café or two, and a small collection of souvenirs. The Karibuni lounge is open to a selection of club members, Star Alliance Gold frequent flyer members, and can also be accessed for a fee. It has decent coffee and drinks, internet terminals, and a pool table.

Taxis are abundant in the parking lot outside the terminal. Security keeps all vehicles away from the terminal proper, so when departing you have to walk from the parking lot up the upper roadway to departures. Officially you can't enter the terminal from ground level (arrivals). However, if you ask the guard nicely he will let you use the single lift rather than hump your baggage up the concrete external stairs. Taxis can't drop you at departures. There are numerous porters to help you with this trek.

To get to Entebbe from the rest of Uganda will usually involve passing through Kampala. Small minibuses ("taxis" in Ugandan English or Matatus in Swahili) go to Entebbe from Kampala every 30 minutes or so. The fare is USh 3,500 but, for foreigners, sometimes the driver will ask for USh 7,000. The journey takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, much quicker when you avoid Kampala's chaotic rush hours. You can take the minibus in the minibus station near to the Kampala central market, with signs for every destination served. You can get off wherever you want en route, but if you ride to the bitter end, your journey will terminate at the 🌍 Matatu park in Entebbe.

A special-hire taxi from the Entebbe airport to Entebbe town cost USh 15,000, or you can walk to the airport gate 500 m and get a Boda-boda motorbike taxi to Entebbe town for USh 5000.

The fastest and most dangerous method is the boda-boda: motorcycles that you see all over town. You won't be in Entebbe long before being propositioned by a boda rider. If you're not interested, a simple 'no' will get them to leave you alone. You can get most anywhere on the back of one for USh 2000–5000, but make sure to agree on the fare before the ride begins. Men usually ride facing forward while women are expected to ride side saddle; very risky. Females can get away with riding facing the front, but may be accused of riding "like a man," though the locals are fairly understanding of female tourists doing this.

Boda-bodas are extremely dangerous as their riders will do whatever it takes to get you to your destination quickly. Expect to dart in front of and against traffic and even through crowds of pedestrians when necessary. Boda-boda accidents account for most of the hospital visits and traffic fatalities in Entebbe; you have been warned!

Boda-bodas got their name from the bicycle taxis that operated at some of the busy border crossing points. Buses had to discharge their passengers at the exit border control, who then had to walk to the entry border control. The distance across no man's land at some borders can be considerable. Hence the bicycle taxis would cry "boda-boda" (a corruption of the English "border to border") to the weary travellers. These bicycle taxis can still be found in most smaller Ugandan towns; however, in Entebbe, they have been replaced by motorcycles.

As boda-boda collisions are one of the most common medical concerns in Uganda, hiring a taxi from a trusted source (decent hotel, friend, or colleague recommendation) may be wiser.

Matatus are a series of licensed minibus taxis that follow relatively pre-set routes all over town (and many other parts of the country). It might be a bit confusing in the beginning how to use the matatus to efficiently get where you want to go, but it's really not so difficult.

Their routes usually go between the matatu park at the back of the 7Seasons Hotel and Kampala (or, more rarely, some suburb of Entebbe).

Matatus will stand in the park until they are full, something that normally takes less than 15 minutes, but can take over half an hour (or even over one hour late at night or on Sundays). Matatus that leave the area around the park are hence full, which makes it difficult to hop on a matatu at other places in the town centre. Unless you're very lucky, you'll have to go to where the matatus start in order to leave the town centre.

Each matatu has a driver and a conductor who opens the sliding door, takes fares and yells the destination. Don't be frightened if you can't understand what they're saying. Ask one of them for your destination and you'll be told yes or no. When you get in, expect to be squeezed. Each vehicle is licensed to carry 14 people, but they will pack in as many as will fit (and their belongings). If you don't like this, it's a good idea to sit in the back of the vehicle, since usually the squeezing is limited to the first 2 rows or, alternatively, pay double for the whole of the front seat next to the driver. Once the matatu starts moving people can get off at any time. When you reach your destination, tell your conductor "Stage" and they will stop the van.

Whenever a matatu has empty space the driver will go slowly and honk repeatedly. If you want to get on, just make some gesture and it will slow further down and shout out the destination, just shout your destination as response and they will pick you up if it's along the way. There are often also a number of further staging points along the way where the driver will again stop and wait until they can fill the vehicle. This can take a few seconds or several minutes; just be patient. In some cases drivers won't take you if you only go relatively short distances, since that will mean they'll risk losing money if they can't fill your place quickly once you're dropped. You pay the conductor when you exit, although some people give the conductor money while the vehicle is moving so that he can make change ahead of time. The normal fare is UGX3,500 per person for a trip all the way into Kampala (October 2015).

