Everything You Heard About Uganda Is True… And It Also Isn’t
The casual stereotype is true: the Ugandans are a very vibrant bunch of people.
Everywhere you go, there is music and dance. People congregate in large groups. Everyone is always animated. Here, Celebration is the cornerstone of every day and somewhere someone is always celebrating something: a graduation, a wedding, a birth, a funeral. Nobody is ever truly alone – it makes me wonder how an introvert survives in a place like Uganda, where the spirit of togetherness is so deeply ingrained in the very fabric of its soul that there is always a reason to come together in large groups. Here, I’m immediately met with memories of every single artefact that has ever acquainted me with this culture of people – books, movies, clips, videos – and I am deeply astonished by how unexaggerated they have all been.
“Be careful”, they say.
“Their people are intrusive.”
“The traffic is terrible, they have no water, and you will catch a disease.”
Everything I heard about Uganda is true… but it also isn’t.
Load up on powerbanks, don’t drink the water, never take Malaria lightly. The monster traffic jams, the chaotic city crowds, the Africa Time, always be on high alert because petty crime is common and often it is the unsuspecting ‘Mzungus‘ who are targeted. Also, be prepared for their people who will stare and come up very close and ask you plenty of questions that leave you feeling deeply uncomfortable. For example, How old are you? Are you married? How much did this trip cost you? How much do you make back home? Sometimes, the children are the ones who put you in a spot: you return their smile, and they take it as an invitation to come up to you and casually ask for money. If you say no, they counter-request a seemingly non-valuable possession that’s on you: a bracelet, a pen, a bottle, a hat.
Sounds like quite a spectacle but all of that, is true.
However, if I were to also believe the things that aren’t true, here I would start to think that I’m about to be scammed, robbed, cheated out of something from all these personal questions. I would think the children insidious, and the food they’re about to offer me unsafe, plagued with all kinds of stereotypical African diseases that would make me sick.
But it isn’t. When it comes to Uganda, alot of what you hear will be true… and it also will be not. The key is to follow up with the front of what is said and leave out the back part of it, which is often nothing more than a well-meaning narrative offered by individuals whom themselves have not experienced any of it firsthand.
So what, really, is truth and what is just an acccompanying stereotype? The next time someone tells you something about Uganda, think long and hard about it, then decide.
8 TRUTHS ABOUT TRAVELLING TO UGANDA
1. The Malaria Risk Is Real
The risk for Malaria in Uganda is high across the year; precaution is necessary – and take that from me, a notorious non-stickler for advisory when it comes to health travel. As a matter of fact, I did go into Uganda with absolutely no Malaria prep at all – a decision I backtracked within three hours into crossing the border, when I stumbled upon a local pharmacy tucked away in a dusty, forgotten nook of an old mall in Kampala.
Malaria is real, guys. You can die from it; and even if you recover, you can suffer long-term complications from it; and as with many illnesses, as far as Malaria goes, prevention is better than cure. There is no vaccine, only anti-malarial meds; bolster that with good mosquito repellent, balm, patchers, mosquito nets when you sleep… and also think about investing in long sleeved shirts and pants. Every, and i mean every, mosquito bite you get here, will leave you worrying with anxiety for the next two weeks (or more).
3. The Deal About Ugandan Water
They’re getting there with baby steps, but as of now, do not use tap water for anything other than showering. I visited Uganda as part of a trek group; and whenever water was needed for cooking & prep, it was always store bought, never even boiled tap water.
Also do not swim in open waters unless you have done your research and know it to be safe (for instance, Lake Buyonyi, or the Nile River). This is because alot of Ugandan waters contain TIL Freshwater snails – which sound adorable… but are actually some of the deadliest creatures in the world. TIL Freshwater snails release parasites into water which causes schistosomiasis in humans, which is one of the leading causes of death in Africa today. In fact, in terms of impact, this disease is second only to Malaria in Uganda.
5. You’re Mzungu, Expect to be in the Centre of ALOT of Attention
Technically speaking, Mzungu is a term that refers to foreigners of Caucasian descent- but, it can also be loosely used on anyone who is not from “here”. It’s not racial/derogatory and is 100% neutral in context; but, it also means that they know when you’re an outsider, and will proceed to treat you as such: with plenty of boisterous love, warmth, exuberance, and endless curiosity.
