ABOUT ENTEBBE
Entebbe is a city in Uganda. Entebbe is very peaceful town that welcomes you to the pearl of Africa. It also has a cool environment and the climate is always moderate for the stay since it’s surrounded by the largest fresh water body.
Entebbe is the place of Uganda’s international airport. The drive from or to Kampala is about an hour in light traffic, and more than two hours when it congeals. The United Nations increasingly use a heavily guarded airport compound at Entebbe as a depot and staging area for their heavy equipment and vehicels that are used in peacekeeping missions in the region of Central Africa. They have their own immigration and customs procedures and a heavy lift capability using Antonovs.
Entebbe offers a relaxed stop-over alternative to Kampala on your way into or out of the country by airplane, as the air is clean, the streets are safe to walk, and the old colonial gardens and parks with the lake in the background make for a serene atmosphere.
The Aiport
Entebbe International Airport is the main gateway to Kampala and the rest of Uganda.
The airport is located near the town of Entebbe which is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa. In addition to that, Entebbe airport is located at a distance of 35 kms from Kampala.
The airport consists of two terminals which handle domestic and international flights respectively. Therefore, Entebbe airport offers a range of passenger services like commuter taxi service to Kampala, outlets of car rental agencies, baggage facilities and lost and found and left luggage facilities, airline lounges and a lounge called Karibuni which is accessible to economy class passengers on the payment of a $15 fee, disabled passenger assistance, a post office and several wife hot spots which are provided and maintained by Uganda Telecom.
Entebbe is much more fun to explore different attractions by boat cruise, hiking and walking through nature. The city was, at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962. Entebbe is the location of Entebbe International Airport, Uganda’s largest commercial and military airport. Entebbe International Airport (IATA: EBB, ICAO: HUEN) is the principal international airport of Uganda.
Entebbe is perhaps most famous for an Israeli commando raid on 4 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 Uganda’s president at the time, Idi Amin, was supporting the hijackers. Over 40 Ugandan troops were killed by the Israelis during the rescue.
History in a nutshell
“Entebbe”, in the local language , means a “seat”, and was probably named that because it was the place where a Baganda chief sat to adjudicate legal cases. It first became a British colonial administrative and commercial centre in 1893 when Sir Gerald Portal, a colonial Commissioner, used it as a base. Port Bell went on to become Kampala’s harbour. Although no ships dock there now, there is still a jetty which was used by Lake Victoria ferries.
Entebbe is perhaps best known to Europeans as the home of Entebbe international airport , the main international airport of Uganda, which was first opened in 1929. It was also from this airport that Queen Elizabeth II departed Africa to return to England in 1952 when she learned of her father’s death and that she had become Queen.
Location
Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake. . It lies at 0.0500N, 32.4600E (Latitude: 0° 3′ 0.00″; Longitude: 32° 27′ 36.00″). The town is situated in Wakiso district, approximately 37 kilometres southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. The Municipality is located on a peninsula into Lake Victoria covering a total area of 56.2 square kilometres out of which 20 square kilometres is water.
Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government of the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962.
Attractions
- The National Botanical Gardens, laid out in 1898.
- Home of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI)
- Location of the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) . The center also serves as the National zoo.
- State House, the Official residence of the President of Uganda.
- Home to the historical site in Kigungu where the first catholic missionaries Brother Amans and Father Mon Maple Lourdel landed to establish the catholic faith in Uganda.
- Home of the Oldest Golf course in East Africa called Entebbe Golf Club which was established in 1900.
Population:In 2011 the UBOS (Uganda Bureau of Statistics) estimated the population of Entebbe at approximately 79,700.
Getting There
To get to Entebbe from the rest of the country will usually involve passing through Kampala, the country’s capital city. Small minibuses go to Entebbe from Kampala and vice versa on a very regular basis. Speak to the bus conductor about the minibus fares. The journey itself can take anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours. This is all dependent on the traffic on the day.
Getting Around
Boda-boda (Motorcycle Taxi) is the easiest choice to go around. However, boda-boda accidents are commonplace and hiring a taxi from a trusted source would be your best bet, albeit slightly more expensive.
Weather
Entebbe features a tropical rainforest climate with relatively constant temperatures throughout the course of the year. Entebbe has noticeably wetter and drier months, with January being the city’s driest month and a noticeably drier stretch from July through September. Entebbe’s wettest months are April and May. Entebbe’s average annual temperature is approximately 25 degrees Celsius.
- Entebbe Municipality experiences a bimodal type of climate with two rainy seasons between May-June and September-December while the dry season stretches from January to March/April
- Average rainfall of 18,200mm
- Mean temperatures of 25.20C to 26.30C
Wind: 10mph SE
Humidity: 67%
Pressure: 30.06"Hg
UV index: 11
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