Private departure holidays to Uganda

The main attraction for many visitors to Uganda is the opportunity to visit the Bwindi National Park, home to the mountain gorilla. It is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

The UWA's mission is to conserve and sustainably manage the wildlife and protected areas of Uganda in partnership with neighbouring communities and stakeholders for the benefit of the people of Uganda. The payment of trekking fees goes directly to the UWA to support their mission.

In order to minimise the impact of our clients, exposure to the gorillas is well controlled by local leaders. Group size is limited to a maximum of 8. Time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour and a distance of 7 metres is maintained between the group and the gorillas at all times. Every effort is made to ensure the gorillas are not exposed to human bacteria – if you are suffering from a cold then you are not allowed to visit the gorillas, and touching the animals is strictly prohibited. You can be confident that your holiday is helping preserve these magnificent creatures in their natural environment.

At the end of the journey travellers may donate any unwanted clothing, medicine and books, which are distributed to appropriate local charities.

We only employ local staff and unlike many operators we believe that to send a foreign Tour Leader along to accompany your trip is an unnecessary burden on your wallet and our carbon footprint. We believe that locals know best. Our local operators only use locally owned accommodation. This means your money stays in the area to benefit the local community. When possible we use local transport, (i.e. rail or bus) and we always use local restaurants, markets and shops. In doing this your travels are supporting and encouraging the development of local services.

We only work with operators who are as committed as we are to putting something back into the communities we visit. This may include giving a percentage of the profits from each tour to a foundation to help street children or local conservation projects. Furthermore, in order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.

Our groups average only six clients, and many tours operate on a private basis with just two travellers. This has much less impact when travelling through rural areas, reducing our environmental and social affects. Finally to emphasis our commitment to Responsible Tourism all clients will receive a copy of our Travellers Code of Conduct with their travel documents.