Going with a matatu is generally cheap, safe, slow and nice. Ugandans are often happy to start up a conversation or help you out, and if the conductor tries to overcharge you or make you take an inefficient route, passengers are likely to point that out to you and scold him. People also complain if a driver takes too long to wait for passengers or drives recklessly and will even collectively quit the matatu in protest if a driver drives badly.

If you aren't up for the thrill of the bodas and don't have time for a matatu, then saloon car taxis - also called special hires - are readily available near the matatu park. A very few taxis have meters, but most have not. Be sure to agree on the fare before you get in the car or you may be in for a nasty shock. Don't be afraid to haggle either; most destinations can be reached for USh 10,000 or 15,000.

• Self Drive in Uganda, Berkeley Rd, Entebbe, ☏ +256772095189, info@selfdriveinuganda.com. Hire a drive from $30 per day, choose a vehicle to have you be driven in, Salon car from $30 per day, Rav 4 from $40 per day, Land Cruiser Prado from $60 per day, Land Cruiser V* or VX from $80 per day. (updated Jun 2023)

• Dormitory accommodation & camping is also available at "the Zoo" See the listing for the Uganda Wildlife Educational Centre above
• 🌍 Entebbe Backpackers, 33/35 Church Rd (700 m from the Entebbe/Kampala road), ☏ +256 414 320 432, stay@entebbebackpackers.com. Free Wi-Fi. Large clean garden, and has its own standby generator for use during the frequent power outages. Less than 6 km from the Entebbe airport. Private rooms USh 25,000-80,000; dorm beds USh 18,000, camping USh 10,000 (own tent) USh 15,000 (their tent) without breakfast. 
• 🌍 Entebbe Gateway Inn, Entebbe Airport Rd, ☏ +256 414 691 701, gatewayedward@yahoo.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. This must be one of the very few lodgings where the rooms are much nicer than the rather dilapidated entrance and reception. They're tiled, clean and all en suite but only have mosquito nets over the beds as opposed to across the windows. Satellite TV in the room and Wi-Fi in the reception area is included in the tariff. Rather noisy and insecure since it's behind the Pearl Supermarket. Double US$35, single US$25. 
• 🌍 Green Valley Guest House & Backpackers, 15 Mugula Rd, ☏ +256 414 321 212, info@greenvalleyentebbe.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. Large and well-kept walled gardens in a quiet residential part of town make this a peaceful and secure budget option. En suite: single US$40, double/twin US$50, family US$70; shared ablutions: single US$20, double US$25; dorm: 4 bedded US$12 pp, 6 bedded US$8 pp; camping: US$5-8 pp. Free Wi-Fi & satellite TV. 
• 🌍 Shade Guest House, 2 Kiwafu Close (Opposite the exit of the bus and taxi park), ☏ +256 414 321 715. Gruby, dilapidated, single storey courtyard reminiscent of a tiny stableyard just opposite the Matatu (minibus) station so noisy and dusty. Rooms are small, depressing and fly-blown with shared ablutions that are not quite as bad as the general ambience might lead you to expect. No security whatever, but Entebbe is a relatively honest place so this might not worry you as much as if it were in Kampala. Perhaps the most unusual feature is their pricing structure: a room for two people with 2 twin (beds costs USh 25,000 while one double bed costs USh 27,000. The more hygienically sensitive may prefer to camp in one of the more leafy suburban establishments for a few thousand shillings less. 
• 🌍 Skyway Hotel, 7 Mugula Rd, ☏ +256 700 951 315, info@skywayhotel.co.ug. Check-out: 10:00 is strictly enforced. You'll probably think you're at the wrong place when you arrive and see the red tiled roof, immaculately shaved lawn and smartly clipped box hedge. Once you go inside, it's clear that this place doesn't see too many big-spenders. The reinforced concrete construction with internal courtyard keeps the public areas cool but make sure there is a fan in your rather dilapidated but not too unsanitary room. Like most tourist offerings in Entebbe, there's a 24/7 armed guard and a high wall. There is a standby generator. Two channels of centrally-selected satellite TV are available in most of the rooms and almost all have an en suite shower, wash hand basin and WC. Make sure you ask for a mosquito net since most of the room windows are not screened. Intermittent Wi-Fi via Orange cellular ISP and a meagre breakfast is included in their tariff. The 8 bunk dormitory on the first floor is a light and airy room with windows (without net screening) opening on to a mature shade tree. The large bathroom for this dorm actually has a hip bath and hot water and each bunk has individual mosquito nets. Popular with those few UN staff that have to pay for their own accommodation. Main business is budget safaris. Room tip: Room 7 on the second floor is larger and quieter than most, is fairly effectively mosquito screened (May 2014) and has views from 2 windows in two walls set at right angles. Camping US$4/5 Dorm $17. Single USh 67,000, double USh 85,000, dorm USh 37,000, camping USh 10,000-13,000. 
• 🌍 Thames Hotel, 17 Mile Entebbe Road (Off Mpala Trading Centre), ☏ +256 702 358 534, info@thameshotelentebbe.com. Free Wi-Fi, free airport transfer, free breakfast. US$50, double room at $75, twin room at $85. 
• City Park Motel (Oceanic House), Portal Road plot 14 (next to Bus Park close to Victoria Mall), ☏ +256703200374, rogmuyingo@yahoo.com. Check-in: any time, check-out: flexible. 12-bed room guest wing, clean rooms with a satelite TV, all rooms have private shower and toilet. US$36. (updated Apr 2018)

