UGANDA HOLIDAYS
The Pearl of Africa and Home of Mountain Gorillas
UGANDA SAFARIS AND TOURS
2 Nights / 3 Days
Bwindi Gorilla Trek
from £ 1,940.00 per person
Inclusive of internal flights to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for an exciting trek to find the African mountain gorilla. Add this on to any East Africa Safari for a thrilling encounter with these magnificent endangered giants.
4 Nights / 5 Days
Kampala – Lake Mburo National Park – Bwindi Gorilla Trek – Entebbe
from: £ 2,995.00 per person
Enjoy once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter of rare mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Experience the true wonders of Lake Mburo Park and Bwindi Forest.
7 Nights / 8 Days
Entebbe – Lake Mburo National Park – Bwindi Gorilla Trek – Queen Elizabeth National Park – Kibale Forest Chimp Trek- Entebbe
from: £ 3,415.00 per person
Experience some of Uganda’s best highlights and view exceptional wildlife.
Uganda Safari Highlights
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where you get to spend one hour with a habituated troop.
- Visiting a troop of chimpanzees in Kibale Forest.
- Searching for tree-climbing lions and savannah giants in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Cruising past hippos and elephants on a Uganda safari in Murchison Falls.
- Going on a horseback safari around Lake Mburo.
- The River Nile white-water rafting in Jinga is some of the best in the world.
- Bwindi now offers a gorilla habituation experience, giving you four hours with a mountain gorilla troop.
Fascinating Facts
- When Winston Churchill set foot in Uganda in 1902, he was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the country he called it the ‘Pearl of Africa’.
- Banana is a very popular fruit in Uganda, you can even get a wine that has been produced from banana.
- Uganda has 11% of the birds found in the world – over 1060 recorded species of birds – making it the number one country in Africa for Birders.
- Grasshoppers are an important and popular seasonal delicacy!
- Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962 as a Commonwealth realm with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.
Uganda Travel Information
Useful Information
CURRENCY
Ugandan Shilling
VISAS
Passports must be valid for 6 months. Visas are required by most nationalities, including the EU, US and Australia. It’s important to note that visas on arrival are no longer available without online approval first, and this can take up to five days. Single-entry tourist visas valid for up to 90 days cost US$50.
To apply for your visa: go to the Uganda immigration website
TIME DIFFERENCE
GMT + 2 hours
LANGUAGE
English, Swahili.
International dialling code: +256
Getting there: South African Airways, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and Emirates all fly to Entebbe, 40km south of the capital, Kampala.
Health: A yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required for entry into Uganda. Always check with a travel clinic prior to your travel for updated advice.
Best Time for a Uganda Safari
When it rains in Uganda it really rains. We’re talking torrential daily downpours, flooded roads, and lightning storms across the sky.
The rainy months are best avoided and these are April, May, October, and November. Any of the other months offers a good time to travel.
December to March is peak season. The temperatures are cooler and these are the best months to see the big game in the parks. Gorilla and chimpanzee permits can book out, so it’s important to get them before you travel.
June to September is a lovely time as well, especially June and July when the landscapes have turned green after the rains. Although it can get hot on the plains, you will usually at a cooler higher altitude.
Tips for Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking
We receive many questions about the fitness that is required for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking. If you are able to walk for an hour on a hilly landscape at home, then you should be okay. The actual trek can be anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours.
However, trekking groups are divided based upon the fitness level of visitors, so older and less fit people are usually allocated to the gorilla troop that is closest to the trailhead. Arrive with an okay level of fitness and adrenaline should push you the rest of the day. And if it gets too challenging on the way back, there are porters who will carry you.
Our main tip is to put the camera down. It’s easy to get carried away when you are so close to such incredible animals. But getting photos is very difficult, what with the poor rainforest lighting and black, shadowy subjects. Spend the first ten minutes taking some photos, including the obligatory selfie. Then put the camera away and live in the moment. You will be side by side with the world’s largest primates, sharing glances and expressions, understanding their behaviors and movements.
Planning Your Uganda Safari
The landscapes are lush, the people are friendly, and wherever you travel there is a sense of exploring real Africa. Think ochre-colored dirt roads, amazing hikes, local markets and plenty of wildlife. We think that it is good to do Uganda in style, as the budget and mid-range accommodation may not live up to your standards. We prefer the mid to high-end camps, where you luxuriate in prime wildlife locations and enjoy downtime away from the primates and treks. But whatever your budget and ideas about a Uganda safari, talk to us and we’ll give you expert advice.
