For the moment I have made my booking with JKB hotel as per recomendations. Lets see how it goes.
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For the moment I have made my booking with JKB hotel as per recomendations. Lets see how it goes.
Hello everyone.
Really appreciate all the wonderful work you people have put into this thread. I've been researching it for a few weeks now and really learned a lot. I'll be leaving to Kampala sometime next month and will be staying for a month probably (holiday). First time in africa really. Initially I've settled on taking an apartment in "Prestige Apartments" since the monthly rate is ok for me. Question is, anybody ever tried it before? How friendly is it really? Could I hold a small party over there and have the girls (3 or 4) leave before 10pm or will they charge me for more people in the room? If anyone knows, please let me know.
Thanks again everyone.
[QUOTE=Tercar 66;1253421]For the moment I have made my booking with JKB hotel as per recomendations.[/QUOTE]
What Jiggydus said about the noise level in the Taxi Park area is real and no joke. To mitigate this at the JBK you have two options. One, you can request a room inside the hotel (against a solid wall) with no windows and no A / C which is the most quiet option. Or, at no additional cost, you can request a room with A / C facing the street. Of course, these rooms have windows, but they are sealed and this reduces the noise considerably. I prefer a view and A / C so this is what I choose, but some of the regulars there prefer to be inside. To each his own.
[QUOTE=Tercar 66;1253421]Lets see how it goes.[/QUOTE]
If for whatever reason you don't like the JBK, simply shift to another hotel. All of the others mentioned here (including the Aponeye) are less than a 5 min walk from each other.
[QUOTE=Nerd75; 1253775]Hello, everyone.
Really appreciate all the wonderful work you people have put into this thread. I've been researching it for a few weeks now and really learned a lot. I'll be leaving to Kampala sometime next month and will be staying for a month probably (holiday). First time in africa really. Initially I've settled on taking an apartment in "Prestige Apartments" since the monthly rate is ok for me. Question is, anybody ever tried it before? How friendly is it really? Could I hold a small party over there and have the girls (3 or 4) leave before 10pm or will they charge me for more people in the room? If anyone knows, please let me know.
Thanks again everyone.[/QUOTE]This is just an update. I contacted them by email. According to them, the rates on the site are old and now only apply for single occupancy. $200 dollars extra per month covers double occupancy with A / C. I also asked if I could leave the registration in my name only (not register the guest) , they said it's fine no problem with that. Hope that helps if anyone needs the info.
Guess I'll take a gamble and try them out. I like the location as I see on the map, not too far not too close.
I'll give an update once I get there next month.
Cheers
Hello,
Have you guys tried kabalagala? Lots of hidden hotels and girls. Come quench thirst.
[QUOTE=Nerd75; 1253775]Hello, everyone.
Really appreciate all the wonderful work you people have put into this thread. I've been researching it for a few weeks now and really learned a lot. I'll be leaving to Kampala sometime next month and will be staying for a month probably (holiday). First time in africa really. Initially I've settled on taking an apartment in "Prestige Apartments" since the monthly rate is ok for me. Question is, anybody ever tried it before? How friendly is it really? Could I hold a small party over there and have the girls (3 or 4) leave before 10pm or will they charge me for more people in the room? If anyone knows, please let me know.
Thanks again everyone.[/QUOTE]
Thank you guys for your inputs on Kampala prior to my trip. Stayed in JBK hotel. Average budget hotel with cooperative staff. But quite far for mongering. Checked out Rock Gargen Cafe and ITBO night club for pick up.
Happy mongering!
[QUOTE=Tercar 66; 1261026]Thank you guys for your inputs on Kampala prior to my trip. Stayed in JBK hotel. Average budget hotel with cooperative staff. But quite far for mongering. Checked out Rock Gargen Cafe and ITBO night club for pick up.
Happy mongering![/QUOTE]I see that you claimed to have went to Nairobi on this trip as well. Perhaps it escaped you, but Kampala is not Nairobi and is often referred to as a "village" by many Kenyans. While you may deem the JBK as just an "average budget hotel", the reality is that it's actually more of an ABOVE average budget hotel for Kampala and the city center location. It also happens to be closer to Rock gardens (YOUR specified mongering location) than any of the other budget hotels. You were given what you asked for. Kampala is what it is.
Hotels like the 680 in Nairobi are well over your stated price range in Kampala. As far as distance is concerned, your beloved "Black Diamonds" in Westlands is NOT walkable from the 680 hotel, whereas Rock gardens is less than a 15 min walk from the JBK.
ITBO Night club? Never heard of it.
Gentlemen,
I have a close friend who offers some interesting accomodation opportunity in Kampala as well as elsewhere in Uganda.
We're talking the guesthouse kind of accomodation, a good, clean, secure and comfortable room which is fairly priced; half way in between the expensive Hilton and the cheap Hostels.
Definitely worth a try.
I have no personal interest in this other than trying to help out a nice young friend who is a very good girl and wishes to try and make a buck with tourism.
She can provide drivers, guides and organize tours as well.
I have personally brought up the issue of accomodation in Kampala with her when she first told me she planned to start working in the tourism business. I knew this was an issue in town because I had read the forum while planning a trip over there, the trip didn't come yet but here we are. I might have done something good for the community, I certainly hope so.
Anyone who could be interested please just private message me and I will be glad to give you the contact details.
What goes around comes around.
