10 little-known things to do in Arua, West Nile
Nov 2, 16
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live Congolese music at Club Matonge, Arua West Nile

Here’s the muzungu’s guide on how to travel to Arua, 10 things to do in Arua and West Nile, all about Arua town, what to buy in Arua market – and the best times of year to travel.

The Muzungu writes: I first visited Arua in 2016. That trip to the far north west of Uganda would not have been possible without the guidance of Gerard Iga. He is the ‘go to’ guide for Arua and West Nile. In 2022, I revisited. The town has seen a number of changes, in particular: new roads and a huge new shopping centre in the middle of the town. I haven’t updated all the restaurant and hotel recommendations in this blog post yet but, as ever, if you have a question just send me a message.

diary-of-a-muzungu-meets-gerard-iga-inside-west-nile
Diary of a Muzungu meets Gerard Iga of Inside West Nile for local lunch in Arua

Special thanks to my friend Harriet Fowler who gave me a return Eagle Air ticket to Arua!

Flight to Arua from Entebbe with Eagle Air

eagle-air-flight-entebbe-to-arua Travel West Nile
The clouds below our small plane parted to reveal the shimmering water of Lake Albert and the River Nile
eagle-air-flight-over-murchison-falls-delta
I immediately recognised the shape of the Nile Delta, a popular location for Uganda safaris and a good place to see the Shoebill (although perhaps not from this height!)

The Victoria Nile flows down from Lake Victoria through Lake Kyoga via Karuma Falls and thundering down over the famous Murchison Falls. Heading north, the water becomes known as the Albert Nile, and flows from Lake Albert on through South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt.

eagle-air-flight-entebbe-to-arua
Flying north over the River Nile, I could make out the shadows of the highlands of Panyimur, location of hot springs. Mount Erusi is the highlands’ highest peak

If you like aerial photos, check out the Air Photo Archive of Settlement and Agriculture, Rural Uganda 1963, created by Walter Deshler, University of Maryland.

Jonam, Pakwach. Air Photo Archive of Settlement and Agriculture, Rural Uganda 1963
Jonam, Pakwach. Air Photo Archive of Settlement and Agriculture, Rural Uganda 1963

The land below remains surprisingly green as we headed north. Superficially at least, not much seems to have changed west of Pakwach in 50 years!

eagle-air-flight-entebbe-to-arua-travel West Nile
On the north bank of the River Nile, homesteads ‘clusters’ of thatched huts came into view

I could see no brick constructions and no tarmac roads, just dirt roads as far as the eye could see and the very occasional tin roof. Not a vehicle in sight. I could make out the occasional person on a bicycle on the red dust roads.

Borassus Palms are one of the distinguishing trees of the north bank of the Nile, their seeds carried from Sudan in the stomachs of wandering elephants, and later expelled to transform the environment.

Eagle Air flight to Arua. Landing from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu on Vimeo.

We had a very easy landing at Arua Airstrip. Watch the short clip to the end – how delightful to see the schoolchildren watching the plane land! Pretty as a picture.

arua-airport-foundation-stone-mobutu
I’d love to know the story behind this Foundation Stone? The President of Zaire (now DR Congo) General Mobutu, opened the airstrip at Arua in Uganda

About Arua – a great town!

Arua: think ‘Fort Portal without the hills’. We’re talking calm, clean and organised, with a touch of retro, thanks to the colonial architecture.

I travelled with friends from Kampala and Nairobi. We were all impressed by Arua. Many friends had not visited for a decade or more and noticed huge changes in the town.

outside-arua-hospital
The pavement outside Arua Hospital is always busy with street vendors and boda boda bicycles. Arua town

Arua is a cosmopolitan town, heavily influenced by its proximity to DRC and South Sudan. Apparently the Congolese of eastern DRC do more trade with Kampala than they do with Kinshasa, their own capital.

There are many forex shops in town. Arua also benefits from the many NGO offices, including Red Cross, Welt Hunger and others, here for humanitarian work in South Sudan.

gerard-iga-boda-boda-arua-road
The most striking thing are Arua’s good – and clean – roads. Bicycles and boda boda motorbikes fill the roads

Cars are few in Arua. You have to feel sorry for the abused vehicles: overloaded trucks carry 30 men at a time.

