Travel Advice

Vaccination and Medication
Visit your health professional at least 6 to 8weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures.
Make sure your Yellow Fever vaccination is up to date before arriving in Uganda. Consult your doctor early as some countries are experiencing a shortage of Yellow Fever vaccinations.
Visitors should bring personal supplies of medicines that are likely to be needed but enquire first at the embassy or high commission whether such supplies may be freely imported.

Food and drink
All water should be regarded as being a potential health risk. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth, or making ice should have to first be boiled or otherwise sterilized. Milk is unpasteurized and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised. Avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. Be sure to wash fresh produce well before eating and avoid raw foods in restaurants. Do not eat food prepared by unlicensed vendors or where you have concerns about kitchen hygiene. Only use boiled or bottled water, and avoid ice in drinks. Carry hand sanitizer to use before meals.

Other risks
HIV/AIDS is widespread. Vaccinations against tuberculosis and hepatitis B are sometimes advised, consult your local travel clinic for a full list of recommendations. After road accidents, malaria is the most serious health concern for travelers visiting Uganda. Seek up-to-date advice regarding malarial areas and the appropriate anti-malarial medication prior to your trip, usually doxycycline, Malarone, or mefloquine. Pregnant women are more vulnerable to malaria and are advised against travel to regions where malaria is present. Take a good insect repellant and try to avoid bites between dusk and dawn by always covering up.

Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers are sometimes endemic within certain regions of the country. The vectors of these viruses are unknown but have been thought to be linked with bats. Therefore, travelers should avoid (or be extremely cautious when) entering any caves. If you are bitten by an animal, assume that the animal was infected by a disease and seek prompt medical attention.
Remember, that many of the lakes have Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia). Check with the locals and do not paddle on the lake shore if you’re not sure. However, if you do get infected, about which you won’t know until 1-2 months after contact with water, visit your family doctor or hospital. Diarrhea disease and intestinal worms are also a concern and travelers should be careful what they eat or drink.

Travel health insurance
Medical facilities in Uganda are limited. Medical help at the scene of an accident is likely to be limited. In the case of a serious accident or illness, evacuation by air ambulance may be required. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.

General information (important)
Nationals of the countries listed below are exempted from visa requirements for travel to Uganda. They do, however, need to have a current passport issued by their respective countries.
Members of COMESA: Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi Mauritius, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Others exempted are: Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Jamaica, Lesotho, Malta, Sierra Leone, Singapore Solomon Islands St Vincent & the Grenadines, Tonga, Vanuatu, Italy (Only diplomatic passport holders) and Cyprus.

Immigration Information for Intending Visitors to Uganda
1. Uganda visas may be obtained at Uganda missions abroad, online or on arrival at the country’s exit /entry stations.
2. Entry should be made only through the country’s gazetted ports of entry/exit.
3. Every visitor will be required to carry a passport with validity beyond six months.
4. All arriving visitors will be required to fill in arrival declaration cards on arrival. The cards are available at the arrival lounge.
5. All arriving visitors are required to show their yellow fever card.
6. No arriving visitor should carry or convey substances or goods prohibited by customs. (Contact the Uganda Revenue Authority website: www.ura.go.ug for details on prohibited substances under the “Customs Tax Guides” tab).
7. Visitors should not overstay their visa validity otherwise they will be subjected to a fine of U$ 30 per day and other appropriate legal action.
8. Where visitors seek to stay longer than the period granted on arrival, an extension of the period should be sought from the Immigration Headquarters in Kampala before the expiry of the initial visitor’s pass.
9. All visitors must comply with immigration legislation and other national laws of the country during their stay in Uganda.

For further information on immigration go to: www.mia.go.ug

Uganda’s climate is tropical. This means it is generally rainy (particularly during the months of March to May, and September to November), while the remaining months (December to February, June to August) comprise Uganda’s two dry seasons.

Uganda, landlocked in eastern Africa, has a climate heavily shaped by its own topography and that of surrounding regions. High mountains along some of its margins, an elevated plateau and plentiful lakes — including Lake Victoria, the biggest in Africa — all exert a real influence. Travelers here can go from a steamy lowland of a truly tropical feel to a snowpack of lofty crags.