• 🌍 7Seasons Hotel, ☏ +256 312 516 907, reservation@hotelsevenseasons.com. Check-out: 11:00. 4-storey ferro-concrete hotel has 37 Queen-bedded rooms, 5 twin-bedded rooms & 1 family room being renovated. All rooms have individual air-conditioning and well screened sliding windows. Soft top, orthopaedic mattresses are particularly good quality and comfortable. Queen-bedded rooms have hip baths, wash hand basins and WC; the twin-bedded rooms are slightly larger and the bath is swapped out for a modern shower cubicle. Free Wi-Fi & satellite TV with 4 channels available including CCTV4 and Al Jazeera. Single US$80, double US$100, twin US$120 en suite including breakfast & airport transfer. Visa & MasterCard accepted. 
• 🌍 Bethany House, 30A Lugard Ave, ☏ +256 772 438 182, bethanyhouseuganda@gmail.com. Founded as a retreat centre and hygienic, tranquil base for visiting Roman Catholic clergy and missionaries in 2007, Theresa keeps everything spotless and homely. Rooms are in villas separate from the main house at the bottom of the well-kept garden and have a double bed and a single bed, both with mosquito nets, although all the windows are also properly screened. Shower room has a flush WC and is en suite. The ceilings are high and have a fan. There is also a tiny food preparation area with running water and a sink but no fridge or cooking facilities in one corner of the room. If you e-mail, a reliable meet and greet service can be arranged from the airport for US$10. The library in the main house has an interesting selection, not all of them ecclesiastical, but there is no internet; Theresa usually answer emails promptly. Single US$40, double US$60. 
• 🌍 Newhaven Guest House, Plot 16, Gowers Rd (now re-named to Julia Sebutinde Road), ☏ +256 772 586 710, info@newhavenuganda.com. Check-in: noon, check-out: 11:00. Ten Queen-bedded rooms in the family compound of retired local civil servants means that you are assured of all the local insider tips. Peace of mind comes from knowing that you are looked after by the family's personal household. Bedrooms and shower rooms are tiled and comfortably furnished; mosquito netting is unusually comprehensive. There is a relaxing garden with mango, orange, paw-paw, guava, avocado and tangerine trees and the pineapple served at your breakfast will probably have only had to travel 20 m. The view from both the main house and the front garden over the lush suburban gardens of Bugonga as the sun sets over Lake Victoria makes a fine coda to your day. Free Wi-Fi. Credit cards not accepted. Airport meet and greet service is US$10. Double US$50, single US$40 en suite including breakfast. 
• 🌍 Rosemary Courts, 101 Circular Road, ☏ +256 414 321 400, rosemarycourts14@gmail.com. Check-in: noon, check-out: 10:30. Opened in Jan 2014 with 6 tastefully and comprehensively furnished double rooms and 2 family rooms each with modern fitted kitchen and air-con. 25m swimming pool with an attractive, rainbow opalescent tiled bottom will open in Jul 2014. Authentic and hygienic fruit juices and smoothies in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Kampala trained chef specializes in Italian cuisine and there is a restaurant. Free Wi-Fi (provided by a cellular link, so rather intermittent like most of Uganda). Lush garden has mature shade trees and relatively quick beverage and cake service for Uganda. Fully tiled and luxuriously equipped en suite doubles with bath from US$89 (single occupancy US$79) including à la carte cooked breakfast, with kitchenette US$119. 
• 🌍 Sunset Entebbe, 25 Church Road, Bugonga, ☏ +256 414 323 502, Enquiries@Sunsetentebbe.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. Relatively clean single-storey buildings in a tranquil setting with 5 rooms in the main building and another 4 in outbuildings, some with their own patio. All rooms have en suite showers, wash hand basins & WCs but maintenance is haphazard and most shower room windows are unscreened allowing mosquitoes to enter via the ill fitting adjoining door to the bedroom. A meagre breakfast and intermittent Wi-Fi is included in their tariffs. Centrally controlled satellite TV with two channels available at any one time from a larger selection. Airport transfer on arrival or leaving free of charge one way. Otherwise, it's arranged for US$10 per room. If you stay more than one night, airport transfer's free both ways. Negotiate rates for longer stays. Single from US$40, double/twin US$50, triple US$80. 