Gerard and Charlotte take a boda boda motorbike ride through Arua town, West Nile, Uganda from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu on Vimeo.

While the road tarmac is in good condition, you can see the poverty as you drive north, up to the South Sudan border. The road is lined with thatched huts. Mabati tin roofs are few and far between (showing how little money there is in the area).

road-view-of-mountains-from-arua-to-koboko
There is a good road from Kampala via Arua up to the South Sudan border

Arua town has colonial buildings such as the Post Office style that is common to Kampala, Fort Portal and elsewhere. There is a Public Library too.

arua-library
Arua library on the town’s main street is a colonial style building

The small town has a population of 62,000, with 785,000 in the District. Apparently the late emeritus Bishop of West Nile developed many projects for the local community during his 30 years in office.

“And we should remember they produced a president!” My friend Daniel added, when we were trying to work out why Arua is such a thriving town.

West Nile has historically been isolated, both physically and politically, from the rest of Uganda. There is only one road bridge that crosses Nile (at Pakwach) to connect the region with the rest of the country although there are lesser used ferry crossings.

Former President Idi Amin was born in West Nile (his mother was from Arua and his father was from Koboko). During Amin’s reign, local people are said to have benefited but post-Amin, they were punished politically and economically.

To read more about the history of West Nile, read Dark past to glimmering future; the West Nile you never knew! One day, with an investment in facilities and itineraries, I can imagine tourists visiting the region just to learn more about this period of Uganda’s history.

10 little-known things to do in Arua

1.    Take a walk to the top of Arua Hill for a panoramic view of the town

sunset-over-arua-panoramic-view-of-the-town
Sunset over Arua. Panoramic view of town

2.    Eat local food

Market Lane in Arua has a good number of restaurants serving goat’s meat, beef, chicken, smoked dried fish with g’nut [groundnut/peanut] sauce.

traditional-lunch-arua-beans
Traditional lunch of beans, sweet potato and greens, Arua town
traditional-lunch-arua-kaloo
Traditional lunch of kalo (millet bread), meat and osubi (finely chopped greens, prepared with groundnut sauce and rock salt), Arua town
traditional-lunch-west-nile-goats-gizzards-cassava-matooke
Lunch at the Oraba (border with South Sudan) was matooke, cassava, roasted goat’s meat and “innards” (what looks like mushrooms to me, on the left of plate)

“What food will you take with it?” In Uganda, ‘food’ is specifically the starchy stuff like rice, kalo, matooke, sweet potato and chapatis. Side dishes [no jokes please] include tasty osubi, finely chopped greens, prepared with gnut sauce and rock salt.

The Still Baghdad Restaurant in Arua does a good beef pilau rice – with enough chunks of beef to satisfy a Kenyan!

3.    Enjoy the live Congolese music at Club Matonge

The Congo is just a short drive from Arua, meaning the town is a great place to hear Congolose musicians perform. Club Matonge is a  ‘free to enter’ outdoor bar. (The bar doesn’t serve spirits, just beer and wine from a box). We spent a couple of hours here. When the band realised we had Kenyans in our crowd, the singers launched into some classic Swahili songs. Our friends from Nairobi reminisced!

live-congolese-music-club-matonge-arua-westnile
Club Matonge closes around midnight. The same excellent band also play at Annexe on Thursday nights in Arua

4.    Go clubbing at Vino Lounge

Vino is the place to hang out, particularly on Friday nights. It gets packed! Club entrance is free.

Everyone had told us we had to check this place out. It’s a late night / all night club, with several bars. Head for Galaxy, the VIP section, on the 2nd floor to get away from (some of) the crowds. These guys can DRINK! OMG. We’re talking neat spirits.

5.    Eat at Café Cosmo, Arua’s best café and restaurant

Open 11 to 11 every day, Café Cosmo is very affordable, has good service and a great menu of international, Indian and local African food. This popular restaurant is frequented by Indians, UGs, expats, everyone. [2022, the pandemic plus construction of the new mall have changed things].

worlds-tastiest-beef-samosa-cafe-cosmo-arua
Is this the world’s tastiest beef samosa?

