Kampala is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city is also the administrative centre for the Kampala district. The city has an estimated population of 1.5 million residents and is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria. The city was established as an administrative centre for the British Colony here in 1890.
Kampala is home to the Makerere University which was founded as the University of East Africa in 1963. The university is one of the most prestigious in the region and a number of famous people have studied here including; Ugandan Presidents (Milton Obote, Yusuf Lule, Kabaka Mutesa II, Godfrey Binaisa), Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere and a number of prominent professionals and educators.
Transport in Kampala:
There is no airport within the city and Kampala has for decades been adequately served by the Entebbe International Airport which is situated about 35 km from the city. Transport within the city consists of minibuses, buses and taxis. Kampala is linked to other parts of the country by rail. There are also ferry services from the nearby Port Bell across Lake Victoria. A number of bus services such as Akamba provide a reliable means of transport linking the city with Nairobi in Kenya.
Visiting Kampala:
Kampala is an entertaining city with a number of good hotels, a selection of restaurants and a very entertaining nightlife with discotheques and pubs. The city like many parts of the country however faces a very high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
Flights to Kampala:
There is no airport in Kampala and the Ugandan capital is served by the Entebbe International Airport which is situated about 35 km to the south of the city.
The Entebbe airport is the busiest in the country and a number of airlines operate flights here from Dar es Salaam, London, Dubai, Nairobi, Cairo, Johannesburg, Harare, Brussels, Amsterdam, Addis Ababa, Lilongwe and Khartoum.
Getting to Kampala from Entebbe is relatively easy and public transport consists of buses and minibuses (matatus). Taxis are also available and car hire facilities can be found at the airport.
Kampala Hotels:
There are a number of good hotels in Kampala. The Ugandan capital has a variety of accommodation options which also include apartments, motels and hostels. Leading hotels in Kampala include:
Sheraton Hotel Kampala: a premier establishment in the city, the Sheraton is situated at Ternan Avenue in the Kampala city centre. The hotel is a member of the Sheraton International group of hotels. Having recently undergone renovation, the hotel now offers 237 guest rooms with wireless internet access, air conditioning, cable television and telephone.
Other amenities and services are; foreign currency exchange, swimming pool, tennis courts, beauty salon, car hire, health and fitness centre, bar, restaurant, business and conferencing facilities.
Grand Imperial Hotel Kampala: also situated at the city centre, this modern hotel is regarded as one of the best in the city. The hotel is part of the Imperial Group of Hotels which runs a number of hotels and lodges around Uganda. The hotel offers a free pickup service for clients, restaurants, bars, business and conferencing facilities.
Restaurants in Kampala:
As the largest city in Uganda, Kampala has the widest selection of restaurants serving the best in local and foreign cuisine in the country. African restaurants and eateries are available and you can sample roast meat and chicken which is a local delicacy washed down with a beer. Fastfoods such as burgers, fries and pizza can also be found here.
Some restaurants in Kampala:
-Haandi Restaurant: serving the best in Indian cuisine, Haandi is situated at Commercial Plaza on Kampala Road.
-China Palace: a Chinese Restaurant
-Dominos for Pizza
-Nandos and Pizza Inn
-Fasika Restaurant: offering authentic Ethiopian cuisine,
-Nawab Indian Restaurant: Indian Cuisine
-Fat Boyz serving Mexican cuisine
-Mamma Mia situated at the Speke Hotel on Nile Avenue offers Italian cuisine
