Uganda Travel Information

Uganda’s climate is tropical and therefore rain falls throughout the year. The heaviest rains fall between the months of March to May and October to December. January and February are the hottest and the driest months of the year in Uganda and June to September is also a dry season. Gorilla trekking, the prime tourist venture in Uganda is regarded as a year-round activity, however, there are certain points during the year that are optimal.

The dry seasons are considered the best time to see the mountain gorillas with trekking paths in better conditions – in the wetter months the trails tend to get washed out. The advantage of trekking in the wet season is that the gorillas stick to the lower slopes where temperatures are milder and food plentiful, which means trekking times will be shorter.

Uganda’s official languages are English and Kiswahili, spoken throughout East Africa is also widely spoken throughout the country. Uganda is home to many ethnic groups and so around forty different languages are used in the country. Ugandan English is a kind of local variant dialect. The most spoken language in Uganda is Luganda, spoken predominantly in central Uganda and the Capital of Kampala but also across all major cities in the country.

When traveling to Uganda, you will be required to show a visa to enter Uganda. All visa and work permit (E-Visa and E-permits) applications must be completed via the Uganda Immigration portal. Under the new application process, you must apply online for all immigration services such as visas, permits, and passes at least two weeks prior to travel. The fee for a single entry tourist visa is $50.

Uganda is also one of the countries covered by the new East Africa Tourist Visa, and for those also visiting Kenya and Rwanda on the same trip it is a cheaper alternative. The visa costs US$100, is valid for 90 days and is multiple entry – it is available upon arrival or from embassies abroad.

The official currency in Uganda is the Ugandan Shilling. Euros, British Pounds, US Dollars, South African Rand and other major currencies can be exchanged locally or in advance of departure. Additionally, exchange facilities are available at various bureaus de change and banks in major towns have ATMs. It’s advisable to request bank notes in smaller denominations, as it can sometimes be hard to get change from large notes and smaller notes are handy for smaller purchases and gratuities.
Traveller’s Cheques are not recommended as they’re often difficult to exchange and incur high fees.

Yellow-fever vaccination certificates are compulsory for entry. Make sure your health insurance covers you while overseas and consider supplemental insurance that includes medical evacuation. As a guide Polio, Diphtheria, Hepatitis A & B and Tetanus are strongly recommended. Rabies and Meningitis are also recommended. Medical facilities in Uganda are limited and only equipped to handle minor medical emergencies. Travelers are therefore advised to carry their own supplies of prescription drugs and preventive medicines.

Ugandan food tends to consist of a meat-based stews or sauce dishes accompanied by ugali, a thick doughy paste made from maize, or matoke, cooked and mashed green banana. Aside from meat and vegetables, beans and ground nuts are also added to stews for texture and cassava, yams and sweet potato all make regular appearances on the dinner table. Thanks to its many rivers, Ugandans also eat a lot of fish, particularly tiger fish and tilapia. Uganda is largely considered Africa’s fruit bowl with a variety of fruits available, including the popular Jackfruit.

There is no minimum wage in Uganda, which means that many workers in the service industry earn very little and have to make it stretch a long way. Safari guides should be tipped the equivalent of USD $10-15 per person per day and a few dollars should be put in a communal tip jar for the driver, cook and porters. If you eat in a restaurant then 10% on top of the bill is a suitable amount to leave. When it comes to taxis, rounding up the fare is a nice way to show your appreciation.

Foreign women, and particularly white women, attract a lot of attention in Uganda so be prepared for people to want to talk to you, touch your skin and invite you to their house. For the vast majority of the time, this attention stems from pure curiosity and is not meant in a threatening or harmful way. Occasionally men might pester you but giving the cold shoulder or a firm ‘no’ will usually do the trick and get them to leave you alone.

All tap water in Uganda should be treated as if contaminated and avoided at all costs unless it has been purified or boiled before consuming. Bottled mineral water is widely available and cheap so be sure to stock up on this.