A SIMPLE SURVIVAL GUIDE TO DRIVING IN KAMPALA, UGANDA

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Kampala is famous as a green city in the sun and the busiest urban centre in Uganda. It is inhabited by nearly 3 million people and it has featured as a capital city for many years. This stunning city lies within spectacular hills and it comes with a number of activities ranging from business to cultural. This is a city that depicts the center of Africa. There are things to do while you transverse through this amazing city center and you regret undertaking a safari in Uganda. Kampala is located within an area of over 21 hills and features among the Africa’s most growing towns. Before there were 7 mighty hills that made up Uganda and they included Rubaga, Namirembe, Mengo, Makerere, Kololo, Nakasero and the Kampala.

The architecture comes in modern, colonial and the Indian style. It lies within elevation of 1180 meters above sea level and experiences ideal weather pattern with annual temperatures ranging from 17 to 27 degrees Celsius. In the south, you will find Lake Victoria which features as the second largest fresh water body in the world and the mighty source of the Nile that also features as one of the longest Rivers in the world.

Kampala’s history comes in folklore and historical facts. It is believed that swamps and hills occupied the largest portion of the area where the city is currently standing. This became a significant habitat for most impalas and other individuals of the antelope family. These spectacular wild creatures thrived mostly on hills and came down to the swamps for water. This city then derived its name from the word impala. The Kabaka’s palace is situated on the landscape which was endowed with impalas. The site turned as a hunting field for the king. The folklore merged with history when the British Empire constructors arrived towards the end of the 19th century.

The best way to get in and around in Kampala is either by taxi or car hire! To be more efficient it is better to rent a car in Uganda for ultimate self drive safaris within the city center.

As you drive in and around Kampala, you may need to visit some of the unique tourist sites that this mighty city boasts of and the notable attractions include the Uganda National Museum, Kasubi tomb site the burial site for Buganda Kings, Nommo art gallery, National theatre, parliament of Uganda-Independent monument, Cathedrals especially Rubaga and Namirembe and many more.

Kampala features a number of accommodation facilities for visitor stay and they range from luxury, mid range to budget. There are hotels, inns, lodges, guesthouse for you to make a choice for your stay in this stunning city.

Humorous practical insight on navigating through the congested city center and round the countryside is by road, air, railway though this is not as serious as those first class countries and water transportation.

There are also several forex bureaus in and around the city center for you to change the money, you need to find out more on credit card usage if it is allowed in premises that you will book, travelers cheques given that they might be restricted to specific places only. There are also several hospitals which can be at your rescue in case of health problems. You can simply drive to any of them and you will be helped. These also include most clinics that widely spread within the city centre and they have well trained medical staff, equipment, labs and many more that helps them to work on emergencies.

In conclusion, Kampala is not only the busiest city in Uganda but also an incredible tourist site that is worth exploring while you are on city tour. There are countless attractions that are available within the area and all of them offer the best experiences making it the best spot for one to engage in city tours.

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