Full Post Style

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Jinja, Uganda, Kampala, East Africa, Africa

Jinja is a town situated in the Eastern region of Uganda, located between 0°25′28″ N latitude and 33°12′15″ E longitude. It is the second largest and busiest town in Uganda, following the national capital, Kampala and from Kampala, Jinja is located around 80 km away. Jinja is situated on the shore of the world’s largest tropical lake Lake Victoria. Jinja is a year round tourist destination with a vibrant nightlife with many nightclubs, casinos and bars.

The economy of Jinja is based on surrounding agricultural activities and other substantial economy sources include grain milling, metal processing and the production of coffee, organic fruits and sugar.

 

History of Jinja:

The name Jinja literally means ‘rock’ which may be derived from the language of Baganda people. The town of Jinja was founded in the year 1907 by the British. Jinja gained municipality status in 1956 and after 6 years of this, Uganda’s independence was declared from British in 1962.

 

How to get Jinja?

Jinja is served by Jinja Airport but the airport receives a less number of scheduled flights. So international tourists are needed to reach Entebbe International Airport (around 120 km) first and then take taxi or rental car to get Jinja.

The bus connection of Jinja extends to all the major cities in the country, including the national capital Kampala. Boda-bodas or minibuses and taxis are the useful options to move within Jinja.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Jinja:

Jinja is the site of Fairland University and a campus of Makerere University. Jinja Market is one of the best places to purchase African souvenirs that are colorful and affordable.

Here is the list of the tourist favor restaurants in Jinja:

• 2 Friends
• The Source Cafe
• Leoz
• Ginger on the Nile

 

Things to do in Jinja:

• Horseback riding
• Rafting
• Camping
• Jumping
• Water skiing

 

Places to see in Jinja:

 

Swaminarayan Temple:

The Swaminarayan Temple is one of the recommended places to visit in Jinja. It is a temple dedicated to the great Indians’, especially Guajarati’s god Swaminarayan.

 

Source of the Nile:

The Nile River flows near the town of Jinja, where some of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were released. There is also a monument dedicated to the Father of the Nation (India) Mahatma Gandhi.

 

Golf Course in Jinja:

Jinja is home to a 9 hole golf course, where visitors can have the striking views of Nile River and Lake Victoria. Jinja’s golf course is also a great relaxation point. Worth a visit.

 

Jinja Market:

Situated in the heart of the town, the Jinja Market is a great shopping and hangout site, offering a wide range of local specialties at reasonable prices. Tourists should keep local currency as most shops in Jinja don’t accept cards.

 

Buweng:

Buweng is a town, situated around 30 km away from the heart of Jinja. The town is mainly noted for its animal sanctuary with both local and continental animals. It can be reached by rental car from Jinja.

 

List of other places of interest in and around Jinja include:

• Lake Victoria
• National Botanical Gardens in Entebbe
• Uganda National Zoo
• Uganda Reptile Village
• Kigungu historical site
• Entebbe Golf Club
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Forest Park Resort
• Batwa Cultural Heritage
• Uganda Museum
• Namirembe Kathedrale
• Gaddafi National Mosque

 

Best time to visit Jinja:

The best time to visit Jinja depends on visitors’ interest, though the most preferred time is from December to February.

 

Hotels in Jinja:

Being a prominent tourist destination, Jinja houses many top class hotels spread up all around the town with latest amenities to provide utmost comfort for visitors coming to the town from time to time. List of the famous hotels in Jinja include:

• Jinja Nile Resort
• Kingfisher Safaris Resort
• Sunset International Hotel
• Brisk Hotel Triangle
• Busoga Trust Guest House
• Surjio’s Guest House
• 2 Friends Guest House
• Source Of The Smile Guest House
• Gately on Nile
• Hairy Lemon
• Source of the Nile Hotel
• Nile Village Hotel
• Eden Rock Resorts
• Hotel Paradise on the Nile
• Hopes Pride Guest House

Places to Visit in Entebbe, Uganda, Kampala, East Africa, Africa

Entebbe is one of the prominent towns of the African country Uganda. It is situated on the shore of Lake Victoria at an elevation of 1,180 meters, around 35 km southwest of the national capital, Kampala. Entebbe is the site of the administrative office and house of the President of Uganda and the country’s most important airport, Entebbe International Airport.

