On the shores of gorgeous Lake Victoria, Entebbe is an attractive, verdant town that served as the capital city during the early years of the British protectorate. Today it’s the relaxed pace of life and nearby natural attractions that give the city its charm rather than any notable colonial relics. It is perhaps most famous for an Israeli commando raid on 4th July 1976, when over one hundred mainly Jewish hostages held on a hijacked Air France plane were rescued. The rescue was complicated by the fact that the then Ugandan president, Idi Amin, was supporting the hijackers. Over 40 Ugandan troops were killed by the Israelis during the rescue.
State House, the official residence of the President of Uganda, is on a hill overlooking the center of Entebbe. Area beaches include busy Lido Beach, near Entebbe International Airport. The lakeside Uganda Wildlife Education Center protects native animals in wetland, forest and savanna habitats. Nearby, Entebbe Botanical Garden has diverse plants, birds and monkeys. Also, close by is the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which protects orphaned chimps, the historical site in Kigungu where the first missionaries arrived, the East Africa’s oldest golf course, modern shopping and eating places, a variety of accommodation facilities accompanied by relaxing activities like boat rides among others.
Unless you have reason to rush into Kampala, Entebbe makes a nice, chilled-out introduction to Uganda, and many visitors prefer to base themselves here for a few days rather than in Kampala’s traffic-choked streets. It’s also the ideal place to end your trip if you’re stuck with one of the many early-morning flights out of Uganda’s only international airport.
- Entebbe’s Zoo – If you are not having any safari planned, this might be your opportunity to catch a glimpse of Africa’s wildlife. The zoo (formally known as Uganda Wildlife Educational Center) has a medium-size collection of wildlife saved from captivity, including lions, rhinos, zebras, crocs, giraffes, hyenas, chimpanzee and others. All animals are held in large, natural-like areas that gives a nice semi-authentic feeling. Admission for foreign adult is 30k Shillings (about $12) and you end up with 1.5-2 hours of good-old fun. TIP: The zoo opens daily in 9am and it is advised to come early before the animals go hiding in the shade from the midday’s sun.
- The Botanical Gardens – while not spectacular, the gardens are of interest to botanists and bird-watchers. They host stands of large trees in a parklike setting, an alleged filming site of a “Tarzan” movie, a troop of colobus and vervet monkeys, and various birds.
- Snake Park– Short drive from Entebbe you will find the Snake Park – most likely you will not see many snakes during your time in Uganda, but at the Snake Park you can make up for that – lots of vipers to see here.
- Ngamba Chimpanzee Island– (chimpanzee orphanage) has become a popular add-on to some of our Safari clients – you can stay overnight here and enjoy the Island and chimpanzees and have an interactive experience with the chimpanzees and watch them during feeding times. For quicker transport – you can now choose to fly to the island.
- Reptile village– There are over 20 different species reptiles on display ranging from cobras, boom slangs, skinks, monitor lizards, tortoises and the most poisonous snake in Africa the Baboon Viper. One enclosure is an open basin, as the species hosted there are non-climbing. Another basin is home for four different species of tortoises.
- Zika forest– The Zika forest is not well known in Uganda, and most people will be hard-pushed to tell you where it is. The word itself means overgrown in the local Luganda language. There is dense vegetation, a wide range of trees and lots of small animals. The only people you are likely to meet here are the forest-keeper and his family. They live in a small house made of corrugated iron sheets.
- Mabamba swamps– The Mabamba Swamps west of Entebbe is one of the best and most convenient places to see the elusive Shoebill. After a few minutes in a small canoe the papyrus reeds opens up into a flat grassy wetland where a number of Shoebill can regularly be seen. Take a trip to Entebbe to discover the undiscovered.
