The East Africa Tourist Visa and Interstate Pass mean that travel between Uganda , Kenya and Rwanda is easier than ever for nationals and has become easier and cheaper for tourists and expats too.
Cue: a lot more travel around the three countries for this Muzungu! We tried calling various advertised numbers, but failed to get through]. Traveling from Kampala to Kigali? Then read what happened when I traveled by bus with Jaguar Executive Coaches.
We liked the idea of having a toilet on the bus. If it had been working, that would have been even better! The MASH system is well organised and departs β on time β from the relative calm of the National Theatre, making it a far less hectic experience than going to downtown Kampala bus parks with all their congestion and pickpockets. In Nairobi, however, the bus departs from the equally crazy River Road. Back outside the National Theatre in Kampala, an hour before the agreed departure time, a lady called us over to a table in front of our bus where she checked our tickets and passports.
Next to her, a very friendly guy checked the contents of all our bags. Another three men in bright orange overalls loaded bags and boxes into the bus. I was asked to remove the padlock from my bag, which obviously I did not want to do.
I was told that it was necessary for the security check at the border. It was. The MASH bus was clean. The seatbelt worked, as did the single power socket on the wall next to me. It had a decent amount of legroom and a reclining seat. My friends in the VIP seats, directly behind the driver, had even more legroom, plus they were allowed to have their big bags with them.