Although generally equatorial, the climate is not uniform as the altitude modifies the climate. Southern Uganda is wetter with rain generally spread throughout the year. At Entebbe on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, most rain falls from March to June and the November/December period. Further to the north a dry season gradually emerges; at Gulu about 120 km from the Sudanese border, November to February is much drier than the rest of the year.

The northeastern Karamoja region has the driest climate and is prone to droughts in some years. Rwenzori in the southwest on the border with Congo (DRC) receives heavy rain all year round. The south of the country is heavily influenced by one of the world’s biggest lakes, Lake Victoria, which contains many islands. It prevents temperatures from varying significantly and increases cloudiness and rainfall. Most important cities are located in the south, near Lake Victoria, including the capital Kampala and the nearby city of Entebbe.

When traveling to Uganda, you should study up on Uganda’s weather and climate ahead of your trip so you can pack accordingly. Rain should be expected in the Lake Victoria vicinity, upper highlands and during the wet seasons of other regions. Hikers and mountaineers in the Ugandan high country need warm clothing to contend with sometimes-frigid night temperatures and storms.However, when the sun is out, it can be quite intense so do not forget to pack your sunscreen.

The culture of Uganda is made up of a diverse range of ethnic groups. Lake Kyoga forms the northern boundary for the Bantu-speaking peoples, who dominate much of east, central and southern Africa. In Uganda, they include the Baganda and several other tribes. In the north live the Lango and the Acholi, who speak Nilotic languages. To the east are the Iteso and Karamojong, who speak a Nilotic language, the Gishu are part of the Bantu and they live mainly on the slopes of Mt Elgon speaking Lumasaba, closely related to the Luhya of Kenya. A few Pygmies live isolated in the rainforests of western Uganda.

Uganda is home to many different ethnic groups, none of whom form a majority of the population. Around forty different languages are regularly and currently in use in the country. English became the official language of Uganda after independence. Ugandan English is a local variant dialect. The most widely spoken local language in Uganda is Luganda, spoken predominantly by the Ganda people (Baganda) in the urban concentrations of Kampala, the capital city and in towns and localities in the Buganda region of Uganda which encompasses Kampala. The Lusoga and Runyankore-Rukiga languages follow, spoken predominantly in the southeastern and southwestern parts of Uganda respectively. Swahili, a widely used language throughout eastern and central East Africa, was approved as the country’s second official national language in 2005.

Religion
According to the census of 2002, Christians made up about 84% of Uganda’s population. The Roman Catholic Church has the largest number of adherents (41.9%), followed by the Anglican Church of Uganda (35.9%). Evangelical and Pentecostal churches claim the rest of the Christian population. The next most reported religion in Uganda is Islam, with Muslims representing 12% of the population. The Muslim population is primarily Sunni; there is also a minority belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The remainder of the population follows traditional religions (1%), Bahai (0.1%), or other non-Christian religions (0.7%), or have no religious affiliation (0.9%).

Language

Uganda is home to many tribes that speak different languages. Uganda has 56 tribes and about nine indigenous communities that formally came to be recognized in the 1995 constitution amendment of 2005. English is the official language of Uganda. Luganda and Swahili are also widely spoken in most parts of the country. There are also French, Arabic and German mainly in institutions where they are taught and at embassies. The following are the indigenous communities in Uganda
1. Acholi
2. Alur
3. Baamba
4. Babukusu
5. Babwisi
6. Bafumbira
7. Baganda
8. Bagisu
9. Bagungu
10. Bagwe
11. Bagwere
12. Bahehe
13. Bahororo
14. Bakenyi
15. Bakiga
16. Bakonzo
17. Banyabindi
18. Banyankore
19. Banyara
20. Banyarwanda
21. Banyole
22. Banyoro
23. Baruli
24. Basamia
25. Basoga
26. Basongora
27. Batagwenda
28. Batoro 29. Batuku
30. Batwa
31. Chope
32. Dodoth
33. Ethur
34. Ik (Teuso)
35. Iteso
36. Jie
37. Jonam
38. Jopadhola
39. Kakwa
40. Karimojong
41. Kebu (Okebu)
42. Kuku
43. Kumam
44. Langi
45. Lendu
46. Lugbara
47. Madi
48. Mening
49. Mvuba
50. Napore
51. Nubi
52. Nyangia
53. Pokot
54. Sabiny
55. So (Tepeth)
56. Vonoma

Uganda and Rwanda are both cash-based societies. The Ugandan currency is called shillings, while in Rwanda they use Francs as well as the US dollar. There are many ATMs available throughout the capitals which accept Visa and MasterCard, although they become scarcer as you enter the rural areas.

