Frequently Asked Questions about a Uganda Safari; Uganda is indeed the Pearl of Africa endowed with unparalleled natural beauty, a diverse cultural heritage and bountiful adventure opportunities. Known for its bucket-list adventures notably the mountain gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experiences, Uganda’s rich natural diversity is untamed, raw and largely untouched by mass tourism. This natural diversity includes 10 national parks protecting a wide range of biodiversity from the African Big 5 species to a stunning 1080 species bird checklist. Other iconic natural wonders in Uganda include; the tallest mountain ranges, the rwenzoris that straddle along the country’s western borderline and the expansive Lake Victoria also the source of the Nile and the largest freshwater lake on the continent. In the midst of this natural beauty is Uganda’s friendly people renown for their warm hospitality and ancient traditions expressed through food, art and music to create a holistic safari experience.
With such varied what-to-do-list in Uganda, planning a personalized safari may seem overwhelming! So, from our Untamed Safaris travel planners’ desk, we offer firsthand local knowledge, tips and experiences through these frequently asked questions, to enable you plan, craft and expereince that personal dream safari to Uganda with us.
Frequently Asked Questions about a Uganda Safari
-
What is the Best Time to visit Uganda?
Uganda is an all-year safari destination with a pleasant and favorable weather. Local climate variations are influenced by the country’s geographic location along the equator, numerous topographic features and high altitudes averaging at about 1000m asl. This is further reflected in the country’s average temperature that lies between 27- 29 degrees Celsius. Uganda experiences a wet and dry climate where the central region and areas around the highlands experiencing wet seasons from March-May and from late Sept-November with the rest of the months are dry seasons. The northern region in Uganda, receives a longer drier season with one long rain season falling between late Feb-June.
For most travelers to Uganda, the best time to visit is the dry season between June to August and a short one December to February. However this corresponds with the local tourism peak season that attract more tourists and increment in prices. For wildlife enthusiasts, the dry season is the most productive time as most game is concentrated near water areas.
Uganda’s wet season often referred as shoulder season is favored by a few travelers that seek more exclusive and intimate time in the wilderness due to low numbers of visitors. For birders, this is the most productive season as most bird species are breeding. Trekking experience to mountain gorillas and chimpanzee are tougher due to slippery trails in the rain season yet rewarding because food is abundant to the sedentary and vegetarian mountain gorillas.
-
Do I need a Visa coming to Uganda?
On planning a safari holiday it’s worth checking on a Uganda immigration portal, to find out whether your country is visa exempted or not. And should you plan to combine any other East Africa African country destination, an East African Tourist Visa allows you to visit multiple destinations. A passport valid for six months beyond the date of entry is required. Uganda Visa fees currently costs 50 USD and an East African Visa costs 100USD.
It is important to note that visas to Uganda are obtained online and no longer available upon arrival at Entebbe Airport or any other land border crossings.
-
What vaccinations are required for my Uganda Safari?
Travelers coming to Uganda are no longer required to present a COVID vaccination card/certificate but a valid yellow fever certificate is mandatory. Immunizations against DTP (Diphtheria, tetanus and polio) and hepatitis are recommended as well. Before you travel here, ensure to visit your local GP doctor for further advisory on tropical diseases including malaria prevention medication and attitude related advice.
-
Is Uganda a safe Destination?
Uganda has a record as one of the safest destination on the African continent. The country’s security is run by various organs but national parks and reserves are run by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) where its rangers escort tourists undertaking various activities.
That said, personal safety and caution must be observed and expensive jewelry or gadgets should be tucked away to avoid being a target to petty pick pocketers especially when walking on busy streets.
-
Is drinking water and food safe?
While on a safari in Uganda, we highly recommend to drink bottled mineral water or filtered water available in major tourist hotels as tap water may not be up to standard for drinking. Uganda is a food basket to the region owing to its fertile lands. This is evident across various city food markets and fruit-stocked roadside markets that line major upcountry roads. And forasmuch as we love our clients to test and try out different dishes, we advise caution on street and roadside foods stops for their hygienic reasons.
About money while on a safari holiday in Uganda
-
Can I pay with my Visa card or Cash?
Yes, Visa card/ Mastercard is widely accepted at all national park gates and almost in all touristic hotels along a typical Uganda safari circuit. Better still, ATMs are almost in all major towns across the country. That said, you will need to carry some cash along preferably in the local currency Uganda Shillings (UGX) for tips and local shopping. Euros and US dollars above the year 2020 are preferred currency for cash payments in most touristic hotels and must be clean, with no ink or tear on them. Note also that currency notes below 10 USD attract less exchange rates, so plan ahead and rather carry enough Uganda shillings.