Sham the chef’s ‘Cosmo Bites’ include the freshest beef samosas ever. Indian dishes include tandoori and a scrumptious chicken tikka. ‘Afro favourites’ include goat stew and chicken pilao. Fridays and Saturdays, Cosmo make pizzas including a tikka paneer one! I’ll try that on my next trip 🙂

cafe-cosmo-arua
Thanks to Martin Aduku for looking after me so well

The very friendly Martin recommends C.F.C. the ‘Cosmo Fried Chicken’ [geddit?] Café Cosmo is opposite the URA building on Pakwach Road.

6.    Oasis 247 bar and restaurant is open every day

Karaoke nights, quiz nights and pool competitions make this a popular hang-out. Oasis is a good bar for beer promotions and music videos.

7.    Walk round the back streets of Arua to see the Hindu Temple

arua-town-outside-hindu-temple

The striking red wall enclosing Arua’s Hindu temple. The ladies here are selling sweet potato seedlings

8.   Visit Arua’s markets. The muzungu’s shopping suggestions

lady-vendor-arua-market
This humble lady vendor had a beautiful shy smile. She packed some dried “o’bokoa” for me. Apparently they taste a bit bitter, like eggplant
giant-mushrooms-arua-market
Giant mushrooms fill a plastic basin! These seasonal beauties grow in termite mounds (in August/September). And to think we suffer such tiny, tasteless mushrooms in Kampala!
arua-town-ladies-in-market-peeling-jackfruit
Preparing ffene (jackfruit). I love the bright traditional clothes of local women; so much more interesting than the predictable Western attire in Kampala
vendor-arua-market-enswa-white-ants
Dried enswa white ants – in the black basin in the photo – on sale in Arua market. This vendor gave me a recipe for enswa sauce!
making-chapatis-arua-market
These cheeky boys had some tasty-looking chapatis. In the plastic bag is mairungi (quat) ‘chewable herbs’ shall we say … a mairungi rolex anyone?
  • Kitenge material from the Congo
  • Termite mushrooms – click here for A Kitchen in Uganda’s Curry Termite Mushroom Soup recipe!
  • Groundnuts in their shells
  • Shea butter (locally farmed)
  • Sim sim sesame seeds
  • Sugarcane
  • Jackfruit (peeled into bitesize pieces)
  • Pineapple (chopped into long chunks)
  • Dried enswa white ants – don’t forget  to ask for the recipe!
  • Salt-dried Angara fish
  • Wooden mortar and pestle
  • … and bucket after bucket of dried beans of different colours

9.   Visit Miriadua Falls along the Arua – Koboko road

miriadua-falls-maracha-west-nile
“I know, great pic but some dude is blocking the view!” Gerard posing at Miriadua Falls, near Arua, so named by Gerard’s uncle

Gerard Iga writes: “I have a personal attachment to this one since it was my very own uncle that named the falls after himself. He was the county chief of Maracha in colonial times. When he went to visit this place, he asked the locals what the falls were called and they said “Iyi Kuru” which literally means “rough flowing waters”. Since all over Lugbara land, such falls are called iyi kuru, he decided to name them after himself and that is the name by which the place is known everywhere else except the locality. There, people still call it iyi kuru.”

Miriadua Falls are a 20 minute journey outside Arua Town.

10.   Enter inside Uganda’s smallest church! Near Goli, Nebbi

Imagine … a church that “can only accommodate three people, including the preacher.” What a great place to get married (and keep down the cost of your wedding!)

Goli church Nebbi Uganda
Surely Uganda’s smallest church, at Goli, near Nebbi, West Nile

I’d heard rumours that this is “the smallest church in the world” but I can’t seem to verify it – it certainly is petite though, according to my travel writer friend Solomon Oleny. The muzungu failed to reach… the church on Biku Hill is near Nebbi, a good hour’s travel from Arua.

How to get to Arua, West Nile

Fly to Arua

Currently, Eagle Air is the only operator to fly scheduled flights to Arua. They fly 3 times a week between Entebbe and Arua.

eagle-air-plane-arua-airstrip
Eagle Air flies 3 times a week between Entebbe and Arua.

