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Unique Uganda
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Entry requirement:
A valid passport is required. Visas are not required by EC nationals or US citizens.
Departure Tax:
There is a departure tax of US$20 payable by each passenger on an international flight from Entebbe.
Time:
Uganda is GMT + 3 hours.
Climate:
Uganda enjoys ideal weather conditions. Temperatures range between 21c and 25c. The rains are mainly between March and May, and October and November.
Currency:
The currency of Uganda is the Ugandan shilling. We recommend you travel with sterling or US Dollar travellers’ cheques.
Health/immunisation:
Good medical facilities are available in the main cities, but we recommend that medical insurance is taken out before arrival. Bring any special medication you may need. Malaria is encountered at certain times of the year, and it is advisable to take the usual prophylactics. For your own comfort take a mosquito repellent. Bilharzia is present in some of our lakes, and swimming is not recommended except in designated areas. We recommend that only boiled water is drunk. In hotel and lodges there will be flasks of drinking water. Consult your physician or local medical centre prior to travel regarding the necessity for vaccination for yellow Fever and cholera.
What to wear:
Uganda is informal and for daytime wear men need only sport shirts and slacks. On the AClem Ungawa-Uganda Trails we recommend cotton clothing which is light and easy to wash. Bright colours are not recommended if you want to blend into the landscape! Ladies need little more than light cotton dresses, skirts and tops. Make sure you bring a strong pair of walking shoes/boots. Don’t forget sunglasses and a hat as protection against the equatorial sun.
In the evening you may need a sweater on trail, and in the cities a little more formality is required. Don’t forget your swimwear – many hotels and lodges have pools.
What to bring:
Don’t forget to bring your camera as well as a good pair of binoculars.
What to buy:
A souvenir is an essential purchase during your visit to Uganda, to bring back many happy memories when you get home, and some wonderful handcrafts can be found all over the country. In every village local people are skilled in creating colourful arts and crafts, both traditional and modern, which are hand worked to a very high standard. Many of the items are useful; but all of them are items of beauty with patterns and colours that reflect local cultures.
Many of these souvenirs will be found in the village markets and on roadside stalls, but in Kampala and Entebbe there are several shops and markets that specialise in Ugandan crafts. If there is something special you want, why not ask to have it made?
Eating and drinking:
Uganda is an incredibly bountiful country. The range of foodstuffs grown or caught and eaten in enormous. You will want to try Matooke (plantains) – often baked in their skins or in banana leaves, yams, sweet potatoes, delicious fat tiny bananas, small white aubergines, legendary Nile Perch and Tilapia fish. “Waragi” is a locally distilled gin made from the ubiquitous banana.
In the major cities there is very good international food on offer, from Chinese and Indian to Greek, Italian, American and British. Almost all over the country you will have no difficulty in obtaining vegetarian food – the Indian vegetarian range is particularly good.
Crime and violence:
After twenty years of stability, Uganda is now one of the safest countries in Africa (possibly the safest). However, it is sensible to take the same precautions that you would in any foreign country where you are a guest. Don’t carry large rolls of money. You will be expected to be civil and respectful.
Please remember:
Our country and our profusion of wildlife is not only our heritage and responsibility – it is yours. Please take great care to respect the environment which we are all privileged to enjoy. Take no wildlife and leave nothing, only your footmarks.
Uganda's tourism is young:
After over two decades of stability, Uganda is ready and able to welcome tourists and to offer them great hospitality. Make no mistake; you are unlikely to encounter service standards which you may expect in a highly developed tourist resort. Many of our facilities are quite basic and staffs are often extremely inexperienced. We are sure you will find that what Ugandans lack in experience they make up for many times in helpfulness, kindness and concern for your wellbeing. As a tourist to a young and inexperienced destination, we would ask you to respect this fact and honour our willingness to receive you as a guest in our country.
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Visitors to Uganda can enjoy many outstanding attractions such as the numerous national parks and Game Reserves which provide unsurpassed viewing of the varied animals, birds and plant species; the source of the River Nile where it begins its 6000km journey to the Mediterranean; the extremely rare and endangered mountain gorillas in the Muhavura ranges, the spectacular Murchison Falls on the River Nile; and the famous Rwenzori Mountains providing challenging climbing experiences.