Uganda Transportation Tips by croisbeauty Top 5 Page for this destination

Traffic jams

Imagine mzungu (white man) who is first time visiting Uganda and who rented a car in Kampala. The car is in a "perfect" conditions (as I was told) but it is automatic car and has a steering wheel on a wrong side. But it wasn't all, my nightmare was completed when I found out that have to drive on the wrong side of the roads!
It was my first experience ever, driving car on the left side of the road and was totally in panic....

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Type: Other

Matatu rules in Kampala

Matatu is the fastes public transportation in Uganda, also it is the cheapest one too. This guys undoubtelly rule in the city centres, finding way out even in the biggest traffic jams, which is usual situation in Kampala. I always insisted to be sitting on the front sitts and was observing their incredibly high driving skills. They move around as perhaps having thousands eyes, likewise Argus from the ancient Greek mythology. To be honest, I was very impressed and didn't expect to find so skillfull drivers in Africa.
Matatu is actually very small bus with no more then 12 or 14 sitting placees but in each of it you will find at least 25 to 30 persons. Besides a driver, there is also his assistant who is master of the ceremony. He is the one who will let you in and out of the matatu, overfilling it for more than double capacities. At first I was avoiding matatus but later on find it very interesting and entertaining transportation.

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Type: Other

Public buses

I was very close to use local public bus for my trip to Jinja, which is only 76 km's far from Kampala. The return ticket is very cheap, if I remember well it was around 3000 shillings, which is something more than on euro. I was told to get in the bus and to buy ticket there. There was guy in front of the bus whom I asked how long it takes to Jinja, over two hours, he said. From the outside, the bus was in a poor conditions but it's nothing compare with what I saw inside of it. It was dirthy and bad odour all around, I was more faster out of it than I get inside.

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Type: Bus

Boda Boda

Boda Boda is very popular transportation among the locals, but not only, some whites use it especially inside the city areas. It is the cheapest transportation that exist in Uganda, average ride cost much less than half an euro. Besides, by Boda Boda locals can reach all those distant destinations in the outskirts of the towns which matatus usually do not cover.
There is one problem though, Boda Boda ride might be very dangerous for both drivers and passengers. Many accidents happened to Boda Bodas, some of them because of the bad road conditions, the others because of drivers in a vehicles who didn't see or didn't want to see those motorcycles. Also, a number of accidents was caused by Boda Boda drivers alone because they drive like nuts sometimes.

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Type: Motorcycle

Renting a car

First u need to know, it is left sided rule of driving in Uganda and you need couple of days to get to use on it. Second thing, all cars have authomatic system, another problem if not used on it. I missed one pedal down there and pressed breaks too strong most of the times.
The biggest problem you'll meet, however, are the conditions of the roads. Never before I saw so many holes, so deep and virtualy one after another. It is in particularly dangerous during nights because street lights are poor and same goes for car lights too. Most vehicles for renting are second hand cars and over ten years of age. Besides, renting companies do not care much for the maintenance, most of the red lights in my car were on all the time and when I ask guy about it he told me, "don't you worry, everything is ok". The fact is, my first car stopped out on the road and had to be replaced.
In my opinion, renting car is not recommendable, first because of its poor conditions and second, such a poor car cost about 30 euros per day which much too high price.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home