COMMUNICATION IN UGANDA-LUGANDA

Hello Traveler,

Although 33 local languages are spoken in Uganda, the official language is English, spoken widely by most urban Ugandans, and certainly by anybody with more than a moderate education level. It isn’t uncommon to come across Ugandans from different parts using English to communicate, and most English-speaking visitors to the country will have no problem getting around.

Of the indigenous languages, the most widely spoken is Luganda, which to some extent serves as a lingua franca for the uneducated you come across in the country, mainly in Kampala. So, too, does Swahili (more commonly known as Kiswahili), a Bantu language that is no more indigenous to Uganda than is English.

Luganda is the first language of Baganda, which I am personally a Muganda, singular for someome from Buganda and it is the most widely spoken of the languages indigenous in Uganda. Some of the words and phrases that can be useful to you in Luganda are as follows:

Greetings

Luganda phrase	English meaning
Oli otya?	How are you?
Gyendi	I am OK
Siba bulungi	Have a nice day
Sula bulungi	Good night
Weraba	Farewell
Tunalabagana	See you later
Webale (nyo)	Thank you (very much)
Nsonyiwa	Am sorry
Ssebo	Sir
Nyabo	Madam
Mwami	Mr.
Mukyala	Mrs.
Jangu wano	Come here.

Useful phrases

Luganda phrase		English meaning
Ova mukitundu ki?		Where are you from?
Nva mu England		I am from England
Ovude wa?		Where have you come from?
Nvude Kamapala		I have come from Kampala.
Ogenda wa?		Where are you going?
Ngenda Jinja		I am going to Jinja.
Eno baasi egenda wa?		Where is this bus heading to?
Eno baasi egenda Kabale.	This bus is heading to Kabale.
Amanya gwo gw’ani?	What is your name?
Nze Ronald	My name is Ronald.
Kiriwa?	Where is it?
Kiri wala?	Is it far?
Kiri kumpi?	Is it near?
Olugundo lwe Kampala luliwa?	Where is the road to Kampala?
Sente meka?	How much does it cost?
Njagala room	I want a room.
Olinayo ko…?	Do you have any….?
Kino kiyitibwa kitya?	What is this called?
Oyogera oluzungu?	Do you speak English?
Eno taxi eraga wa?	Where is this taxi heading to?

Pronunciation is very similar to Swahili. A detailed phrasebook and dictionary can be viewed online at www.buganda.com.

If you want to learn Luganda, you can hire a private tutor or take classes usually organised by language teaching institutes in Kampala.

WHERE TO STAY WHEN IN UGANDA

Hello Fellow Traveler,

Before you travel to Uganda for your Trip, you have to plan it adequately which includes booking your Air ticket, accomodation, what to take for health and safety and also any other neccessary requirements for your trip. Whenever you travel to Uganda and whatever your budget, you will find suitable accomodation for yourself. Most towns have a good variety of moderately priced and budget hotels, even in the smallest village you will find where to stay for a dollar or so.

In Uganda, you can find these kinds of accomodation whereever you will be in the country:

1. Upmarket Accomodation: This is only available in major towns and tourist centres. This category includes hotels, lodges and resorts accored a two- to five-star ranking internationally. They cater for intenational leisure and modern accomodation with en-suite facilities. This is the category to look at if cost isn't an issue to you but all you want is standard accomodation you would expect at home.
2. Moderate Accomodation: This category embraces those hotels that can't be classified as Upmarket, for one reason or other, but are also expensive, decent and of standard. Mainly they are superior local hotels that charge considerably lower rates than Upmarket competitors. This is the category to look at if you are travelling on a limited but not on low budget though don't expect a luxurious standard of accomodation.
3. Budget Accomodation: This category embraces hotels generally aimed at the local market, though usually clean and comfortable, a decent restuarant attached and English-speaking staff. This is the category to look at if you are on a limited budget travel.
4. Shoestring Accomodation: This category embraces a small number of establishments aimed specifically at backpackers and mainly consists of local guesthouses. Guesthouse standards tend to vary widely both within towns and between management, but prices are more of the smae. This category is suitable for travelers who want cheap accomodation, irrespective of quality.
5. House Shortstays: This category mainly embraces residential homes or apartments strictly meant for shortstay travelers. They are nice homes in the city subburbs at moderately lower prices per month. Accomodation is available on a timely booking before you land in the country through travel agents locally.

*** If you contact me earlier, I can help you with accomodation reservation at any hotel in any town in Uganda.

KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Hello Traveler,

When in Uganda, you think about which national parks to visit and have a glimpse of Uganda's gift of nature, then Kidepo Valley National Park shouldn't miss on your list.

Location of Kidepo Valley on Uganda's map.

Kidepo lies in the far northeast of Uganda, isolated from the rest of the country by the arid badlands of Karamoja. It's one of the most alluring tourist destinations in Uganda, but seldom visited due to the cost and difficulty of getting there. It has a rugged mountain view, good atmosphere, game viewing and birdwatching.

It covers an area of about 1,442 square kilometers and its highest point, Mt. Morungole rises on the border. The dominant habitat is open wooded savanna. Kidepo protects about 86 mammal species, with the bird checklist at 463 species confirmed and 26 species unconfirmed and a variety of butterfly species and other small creatures.

When you visit Kidepo, you can record a minimum of about five primate species, with 20 predators, like the bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, aardwolf, cheetah, side-stripped jackal, spotted hyena, leopard, lion, mongooses and a few other rare species in Uganda's national parks. You also have a chance to at least see some of its 12 antelope species, which include: the greater kudu, the lesser kudu, Guenther's dik-dok, mountain reedbuck (seen nowhere else in Uganda), eland, common duiker, klipspringer, oribi, defasa waterbuck, bushbuck and bohor redbuck. Elephants, Burchell's zebra, warthog, bushpig and buffaloes are also seen in Kidepo.

You can also think of birdwatching, with Kidepo's relatively small size, as many as 100 bird species of Uganda's bird species are found there. The bird specials include, the common ostrich, red-throated bee-eaters, black-breasted barbets, northen brownbul, golden pipit, chestnut weaver, carmine, kori bustard -to name but only a few of the more visible species.


GETTING THERE:

Due to the small portion of tourists visiting Kidepo, safari from Kampala can be arranged through local operators in Kampala.