Uganda – Entebbe (Olwen reports after day 1)

Posted on June 18, 2016


If you are of a certain age then flying to Entebbe and Uganda brings memories of the 70’s.  In 1976 the ‘Raid on Entebbe’ was a dramatic rescue by the Israelis of a hijacked plane at Entebbe. And before that in 1972 there was the expulsion by Idi Amin of 80,000 Ugandan Asians.  I was at secondary school in Northern Ireland at the time and was involved in a school/church project in Birmingham to help the Ugandan Asians settle into life in the UK.

Our first ride to Uganda filled up in a weekend, more quickly than any other ride we’ve ever promoted. For some it is the appeal of riding along the Nile, for others it is seeing Lake Victoria, for others it is to visit Uganda, the Pearl of Africa and of course the chance to see the mountain Gorillas is a huge attraction.

We’ve mostly arrived on Emirates from various points in the UK converging at Dubai for the flight to Entebbe and the Americans in the group have flown with KLM via Amsterdam. The pilot warns us of rain at Entebbe and so we arrive to a heavy grey sky. Yellow Fever vaccinations are checked as we arrive at immigration although I don’t know what happens to those in the growing queue at the medical centre, presumably without the all important vaccination. Are they vaccinated on the spot? – I’m just relieved that we are all safely through.

uganda accommodation
It’s a short drive to the lovely Boma Guesthouse which is set in the midst of lush green gardens (presumably benefiting from all that rain).

I feel that this African trip is going to offer the chance to experience a little of real Africa and it is perfectly safe for us to walk out of the guesthouse and explore a little. We change some money getting a huge wad of notes (c. 5000 Shillings to the pound).

entebbe
These mannequins don’t follow the western world’s size zero standard!

markets in uganda
I don’t recognise half of these vegetables but they look great.

Dinner at the Boma Guesthouse is superb, and not just because we’ve all had some 20 hours of airline food, with delicious  vegetable, fish and meat curry and home made ice cream to follow.

dining in uganda
This little fellow reminds me of my puppy at home. I also hear an Irish accent and discover that the Boma is owned by a couple from Galway! So, all in all, a great start to the trip,

Tomorrow we journey by road from Entebbe to Jinja and meet our horses.

To read about the later days of the trip, click below.

Riding by the Nile and Lake Victoria

Schools, sugar and tea

It’s wet in a rainforest

Wild waters of the Nile

Mountain Gorillas

If you would like to join this fantastic riding adventure in Uganda, here is a link to our website with more details of the ride, the itinerary and the forthcoming dates and prices.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *