– Introduction to Uganda | Things to know before you visit Uganda
Uganda in the centre of Africa is a country that people do not generally consider as a tourist destination. However, it is one that should be considered especially if you are someone who is into nature and the wild. Hosting two of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, the gorillas and the chimpanzees, in the forests and jungles, and more of Africa’s unique large animals in the savannahs and plains, it is truly a pleasure to visit Uganda.
See how the locals live and the simplicity of their lives, with no reliance on technology, yet they live a hard working life. They get through each day without complaining about the hardships, and greet everyone with a smile and a wave. Meet the children on the streets and see how their faces light up when you give them a wave or a sweet. Africa is an amazing continent, and Uganda is a great place to witness the beauty and friendliness of Africa.
For our trip around Uganda, we had decided to go with someone who knew the country and who had traveled around the country many times. We were glad we did, and we were lucky that we had such a great guide. He wasn’t just a guide and traveling companion, he became a great friend to us and whenever we return to Africa we will be looking him up! If you need someone to show you Uganda, then make sure and contact Xavier from ‘Xavier’s Safari Memories’, and you will return to your home country with a satisfaction that you truly experienced Uganda and a feeling that you want to return.
(For Xavier’s contact details please send us a mail or a message and we will put you in touch).
– What can you expect from Uganda?
Mist covered jungles in the mountains where the mountain gorilla resides, forests filled with the sounds of chimpanzees, savannahs where elephants roam, large flat lakes, a friendly and welcoming people, and a once in a lifetime trip!
– How we got to Uganda
We arrived to Uganda via Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Our connecting flight was very shortly after landing and we had a rush to get to the flight as it was in another terminal. However at Addis Ababa airport they were very efficient at getting everybody to the right terminal and even rushed us through security once there. Full credit to the staff at this airport for making sure all passengers were kept happy and caught their flights!
After arriving in Entebbe airport in Uganda, which is not large, the immigration was a quick process. For those who had to apply online there was desks to go to where you get your visa printed and put into your passport. Anybody who is exempt from a visa has to go to the desk marked ‘Others’.
Basically for all nationalities except a few it is online application. The Irish passport is one of the ones that are exempt. For the online application you need to upload your passport copy, a copy of your yellow fever vaccine, invitation letter from your tour company or hotel, and your itinerary for the trip. After this it is generally a quick process, but don’t fret if you don’t hear anything back immediately as even the initial email telling us we had applied online with the tracking number took almost a week to get to us!
For visa information about other countries please click here;
https://visas.immigration.go.ug/#/
– Map of Uganda & places we were
Places we visited;
- Kampala
- Entebbe
- Kibale National Park – Chimpanzee tracking
- Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game drives to spot the large African animals
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Gorilla tracking
- Lake Bunyouni
– Where to stay
In Uganda there are a large variety of places to stay. If booking a tour you can pick the budget for the tour varying from budget to high end. Some of the accommodation will have tents or safari tents that you stay in. These can be either an actual tent with its own balcony and shared washroom facilities, or it can be a large chalet type tent. Other places will be more like lodges. In a lot of the resorts or places you stay they will also have camping grounds for what they call the ‘Overlanders’, who are people who are traveling in a large group in what look like safari trucks.
For our article on where we stayed in Uganda please click here.
– Car hire
While it is possible to hire a car in Uganda and do a self drive tour, it is more advisable to hire a guide or a driver with a safari vehicle. While on safari it is hard to spot the animals sometimes. If you are concentrating on navigating through the roads in the parks you won’t have time to look around you. Also the safari vehicles have pop up roofs allowing you the best views.
The guides also know the best areas that the animals may turn up in. You may be driving randomly around for hours in the wrong area without their knowledge. For going into the parks they are aware of the protocols and the places to go to get the permits so again it eliminates this problem.
