“Eating fish” on Lake Victoria – the Muzungu’s guide

Regular readers of Diary of a Muzungu will know how much I enjoy venturing off the beaten track and sharing my favourite Uganda travel experiences. Here is my Guide to eating fish on Lake Victoria, Kampala – a few day out ideas you won’t find on any tourist itinerary.

“Eating fish” on the shores of Lake Victoria is very much a “hands-on,” communal experience, great for a weekend outing. Where shall we go this week-end?

Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, KSL Kabaka’s Landing Site, Kampala

Let’s start with Ggaba

The fishing village of Ggaba derives its name from the Luganda word for ‘serve.’ The small landing site on the edge of Lake Victoria became known for its free and bountiful fish, giving the generous ‘serving’ spirit of the place its name. Ggaba and nearby Munyonyo are reached by driving south (approximately 12 km) from Kampala city centre, through Kabalagala and Kansanga. Ggaba is deliciously close to the Muzungu’s home.

There are different venues for different tastes. Here are my personal favourites.

Ggaba Beach Resort on Ggaba’s waterfront is probably the best-known place to eat fish on the Ugandan shores of Lake Victoria

The Ggaba Beach compound is a mixture of painted white buildings, symmetrical grass lawns and tarmac. There’s no actual beach but it is on the waterfront. It’s safe for kids to run around, but to me the place lacks personality: too much concrete and too many straight lines. That said, the fish is excellent and the service is good.

Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Part of the huge Ggaba Beach compound at Ggaba, Kampala, Uganda

Ggaba Beach is a good place to watch activity on Lake Victoria: wooden ferries moving people and firewood across the waterfront.

Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips

• Secure parking costs 1,000 shillings.
• Fried whole Tilapia costs 25 / 30 / 35,000 Uganda shillings; 5,000 UGX for chips.
• Ggaba Beach is a popular venue for big pop concerts, thus occasionally closed to fish-eating visitors at weekends.
• The music can be LOUD!
• Er… there is no actual ‘beach’ at Ggaba Beach!

Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. View from Ggaba Beach compound across to Bole and Mukono. Ggaba, Kampala, Uganda

BEST FOR: families, secure parking, watching life on Lake Victoria

DIRECTIONS: drive to the end of Ggaba Road, through the trading centre and down a short steep hill. Ggaba Beach is the modern white compound in front of you. (Brits: think Butlins!)

Kabaka’s Landing Site (KLS) at Mulungu, Munyonyo

It was from here, in the 1870s, that Kabaka Mutesa embarked on hippo hunting expeditions to Lake Bulingugwe and beyond. The hippos are gone, and so is the Kabaka’s fleet of canoes, but Mulungu is still known as the Royal Port.

Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Brightly coloured umbrellas at Kabaka’s Landing Site – also known as KLS – Mulungu, next to Munyonyo, Kampala

Down at the shorefront restaurants of KLS, there are no frills, just fried whole Tilapia, Nile Perch and reasonably priced drinks beers, sodas and Uganda Waragi gin. Yum!

It doesn’t get fresher than this! A customer choosing his piece of Nile Perch at KLS Kabaka’s Landing Site. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria

Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips

• Entering the Kabaka’s Landing Site costs 1,000 Uganda shillings per person. Money goes to the Buganda Kingdom.
• Whole fried Tilapia are priced at between 15 / 25,000 Uganda shillings; 3,000 UGX for chips.
• The guys and girls who serve you fish will bring you water to wash your hands with. They usually, but not always, have soap.
• If you don’t want to eat with your hands, take your own knife and fork, and serviettes.
• There is a very basic selection of drinks available, e.g. beers, some sodas and Uganda Waragi. If you like tonic water, you can bring your own.
• Take a pen and paper for working out the bill and keeping a note of the number of drinks!
• A word about lake flies. When we went in March, we were blitzed. Lake flies don’t bite but they can be incredibly annoying.
• KLS is a nice spot for bird watching and watching the sun go down over Lake Victoria.
• You can also buy fresh fish, gutted and descaled, to cook at home.
• While you’re sitting on the waterfront, you may be asked if you want to take a boat out into Murchison Bay. I’ve seen a couple of lifejackets, but I’ve also seen people boarding holding bottles of Nile Special. Not entirely sure how safe said boats are…
• Despite outward appearances of KLS, there are decent toilet facilities. Just ask.