Entebbe also extends its popularity from its distinct tourist attractions like Lake Victoria, National Botanical Gardens and Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. Entebbe covers a total area of 56.2 sq. km, while its geographical coordinates are 00°03′00″ N 32°27′36″ E.

 

History of Entebbe:

Entebbe served as the capital of the Protectorate of Uganda during the British colonial rule until the country’s independence in 1962. The name Entebbe derived from the Luganda language term ‘e ntebe’, which means ‘seat’, indicating the town’s of importance as colonial capital.

How to reach Entebbe?

As Entebbe is the location of Uganda’s primary airport, reaching Entebbe would not be a difficult task for visitors. The Entebbe International Airport receives flights from Cairo, London, Dar es Salaam, Doha, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Dubai and many other world cities.

Entebbe is well connected to the capital Kampala by regular minibuses that generally cost USD2 (higher for foreigners) and takes nearly an hour. Visitors can hire a car at the local travel agency for local travel.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Entebbe:

Entebbe is culturally prosperous town with a premiere learning centre Nkumba University and regular cultural events taking place year round in the city.

Shops are abundant in Entebbe, both modern and traditional and some nice restaurants in Entebbe include:

• China Garden
• 4 Points
• Goretties Pizza
• The Gately

 

Things to do in Entebbe:

• Mabamba Shoebill Tours
• Swahili Tours
• Golfing

 

Places to see in Entebbe:

 

State House:

The State House is the official house of the President of Uganda, situated on a hill dominating the town of Entebbe. It is one of the splendid structures of Uganda, covering 57 hectares of land.

 

Uganda National Zoo:

The Uganda National Zoo is a part of the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe. The zoo is a nice collection of African wild creatures like rhinos, zebras, crocs, giraffes, hyenas, lions and chimpanzees. Entrance fee for foreigners is $12.

 

National Botanical Gardens:

The National Botanical Gardens is one of the major places to visit In Entebbe. This scenic botanists’ and bird-watchers’ site is home to a large number of colobus and vervet monkeys along with dozens of bird species. The garden was also the scene of Tarzan films.

 

Lake Victoria:

The Lake Victoria is the largest tropical lake in the world. The town of Entebbe is situated on the northwestern shore of the lake, where visitors can enjoy boat trips to Ngamba Island to see chimpanzees. Fishing is another activity can be enjoyed there.

 

Nkumba University:

The Nkumba University is one of the recognized universities of Uganda, situated in Entebbe. Established in 1994, the university currently trains more than 10,000 students through various courses, including business administration. It is also a place of regular cultural activities.

 

List of other places of interest in and around Entebbe include:

• Uganda Reptile Village
• Kigungu historical site
• Sesse Islands
• Entebbe Golf Club
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Ndere Centre
• Namirembe Kathedrale
• Gaddafi National Mosque
• Namugongo Shrine
• Rubaga-Kathedrale
• Forest Park Resort
• Batwa Cultural Heritage
• Lubiri Palace
• Uganda Museum

 

Best time to visit Entebbe:

Generally from June and October is the best time to visit Entebbe, when the town experiences relatively dry weather.

 

Hotels in Entebbe:

Entebbe is a lovely town with many modernized hotels with all basic and upgraded amenities served with a great degree of love and care to provide the genuine Ugandan hospitality services for visitors. The prominent hotels in Entebbe include:

• Residence Motel
• 2Friends Beach Hotel
• Highway Motel Entebbe
• Sunset Entebbe
• Executive Airport Hotel
• Airport View Hotel
• Imperial Golf View Hotel
• Anderita Beach Hotel
• Prestige Resort
• Entebbe Flight Motel
• Andrieta Beach Hotel
• Sophie’s Motel Entebbe
• Imperial Resort Beach Hotel
• Peniel Beach Hotel Entebbe
• Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel

