Food and goods are cheap. On a shoestring you can get by on less than 10 euro a day, excluding park visits and other expensive activities. Make sure you bargain for everything you buy around town except in the bigger stores and malls.
Never pay face value when buying from the local vendors around town. Hotels can be costly, so if you are a student it would be a good idea to look for a hostel in Kampala. Most people have to buy a visa when they arrive at the airport currently (2006-May-04) this costs US $50 (single-entry 3 month). Bills must be newer than 2000! You used to have to pay when you left the country (air-tax), but this has been removed.
Tipping is not part of Ugandan culture and not expected, but it would definitely get you amazing service.
Facts about Uganda – Eating in Uganda
Food from Uganda is a sensation. You could sample the luwombo, which is meat cooked in green leaves. It has a tantalising aroma. You could also try the fried fish, though its mainly cooked on the beach and it is found to be succulent. You might also want to try the traditional matooke, binyebwa (ground nut sauce), chapatti, and meat stew.
Toasted sandwiches can be found in some places for the less adventurous. If this does not appeal, it is best (and far more interesting) to stop at roadside stands or in markets to purchase fresh produce — fruits and vegetables abound and are very cheap, to say nothing of the roasted mealies and roasted chicken. There are also a number of fast-food places, such as Nando’s, Steers, Domino’s Pizza, and Hungry Lion, in the city centre.
A basic local dish start at around 5000 USh, and goes up to 50000 USh depending on where you are eating from. A cut-up pineapple you can have for only 1000. See the Fang Fang Hotel below for good Chinese food in Kampala. Other Chinese restaurants with good food include Fang fang restaurant (different from hotel above), China Palace, and Golden China restaurant all located in the city centre.
In Entebbe, try the Boma Guesthouse on Gowers Rd. (see below under Sleep). Local food in Entebbe can be found at the Golf course restaurant and at the Airport Motel among other places. In Jinja, the Ling Ling offers some great Chinese food. But head downtown on Main Street to the Source Cafe for a great variety of food (and you can surf the web while you eat).