Expect stares and waves and conversations filled with questions that typically don’t make first cut as icebreaker material anywhere else – but, these are also the same people who will invite you into their homes, share their most personal stories, and feed you for free. Here, the extroverted culture is celebrated through and through; and as far as social interactions go, very little is ever considered off-limits.
2. The Traffic in Kampala Is A Killer
In fact, it is so bad that it made it to BBC’s Top 10 Monster Traffic Jams in the World.
It’s mostly due to poor road & drainage conditions- so the situation gets thrown into an even bigger chaos when it rains.
On that same note, if you’re undertaking Uganda solo, I highly advise against attempting their roads on your own. All rules are made to be broken and every shortcut will lead you lost; and public transport, while a feebly better option, is also an uphill battle. There doesn’t seem to be a concept of a bus stop and yet, you need to know the route, exactly where you want to go, how much it is going to cost you, and at what moment to tell the driver to stop.
If you’re not one for hassle, your best bet is to make sure you’re hooked up with a tour operator that sees you from start to finish of your Ugandan itinerary.
4. Prepare for Powercuts
It can be said that no trip to Uganda is ever complete without experiencing your very own Ugandan powercut.
It will happen, and it will happen regularly, and you can expect power to be gone for a few hours each time it does. As far as travel goes, prepare for showers in the dark and perhaps the minor inconvenience of not being able to charge up your devices. For that reason, bring a good torchligt and refrain from procrastinating when it comes to refilling those batteries.
6. You’re Mzungu, You’re “Rich”
The irony of Mzungus is that many Ugandans automatically think them “rich”, when the reality is that most are likely visiting on a budget.
While it is not uncommon to experience ‘tourism tax’ on holiday. i.e. being overcharged for meals and transport and anything else tourist-related; here, you can also expect for strangers or even kids to come up to you and ask you for money (especially if you’ve been particularly friendly with them).
You can decline, but do not let yourself get affronted by their brazen and almost outlandish requests; it is what it is. While we might not necessarily see ourselves as being “rich”, we also cannot deny that, materially, we likely have more than them.
It’s all comes down to relativity, really. My nuanced take is that it’s not so much strict semantics about whether we’re actually “rich” or not, than the plain simple fact that we just have more to go around than they do. And so, they expect that you, rightfully, should have some bills to spare.
7. “Africa” Time Is An Actual Thing
Perhaps no other bad habit is as glorified here as the Ugandans’ relaxed attitude towards time. No one ever actually shows up on time, and if you come from a culture where punctuality is upheld as a virtue, you will be deeply shocked by how much of a norm it is not to be punctual here. Everything starts later than scheduled, and a relaxed approach to timekeeping means it is also not uncommon for things to overrun.
Unless you’re setting up permanent camp here, just go with the flow and don’t get too bugged about it. The reason behind Africa time is actually also largely due to their people’s natural tendency to value social interactions and relationships over strict adherence to schedules; and especially if you’re only just visiting for a short while, learn to just be at one with it.
8. Everyone Speaks English In Uganda (Even If You Feel They Don’t)
If you’ve done your digging on Uganda, perhaps you have come across the term Uglish (pronouned oo-glish), or even Uganglish/Ugandlish.
The Ugandans are so playful as a people that it reflects even in their colloquial speak – in fact some might even call their use of the language, Practical. 😂 Instead of basement, they say ‘go-down’; instead of farming, they say ‘digging’; and in smaller towns where tourism is not a big thing, hotels are sometimes just referred to as, restaurants (interestingly, the literal translation for hotel in Mandarin Chinese is, ‘rice shop’).
Sometimes, the vernacular gets hilariously witty: a ‘side dish’ is someone’s mistress, ‘eating money’ is when you spend like there’s no tomorrow (usually with a hint towards corruption), and a ‘detoother’ is, not a dentist like what it sounds, but a materialistic gold-digger. Sometimes, Uglish even accidentally ruffles feathers: “you are looking fat!” is not an insult but a compliment that you’re looking well; “are we together?” is not a relationship or marriage proposal but merely a check to see if you’re still following their conversation (i.e. do you understand them?); and “you are lost” is not a dig at your lack of navigation or sense of direction, but, simply, a statement implying that they haven’t seen you for some time and/or they miss you.
