Entebbe On a Budget
Entebbe is a large city located in Central Uganda. It is about thirty kilometers from the capital city of Uganda, which is Kampala. Lake Victoria, a prominent body of water, is very close to Entebbe as well. Today, the population of Entebbe is over 69,000 people. In Europe, Entebbe is known for its airport, which was once the site of a major hostage situation led by the German and Palestinian militia, back in 1976. Soldiers from the Israeli army freed the hostages in a massive rescue mission. Alternatively, when Queen Elizabeth II heard of her father's death and that she had become the queen, she was at this airport and had to fly from there back to England at once.Sights
The National Botanical Gardens in town are worth seeing. The gardens were curated in 1898 and have been used in the old Tarzan films as backdrops. In the gardens, you can witness many different types of birds, monkeys, plants, and trees.If you wish to see more animals, head to the Entebbe Zoo, which houses many different types of African wildlife. If you aren't planning a safari while visiting Africa, this is a great alternative. The zoo has all different types of animals (lions, zebras, crocodiles, rhinos, hyenas, giraffes, chimpanzees and many others).
Neighborhoods
Entebbe is one of the larger cities in Uganda, next to Kampala and Jinja. It is part of the Wakiso District and Central Uganda Region. Kampala is the capital and is about thirty kilometers away from Entebbe. Jinja is about one hundred and twenty kilometers from Entebbe.Activities
A great activity in Entebbe is to take boat trips out on Lake Victoria. You can simply cruise around the lake, or you can book trips that stop at Ngamba Island where you can visit the chimpanzee sanctuary and even do some fishing along the way. Wild Frontiers and Tamani Africa Tours are great companies to book with. Visit the Uganda Reptiles Village and be able to see many different species of some of the deadliest snakes as well as other types of reptiles.To see the town as a whole, you can book a tour with Bike2go Entebbe and take a biking tour of the whole city. If you wish to buy traditional African crafts at a local market, head over to the Entebbe crafts village where there are vendors selling many different types of craft that are perfect souvenirs for your trip in Uganda. If you wish to spend a day relaxing at the beach, head to Aero Beach, where you can sit on the beach and grab lunch at the restaurant that is on the shore of the lake.
Food and Dining
Entebbe has a wide range of food selections, ranging from Indian food to Chinese food and many in between. Faze 3 is a newer restaurant that has a terrace where you can sit outside with beautiful views of the lake. This restaurant offers Western food, Indian food, delicious coffee and refreshing fruit smoothies.If you want pizza there are two places to choose from. Goretties Pizza is on the shore of the lake. It has great pizza but at dusk, there tends to be a lot of bugs so plan accordingly. Nickey's Pizza is on Kampala Road. This restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating and there are pool tables inside too. For Chinese food, China Garden is a great place to eat. It is located on Kampala road, opposite the war monument. The Gately has great Thai food at night and in the morning, they have a great "English Breakfast" option. Reservations are required here.
Transportation
As stated earlier, Entebbe airport is located in town and is the major hub for international air travel in all of Uganda. This airport serves many large airlines like Egyptair, Emirates, Turkish Air, British Airways, KLM, and much more.If you are traveling to Entebbe from another part of Uganda, there are minibusses that travel from Kampala multiple times daily. The fare for this journey is usually no more that two US dollars. It is about a forty-five minute ride.
Once you are in the city of Entebbe, there are a few modes of transportation. Around town, you will see Boda-Boda's, which are basically motorcycle taxis. This is the easiest way to get around as you can just flag down one of the many that are passing by. However, keep in mind that this is probably not the safest way to get around. There are many accidents involving Boda-Boda's because the drivers are trying to get to their destination as fast as possible. It is much wiser to hire a taxi from a credible hotel or other company. Of course, you can always get around on foot but this is usually only a good idea for getting around certain parts of the city and not relying on it to get you around the city as a whole.
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Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.