Three Lake Victoria ferries adjust travel schedules ahead of Christmas 

MV Kalangala, the only passenger cargo vessel plying Entebbe -Kalangala route and the two other ferries (MV pearl and MV Ssese) plying Bukakkata -Bugoma route on Lake Victoria have adjusted their travel schedules to accommodate the increasing number of travelers crossing to Kalangala Islands this festive season, operators of vessels have announced.

Usually, MV Kalangala makes a single daily return journey, setting off from Kalangala at 8am. However, under the new arrangement, MV Kalangala effective Tuesday started leaving Lutoboka at 7am heading to Port Alice Pier in Nakiwoggo, Entebbe where it will depart at exactly 12pm and sail back to Kalangala at 2pm and make its final trip at 6pm from Kalangala to Entebbe. 

According to Mr Conerly Mujwahuzi, the captain of MV Kalangala, the new sailing schedule will be in force until January 3,2024.
 "We have been cleared [by Ministry of Works and Transport] to make three extra trips per day. However, on December 28 we shall have four trips, on December 29, two trips and one trip on January 3 from Entebbe to Kalangala at 2pm- all at the same fares," he said during an interview on Wednesday morning.

Travelers using MV Kalangala pay Shs14, 000 in first class and Shs10,000  for  second class. 
For MV Pearl and MV Ssese which are managed by Kalangala Infrastructure Services (KIS) , both ferries  have added one trip to the regular daily eight trips .
 
"We kindly request our customers to utilize morning and afternoon trips. The last trips are always for cargo," Mr Joseph Mulindwa, the KIS spokesperson said.

 
"The extra trip shall be effected if we see there is demand for it. Usually people of Kalangala demand night trips during this period," he added.
 
However, MV Natalie, a private vessel plying Entebbe, Kasenyi  - Bukasa  route will maintain one return trip, leaving Bukasa  at 8am  and docking at Kasenyi at 9:30am. At 2pm, it leaves Kasenyi and reaches Bukasa at 3:30pm .
 Mr Augustine Kibaya, the manager of  MV Nathalie said they are pondering revising their sailing  schedule.
 
"We are still thinking about [revising sailing schedule ]. However, we also need to look at the profitability of the business since we have less travelers to the islands and more going out of the island," he said
 

He said fares range between Shs15,000 and Shs30,000 depending on the traveller’s destination. 
There is usually a surge in hotel bookings in Kalangala during the festive season with a huge number of tourists popping into the islands. This has always left the vessels with no option, but to overload beyond the recommended passenger capacity.

Why tourists visit Kalangala
Kalangala is home to over 700 bird species, including African grey parrots, eagles, pelicans and ducks.
It is in this island district inside Lutoboka Central Forest on shores of Lake Victoria where Sr Henry Morton Stanley ’s fort is located.

 Still on Buggala Island, there are many  tourism sites like Kabaka Muteesa II’ swimming pool inside Lutoboka Forest and the first health unit constructed by Sir Albert Cook where tsetse flies victims were kept before being relocated to safer locations.

There is also another historical site at Bugoma where the first catholic missionaries Father Siméon Lourdel Pere (Mapeera) and Brother Amans Delmas (Amansi)  made a stopover before arriving at Kigungu landing site in Entebbe   on February, 17 1879. Kalangala is also one of the few places in Uganda with white sand beaches.