Entebbe Town

Positioned on the Lake Victoria Peninsula, Entebbe is the major town in Central Uganda. It is widely recognized and it was the seat of the British protectorate government before Uganda attained independence in 1962.

Lake Victoria

Lying on the northern shores of Lake Victoria which is the Africa’s largest lake, Entebbe has geographical coordinates of 0.0500N, 32.4600E, covers an area of 56.2 Sq. Km out of which 20 Sq. Km is water and is situated 37km south west of Kampala which the Uganda’s capital city. The UBOS report of 2011 estimated Entebbe town to have 79,700 people.
Entebbe town has got a rich history behind it. The word Entebbe has a Luganda disposition and it means a seat. In the year 1893, the area became a British Colonial administrative and commercial center with Sir Gerald Portal using it as his base. The Port Bell was used as the harbor for Kampala and though the area apparently has no ship docking there, a jetty is still there that was used by Lake Victoria Ferries.
Besides that, Entebbe is globally known to house the Entebbe International Airport which forms the main point of entry and exist to many travellers including those on safaris in Uganda. The Airport was first opened for operation in the year 1929 and a range of important people have landed on it including the Queen Elizabeth II of England who departed through it in 1952 after learning of his father’s death and that she had become a Queen.
Regarding its weather, Entebbe features a tropical rain forest climate which has got constant temperatures across the year. Entebbe as drier and wetter months with July to September being the dry months and April and May are considered as the wettest months. The average annual Temperature is about 210 C.

Uganda Wildlife Education Center

Entebbe town is a destination of its own. It has the following attractions;

>> The National Botanical Gardens that were established in 1898 with remarkable flora.
>> The Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) formerly Entebbe Zoo with counts of wildlife and amazing flora. It is also a national zoo.
>> Entebbe also contains the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI)
>> The area also contains the historical sites of Kigungu where the first Catholic Missionaries stepped in Uganda. These were Brother Amans and Father Lourdel Mon Maple.
>> Entebbe is also contains the oldest Golf course in East Africa in the names of Entebbe Golf Club and it was established in the year 1900.
>> Entebbe is perched on the shores of Lake Victoria. Lake Vitoria is one of the Uganda’s great attractions as it is the largest tropical lake in the whole world, the second largest fresh water lake in the whole world and the largest lake on the continental lands of Africa. The shores of this lake have got impressive sandy beaches that present ideal opportunities for recreation.

The Entebbe International Airport

This is the min International Airport for Uganda and it is located close to Entebbe town and is about 40km from Kampala the capital city of Uganda. The geographical coordinates are 00°02'41"N, 032°26'35"E. The Airport is managed by Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and it is served by a range of Airlines that are of African and International Origin including; Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airways, Brussels Airlines, Qatar Airways, Fly Emirates, South African Airways, KLM, Rwanda Air, British Airways among others.

Getting to Entebbe

Getting to Entebbe is by no means difficult. When you are connecting from the rest of the country, you have to pass through Kampala and vice versa. However, from the south west there is a short cut in form of a murram road that if you are on hurry you can opt to use leaving Kampala ahead of you. The construction of Entebbe express is underway and it is expected to provide the fast and easier connection from Kampala to Entebbe International Airport.

Getting around

Getting around while in Entebbe town can be done using Public taxis, Special hired taxis or jumping on Boda Bodas. However, safety has to be prioritized.