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How to get in Ssese Islands
How to get in Ssese Islands
There are two large ferries serving Buggala Island. One, a modern passenger/car ferry, runs daily between the Nakiwogo dock just south of Entebbe and Kalangala Bay. The ferry departs from Kalangala for Nakiwogo at 8 am daily, and returns leaving Nakiwogo at 2 pm daily. The journey takes about 3.5 hours, and there is a snack bar on the ferry. The ferry costs Shs 10,000 per person second class, or Shs 14,000 per person first class. There is little difference between the two classes, except that the first class area may be less crowded. There is usually plenty of room for passengers, but space for cars is limited. Nakiwogo can be reached easily by taxi, and sometimes by minibus, from downtown Entebbe.
The second ferry departs from Bukakata (near Masaka) and Luku/Bugoma on the Western end of the island. It leaves Bukakata at 8:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 4:00 pm, returning from Luku/Bugoma at 9:00 am, 12:30 am, 2:30 pm, and 5 pm. There are few accommodation options on this part of the island (see below). This is a wide, flat pontoon ferry, and is somewhat more chaotic than the Kalangala ferry. To get to Bukakata, bear left at the Total garage approaching Masaka from Kampala and turn left again at the Nyendo Trading Centre and once again left at the Petro Uganda filling station. By public transport, ask the conductor to get out at Nyondo stage about 2 kms from Masaka town. There are several pick up trucks making the 40 km journey between Nyondo and Bukakata daily in each direction. From Bukakata to Kalangala, it is 32 km by road, and there are regular pick up trucks in both directions.
Transport to Bulago Island by speedboat can be arranged with the owners. An airstrip is being built on the island.
Other islands may be served by lake taxis. These are large wooden boats, perhaps 10m in length and 2-3m wide, that transport goods and local passengers around the islands. The bottom of the boats may be filled with ice, soda, bananas, etc. on which passengers will have to find a seat. These leave from the Kasenyi fishing terminal, about halfway between Kampala and Entebbe. There is no dock -- passengers are carried through chest-deep water on the shoulders of porters -- so expect to get a bit wet. These boats also rock in the waves much more than the larger ferries, so passengers may experience some sea sickness. The boats do not provide life vests. It is best to inquire with your place of destination to find out the timings for the boats, as they may vary a bit. The boats also do not always keep to their schedules, so arrive early and expect to wait around. There are small restaurants to have a soda and a snack while you wait. Kasenyi is about 5 km from the Entebbe-Kampala highway via a dirt road, and this road is served by minivans. It is not recommended to leave a car at Kasenyi (and it is recommended to watch your valuables) as it is a somewhat dodgy place. Most long trips cost around Shs 10,000.
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Ssese Islands Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.