Entry to the Kabaka’s Landing Site is managed by the Buganda Kingdom. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, Kampala

I love being surrounded by nature – but don’t fear the huge Marabou Storks, they are all part of the experience. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, KLS Kabaka’s Landing Site

BEST FOR: groups of friends, bird watching, Buganda history

DIRECTIONS: from Ggaba Road, pass Speke Resort Munyonyo and the turning to KSL is a few hundred metres further on the left. The road has recently been tarmacked.

The waterfront market at Ggaba Landing Site

For the more adventurous – and the best prices – head right down to the waterfront itself, where you may even watch your fish being landed and descaled. Men play pool under the tin roofs of the quayside. On the waterfront, the fish is frying and the market is in full swing. It’s a great place to sit and watch the world go by if you enjoy a bit of a crowd.

Diary of a Muzungu at Ggaba landing site on Lake Victoria. PHOTO Isabel Romano, Diario de Abordo

Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips

• Ggaba can be congested. If possible, leave your car and walk the last few hundred metres. Alternatively, someone will help you find a place to park, in exchange for a small tip.
• Monday is market day, however, every day you can buy fresh fish, smoked fish, the best value dried mukenne (silver fish), all your fruit and vegetables, tripe and offal, everyday household goods and vibrant Tanzanian fabrics, imported via Mwanza, a day’s ferry ride away.

BEST FOR: people watching, shopping

DIRECTIONS: drive to the end of Ggaba Road, through the trading centre and down a short steep hill, on through the market.

Beach House, Event Gardens, Ggaba

Undoubtedly the most laidback place to eat fish, Beach House is a favourite with couples, students from Kampala University accommodation and groups of friends. On Sunday afternoons it’s a popular hang-out for a small group of bikers.

Beautifully wrapped packets of g nuts (ground nuts) arrived just in time to go with my beer, courtesy of this friendly young man with very cool shades. Beach House Event Gardens, Ggaba.

I love the lake view and the flocks of Marabou Storks with their background of Papyrus swamp. Kick off your shoes and enjoy the feel of grass under your feet.

Quiet gardens on the edge of Lake Victoria at Beach House Event Gardens, Ggaba – can get busy at week-ends, especially with students from the next door Kampala University accommodation. Where to eat fish.

Once you see this view, turn left and head down to Beach house Event Gardens. Students from Kampala University walking to Ggaba market

Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips

• As well as whole fried Tilapia, Beach House also sells roasted meat (muchomo) in the evenings.
• A whole Tilapia and chips costs 30k UGX.
• There is a small car park, for which there is no charge.
• Here you can catch a boat across Murchison Bay to Bole and Mukono District. Ask someone to call the boat over while you have a beer. It should cost you just 8,000 UGX to hire a boat to take you across. This is the cheapest way to cross to Lakeside Adventure Park or Lagoon Resort, both brilliant places for a day out or a weekend away. Just say Diary of a Muzungu sent you! (From Bole landing site, you will need to catch a boda for a very scenic 10 minute ride through the Bush).

BEST FOR: nature, watching the sun set over Lake Victoria, romance

DIRECTIONS: There are two ways to reach Beach House: through Ggaba trading centre and then left at the main boda stage, or, passing through Bunga, turn left at the Oryx petrol station (formerly Engen). Look for the Kampala University accommodation signpost.

Thanks for reading The Muzungu’s Guide to eating fish, Lake Victoria, Kampala. I’ve visited all these places and – at the time of visiting – all information was correct, but I can’t guarantee it will remain so. Do check these places out for yourself, and tell me what you think?

Have you visited any of these popular lakeside destinations? Where do you recommend going to eat fish in Kampala? I’d love to read your comments 🙂

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