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KAMPALA is probably the politest place on the planet. It’s also one of the cleanest capital cities and among the bumpiest to drive around in my opinion.
It’s also one of the few places where you will rarely hear a bad word said about former Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi … but we’ll come to that later.
This sweet but all too brief visit to Kenya came courtesy of Gulf Air which invited a small, select band of journalists on its inaugural flight from Bahrain International Airport to Entebbe International Airport.
Entebbe airport has that feel of a provincial UK airport, pretty drab apart from the mobile phone advertisements and scores of campaign election posters professing the virtues of Yoweri K Museveni sporting a dashing white hat and promising voters better services and jobs. He’s the president, enough said.
Its blandness was in stark contrast to its surroundings. Green lush fields are close to the runway, even the surrounding earth has a rich red glow about it and the people milling around donned clothes so vibrantly coloured you needed sunglasses to shield the glare. Why make do with blue when you can wear purple, or beige when your trousers can be orange?
We stayed for a night at the splendid Kampala Serena Hotel, around a 40-minute drive from the airport but a lot longer if you get side-tracked about an issue over luggage and caught up, as we did, in rush-hour traffic.
In a packed press conference where Gulf Air’s chief services officer Marcus Bernhardt was aptly selling the virtues of Bahrain airport’s excellent connectivity, the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority managing director Dr W. Rama Makuza fielded a question from one of the local newshounds about the airport. He asked whether it was going to receive a make-over.
Not likely, was the reply. The money is being spent attracting people to Uganda, so why waste any on arrivals once they’ve already been enticed and touched down?
The good doctor appeared to be missing the point. One of the joys of arriving at Bahrain International is the airport’s amazing vibrancy, particularly at this time of year. You smile the moment you step off the plane and for travellers first impressions are vitally important.
What a missed opportunity because there is plenty to celebrate in Uganda. For example, travel guide guru Lonely Planet has just named it number one in its top 10 countries to visit in 2012.
James, our delightful driver, gave us a tour of Kampala in his minibus. He was a master of manoeuvring around and up-and-down potholes offering passengers what he called a ‘free African massage’!
On one hill lies the grave and headstone of the first African priests to be ordained in Uganda beside a Roman Catholic cathedral and on another stands an impressive mosque, paid for by one Col Gaddafi, who James said was an annual visitor to the country before his demise.
We drove down a road named in honour of the deceased dictator on our way to a marvellous market selling jewellery and an array of ornaments. Our party was not harassed or hassled by sellers. Instead, we were politely welcomed with smiling faces and softly spoken voices and the policy of the ‘more you bought, the better the price’ came without tough haggling.
Walking the streets proved to be a pleasant experience too as there was no pushing or shoving by people in a rush. Pedestrians carefully place litter in the bins and they don’t like people smoking cigarettes in public places either.
But the perilous holes in the pavements are hard to avoid when you are constantly peering skywards at the flocks of scavenging storks perched in the trees. Forget about plagues of pigeons or greedy gulls … these guys have got to be seen to be believed!
We thought we would check out the metro service but the subway sign only led to an underground café and bar. A friendly customer waved us through a kitchen area with a smile as we made our way back to the surface.
Water is a big attraction too. Not only is the legendary source of the River Nile close by but there are man-made lakes too. We visited one belonging to a tribal king and met children playing close to their homes.
Back at the hotel, dusk was greeted by a deafening chorus of frogs and toads in full voice hopping around the ponds. One of the security men told me the noise reminded him of his village.
On the return flight the passengers were joined by a cargo hold full of flowers for the Saudi market. Fresh fruit such as succulent pineapples and bananas (one variety can even make a mash better tasting than potato) must surely follow.
After a 12-year gap Gulf Air is back flying the route to Entebbe and, as Lonely Planet neatly put it, it’s taken nasty dictatorships and a brutal civil war to keep Uganda off the tourist radar. Stability is returning and visitors will be flocking back soon.
There is also a saying which suggests that ‘when one drinks African water, one will always return to Africa’. I’ve had a taste and hope to join them soon. It’s a jungle out there … and a real one lies within touching distance just five hours flying time away.
There are four non-stop weekly flights between Entebbe and Bahrain. Visit www.gulfair.com to check out the special promotional offers.