Traveling between the major areas the roads are good and driving is no problem. However, when you get off the main roads, they turn to sandy tracks and caution needs to be taken. Some of the mountain roads especially are twisty and have no barriers on the sides; they are also quite narrow and in the rainy seasons become very slippery. Having someone that is used to driving these roads is very beneficial.
– Activities and sights
The following items are some of the things that are recommended to see and do in Uganda;
- Be surrounded by chimpanzees in Kibale National Park
- Get up close and personal with gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Visit the craft markets in Kampala
- Go whitewater rafting and kayaking on The River Nile
- Take a relaxing boat ride or dugout canoe ride on Lake Bunyouni
- See how the locals live in Bigodi
- Bathe on the white sands in Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria
- Go on a game drive and spot elephants, lions, buffalo, and hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- See the waterfall that was featured in “The African Queen” in Murchison Falls
- Cross the equator in Kayabwe
- Visit the lost valley of Kidepo Valley National Park
- Trek the Rwenzori Mountains
For the activities we took part in while in Uganda please click the following links;
https://www.breakingbarriers.online/10-other-things-to-do-in-uganda/
https://www.breakingbarriers.online/tracking-chimpanzees-in-kibale-uganda/
– Food and drink
Uganda’s food is mostly all locally grown, and green banana plays a major role in the cuisine. Below is a list of some of the different foods to try when visiting Uganda.
Foods to try
– In the street stalls you can find fried chicken and plantain which is a type of banana. This is a really good snack to have on a quick stopover through the villages.
– Rolex is a form of omelette with tomato and onion mixed in, this is then rolled and served. This can be got on street stalls also and is a filling lunch while on your trip.
– Matoke is a green banana that is cooked in steam and then mashed. Green banana is one of the staple foods of Uganda and you will see lots of plantations around growing this. This can be served instead of potato with chicken or meat.
– Posho is a starchy porridge like food made from maize.
– For things to nibble on during a journey you will find supermarkets selling soybeans, or corn kernals to munch on.
– The fresh fruits are very good in Uganda; there they grow a lot of bananas, pineapples, and other fruits. You can find them on the streetside markets either in the towns and villages or in the countryside.
Drinks to try
– African tea is where the tea is made with hot milk instead of water. For a true Ugandan experience have the spiced version!
– The tap water is not drinkable, therefore only drink bottled water. Even for brushing your teeth some hotels or resorts will advise you to use bottled water.
– For the beer drinkers, there are many varieties, the most popular being Nile Special and Club. If visiting a local village they may have someone there who makes their own beer or gin from banana and you can sample some.
– Waragi is the local homemade spirit that tastes something like gin and is good with Tonic Water.
– Additional information
Plugs and electricity: The plug used in Uganda is the G type plug.
Vaccines: You will need your yellow fever vaccine before traveling and will need to issue it with your visa application. On arrival before getting to immigration they will also check that you have your vaccine card with proof of the vaccine. You should take malaria tablets before going, and also have your Hep A, Hep B, typhoid and rabies vaccines up to date.
COVID: All arriving passengers need to provide a negative PCR issued no more than 72 hours beforehand. All travelers will be subjected to a PCR test on arrival which you need to register for here. Children under the age of 6 and airline crew who have proof of being fully vaccinated are exempt from the airport PCR test.
Currency: The currency used in Uganda is the Ugandan shilling (UGX). For current conversion rates check http://www.xe.com/ before you go. ATM machines can be found at the airport and in the larger places like Kampala. For traveling around the country make sure you have cash. Some places will have card machines but these are unreliable in places. USD can be used also and it’s useful to have these especially for tipping.
Language: Uganda has a lot of local languages, but almost everybody speaks English, unless it is in the local villages. Here you will have a guide who speaks English regardless.
Security: Uganda is a safe country, the only place you will encounter people carrying weapons is while on safari, this is to scare away larger animals. Don’t keep your valuables on display and stick with your guide. The only ‘threat’ you will really encounter will be hoards of children coming up to you saying hello and waving at you.