Travel guide

• Shorts, lightweight trousers, short and long sleeved shirts in neutral or muted colors.
• Sweater or fleece, light rain jacket.
• Swim wear /sarong
• Comfortable lightweight but sturdy walking shoes or boots, flip flops or sandals (useful lake area)
• Sun hat

• High factor sun lotion
• Strong insect repellant
• Personal toiletries
• You should bring any personal medications prescribed by your doctor, antiseptic ointments, painkillers, and fever-reducing anti-inflammatories like aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. Other important items are anti-diarrhea medication like Imodium, eye drops (it can get dusty!) and some sort of electrolyte replenishment.
• Hand sanitizers can also come in handy.

• A good quality pair of sunglasses
• If you wear contact lenses bring enough solution incase your eyes get irritated

• A good camera plus plenty of film/memory cards.
• A pair of binoculars will enhance your game viewing
• Please do not take photographs of the local people without asking permission first.
• A small flashlight or headlamp

Uganda’s climate is largely tropical with two rainy seasons per year, March to May and September to December. The northern region, which forms one quarter of the country lies outside the tropical belt, and hence experiences only one rainy season, March to October.

The local currency is the Ugandan Shilling. You can either change money at a Bureau de Change or bank which you will find at the major airports and towns. ATMs are available there too but note that you can only draw Ugandan Shillings. US Dollars are widely accepted in site frequented by tourists. We advise our guests to take spending money in the form of US Dollars cash, bring some small denominations too for tipping purposes. Note that USD bills must be newer than 2009. Credit cards are accepted at larger shops and restaurants but note that often a surcharge is levied.

A valid passport with at least six months validity, as well as a valid visa for those not exempted. The Government of Uganda introduced an online visa/permit application system with effect from 1st July 2016. The Uganda Electronic Visa/Permit Application System performs checks against law enforcement databases. All travelers seeking admission to Uganda are required to obtain a visa using this system prior to being granted boarding. All persons intending to travel to Uganda for holiday, tourism, business, study, visit, and/or medical are required to apply and obtain a visa online.

We advise against drinking water from the faucets whilst in the country. Mineral water is available in all shops and restaurants and in all lodges and vehicles. We recommend that you use mineral water too for brushing teeth. Dehydration can sneak up on you and spoil your trip, so do remember to try and drink 1.5-2ltrs of water a day in order to avoid it. Symptoms of dehydration can arrive in the form of headaches and nausea.

The most common dietary requirements can be accommodated (vegetarianism, gluten or lactose free), and we will do our best to accommodate any requirement given sufficient notice. Supplies often come from far away and without enough prior notice to pre-plan, we won’t be
able to meet your requirements, so please do let us know as soon as possible.

Note that it’s obligatory to show a Yellow Fever Certificate upon entering Uganda if you have come from a Yellow Fever infected area. If you are travelling direct to Uganda without passing through such areas, it’s advisable but not obligatory to have a Yellow Fever vaccination. If you can not have the Yellow Fever Vaccination for medical reasons, ensure that you carry a signed letter from your medical practitioner with you upon entering the country. It is every traveler’s own responsibility to obtain the correct vaccinations which will allow you entry into Uganda –please check with your local travel clinic or physician for up-to-date advice.

Malaria is prevalent in many parts of Uganda and we advise you to consult your GP before you depart about taking prophylactics. It’s also important to cover up in the evenings when the malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquito usually feeds. All the camps located in malaria areas that we use will provide mosquito nets and/or insect-proof tents. It is advisable to bring some insect
repellent with you, although it may be provided in the camps too.

Please be sure to contact your physician or travel clinic well in advance of travel to obtain professional medical advice and discuss up to date vaccination requirements for the areas you are visiting.

We strongly recommend that you take out a comprehensive travel and health insurance before travelling, not least to cover yourself in the event of cancellation charges should your plans change. In addition, we include medical evacuation cover with Flying Doctors in all our itineraries.

Uganda works on 240 supply voltage and 50Hz mains power with a 3 rectangular pin plug, type G. In many remote camps and lodges, there may not be mains power in each tent or room, but there are normally facilities to charge cameras and laptops. Many remote camps will not be able to cater for hairdryers as they rely on solar power or small generators to charge battery banks and these systems can’t handle the load.

There are a number of cell phone networks in Uganda, the most common being MTN. Distribution is patchy in some areas of the country so you may not always be able to connect. In most camps, WiFi access is available but is not guaranteed. There are some restrictions to the speed in some areas but the download capacity is more than capable of managing email and social media access. Roaming charges can be very high so check with your provider before you leave home so you are prepared.

You should tip as you wish, with no obligation whatsoever. What we do say is that tipping is very much welcomed and is normal here in Africa, and our it is very much appreciate. We’re often asked for a guideline and while this depends on how you feel, we’d suggest around US$10 per guest per night at each camp. Most properties have a ‘tipping box’ for a discrete contribution to your camp, lodge or hotel staff. Any staff member more deserving for excellent service may be tipped individually/separately and as for tipping your driver guide, we suggest that this is done separately.

• No animal is tame and must at all times be treated with respect and not approached unless with an authorized professional guide.
• Please do not get too close to the animals, this may distress them.
• Please do not get out of the vehicle without consulting your guide.

The official language in Uganda is English and Swahili. English is the second official language and the country’s commercial language particularly in tourist centers and lodges.