Bless
The JBK is excellent at $50 USD per night for an air-con double. It is quite a challenge to find hotels in Africa that are in the $30 to $50 range and actually 'work'. You usually get the extremes, dumps under $30 USD that don't work or hotels above $50 USD that are over-priced. JBK fits nicely in the middle. Stay away from Aponye at $25 US per night, not everything 'works'. The extra $25 is worth it a t JBK.
While you may deem the JBK as just an "average budget hotel", the reality is that it's actually more of an ABOVE average budget hotel for Kampala and the city center location. It also happens to be closer to Rock gardens (YOUR specified mongering location) than any of the other budget hotels. You were given what you asked for. Kampala is what it is.
Hotels like the 680 in Nairobi are well over your stated price range in Kampala. As far as distance is concerned, your beloved "Black Diamonds" in Westlands is NOT walkable from the 680 hotel, whereas Rock gardens is less than a 15 min walk from the JBK.
ITBO Night club? Never heard of it.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Interracial;1263102]The JBK is excellent at $50 USD per night for an air-con double. It is quite a challenge to find hotels in Africa that are in the $30 to $50 range and actually 'work'. You usually get the extremes, dumps under $30 USD that don't work or hotels above $50 USD that are over-priced. JBK fits nicely in the middle. Stay away from Aponye at $25 US per night, not everything 'works'. The extra $25 is worth it a t JBK.[/QUOTE]Agreed and over the 3 or 4 years I've been going to Kampala, I haven't found anything better than the JBK in that price range, in that general location. Not even close. That said, I also understand that for some, $50 per night over a long period of time can add up and therefore the search for something cheaper, decent and functional continues.
To that end, the best option I've found to date is the Samalien Hotel on William street behind the old Equatoria Hotel (now a shopping mall). For a self-contained double in a secured, relatively quiet compound, it's about $20. As you would expect, there's no air-con but they do have a fan, TV (with limited channels) , hot water (from a tank vs head) and 24/7 power (full power). No fridge, but they do have chilled beers, sodas and water avail for sale at the reception. If they don't have something you fancy, they will go out and get it for you if someone is avail. Good staff (even better on a nominal tipping plan) and trustworthy. No restrictions on girls.
After 10pm, a boda or taxi is strongly advised to and from this location.
Am in Uganda now hanging with friends. Anyone around who would like to hang out sometime and chase some gals. Send me a message
Hey,
Is the Mamba Point Guesthouse in Kampala girl friendly / do they charge extra?
I am in Kampala tonight.
Anyone around want to go for a beer?
Kabalagala is located SE of the city center. The strip is located on Muyenga Road between Kibuli Road and Gaba Road. It is about 350m long.
There are a couple of hotels on the strip. Pearl Guesthouse is one and Mabira Hotel is the other. The music from the neighboring bar makes it impossible to sleep in Pearl from about 10pm to 6am. Mabira Hotel is much better. Rooms in Mabira start at about 40, 000 UGS. There are other hotels in the area, especially in Muyenga, but they are less convenient to bars and restaurants and may have other guests who are not denizens of the nightlife.
There are at least a dozen bars on the strip. Girls can be found in all of them. The two most popular are Capital Grill and De Posh. Both are crowded pretty much every night of the week.
Capital is full of pros. Some girls may not admit they are pros, but rest assured, nearly every girl in the place is there for one reason, to earn some extra shillings. There is an African girl there for every taste, regular or occasional worker, veteran or amateur, university student or product of the Kabalagala slum, big or small, young or old; you can find it at Capital. The going rate for ST starts at 10, 000 UGS. A girl who considers herself a queen of the scene may ask for 20, 000 UGS, but can be had for less. If a girl asks for more than 20, 000 UGS it is probably better to move on. Oddly, the rate for LT is about the same as the rate for ST. These girls rarely complain, and most will accommodate you for as long as your can go. With Wazungu, many girls do not admit they are pros. The want you to treat them as a girlfriend, something a local would never do. If you want, many will stay with you night and day, but rest assured they will not turn down outside business if the opportunity presents itself. A final note, you really have to watch your pockets in Capital, especially on the dance floor.
De Posh is a bit more upscale than Capital. There is a mix of pros and non pros. The pros move back and forth from bar to bar on the strip, so the particulars are the same wherever you find a pro.
There is not to do in Kabalagala outside of the nightlife. There are internet cafes, football on TV and pool in the bars.
There are places that provide massage in Muyenga, especially on Tank Hill Road. Massage and a HE will cost at least as much as ST or LT in the bars. Massage and all the extras can be had in Chez Bettina, but the prices are way out of line with the market.
Minibuses run along Gaba Road to Lake Victoria. Gaba Beach and KK Beach have food and occasionally live music. At Gaba Market they sell fried, Lake Victoria fish at cheap prices. Minibuses run along Gaba Road in the other direction to the city center. Motorbikes can also be hired to the city center from the strip for about 2, 500 UGS. Motorbikes to Garden City Mall run about 2, 000 UGS. Rule of thumb for motorbikes is 500 UGS per km.
[QUOTE=Ice Cold Coke;1272620]The going rate for ST starts at 10, 000 UGS. A girl who considers herself a queen of the scene may ask for 20, 000 UGS, but can be had for less. If a girl asks for more than 20, 000 UGS it is probably better to move on. Oddly, the rate for LT is about the same as the rate for ST.[/QUOTE]4 us dollar? Thats cheap. Better to stay at that area then the city center.