Ugee

Kampala

A modern, bustling capital, Kampala suffered a great deal during the years of civil strife. In the decade or so since President Museveni came to power, the city has gone from a looted shell to a thriving city befitting the capital of one of the most rapidly developing countries in Africa.

The electricity works, clean water comes out of the taps, damaged buildings are now habitable, many new ones have gone up, and the shops and markets are once again well stocked. These days, Kampala even has casinos, nightclubs and fancy restaurants. And it's safe.

Kampala is said to be built on seven hills, but the city centre is on just one of them, Nakasero. The top half of the hill is a garden city of wide, quiet avenues lined with large houses behind imposing fences. This is where you'll find the embassies, international aid organisations, upmarket hotels, government offices and the rich. The bottom half is a completely different world, composed of shops, small businesses, budget hotels, cheap restaurants, street markets, Hindu temples, and the bus station and taxi parks. The streets in this congested area overflow with people, battered old cars, lottery ticket sellers and pavement stalls offering everything from rubber stamps to radio repairs.

Jinja

Jinja lies on the shores of Lake Victoria and is chock-a-block with old Asian-style buildings, reflecting the days when the town had a sizeable Asian community. The town was virtually owned by Asians until Idi Amin unceremoniously kicked them out of the country.

Many of the Asian population have started to return and the town is once again becoming prosperous. Jinja is also one of the spots on which Mahatma Gandhi chose to have his ashes scattered. A statue commemorates Gandhi at a Hindu temple near town.

Jinja is close to the Owen Falls Dam, a hydroelectric station which supplies Uganda with the bulk of its electricity. The main Kampala to Jinja road runs across the top of the dam, and the railway line crosses on a bridge close by. Before the building of the Owen Falls Dam, the Source of the Nile was Ripon Falls, where the Nile left Lake Victoria on its way to the Mediterranean. The falls were inundated by the waters of the dam, but you can still make out where they used to be from the turbulence.

Jinja is about 60km (37mi) northeast of Kampala and is easily accessible by bus, taxi or train.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Also known as the Impenetrable Forest, Bwindi is one of Uganda's most recently created national parks. The park, which covers 331 sq km, encompasses one of the last remaining habitats of the mountain gorilla, and is where almost half - an estimated 330 individuals - of the surviving mountain gorillas in the world live.

A major conservation effort has been going on here for a number of years to protect the gorillas' habitat. Gorillas are not the only animals to have benefited from this project. The park contains about 20 forest elephants, at least 10 species of primate (including chimpanzees, colobus monkeys and baboons), duikers, bushbucks and the rare giant forest hog, as well as a host of bird and insect species. It is one of the richest areas in Africa for flora and fauna.

A visit with the gorillas is an incredible experience but it can be difficult to arrange and the walking is not for strollers. All bookings must be made through the UWA office (041-346287) in Kampala, and only 32 permits per day are available for Bwindi.

The terrain in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is mountainous and heavily forested and you might be walking for up to four hours before you sight the gorillas. Be sure to prepare well and take fast film to get good photos in the shade of the forest.

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, established to protect the Magombe Swamp, is a haven for birds, with 137 species, plus butterflies and a number of primates. The guided walks through this sanctuary have been developed with the aim of assisting community development projects in the Kibale area, so the project deserves support.

Many of the guides have a good knowledge of bird life in the sanctuary, and are also adept at spotting colobus monkeys and the beautiful blue touraco from a distance. It is often easier to spot colobus monkeys here than in Kibale Forest National Park, as the vegetation is more open.

Three-hour guided walks depart from the visitor centre on demand. The best time to go is early morning or late afternoon.

Sipi Falls

Sipi Falls is a stunner, arguably the most beautiful waterfall in all of Uganda, and it is now much more accessible thanks to one of the best roads in the country linking it to Mbale. The falls are about 55km north of Mbale, in the foothills of Mt Elgon and not far from the town of Kapchorwe.

Not only are the falls spectacular, so too are the views of Mt Elgon above them, and the wide plains of eastern and northern Uganda disappearing into the distance below. There are three levels of falls, but the two upper levels are fairly small compared with the main drop. It is well worth spending a night or two in this peaceful and pretty place.

There are some excellent walks on a network of well-maintained local trails, and beautiful scenery in every direction. It is easy enough just to ramble off on your own, but all the lodges and camp sites in the area offer guided walks.

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