They are efficient in person e.g. at Kampala office in Portal Avenue. Tel +256 (0)414 344292 / +256 (0)772 777338/7  and +256 (0)752 793860.

eagle-air-plane-ticket-to-arua
Remember to have your 5,000 UGX to pay airport tax. You pay it twice if you have a return ticket
Arua Airstrip building
The current Arua Airstrip building. The compound (of other buildings) includes clean toilets and a cafe cum bar that serves tea, beer and sodas
new arua-airport-new apron
Arua Airstrip is being developed to take bigger planes. The new airport building (to the right) has yet to open to the public

The new airstrip should be a real boon for trade with the DRC. Will commercial flights open up West Nile to tourism too? I heard rumours of Kenya Airways and RwandAir… let’s see!

Take the bus to Arua

A number of bus companies supply Arua with daily services. Generally, the standard daytime bus costs 30k UGX and the executive (overnight) bus costs 50k. They all depart from Arua Park, downtown Kampala. Contacts in Arua recommend the executive Gaaga bus which runs overnight and has reclining seats. KKT are ‘more reliable than Gaaga’ according to another source. California bus company started up last year. Nile Coach is an old school provider that ‘overpacks vehicles.’ [2022 there are new bus providers].

If your bus (or car) stops at Kafu, en route to Arua, think twice before you eat the roasted ‘muchomo’ meat!

How to get around Arua town

Bodas in Arua are cheap and everywhere. If you don’t have the right money, you won’t have to argue to get your change. Refreshing. (I am constantly overcharged in Kampala!)

boda-boda-arua

Arua is a very pleasant town to walk around. Main roads have good wide pavements (and the boda drivers do not seem to drive on them either!)

In 2016, the 4km taxi journey from the airport cost me 10,000 ugx. By boda, it cost me just 2,000 UGX.

When to visit Arua

Arua is at an altitude of 1,200 metres meaning nights can be cooler than in most places in Uganda.

Generally expect:

April to June – lighter rains; August – cold, day and night; August to October – heavier rains;

December to Feb / March – cold mornings, very hot in the day, warm at night.

A few words of Lugbara, one of the local languages

Mi efu ngoni – good morning [mifun-GO-ney]

Mi ngoni – how are you? [min-GO-ney]

Awadifo – thanks [awad-if-O]

I love exploring new parts of Uganda and learning a few words of local language.  But in West Nile, as soon as I got the hang of greeting somebody in Lugbara, I was told that we were in a different district where a whole range of other languages and dialects are spoken!

Awadifo!

I was drawn to the northern region of West Nile and Arua town by the lure of a tourism ‘familiarisation’ trip. I really had a great time.

Thanks to Kampala House Harriers (KH3) for finally getting me to Arua – an invitation I most definitely could not ignore! My Arua trip included three days of fun supplied by KH3. Read that story here “Nagawa – you cowardised!” A detour via the Congo.

A big thank you to Dolorence Were of USDC Uganda Society for Disabled Children for letting me transfer the Eagle Air ticket (that my friend won in the USDC fundraiser raffle) into my name.

Have you visited Arua? When was the last time you visited ? What are your favourite things to do in Arua?

83 thoughts on “10 little-known things to do in Arua, West Nile”

  1. Richard says:

    Thank you for promoting my home land

    1. the muzungu says:

      No need to thank me – your homeland is so interesting, I had to write about it 🙂

  2. Yikii says:

    Kudos and well done with this objective article.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Cheers Yikii! You know the great thing about being a travel blogger is not only the travelling – when you blog, you get to relive all your adventures again and again, plus you have a permanent record of them…

  3. Denno Nho says:

    Thank You for the write up. Your visit has been a blessing. I have been to some of the places you visited but i didn’t write anything about the adventurous places like Miriadua Falls, Goli, etc. Thank you for the spreading the gospel of the West Nile Hospility and it’s adventures.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hey Denno, thanks 🙂 I really enjoyed getting a whole new perspective on Uganda, and there’s so much history and culture to be explored – on another visit…

    2. Malunga Lux Edward says:

      Thanks thats true bro its time to blog WestNile.