• 🌍 Boma Guesthouse, Julia Ssebutinde Rd (In May 2014, road was still signed as "Gower Rd"), ☏ +256 772 467 929, boma@infocom.co.ug. Check-in: 14:00 or earlier depending on occupancy, check-out: 11:00. Colonial homestead set in extensive and lush gardens with abundant bird life, this boutique hotel has attentive, friendly and helpful staff looking after its 16 rooms. There is a large and comfortable guest lounge and an adjoining games room with guest computers and scanner. Printing a boarding pass is free, other printing & photocopying for USh 500 per page. All bedrooms & ablutions are effectively fly-screened and have digital safe, TV with 7 individually controlled satellite channels incl Al Jazeera, BBC World News, CNN, Fox & M-NET movie channels, desk & chair and an outside patio well equipped with electrical outlets. Rooms 1 & 2 have hip baths. There is both a standby generator & lavish provision of lead acid, battery-backed inverters. Each accommodation building has solar powered water heating with a good head of water. Extraction fans are wind powered and mineral water is available from water coolers and jugs in each bedroom. Bird tables and baths are well maintained. The children's sandpit has shade umbrella, swings, slides, toys, toy-car & a pirate castle for climbing. All interior areas, bedrooms, restaurants and the pool area are smoke-free. Reliable and fast Wi-Fi provisioned by Infocom UG.
  There is an intimate restaurant adjacent to the sparkling, small pool where breakfast, lunch from noon & dinner is served. Room service is 24/7. Pan-fried tilapia was USh 28,000 (May 2014) and served with some of the nicest boiled potatoes in Uganda (as might be expected from an Irish-owned establishment), three different vegetables and fragrant, rosemary bread. Lemon meringue pie with home-made ice cream was USh X15,000. There is a separate patio restaurant adjacent to the reception area for non-house guests to be entertained and served.
  En suite single USD120, double/twin US$140, triple US$180 (one budget room with pvt shower room & WC opposite US$90/110 single/double) incl VAT and cooked full English breakfast pool use & airport transfers. €, GBP, UGX, USD (bills later than 2005) cash only. 

• 🌍 Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel (middle of Lugard Avenue), ☏ +256 414 311 400, imperialhotels@hoteleq.com. Check-out: 10:00. A large hotel with 229 rooms on land allegedly originally grabbed from the Botanical Gardens by someone with political clout; perhaps appropriately, spectacularly ugly and menacing looking marabou storks up to 5 feet tall and with wingspans of more than 10 feet across now regularly prowl the car park. Mainly used for conferences and functions and there are many large meeting rooms dotted around the grounds. Can get rather depressing when no meetings are in progress as it is very quiet and the service is somewhat lacking. The "beach" is very small and swimming is forbidden but, in compensation, there is an enormous swimming pool. Bill Clinton stayed here, and you can stay in his suite for a nightly rate of US$600 according to the web site. Ordinary rooms are of a good three-star standard but you may need to call maintenance once or twice. Around US$110. Prices quoted on the website range from US$120 to $170 (without 18% VAT) but the room quality certainly does not justify such prices. 
• 🌍 Imperial Resort Beach Hotel. You'll either loathe or love this massive and architecturally distinctive building very different in scale and style to the other buildings in Entebbe. Inside, there is a large atrium with glass fronted lifts at each end. Like most of Uganda, service is slow, and rather hit and miss. Its 181 rooms spread over four floors are large and furnished in an Arab potentate style with good views over Lake Victoria and the extensive grounds but have poorly functioning, central air-conditioning. If you open the windows that have no screens to cool off, the lakeside location means your room will then quickly become an entomologist's delight after dark. Business people will appreciate the Ziba conference centre with its 1000 seat capacity equipped with six hi-tech screens descending from every corner of the ceiling, with a follow-on camera and a cordless digital sound system remotely controlled. There's a simultaneous translation system. In addition to the Ziba are nine other conference halls. There's also an amphitheatre. However, first impressions of the loose guard rail in the lift and dribbling shower in the changing rooms rather set the tone. Try your haggling skills and you may end up with a bargain in this often empty hotel. (updated Sep 2021)