Let’s be honest: Uganda’s appeal mostly lies in its incredible nature and welcoming locals, while the majority of cities and towns around the country are nothing to write home about. One exception we came across was friendly, laid-back Masindi in Central Western Uganda.
While it’s certainly a convenient base to visit some of the region’s top attractions, like Murchison Falls National Park, we found it to be a pleasant place in its own right. With a leafy centre, some interesting historical attractions and great restaurants, this quickly became our favourite town in Uganda.
Here’s my personal top 5 reasons why you shouldn’t skip Masindi during your travels through the country.
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5 Great Reasons to Visit Masindi, Uganda
There is a Rare Historic Walking Trail
For us, something that immediately set apart Masindi from other Ugandan towns was the historic walking trail that leads to several interesting buildings and monuments around town. Ask around at the New Court View Hotel to get a leaflet detailing all the places of interest in town.
Interesting stops along the route include the Polish Church, which was constructed by Polish Refugees during WW2 and a brick pyramid marking the place, where British explorer Samuel Baker met with King Kabalega of the Bunyoro Kingdom in 1872.
Another place well worth checking out is the historic Masindi Hotel, which is the oldest Ugandan Hotel still in operation and in the 1950s housed Ernest Hemingway, as well as Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart while they were filming The African Queen in nearby Murchison Falls NP.
It’s the Best Base for Murchison Falls NP
Murchison Falls National Park arguably is Uganda’s top safari destination, and Masindi is the ideal base to visit it. If you’re going on a wildlife drive here, there are pretty much guaranteed sightings of hippos, elephants, giraffes and various kinds of antelopes, plus you have a good chance to spot lions (at least we did).
The park is named after the dramatic Murchison Falls, where the Nile River squeezes through a super narrow rocky gorge, making it the most powerful waterfall in the world. You can take a launch cruise up the Nile, which ends close to the falls and also has great opportunities for spotting wildlife along the way.
See Also: Spending One Amazing Day in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is Close By
White Rhinos are the only member of the Big Five that you can’t spot in Uganda’s National Parks, as they locally went extinct in the early 1980s. However, since the turn of the millennium, efforts have been made to breed and ultimately reintroduce rhinos into the country’s National Parks.
The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where White Rhinos can reproduce and grow up in a safe environment, is at the centre of that ongoing effort. Here, you can visit the impressive creatures with one of the sanctuary’s guides and also take part in various other wildlife-spotting activities.
To get to the sanctuary from Masindi, you can either take a guided tour with private transport or make your way there by using a combination of buses, walking and hitch-hiking, like we did. Check out my dedicated guide to the Sanctuary for detailed information on how to do that.
See Also: Visiting Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – The Only Place to See White Rhinos in Uganda
It’s Close to Serene Lake Albert
Huge Lake Albert is the northernmost of the chain of lakes in the Albertine Rift and a good destination for a half-day trip from Masindi. The most convenient place to get close to the lake is Butiaba, a tiny fishing village on the north-eastern shore of Lake Albert.
Butiaba certainly doesn’t have any proper ‘sights’, but if you want a taste of sleepy Ugandan Village life (or a group of 30 local kids following you around, because mzungus are pretty much non-existent here), it’s the place to go.
Infrequent matatus to Butiaba leave from Masindi’s taxi park, as soon as they’re full (it’s not a popular route, so be prepared to wait). Otherwise, you can take a taxi (or boda-boda, if you don’t mind a bumpy ride).
See Also: Exploring Butiaba Fishing Village on the Shores of Lake Albert, Uganda
It’s Just a Nice Place to Hang Around
While we used Masindi as a base for all the places mentioned above, we also just enjoyed hanging around in town, as it’s quieter and a lot greener than most Ugandan towns, especially to the north of the small town centre in the quarter surrounding the former golf course.
If you’ve had your fill of matoke and mashed potatoes, there are also a couple of good restaurants serving comfort food in town, including the Traveler’s Corner along the Kampala-Masindi Road, or the Restaurant of the New Court View Hotel, slightly to the north-west of the town centre.
Practicalities
Hotels in Masindi
There are a lot of cheap local hotels as well as a few more upscale hotels in town. We were on a shoestring budget and stayed at the super cheap Buma Hotel, two blocks north of the taxi park. It was reasonably clean, although we had a nighttime mouse visitor (I can think of worse animal roommates).
Otherwise, Murchison Backpackers has both dormitories and private rooms available, while Kabalega Resort is said to be a good midrange option. If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious, the historic Masindi Hotel would be your best bet in town.
How to Get to Masindi
Masindi lies a little off the Highway connecting Kampala and Gulu, and there are direct bus connections from many cities in both the south and the north of the country.
Traveling from the southwestern or the eastern part of the country, it’s probably better to change buses in Kampala instead of relying on much slower matatu connections along the smaller roads.
When telling bus or taxi-drivers where you want to go, remember that Ugandans don’t pronounce the ‘I’ at the end of words, and will have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, when you don’t pronounce it ‘Masind’. Trust me, we forgot, and it led to much confusion 😂.
Where to Go Next
Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s Best Safari Destination
Gulu, the Capital of the North