Frequently Asked Questions

Visa/work permits:

For most visitors 3-months tourist visa is enough and can either be obtained upon arrival in Entebbe Airport, at any other Ugandan border post (cash only US$ 30 or _25) or can be ordered in advance through the Ugandan embassy in your country of origin. The cost for a 3-month tourist visa is US$ 30. Having obtained the visa in advance can help to shorten immigration but be careful: often they stamp only one month into your passport on arrival even if you have paid for the full three months at home. It is dated from the day of issue not arrival in Uganda. Once it is done you can only apply (and pay again) for extension at the end of the first month, which is quite troublesome. Therefore, always emphasize the exact period you want on first arrival! When applying for visa and filling in immigration forms, you should register as student visitor or tourist. Students and short-term volunteers usually do not need official work permits but they must be ordered for long-term workers on arrival through the Anglican Province Office in Kampala. Qualified professionals should bring relevant documents for Uganda registration with Ministry of Health in Kampala.

Flights/Transfer:

There are direct flights from London (BA) and Amsterdam (KLM) to Entebbe Airport and also flights via Nairobi (Kenya Airways), Addis Ababa (Ethiopian) and Dubai (Emirates). However, flying into Entebbe means that it will take you almost two more days until you reach Kabale. You first have to get to Kampala (1-hour taxi drive) and then can take a bus (we recommend the Post Bus (cost: 10 Euros), which leaves every day except Sunday at 7.30 a.m. and reaches Kabale about 4 p.m. Another option is to hire private transport (about 150 Euro) or catch a lift with somebody from the hospital. Flying into Rwanda implies a stop at Nairobi, Brussels or Addis but will take you to Kabale in a much shorter time: about 2 hours of driving and half an hour at the border. You need to put a Rwandan address for transit so could use Gahini hospital, BP 22 Kigali. Attention: the border closes at 6 pm, Rwandan time (= 7 pm, Ugandan time). There are several options of transport from Kigali to the border: private taxi hire, minibus from Kigali’s main taxi park or the Regional/Jaguar bus (big coach). If you take the taxi or minibus option, you will need to find new transport on the Ugandan side of the border or be picked up by hospital staff there, the coaches go across the border and stop in Kabale on their way to Kampala.

Accommodation:

Rugarama Health Centre does not have its own accommodation facilities. The two most commonly used options are the following. Apart from those there are plenty of hostels and some comfortable hotels in town.

Diocesan Guest House:

New big self-contained rooms (UgShs. 30,000 = 15 ¤ p.p./night) or smaller rooms with shared facilities (UgShs. 20,000 = 10 ¤ p.p./night). Prices include breakfast. All bathrooms have warm water. The guest house is on Rugarama Hill, close to the Diocesan Offices, schools, etc. It has a garden and two sitting rooms. Meals are usually prepared by the Hostel warden *(lunch or supper cost UgShs. 3,500= 4 ¤), who also does the cleaning of the rooms, laundry can also be done. The walk to the clinic and further on to town will take you about 10 minutes down the hill.

University Guest Flat (Faith House II):

For those who prefer a bit more independence and privacy, Faith House II might be the better option. This semi-detached little house on the Christian university campus, on Rugarama Hill offers a double and two single rooms (for UgShs. 7,500 p.p. per night), kitchen, bathroom with warm shower and a sitting room with dining table. It is roughly at the same distance from the clinic. Occupants must all be of the same sex or married couples. Washing and cleaning is included in the price. Cooking must be done by yourself. Both accommodations have a water filter and mosquito-nets for all the beds. Bed linen is provided.

Food:

The usual Ugandan food consists of beef, goat or chicken stew with rice (but meat is in general luxury food and only provided on special occasions), cooking bananas, Irish and/or sweet potatoes, groundnut sauce and greens or beans. If you fancy Western food, there are several restaurants in town. For safe sweet and savoury snacks, there is the Hot Loaf bakery. self-caterers can stock up at the local market for fresh fruit and vegetables - if you are brave you can even buy fresh meat and fish there. Everything else can be obtained in either one of the two Indian supermarkets.

Clothes:

Dress code see homepage Due to our location close to the equator, the temperatures hardly change throughout the year. Nights are cool with temperatures falling to below 10 °C and during the day they rise to about 25 °C although feeling a lot hotter in the sun. Rainfall patterns are not as steady as they used to be, but rainy seasons should be between February and May and in September and October. However this does not mean that it rains every day and all day long. So apart from long summer skirts, dresses and trousers, as well as decent tops (shirts for men) and shoes for work, you should bring a fleece jacket, a light rain coat, a sun-hat, strong shoes for walking on muddy tracks and t-shirts and other light clothes that will cope with harsh hand-washing methods and strong detergents. Skirts from local material can easily be made in town. Bathing clothes should be brought for weekends on Lake Bunyonyi, but are not acceptable for back-yard sun-bathing.

Communication:

Letters from Europe take about 2-3 weeks to arrive in Kabale and can be sent via the hospital post Box 785. There is no landline connection in either of the accommodations. However, local SIM cards can be obtained at a low price and work in just about any Western mobile phone if unlocked. Sending text messages to Europe and Australia is a cheap and good way of communication. If there is no power cut, there are good internet facilities in the health centre library, the university library on the hill and quite a number of internet cafes in town.

Personal Health (Immunisations, Malaria prevention, etc.)

Despite being located above 2000m of altitude, mosquitoes are a big problem in Kabale and so is malaria. So you do need mosquito repellent (those with DEET), mosquito nets (bring your own, if you plan to travel) and we recommend you take a prophylaxis (either Malarone or Mefloquine or Doxycyclin). Another must because of the altitude, is a strong sun-lotion. Basic hygiene items can be obtained in town, although you might want to bring your own shampoo and hair gel (unless you have very curly hair). You should know your blood group and check current immunisation recommendations with your GP or travel clinic. Usual ones are Yellow fever (need certificate), tetanus/diphtheria, typhoid, polio, meningitis A & C, hepatitis A, hepatitis B. Keep a copy of the yellow fever certificate in your passport.

Things to bring:

Other things to bring are a good, strong torch, a digital camera, rechargeable batteries and a charger. A good book apart from your Bible might also be a good idea, as there is no such thing as a book shop in Kabale. A good selection to borrow or swap is in the CMS library currently located with the Bartons.