-
Tipping
Tipping is a token of appreciation to guides, waiters and other service staff. And although not mandatory to give, it’s highly recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions on our Untamed Uganda Safaris Packages
-
What we mean by Untamed Uganda tailor-made Itineraries
As a local specialist operator, we take lots of joy in crafting personalised travel plans for clients visiting our region.You see, a tailor-made travel itinerary is like a personal planning service. You tell us what you want (either in detail, or give us parameters to work within), available time on your hands, budget, interests and then we arrange and execute these services to fit your wishes for your holiday. This is a holiday crafted to your specifications. You decide what’s on the itinerary, choosing exactly where you want to go, how long you want to spend in each place, and what you want to do and expereince in all the chosen destinations. We listen as you tell us your dream safari, and offer you detailed local knowledge, tips and suggestions to craft that personal safari.
By personalizing a tour in this way, you create a trip that’s totally unique to you!
-
What are our safari Categories
Tour categories on our website represent several highlights weaved together and running a specific time/duration to offer you a rewarding experience. Such categories will feature the main bucket-list adventures like gorilla and chimpanzee trekking expereince, wildlife safaris and birding along with various adds-on activities to spice up your safari experience. These small adds-on are sizable bits of adventures offer you a chance to get know more about the destination, enjoy the local scenery, meet and interact with local cultures and experience the off-the-beaten-path.
To create more flexibility, we mention several of these experiences as optional activities leaving them at your pleasure and cost once you’re there.
-
What are our Specialized Tours
Our Specialized Tours are tailor-made plans focusing on specific interests and experiences. These range from; primates only experiences including mountain gorilla, chimpanzee, golden monkey treks and other smaller primate encounters.
Adventure tours would weave together various adrenaline activities and experiences from white-water rafting on the Nile, to hiking for all levels, to a time in wilderness and cultural experiences. Wildlife packages would focus more on wildlife safari including the Big 5 game drives, walking safaris and boat cruise.
Our birding tours are tailored to our visitor’s interests and any experience with East Africa birds to come up with specie-targeted safari. Uganda’s geographic location at the confluence of the continents bird-rich ecosystems, makes it a top birding hotspot with a checklist of over 1080 bird species. With this diversity, a tailored birding tour explores these local habitats and regions for local specialties unique to these habitats. To ensure a satisfactory safari, these specialized safaris are led with suitable guide.
-
Our Combo Tours
Our combo tours combines two or more destinations to create a unique experience saving you time. Our tours extend across the whole East Africa with dedicated local teams running all the experiences and logistics. A combined tour across the East Africa offers you a wholesome experience from epic trek along the endangered primates in their natural rainforests, to epic wildlife encounters including the iconic Africa Big5 across expansive savanna parks, to stunning landscapes, to a wide range of cultures.
-
What mode of transport do we use on our Safaris?
Our ground transport uses tourism modified 4WDs Landcruiser and vans built tough for tracks in all seasons all fitted with roof tops for game viewing, window view for all guests and enough leg room. Although all attractions in Uganda and Rwanda lie in proximity with each other, our tours are well spaced to limit transfer time to as short as 6hrs. And where this is not possible we advise fly-in options where small chartered planes locally connect all attractions.
-
What is the standard of the accommodation we recommend on our Tours?
Over the years, we have cultivated and maintained a healthy working relationship with a diverse range of accommodation facilities that dot our safari circuit across Uganda and in the region. These handpicked cut across various comfort levels, from all-inclusive high-end to luxury facilities, mid-range to rustic-feel facilities. Standard amenities must include hot/cold water en-suite, Wi-Fi, excellent dining, where possible a swimming pool. Room style ranges from banda style, grass-thatched canvas or any other natural material giving that typical wilderness safari feel.
These recommendations must meet our in-house quality standard that considers; personal service, comfortability, location, environmental friendliness, support to the local community and towards local conservation.
-
What is the quality of our tour guides and drivers on Untamed Uganda Safaris?
Personalised service is the pinnacle of our service at Untamed Uganda Safaris thanks to our background as expedition leaders and tour guides ourselves. Our team of tour guides and drivers comprises of diverse experiences to cater for our clients scope of interests. Our guides’ team comprises licensed wildlife specialists, bird guides, adventure guides, photographers and cultural guides that are well versed with our region’s diverse natural beauty and cultural heritage. And for sustainability, we collaborate and work closely with community guides across our region to offer a rich and rewarding local experiences.