Built Different, Built Special
Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa bordered by South Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west and Rwanda, lake Victoria and Tanzania to the south . Uganda has a lot in common with her neighbors sharing some border tribes, physical features and languages. Inspit of these similarities, there are things that are distintively Ugandan that make us beautifully unique and one of the most coveted travel destinations in the world.
Uganda is considered as having the best refugee policy in the region by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, a testament to the loving free spirited friendly people of this beautiful land.
The capital Kampala much like its other metropolitan towns is a melting point of cultures both local and foreign. Reach jinja and you will find it heavily influenced by the Indian Community, travel northwest to westnile in the towns of Arua, Moyo and you will find it sprinkled with Congolese and Sudanese influences.
The major surburbs of Kampala are steadily taking shape in the ways of the foreign visitors settled there for instance Kabalagala and Nsambya are awash with a significant population of Sudanese, Kansaga is now home to many Ethipians and Eritreans while Old Kampala has become a safe haven for Somalis. Do not get surprised if on one of your trips you find kids lined up along the dusty remote roads waving you a 'jambo', hi. Only with peacefuly and friendly people like Ugandans can people from all walks of life and nationality call a new found place home and here you will find a new home.
Uganda's climate is largely tropical especially for most of the central, eastern, western and southern regions with two rain seasons that is March to May and September to December. The northern region making one third of the country only experiences one rainy season running from March to October. February is the hottest month averaging 74 degrees Fahrenheiht, August is the coldest of them all at an average of 72 degress Fahrenheit while March takes the prize for the wettest month.
Alot can be made of the climate statistics in the country but one thing for certain is that any day in any month in Uganda one can easily skip out of their house and go about their adventures without suffering the extremes of weather ensuring that one fully maximizes their stay here as they can tour freely throughout the day and some night hours in some game parks across the country. The numerous beaches lined up along the shores of lake Victoria are always open and bustle with life, fun and laughter owing to the fantastic weather. Whether day or night, January or December, Uganda's beautiful weather will leave a mark on you.
The commuter taxis in Uganda are nothing like you have seen before, go a step further, hop into them and live up the experience. Stopping at an instant to admit a passenger, the exuberance of the conductors is unmatched. The men manning the taxi doors are full of energy and focused with their heads spending most of the time out of the vehicle looking for the next passenger.
People from all walks of life make taxis their preferred choice of transport, from a market vendor fresh up in the morning headed to Nakasero market for her restocking, kids making sure to reach school in time, corporate Uganda reporting for work, the fresh graduate hoping to land an opportunity in the capital and the homesick fellow heading to his ancestral home upcountry embrace taxis like a new born clinging tight to its mother's breast. Taxis make for fun rides around the country especially in the urban centers. If one can drop one's idea of comfort and hitchup a ride on these famed wheels one will enrich oneself with tales of a lifetime, an experience regal in itself and hard to replicate anywhere.
Take a piece of Africa with you back home with some of these exquisitely designed artifacts ranging from drums, spears, greeting cards, paintings, sandals, attire among others sourced within Uganda and some of the neighboring countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo. These pieces of artistry can be found in the craft centres all over the country with the major and better stocked craft shops found within the capital, Kampala. Exposure Africa along Buganda Road, Uganda Crafts-2000 LTD along Buganda road, Uganda Arts & Crafts Village behind the National theatre boast numerous shops with similar items giving you an opportunity to explore and compare prices for the best deals.
Moving upcountry, you will still find similar shops around the tourist sites mostly operated by women. When you buy from these shops you clearly would walk away with a memorable souvenior but more to that is you would have greatly contributed to the survival and livelihood of an entire house hold.
Uganda is well known for its variety of fresh fruits among which include mangoes of different kinds, orangers, tangerines, pineapples, water melons, guavas among others you can find right in the supermarkets, big urban markets right to the stalls littered all over the streets. One shouldn't be surprised if they came across a fruit fresh off the tree leaking sap, what's more is that many of these fruits come off trees that have grown and matured by themselves over the ages.
Is it a sweet soothing banana, a pear to chew away on your trip, whatever fruit you have in mind be rest assured that all fruit cravings will be satisfied in these fruit markets better still, you come out having discovered some more fruits like jackfruits. The overly courteous, polite women at the stalls will paint you a clear picture of the free spirited, hospital and polite people Ugandans are.
The 93,064 sq mi (241,037 sq km) that make up Uganda house over 50 tribes with each having its language. Many of the languages especially for the tribes with the same ethnic grouping are similar usually varying in pronunciation of a few words. The Bantu ethnic group are the largest group occupying the central, eastern, western and southern parts of the country. The Nile Hamites take up some parts of the eastern and north eastern Uganda, the Hamites occupy the southwestern parts of the country while the Nilotics take up the rest of the Northern regions of the Uganda. it is not uncommon for a regular Uganda to fluently speak four native languages while putting up a descent effort in English and Kishwahili the two official languages in the country.
Among the native languages, Luganda of the Baganda, a Bantu tribe occupying the central and southern parts of the country is the most widely spoken in Uganda. Uganda's ever improving literacy levels however mean that you dont have to pile presure on yourself to pick one of the 50 languages as most of the people you will come across undertsand and speak English and as for those who do not speak English, they will at the very least call up for you someone who does to help you out.
