Cycling Uganda.
I have just been cycling through Uganda for 4 weeks.
This is a little report about the trip, accompanied by some photos.
It’s not about the kilometers.
I decided from the beginning that I did not want to aim for long distances on this trip. My main reason was that I did not want to get stuck on the road after dark. There are little street lights in Uganda and also quite a few animals, so I wanted to make sure that I was at some accommodation before dark. Normally I am happy to cycle 80 to 100 kilometres a day, but I kept it down to 40 to 80 a day on this trip. This worked perfect for me and also gave me time to explore the many towns where I stayed overnight.
I travel for people, more than I travel for animals.
When most people visit Uganda, they go there to see the wildlife. I travel more to meet people and to feel the society that I visit though. So my focus was not that much on the national parks, but more on the towns and villages that I passed. And when I found a place where I liked the vibe, then I stayed for a day or two extra.
To travel is to meet people.
I also went to a football game while I was in Uganda, just like I joined some local concerts. This is the kinda travel that I like. So my reports reflect these interests.
What is tour cycling in Uganda like?
All in all, I found tour cycling in Uganda to be really good. The paved roads have enough shoulders to stay clear of trucks and buses, as well as other vehicles. Ugandan truck drivers are a very friendly bunch by the way, who look out for you as a cyclist. I had no problems or any close calls with trucks, when cycling around Uganda. Buses are another matter. They are by far the most dangerous vehicles on the Ugandan roads. The large buses are going full speed, and expect anyone to get away from the center of the road when they pass. So try to stick to the side of the road, when driving on the main roads.
Street scene from Uganda.
Cycling down a country road in Uganda.
Many roads in Uganda are dirt roads, including some fairly major roads. I found them to be nice to cycle though. Not that different to the paved roads, but often more quiet with less heavy traffic.
Did I feel any danger when cycling in Uganda?
Before the trip, I was not really sure how the safety situation would be. I ended up being very happily surprised though. I never at any point felt that I was in any danger. And I went out during the evening quite frequently as well. I did not go out after midnight, so I shall not say what that is like.
I have lived, worked and cycled a lot in LatinAmerica, where you often have security issues. So I am good at feeling if there is any danger around me. And I found Uganda to be a very calm place and a place I can only recommend highly in this regard.
Where did I cycle in Uganda?
I cycled mainly in southern Uganda. My main reason for that was that I wanted to keep distances short and this is also an area with few elephants, who are the most dangerous creatures to cyclists in this part of the world. I have cycled a lot around Sri Lanka in the past. So I had seen hundreds of elephants already. There is also a little more unrest in the northern part of the country.
Masaka was a town that I liked a lot.
I was cycling mainly in the region between Kampala/Entebbe and Mbarara, including the large Bugala Island in Lake Victoria. I totalled around 8-900 kilometers in 4 weeks. Not as many kilometers as I would normally travel on my bike, but this was perfect for the kind of trip I was aiming for.
Mburo Lake National Park, was one of the places that I visited.
What about wild animals?
As I mentioned before, I tried to stay clear of elephants, as I know they can be quite aggressive towards cyclists, as well as scooters. When talking about larger animals, I saw mostly zebras. Especially when I was cycling by Lake Mburo national park, where I saw hundreds of them. Otherwise I was mostly struck by the massive amounts of birds that I saw in Uganda, including some very large ones. I have never been to a place with as many birds in the air. That was really wonderful to see.
I cycled past a lot of zebras.
The most common animal in Uganda is cattle though. This is domestic cattle, as Ugandan farmers are first of all cattle farmers. This also means that you get plenty of beef meat in Uganda. And plenty of cows’ liver. Being a great lover of fried liver, I was very happy about that aspect.
What about dog chases?
I did not have a single dog chase in Uganda. I passed many dogs, both stay and domestic dogs. But they are clearly not trained to be watch dogs, so they always let me alone. Very happy about that, as I am a little scared of stray dogs.