Arua Tourist Places to Visit in Arua, Uganda, Kampala, East Africa, Africa

Arua is a city in the Northern Uganda region of the African country, Uganda, located between 03°02′18″ N latitude and 30°54′39″ E longitude. Arua is situated around 440 km northwest of the country’s capital and largest city, Kampala. Arua is one of the major commercial towns of Uganda, home to the campuses of many recognized educational institutions of Uganda, mainly of Uganda Christian University, Makerere University Business School, Islamic University in Uganda and Muni University. In the tourism sector, Arua is an amazing natural and cultural tourist destination.

 

History of Arua:

The name of Arua derived from the nearby Arua Hill and its name literally means ‘in prison’ in the Lugbara language, indicating a jail on the hill. Arua also served as the capital of the former West Nile Province.

 

How to reach Arua?

Arua hosts an airport with scheduled flights from Entebbe in Kampala and Yei, served by Eagle Air. The airport is situated around 55 km away from the heart of the city. Taxis always be ready to serve visitors at the airport. Also there are buses plying between the airport and Arua town centre.

By bus, it takes around 7 hours from Kampala to Arua and the prominent bus operators serving this route include California Bus, ADIL Express, KK Transporters, Nile Coach and Gaa-Gaa.

 

Culture, Food and shopping in Arua:

Lugbara is the major tribal group forming the population of Arua, who speak their own dialect. Being a commercial town, Arua houses plenty of restaurants that are spread up all round the town with both Ugandan and international food. Arua Mall is famous for modern shopping, while Arua Central Market is well known for traditional shopping in Arua.

 

What to do in Arua?

• Golfing
• Hiking
• Traditional shopping

 

What to see in Arua?

 

Barifa Forest:

The Barifa Forest is a large forest near the town of Arua, situated to the southeast of Arua Hill. It features compact grass formations, a large number of tree species typical of the area as well as Dorcus Inzikuru Stadium within the forest.

 

Arua Hill:

The Arua Hill is one of the major reasons for visitors coming to the town Arua. It is a hill with historical importance, overlooking the town Arua and offers the breathtaking views of the surrounding Barifa Forest and Arua town.

 

West Nile Golf Club:

The West Nile Golf Club is one of the major landmarks as well as tourist attractions in Arua. It is located on Weatherhead Park Lane. Its eye-catching landscape and nice golfing experience are memorable for visitors.

 

Arua Mall:

The Arua Mall is one of the new additions to Arua’s entertainment sector. The mall houses a large number of shops with latest branded gadgets and clothes. There are also many food corners and gaming options inside the mall.

 

Arua Central Market:

The Arua Central Market is a nice hangout site in the heart of Arua. Apart from shopping, visitors can also try to feel the local culture in this market.

 

List of other places of interest in and around Arua includes:

• Ragem Beach
• West Nile Distilleries
• White Castle
• Uganda Christian University campus
• Muni University
• Arua Regional Referral Hospital
• Makerere University Business School campus
• Kidepo Valley National Park
• Ajai Game Reserve
• TAKS Community Art Centre
• Fort Patiko

 

Best time to visit Arua:

The best time to visit Arua is from December and March and June to September when the weather will be in condition and supportive for outdoor activities.

 

Where to stay in Arua?

The area is one of the nicest cities to stay in Uganda. The city houses many modernized hotels with all upgraded amenities. The below list includes hotels in Arua, Gulu (around 200 km) and Lira (around 270 km):

• Golden Courts Hotel
• Slumberland Hotel Arua
• The White Castle
• Rocks and Roots
• Margaritha Palace Hotel in Lira
• Hotel Free Zone in Gulu
• Kanberra Hotel in Lira
• The Pagoda in Gulu
• Brownstone Country Home in Lira
• Gracious Palace Hotel in Lira
• Hotel Nok Continental in Gulu
• Acholi Ber Country Hotel in Gulu
• Golden Peace Hotel in Gulu
• The Lira Hotel in Lira
• Hotel Pearl Afrique in Gulu