  4. Charlie says:

    Wow i loved it all Arua well described keep it up gerald . you would make the best tour guide in westnile

    1. the muzungu says:

      Gerard is a great guide, my trip wouldn’t have been the same without him.

      1. Gerard says:

        Thanks for your kind thoughts. It was great having you around – looking forward to having you again!

        1. the muzungu says:

          I’ll be back! [To quote a certain Terminator…]

  5. Aldo Candia says:

    Thank you for appreciating every thing. Please come again and invite more friends to come and explore the place.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hey Aldo, for sure… I’ve been telling EVERYONE what a great place Arua is to visit.. it may not be known yet as a place to tour, but the town has a great feel to it.

  6. Atiku Bernard says:

    I don’t know how this piece evaded my eyes but thank God I finally got to read this! Having lived and experienced this story which I couldn’t write my self, I can only say thank you and come again!

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hey Atiku, thanks for the appreciation… which other places should I visit next time?

  7. Julius says:

    Interesting write up.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Cheers Julius!

    2. Hiller Pario says:

      Can somebody explain Lugbara are NOT Sudanic speaking.

  8. Eli says:

    Big up for the adventure in Arua! You may have missed Pork at Ediofe, variety of sweetest fruits in the world: mangoes, avocados, paw paws, ‘brotherheart’ etc. Sketch for these and lots more next time. The first European missionary to Arua, ‘Bwana Vola’ said; ”Mungu le Lugbara ambo!” (God so loves tge Lugbara)

    1. the muzungu says:

      Nice suggestions Eli – thanks. What is ‘brotherheart’ exactly?
      God so loves the Lugbara… I can see why 🙂

      1. DDM says:

        Brother heart is Soursop Graviola.
        Lovely post. Arua is certainly a must see in Uganda.

        1. the muzungu says:

          Ah – soursop! An unusual name – seen it but not tried it (yet) 🙂

        2. the muzungu says:
    2. pario says:

      Pork is Forbidden in the bible my friend!

      1. the muzungu says:

        Really?

  9. Innocent Anguyo says:

    Awesome piece, an easy read. I guess you equally received a new identity, Mundu (White).

    1. the muzungu says:

      Thanks Innocent, Arua is a very refreshing place.
      The Mundu
      🙂

      1. brian job Olema says:

        For sure, Arua is a beautiful piece of art. though Neglected but still strives to shine.

        1. the muzungu says:

          I really appreciated Arua. I found it to be cleaner and better organised than many towns in Uganda. The influx of refugees (and thus NGOs) has had a positive impact on development of the town as far as I can see.

  10. concy says:

    Great article ….welldone

    1. the muzungu says:

      🙂

  11. Banduni Stephen Aliti says:

    I have always been lazy reading lengthy posts but when I started reading this, I kept scrolling that I wished it had no end..Thanks for the nice work done..Next time you should add Rhino camp to your places of adventure

    1. the muzungu says:

      Thanks Aliti, awadifo!
      Tell me more about Rhino Camp? Don’t see it on Google… unless you mean Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement?

      1. Gerard says:

        Rhino Camp was named Camp Rhino by Theodore Roosevelt where he and his hunting expedition felled one of the big five in that area. At that time West Nile was still part of the Lado Enclave – a heaven of sorts for poachers and ivory hunters.

  12. Prisca Arombo says:

    This is very interesting especially the smallest church at Goli in Nebbi that i didn’t know.
    Keep it up

    1. the muzungu says:

      Thanks Prisca!
      And did you see the aerial photo of the mountains? Hope I named them correctly.

      1. Arombo Prisca says:

        Your welcome Charlotte.
        Yes you named them correctly, Panyimur and Mount Erusi.
        The shimmering water of Lake Albert & the river nile alos caught my eye.

        Theb lunch you had at Oraba leaves one salvating…..

        Miriadua Falls is a place to visit….