Getting off the beaten track.
I went really off the beaten track a couple of times. Both times because I wanted to make a shortcut. Once I ended up having to carry my bike across a small river, while I was wading through waist deep water. This was only 5-10 kilometers from the asphalt road, so you can quickly get out in the wild. Just be aware that this is Africa, where you have many wild animals, including poisonous snakes and other creeps. There is also Bilharzia in Lake Victoria and the rivers. So do not go swimming and try to minimise your contact with the water. Dragging my bike across a river was maybe not the wisest. But it seems like I got away with it, without any harm.
Uganda off the beaten track.
Cycling across Bugala Island.
I took the ferry from the small port at Bukakata (near Masaka) to Bugala Island. Bugala Island is the largest Ugandan island in Lake Victoria and quite a pleasant place.
The ferry between Entebbe and Bugala Island.
I arrived by ferry to the small village of Bugoma, where I found a very nice resort called Bugoma Sand Beach. The resort was still under construction, but they already had some bungalows and an excellent restaurant, where I had a fantastic fish dish. One of the best meals that I had on the entire trip.
The wonderful resort at Bugoma.
From Bugoma I cycled across the island to the larger town of Kalangala, where I also spent one night. Cycling across the island was really nice. It was mostly on dirt roads, but a very good one. And traffic was minimal and beautiful scenery, with lot’s of forest.
Road scene from Bugala Island.
Bugala Island is quite popular with Ugandan tourists, so you do have a few resorts on the island. Especially around Kalangala, where you also have some places that are distinctly luxurious.
Where did I sleep in Uganda?
One of the reasons why I chose Uganda as the place for my first African cycling trip was that distances between towns are fairly short. And because Uganda has developed a middle class over the past few decades, there are many smaller hotels. They are often called Guest Houses or Lodges by the way. I mostly stayed in these places, as they were within my budget, typically costing between 7 and 50 US dollars.
I was always able to park my bicycle securely at the places where I stayed overnight.
Elite Backpackers in Masaka, was one of the wonderful places that I stayed.
Cheaper options can be had, but then you are often talking about places that rent out by the hour. And these places are often not the most hygenic.
Cycling to Kitende to watch football.
I am quite a football nerd. Not a fan of any team really, but I love to watch football games all over the world. In Uganda I also had to give that a go. I saw that one of the better teams, called The Vipers, were playing a home game against a team from eastern Uganda called Buls.
Attending a football game in Uganda.
Their homeground was in a Kampala suburb called Kitende. Kitende is a little in the middle of nowhere, from a tourist point of view. But since I was traveling by bicycle, I simply cycled to Kitende. I found a nice little guest house right next to the stadium called Gorilla’s Nest. This was really nice, as I could walk to and from the stadium then. Very convenient, as the game was in the evening. At first, the stadium seemed to be placed in the middle of a not so nice looking suburb. But as I walked behind the stadium, I found that it was connected to one of the largest colleges in Uganda. I was told by locals that it was the owner of that huge college, who also owned the football club.
Vipers playing against Buls in the Ugandan league.
I was received very nicely by the fans and the people at the stadium. A local TV station also did a short interview with me, asking me what I thought about Ugandan football. The atmosphere in the stadium was just as nice as I expected. Lively fans, quite a few with instruments and some were dressed up in funny costumes. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and also the game, which had a good standard. It was a fast paced game, with good technical players. The game ended in a draw, which was pretty fair. The home crowd had expected more though and were not too happy.
One of the supporters of the Vipers.
I would like to stress here that I felt totally safe during the whole game, even if I was the only tourist in the stand. In fact, there were only two non Africans in the stadium, Me and the Serbien coach of the game team. But it was all smiles and the fans were very happy when I bought a shirt from the Vipers at half time. Very nicely designed shirt that only cost me 14€.
Going to a concert on Aero Beach.
