Hotels FAQ

Question:

Hello all, I will be doing contract work for about 3 to 4 months all over Uganda this year, and will need to find accomodation in pretty remote spots, sometimes in larger towns, sometimes in small towns, and occasionally in rural areas. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I’m happy to pitch a tent and camp for several days if nesessary, but would require a safe area with some (even rudimentary) ablutions. Obviously, a clean, cheap, and safe hotel may be a better option. What are my choices, what should I look out for, and what will I have to pay etc. Any advice posted to this NG would be very much appreciated. Regards, Marc – Johannesburg, South Africa.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hello all, >I will be doing contract work for about 3 to 4 months all over Uganda >this year, and will need to find accomodation in pretty remote spots, >sometimes in larger towns, sometimes in small towns, and occasionally >in rural areas. >Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I’m happy to >pitch a tent and camp for several days if nesessary, but would require >a safe area with some (even rudimentary) ablutions. Obviously, a >clean, cheap, and safe hotel may be a better option. >What are my choices, what should I look out for, and what will I have >to pay etc. >Any advice posted to this NG would be very much appreciated. >Regards, >Marc – Johannesburg, South Africa.

Marc I have quite some experience in Uganda in the sort of circumstances you give above.  Essentially you are looking at remote rural places, small towns, District Towns which are larger and probably also in the capital Kampala.  Safety as you say is a factor. First Safety:  The northern two thirds of the country is considered unsafe as is the border area with the Congo.  Take a look at the British FCO web site on www.fco.gov.uk for "official" information on the present situation.  I would say that the British High Commission in Kampala errs on the side of extreme caution and I have been into most of the areas on the warning list without problem.  However others clearly have not been so lucky.  In the danger areas I would suggest you stay and good hotels or with religious missions.  For example at Kasese is the Margarita Hotel which is well guarded.  I have stayed there many times.  there is also a Catholic Mission in the town.  Further north there a good local hotels which are clean but you really need to talk to people with local experience before entering the area so that you can find the latest news.  In Lira the Pentecostal Bishop there is quite knowledgeable and open about the situation further north.  In my opinion it would not be advisable to stay in school grounds in the border areas as schools have been raided and children taken over the border or killed.  A lot depends upon rebel activity at the time.  Things seem fairly quiet at the moment. Second the rest: In rural areas and indeed areas with only travellers hotels (and maybe no hotels at all) I would always sleep in a tent.  It is easier to control your own environment in a tent and keep safe from Mosquitoes.  I usually find the local boarding school and sleep in the school grounds. I would consider these safe areas in most of Uganda.  I have the advantage here of having close contacts with the Education system around the country.  You will have to establish your own connections but there are similar safe company or religious establishments around the country you could use. The Church of Uganda and other Religions have hostels around the Country which are good and welcoming.  They are cheap by UK standards and I love staying in them.  Main contact would be the Namirembe Guest House in Kampala run by the Church of Uganda. Many of the former Uganda Hotels are now in private hands and offer good to fair accommodation.  Certainly most of the District (capital) towns would have such an hotel. I would not stay in a travellers hotel as all those I have ever experienced are little more than a soil floor and a mat to sleep on with the dangers of mosquitoes. Cost of Namirembe and similar places around 14,000 UgS including breakfast.  Good hotels in the capital 20,000 UgS plus meals.  Better hotels such as The Speke in Kampala anything up to $120 US per night. So allow roughly 20,000 UgS per day for hotels inc breakfast and you should be in profit.  If you pitch a tent you must negotiate your own fee. Write to me direct with any more questions. CHRIS — Chris Wilkinson

Response:

<<>>Main contact would be the Namirembe Guest House in Kampala run by the Church of Uganda.<<>> I agree with Chris about COU guest houses. I have stayed at Namirembe at least ten times and many other COU gest houses out in the country. Namirembe Guest House 1085 Wills Road* P O Box 141270 Kampala, Uganda 256-41-272-071 *Wills Road is off Namirembe Road

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