        1. the muzungu says:

          Thanks Prisca! I found it difficult to verify the names of the mountain ranges online. Hopefully there will soon be more information about West Nile available.
          I was very lucky to get the bird’s eye view of the river and lake 🙂

        2. Anna Maria Waniiye says:

          I loved the write up so much. Felt nostalgic reading about Panyimur — this is where Maternal grandma comes from. Arua is where my sister married from and to think that I am a West Nile gal and have not travelled extensively breaksmy heart. However it was nice to see all these places through your writing.
          My eyes moistened a little

          1. the muzungu says:

            Thanks Anna Maria. I hope you get to visit West Nile soon. I’m looking forward to a return visit. I really like Arua 🙂

  13. jilda says:

    Awadifo.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Karibu sana!
      (What is the correct reply in Lugbara?)

      1. DDM says:

        Were (not at all)

  14. Norman Candia says:

    That feeling you get after reading an awesome article about your home – a pleasant one.
    I’m sure all those who have read this article feel the same.
    Thank you, Please come again and bring others too. Arua has warm and welcoming people.

  15. Grace says:

    Gerard, i see you. Beautiful piece mzungu. Typing while having a samosa at cafe cosmos

    1. the muzungu says:

      Seriously the BEST samosa I’ve ever eaten…!

  16. Aiko says:

    Been visiting Arua annually since 2000, stayed since 2013 and must confess that this is the Most Comprehensive Description I have seen from a Muzungu, enlightened 3rd November 2016 by a Link on facebook from my Big Brother in KLA City and just had to read it. Great Photos too, wish Arua Hill was among! Very educative Writeup, Madam! Gerard is a good Tourism Consultant…

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hi Aiko, great to read your positive feedback, thanks.
      There is still more to write about Arua, e.g. where to stay.
      I was in touch with Philip Briggs recently. He has complete rewritten the chapter about West Nile for the Bradt Uganda guide. This book is the no. 1 guide to tourism in the country, and touches many subjects in detail. Recommended reading

  17. Butele says:

    This is an eye opener.. we have to learn how to write our own story so as to inspire the generation to come..thank you very much.. it is so sad to know that this region does not have her own local news paper that would highlight some of these issues.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Gerard Iga writes a good blog, Inside West Nile, and there are lots of young people from West Nile who are active on social media, so the foundations are for promotion are there.

    2. Jafat'ì says:

      I strongly agree with you. It’s only vital that Westnile has her own television and newspaper so that it’s true picture is shares with Ugandans and the world at large

  18. Thanks Nagawa for exploring the WestNile and discovering some unique features we never knew. After reading this article, I have discovered that we lack very many things. That is publicity and research. We may be researching but the way we publish our research is fake. All our information and research is not online.

    Since I have seen that in Arua they a Public Library, I pledge to create a blog for it and then they start publishing their research there especially about West Nile.

    1. Gerard says:

      Wow! I love this Ronald. I would be more than will to contribute and create a connection between you and the people running the library. We need community libraries too so that people can have easy access to the world of learning.

    2. the muzungu says:

      Hello Ronald, many thanks to your positive feedback. I’m sure I have simply skimmed the surface. There must be lots more activities you can do in West Nile that have yet to be discovered, and developed. Think about historical tourism, for example, the birthplace of Idi Amin. The history needs researching, the guides need training and then signage, marketing materials, can be put together. Tourists of course need simple facilities like toilets too! Arua has some great infrastructure in terms of road access and with the new airport runway that is being built, surely the area is set for tourism development.
      Great idea to create a blog for the public library! I miss public libraries, we have them in most towns in the UK (where I grew up). Sadly very few in Uganda. At least websites and blogs can bridge the information gap 🙂
      Good luck.

  19. mark says:

    i ve really loved ur story though its old now

    1. the muzungu says:

      Thanks for loving my story 🙂

  20. Natal says:

    West has many scenery features if development explodes especial you have not reached Metu springs on mountain tops down and mender road to river nile in Moyo district, it will be a great tourist centre Thanks Muzungu

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hi Natal, thanks for your travel tips. I will add them to my list for my next trip to West Nile!

  21. Julio says:

    Been here for 7 month now, got a butiful Lugbara girl friend and still need to explore those places. I hope this will guide me through. Thanks

    1. the muzungu says:

      That’s great to read Julio. Enjoy West Nile! Any other places I should add?