Although some of the bigger hotels and shops accept credit cards, mainly VISA, we highly advise you not to use them during your time abroad, as there have been cases where information has been stolen. Exchanging traveler’s checks can be time-consuming and frustrating, and taking out money on a credit card can run a surcharge of 5% or higher. If you do plan to take out money on your credit card, you will need to know your PIN. Make sure you contact your bank at least 2 weeks before your travel to allow time to obtain your PIN. Some people prefer not to travel with cash which leaves your debit card as the best option, VISA is most commonly accepted, but again you will have foreign transaction fees. However, we advise clients to bring with them cash, preferably US dollars as they are very easy to exchange, although Euros and UK pounds are also fine. Make sure that dollar bills are no older than 2008 and have no tears or blemishes.
Higher increments get better exchange rates, so we recommend bringing 100-dollar bills. There are several places to exchange money which your guide can direct you to. Avoid exchanging money at the airport and at borders as the exchange rate is usually lower. You should also avoid using US dollars at craft markets and restaurants, as you will get more for your money by using local currency.
  
How much Money to Bring?
Although almost everything on your safari is inclusive, there are some exceptions, which will be listed on your itinerary. The majority of clients tell us that the bulk of what they spend their money on is alcohol and souvenirs. Depending on the length of your safari and how much you like to drink/shop we usually recommend that clients bring around $20-USD 50 a day for personal expenditures.

Tipping:
Maddie Travels guides get paid a fair salary while they are on safari, and tipping your guide is not mandatory. If you feel that the service has been exceptional you are more than welcome to tip, usually, clients tip around $5-USD 10 per day for your group. It is not required for you to tip them once you complete your trip. If you feel that the service has been exceptional, you are more than welcome to tip, but it is by no means mandatory. It is expected that you tip the local guides who may be part of your safari or primate trek, $5-$10 is usually the expected amount for your group.
Tipping at restaurants or hotels in Uganda and Rwanda is not a common practice, although is always appreciated.

Packing:
Packing for your safari can sometimes be such a nightmare, and you will more than likely end up re-packing a few times before you depart. Our slogan for packing is less is more, and you should always check with your airline about the maximum luggage weight allowance. Soft duffle bags are preferred, as suitcases can be cumbersome and difficult to fit in your safari vehicle. It is essential to carry all your valuables and important medication in your carry-on, as baggage can sometimes go missing in Africa!

Uganda is a safe and beautiful country, with the best weather and heritage. It is a place where you will have a lifetime experience because we have world-class activities. Our tourism facilities and experiences are pristine, natural, and not cluttered like other places. This is the best time to come, the dollar has appreciated and the traveler gets more value and experience when they come.
We encourage people to come visit. It is a good place to do business and has good infrastructure and ICT. We have very many foreigners living in Uganda. Many students from all over the world, at all levels of education, people don’t just come for tourism, but they come for business as well. We have a security system that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and they are well equipped.  We have put in place a tourism police. Our security forces have been doing what they do best.

The nightlife of Kampala is infamous! The majority of bars and clubs are situated in the center of town, up from the golf course, stretching along Acacia Avenue. There are several clubs scattered around Kampala, with local bars where you can grab a cold beer everywhere. There is always something going on until the early hours of the morning!

Uganda has some of East Africa’s most beautiful crafts from colorful baskets to vibrant paper-beaded necklaces; you can easily fill your suitcase! There are also several higher-end galleries and boutiques in Kampala that are stocked with paintings and sculptures from some of Uganda’s up-and-coming artists.