Uganda travel advice

Jackson Araali, from our supplier Primate World Safaris:
“My favourite part is actually the culture. In the southwest, they have tribal chiefdoms and not kingdoms, so we visit those. Sometimes they have what they call ‘community libraries’ where they keep artifacts which they can show you about their culture, their tradition, their norms. You find people exhibiting their cultural dancing and things like that – so you have an overview of these cultures. In the central region we focus on visiting the kabaka kingdom – the kabaka is the parliament of the central region. And in the west, we always have a stop off at the kingdom of Toro, which is one of the biggest in Uganda. On the way to Kidepo, in the far north, you go through the Karamojong community. It’s one of the minority communities, and very rich in tradition. They have tried to preserve their culture, they still stay in their homesteads and they have their livelihood there, many of them are cattle keepers. They drink the cattle’s milk, their blood – that’s their lifestyle.”

Jackson Araali, from our supplier Primate World Safaris: “Many people focus on going chimpanzee tracking, going gorilla tracking, but when we go into such forests, like Bwindi and Kibale, you can go birding, and if you spend enough time there you can discover so many reptiles – snakes and chameleons, the things that people don’t really talk about. There are forest animals, elephants, buffalo – almost everything. So we are trying to not go to Bwindi for only gorillas. We are taking people for birding, doing the community walks, seeing the scenery and so many things. I actually give about three days to that region alone in my trips.”

Often Konzoro is a tour leader with our supplier, Exodus, leading tours in Uganda and Kenya: “When I do my pre-departure meeting I always tell the clients – if you see anything please do ask me, don’t tell me when we get to the campsite, better to tell me when on the spot when we can talk about it or learn about it.

Mostly I’m in the back of the truck with the clients, and when the clients see something on the way they ask me and we can talk about it in the truck. We can also talk at the campsite when we sit down just after dinner. When we are driving along and we pass the villages, I tell them about the villages, about the roundhouses from a long, long time ago. These are the moments I enjoy.”

Uganda is generally a safe and incredibly welcoming country – in the cities as well as in rural areas. It is unlikely you will experience any trouble. Just exercise the usual precautions, avoiding carrying large amounts of cash or having valuables on display. There have also been reports of motorcycle drivers snatching bags; wear shoulder bags on the side away from the road, or stick to backpacks/cross body bags which are harder to remove. Possibly the most dangerous thing you can do in Uganda is ride a boda boda – the ubiquitous motorbikes taxis. They may drive down the middle of or even on the wrong side of the road to beat the chaotic traffic. Additionally, there is no street lighting, the boda bodas themselves rarely have lights, and you won’t have a helmet. For many Ugandans they are a necessity, but travellers should spend a bit longer – and pay a bit more – for a regular taxi. Always listen to your guide when around wildlife. The superb national park rangers can read animal behavior and know how near you can get on foot, when an animal is distressed or hungry, or if it is likely to charge. This really is life saving advice – heed it! If staying in, or close to, a national park, animals may wander through your accommodation grounds – particularly at night, so heed warnings, and always carry a torch. In tented camps, it may be dangerous to leave food in your tent as animals such as baboons and warthogs can smell it and tear through the tent. If this is the case, there is usually a safe, sealed storage area available for food and drink; your guide or accommodation owner will advise. If travelling by boat or going on a rafting trip, always make sure you are wearing a lifejacket. If you are travelling with children, ensure they have lifejackets too – and that they fit properly. Accidents are rare, but they have happened. If you are taking photographs from your boat, wrap the camera strap around your wrist or neck. Hippos have been known to appear from nowhere and surprise tourists – who then drop their cameras… Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, and will result in arrest and possibly imprisonment. Same sex couples should act extremely discretely in public.