Kampala
The people of Kampala, and Ugandans in general, are very kind and friendly and are very approachable.
Kampala, with a population of approximately 1 million, is by far the largest city in Uganda. It is not yet completely overwhelmed with traffic and sprawl like Nairobi and Lagos. Additionally, Kampala is very safe to walk around, even at night, a welcome fact for many a high-strung visitor arriving from Nairobi.
Uganda, as the recipient of massive amounts of Western aid money, hosts large numbers of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Most of those NGOs are based in Kampala, so there is an established expat scene in the city.
When coming to Kampala by air, you will actually arrive in the city of Entebbe, 35km (22mi) southwest of Kampala.
You can get from Entebbe to Kampala via taxi (approx 30,000 USh one way) or minibus (approx 2,000Ush one way).
There are three methods of public transportation: boda bodas, matatu, and special hires. The fastest method is the boda bodas; motorcycles that you see all over the city. You won't be in Kampala long before being propositioned by a Boda driver. 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 between 1,000 and 2,000 USh, 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 drivers will do whatever it takes to get you to your destination quickly. Expect to dart in front of and against traffic and even though crowds of pedestrains when necessary. Boda boda accidents account for most of the hospital visits and traffic fatalities in Kampala; 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" to the weary travellers. These bicycle taxis can still be found in most smaller Ugandan towns, however, in Kamapala they have been replaced by scooters.
Matatus are a series of minibuses that follow relatively preset routes all over the city and many other parts of the country. Confusingly, they are known taxis in Uganda. Each matatu has a driver and a conductor, both of whom will shout the destinations of their vehicle out the windows. 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 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. When you reach your destination, tell your conductor "Stage" and they will stop the van. There are also a number of staging points where the driver will stop and wait until they can fill the vehicle. This can take a few seconds or several minutes; just be patient.