Aero Beach in Entebbe is a fantastic place. It is located right next to Entebbe Airport and is a dumping ground for old airplanes that have been abandoned at the airport. This means that you have several airlines stating right on what is a pretty nice beach. Including a large Boeing 707 passenger plane, that you can enter, or take a walk on the wings of the planes. This is, in my opinion, utterly cool and one of my favourite unusual sights of the world.
Inside an abandoned Boeing 707 at Aero Beach in Entebbe.
Attending a concert at Aero Beach.
While I was in Uganda, I found out that they had an entire day with live music on the beach, just before I returned to Europe. So I went down to the beach and saw several Ugandan artists play. Most of them were rappers and I loved the atmosphere. Once again, I was the only white person in the audience. And once again I was welcomed by everyone and treated very nicely. Some of the young Ugandan girls also wanted me to do TikTok dances with them. That did most likely look absolutely silly as I am a horrible dancer :-).
My bicycle up against an abandoned plane at Aero Beach.
I can only recommend Aero Beach in Entebbe. Music or not. It’s an amazing place for aviation nerds and people who just like things that are odd.
What about spare bicycle parts in Uganda?
I had some problems with my inner tubes, while cycling around Uganda. They kept being ripped apart. Why, I do not know and I am having my bike chanced as I write this, to see if there is something wrong with my back wheel. But that problem forced me to look for spare inner tubes. I am cycling with 29 inch wheels, which is not common in Uganda.
The bicycle mechanic in Entebbe who helped me getting spare inner tubes.
It took me a couple of days to locate a place where I could get some. But I did eventually find both a bicycle shop in Kampala and one in Entebbe, that could get me spare inner tubes. These inner tubes were actually produced in Uganda, which I thought was very nice. Great to see that there is local bicycle production in Uganda. I will leave the address of both places, as other people might need the same thing in the future. Both places were managed by super friendly guys who knew a lot about bikes.
In Kampala I would highly recommend a bike shop/mechanic called: “Ultimate Cycling Uganda-Design Hub Campus”. It’s located in a small side street, right off 5th street. The guy who in the shop when I visited knew a lot about bikes and knew how to get spare inner tubers sized 29 inches.
The bike shop/mechanic that I really liked in Entebbe was a small place, located between the two big shopping malls, Victoria Mall and Imperial shopping mall. It’s run by a very friendly guy who knows how to get hold of spare parts. Something that the other bike places I spoke to in Entebbe did not know. So talk to him if you need spare parts. It’s his little work shop that you see on the photo.
I had one little accident while cycling in Uganda.
On my second last night in Uganda, I was having dinner at an excellent little restaurant in Entebbe. The restaurant was only 1,5 kilometers from my guest house. But I decided to cycle there anyway. It was fine going there, as I went before sunset. But by the time I had finished my dinner, it was pitch dark and I had no street lights as I was cycling back towards the guest house. I somehow overlooked a massive pothole in the road that was almost one meter deep and I drove straight into the hole. This resulted in me smacking my ribs into the handlebars on my bike, leaving me with a bruised rib cage that I can still feel as I am writing this, 3 weeks after it happened. Apart from the rib injury, I was not hurt. But I was covered in mud, as the pothole was filled with rain water, which was probably why I overlooked it.
My final verdict about Uganda.
This was my first visit to East Africa, but surely not my last. I really enjoyed Uganda and the Ugandans. I was not really sure if I would feel safe, cycling around alone in Uganda, when I first came. But I did not have a single moment where I felt unsafe. I went out several times in the evening and felt absolutely fine in the dark as well. Uganda is very green and hilly and a very pretty place. There is fantastic nature and lot’s of animals. My biggest animal surprise was the number of birds I saw in Uganda. I have never been to a country with that many birds.
My bicycle on a boat in Uganda.
So if you are considering a cycling holiday in Uganda, then I can only recommend it.
Ugandan roads are generally good for tour cycling.
There is also good micro brew in Uganda.