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Trip Report

My Uganda vacation

Uganda is the pearl of Africa and I highly recommend it to everyone. You can read about the places I visited in my itinerary from my vacations in Uganda. Enjoy!

  • Mabira forest+ 3
  • Kampala
  • Kampala
  • My Uganda vacation
nigelk
About Me:I'm a born and bred Londoner which loves to travel and experience different cultures read more

AfricaUganda23 days / July 2018

Highs & Lows

The atmosphere in the city is very open and friendly

The traffic is a nightmare!

Itinerary Overview

I always had an urge to visit Africa. I was born and raised in London and my father is from Uganda. I eventually I decided to travel with him to connect with my Culture, learn more about my heritage and experience this beautiful part of the world. I only had three weeks off work to visit the motherland. I decided to start in the capital city of Kampala, where many of my family live. Towards the end of my journey I decided to visit Marbia Forest, which is relatively close to Kampala  and makes for an amazing day trip. 

Kampala is a energetic City in the heart of Africa. I had an amazing time there with family and my partner. Jahazi Pier is an great place to relax, eat local food and enjoy a Lakefront View. 

Definitely, it is very important to find the time to connect with your roots and with this land full of magic and good energy.

An experience I will never forget 

  • 21 Nights: Kampala
    Family and city life
  • 2 Nights: Mabira forest
    Seeing wildlife
Kampala - Family and city life
1

Kampala Family and city life

Kampala - Family and city life - null
Kampala - Family and city life - null
Kampala - Family and city life - null

It's so beautiful my uncle decided to hold part of his wedding there. The Bahai temple is a lovely structure dedicated to the inclusive Bahai belief system. The Bahai believe all the world's major religions teach an identical truth, and they celebrate them all. Visiting the Royal Ascot Goat Races was a fun and unique experience similar to the Royal Ascot Horse Races in UK... except with goats! People dress up in fancy clothing and have fun drinking and betting on which goat will win. When you come to Kampala just be aware that people may stare at you, especially if you don't look like a native Ugandan. These stares are out of curiosity, not rudeness. People are open and friendly. Me and my partner found the city to be very safe. But if you use Uber beware. It can be very unreliable. Many times the app told me the driver will be 10 minutes and it ended up being closer to 30!

Mabira forest - Seeing wildlife
2

Mabira forest Seeing wildlife

Mabira forest - Seeing wildlife - null
Mabira forest - Seeing wildlife - null
Mabira forest - Seeing wildlife - null

Mabira Forest is only a few hours away from the city of Kampala and makes a great day trip for those who don't have the time or money to venture deep into the Jungles of Uganda. The forest is home to a variety ot exotic birds, insects, plants, monkeys and a variety of other animals. I was lucky enough to see many monkeys during my day trip there. I recommend hiring a driver for the day to take you to and from the forest. Hiring a driver for the day is reletively cheap (around £30 British pounds). I met my driver a day before in Uber. Ask taxis and Uber drivers and many will be happy to work exclusively with you for the day. Make sure you head to my Mabira Forest very early. Traffic in and out of the city can be a nightmare. Also be sure to download an offline map incase you can't get connection when you're deep in the forest. Maps.me is a great app for this purpose. 

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    I would have went to Mabira forest earlier to avoid traffic james
  • Restaurant recommendations?

    Try the outdoor BBQs on the city streets in the evening. They're cheap and the meat and fish taste great.
  • Tips you would give a friend?

    Make friends with the locals, Ugandans are super friendly
  • Packing tips?

    Pack mosquito replelent for lakeside hang out spots like Jahazi Pier
  • Transportation Tips?

    Hire a driver for the day to take you around the city or for day trips.