Entebbe

Entebbe sits on a peninsula reaching into Lake Victoria, and it is where every Uganda itinerary begins. The international airport is here rather than in Kampala, forty kilometres away, and the town is noticeably calmer than the capital — lakeside, green, and well supplied with hotels used to early departures and late arrivals. The National Botanical Gardens run down to the shore and are surprisingly good for birds and monkeys in an hour before a flight, and the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a refuge for orphaned and rescued chimpanzees, lies a boat trip out on the lake.

Why visit Entebbe

• The arrival and departure point for every Uganda safari, on the shore of Lake Victoria.
• The National Botanical Gardens, good for birds and monkeys within walking distance of most hotels.
• Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a refuge for rescued and orphaned chimpanzees.
• A far calmer base than Kampala, and much closer to the airport.

Wildlife

Not a wildlife destination in itself. The botanical gardens hold vervet and black-and-white colobus and good lakeside birdlife. Ngamba Island cares for rescued chimpanzees, which are sanctuary animals rather than a wild population.

• Vervet and colobus monkeys in the botanical gardens
• Lakeside birdlife on Lake Victoria
• Rescued chimpanzees at the Ngamba Island sanctuary

Best time to visit

Year-round. Warm and humid, with rain possible in any month.

Year-round.

Things to do

Botanical Gardens walk

An easy lakeside walk with monkeys and birds, practical before a flight.

Ngamba Island sanctuary

A boat trip to the chimpanzee refuge on Lake Victoria, arranged separately.

Lake Victoria boat trips

Short excursions on the lake, including birding trips towards Mabamba swamp for shoebill.

How long to stay

One night on arrival and, where flight times demand it, one before departure.

What it combines with

Entebbe is the start and end point for every Uganda route in the catalogue.