  22. DDM says:

    Yet seen another difference between the Muzungu and ‘us’, the Ugandans from this post. A very inspiring post. Our ‘ Uganda’s media’ mostly embraces negative publicity about Uganda beyond K’la.

    Kudos to you for the positivism.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Thanks DDM – as you can see, I really enjoyed Arua – hope to get back there before too long. There’s a lot more to see…

  23. specy says:

    hi, i have to start working there soon, thank u for telling abt the town, I’ve written down some of the places u have mentioned and at least i’m re leaved, i had thought it was a remote town. u didn’t mention any hotels or guest houses someone should consider for accommodation and also the cost of an airticket

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hi Specy
      Although Arua may be remote from Kampala, it’s served by good roads most of the way. Its geographical positioning between the DRC and South Sudan borders mean the town is a hive of activity.
      Currently Eagle Air are the only airline flying there. Check their web site http://www.flyeagleuganda.com for ticket pricing. Their office is between the Post Office and Christ the King. I found they were not very good at replying to emails or phone calls (but that was two years ago, perhaps they have improved).
      My last minute travel plans meant that all hotel accommodation in Arua had been booked up. I therefore stayed in the Christus Centre Catholic Church accommodation adjacent to the cathedral. (The Emeritus Bishop of West Nile Frederic Drandua had been buried the day before and everyone had thronged to the district for his final send-off).
      Accommodation was basic (cold water shower) but clean and secure, with lovely gardens. The tranquility was enhanced by the beautiful singing of the choir in the Cathedral. Christus Centre is a boda ride of about 5 – 10 minutes into town. I paid 1,500 UGX for the ride (two years ago).
      Regarding where to stay in Arua, friends stayed at Desert Breeze Hotel (rooms from 92k). It’s a modern hotel that makes a superb rolex!
      These options were recommended by friends (but I have not stayed in any so cannot vouch for their quality): Orasea Complex, Heritage Courts, Royal Crane Resort and Golden Courts Hotel. I have listed them with cheapest hotel first. Golden Courts is I believe the town’s top hotel. It was recommended to me.

  24. Neima, MACCO says:

    This is well written work about West Nile, thank God for giving our children the brain to think creatively like others. God bless you

  25. Beatrice Makokha says:

    I’m glad you didn’t go as a missionary to Africa as many does. I MISS Arua and Pakwach very much. My favorite hide outs.

    1. the muzungu says:

      OMG me a missionary? That’s a funny thought 🙂
      I loved West Nile, can’t wait to go back.

  26. Brenda says:

    I am from Pakwach but I do have family in Arya, Nebbi and Zombo so all those places are dear to me. Thanks for a great write up. I am yet to visit the beautiful falls Gerard, my ‘Mayor of Arua’ friend is always raving about. One day soon. Surely.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hi Brenda, thanks for dropping by:)
      Gerard is certainly the Tourism Mayor of Arua – his passion knows no bounds! I hear his I Love ARUA T-shirts are doing well!

  27. Ivan lat lee says:

    Nice writing muzungu dairy

    1. the muzungu says:

      Thanks for dropping by 🙂

  28. Philiet Slender Fifi says:

    I appreciate Muzungu Dairy

    1. the muzungu says:

      Thanks for dropping by 🙂

  29. Onzema Geofrey says:

    Thanks dear… not forgetting brothers and sisters of west nile

    1. the muzungu says:

      I loved my time there – and hope to return before too long 🙂

  30. Gladys Sakaru says:

    Wow, thanks for this write up about my home town….it certainly puts Arua on point…
    if you came back now..after lock down of course, you will be impressed with the many changes that have taken place…….and Gerald your tour guide will still do the needful..

    1. the muzungu says:

      Thanks for dropping by Gladys and glad you enjoyed my write-up. Very much looking forward to exploring West Nile further one day. I really enjoyed Arua

  31. the muzungu says:

    A big thank you to Geoff Anguyo who writes:

    “I promised to send you a pic of this interesting border market in Arua, West Nile. So on the left is named Kampala market and right is Kinshasa market middle is the border. I’m told it opens thrice a week.”

    One market or two? Two markets either side of the Uganda / DRC border.

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