Nowhere else in the world is English spoken quite the way it’s spoken in Uganda. It might take some getting used to and there will definitely be a misunderstanding or two at first… but once you get behind the linguistics of their colloquial speak, you really cannot help but love their beautiful minds for it.
Uganda, is a land of people whose hearts know no bounds: where you see a lack of boundaries, they see the richness of the human experience; and where you see an encroachment of personal space, they see ties and kinship. These people come as they are, they don’t beat around the bush, and they are extremely transparent in their speak. Sometimes, this means they come across inappropriate, but underneath that outlandish candidness lies a warmth that is refreshing, genuine, and endearing – even as it comes a little rough around its edges.
Comments
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Ian Akatwijuka
This was a really nice read 😂 you got most things right and you handled it with compassion. We really do not have boundaries but it’s because we love bigly. And we do love our Uglish!!!!!!
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shafinah.j
you guys definitely do!! not gonna lie, Uganda remains one of my top travel experiences. I’m not even referring to all the ‘big’ stuff that was seen or done, but the little things that really made me feel. Love where you are!
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Viewsaroundus
Informative article about Uganda, have not read much about what you have mentioned here
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shafinah.j
you’re welcome, glad to have been able to furnish you with some fun tidbits! ❤️
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Marga
Great post! Uganda has been on my wish list for some time and this will help me so much with the preparation. Learned a lot, so thanks!
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shafinah.j
you’re most welcome Marga, glad i could help in my own lil ways! 🥰🥰
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Katie
Great post! I have not heard much about Uganda. Your post was really helpful in understanding the cultural and social norms and what to expect. It’s so wonderful to experience new countries and have an understanding as well as an appreciation of the differences. Thank you!
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shafinah.j
you’re welcome Katie, thank you so much for your lovely comment! ❤️❤️
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Felicia
I’ve always wanted to visit Africa (and will one day) but I’m nervous about how my interracial relationship will be viewed. I wonder what happens when you are foreign but not white?
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shafinah.j
that’s me!! i’m asian, and you pretty much get the same treatment as whites. tbh i think they have the same curiosity and awe for anyone whom they know’s not from there. (trust me, they can tell.) you can look forward to the same warmth and hospitality, they’ll be all over you!
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Christy S.
Uganda hasn’t been on my radar for a while. This post is a great reminder not to believe stereotypes and to fact check + keep an open mind.
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shafinah.j
well said! unfortunately, typecasting is such an intuitive nature of humans, so we just need to be mindful of all times and see them as individuals before stereotyping them based on hearsay! ❤️
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Patri
Such a well written post, very interesting read to understand some cultural aspects in Uganda. I have never been to the country and so far it is not part of my bucket list, but your post has certainly ignited some curiosity.
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shafinah.j
thanks Patri!!! i’m happy to know that my words piqued your curiosity, it means a lot to me as a writer! ❤️❤️
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Anna
Such an interesting read about Uganda, especially since I have never thought of visiting! I am mainly concerned about all the shots, Malaria, and mosquitoes (these love me even here in Spain lol) But on the other hand, The African nature and the people… especially once you get to know them, and go beyond Mzungu
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shafinah.j
😂😂😂😂 tell me about it, i am the Taylor Swift of the mosquito world
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BJ
Mexico, Hawaii, and Africa have the same attitude about “time” and it’s kind of refreshing, eh? Great article!
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shafinah.j
that’s super interesting to know – the world definitely needs more chill, that i’ll agree 😅
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Nicholas A
Reading this from my home country Uganda brings joy to my heart cz ur so spot on with every point about my people.
Otw, minus the bad leadership hovering over most ugandans, people mind their business mostly and what doesn’t bother them, really doesn’t bother them or should I say US…..-
shafinah.j
gosh Nicholas this means SO MUCH to me especially coming from a true blue Ugandan himself! It means alot that this article resonated with you – I LOVED Uganda so much when i was there, the people were really AMAZING and soooo warm! You guys are truly THE BEST 🖤💛❤️
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Linda (LD Holland)
I really had not heard much about Uganda. So this post was great to help understand what is myth and truth. We have learned to take the generalities about new places with a grain of salt. We might never leave home thinking we will be robbed, scammed or overwhelmed. Real issues like Malaria, bad water and power issues will be things we would prepare for. And we actually are prepared for most other cultures to now move at the pace we do at home. A great post for people planning to visit Uganda.