Are you planning a trip to East Africa but searching for answers to guide you?
We are here to help you out with answers.
Uganda is located at the equator; it enjoys a climate that allows us to organize trips in any month of the year. The variable to take into consideration most is rain: although it will not affect the success of the activities, the period from December to March and from June to September is considered drier, therefore with a more limited percentage of rainfall; in forest areas instead, a downpour can surprise you 365 days a year
If you have the freedom to travel in every month of the year and we have to give you some advice on the best period considering the climate, prices (flights and lodges) and presence in the national parks, we tend to recommend February, March, June and September.
If your tour should be more of an ethnic and cultural nature , we advise against traveling between July and the end of October; unlike the naturalistic part to the west of Uganda, the north and east area is more subject to rains and unforeseen logistical events also due to almost non-existent infrastructures
Entebbe International Airport receives flights from major international airports. There are no direct lines but stopover is required to reach the destination
We do not take care of direct flight bookings, but if you wish we can advise you on the best solutions also based on the tour you choose. We indicate the airlines that fly to Entebbe:
– Qatar Airways (Via Doha); arrival in Entebbe at 2 pm, return at 3 pm
– Ethiopian airlines (Via Addis Ababa); arrival expected at 10:45, return expected at about 18.
– Emirates (Via Dubai) arrival scheduled for around 2 pm, return scheduled for around 5 pm.
– Klm (Via Amsterdam) arrival scheduled for 21, return scheduled for about 22.00.
– Brussels Airlines (Via Bruxelles ) arrival scheduled for 9pm, return scheduled for 10pm.
– Turkish airlines (Via Istanbul) arrival scheduled for approximately 3am, return scheduled for approximately 5am. – Egypt air (Via Cairo) arrival scheduled for about 3 am, return scheduled for about 5 am.
The question should be contextualized according to your budget needs and specific interests.
We recommend between 10 and 22 days to get a complete overview of the country from cultural point of view and thus plan a tour that includes all the primates (Mountain Gorilla, Chimpanzee and Golden monkey), the “big five ”, our “boat rides” top-level activities for the whole African panorama in terms of the amount of fauna and village life.
For those more interested in primates, a minimum 7-day stay is required.
Those who are also interested in more ethnic activities should consider a stay of at least 16Days.
– Long Sleeved Shirts/ Trousers for Nights and Trekking
– Water Proof Trekking Boots
– Sun Screen/ Anti Malaria Spray
– Fleece for Bwindi cold environment
– Hats/Caps for protection from sun
– Torch/ Small Lamp/ Padlock or suitcase
– Back pack Bag for the light items that are mainly required in case your luggage gets lost on plane
– During t During the Gorilla Trekking it will be mandatory to use a small backpack (max 35 liters) for photographic
You can apply for a tourist visa in 3 ways:
By going or sending (subject to communication) your passport and two passport photos to the Ugandan embassy in your city or online to obtain a tourist visa already before departure, we recommend doing so at least 3 months before departure. departure. Check on Visa website for more detail
We also recommend that you bring a color copy of all your personal documents with you: passport, credit cards and driving license. Send the digital files to a trusted person’s email address or your second email address. In this way, in case of loss, you can always and everywhere access a copy to reprint. It is much more practical and secure than a hard copy, as in this way, nothing can be lost.
To obtain an entry visa and access Uganda, the yellow fever vaccine is mandatory. You can get the vaccine in your local Depending on the region you belong to
We recommend that you contact your insurance advisor to take out insurance that best meets your needs regarding cancellations, personal travel baggage or your medical situation.
Depending on the tour you choose, antimalarial prophylaxis may be necessary (we will take care of giving you more precise indications when organizing the itinerary). In any case, we recommend that you contact your doctor to be advised on the most suitable prophylaxis therapy for your travel habits and your state of health
We cannot rent our cars to private individuals, primarily because we are not authorized, secondly because self-drive in Uganda would imply having a very important mechanical experience and knowledge of Ugandan roads which are often not mapped in the forest; experience is a detail that we cannot calculate. Having an expert guide at the wheel will allow you to save time in your travel itinerary and also money.
Yes, to visit the mountain gorillas it is necessary to obtain a permit that can only be purchased from tour operators registered in Uganda such as Way To Wild Safaris : It costs $800 ( USD) per person, it is non-refundable and the date cannot be changed.
Once purchased it will allow you to visit one of the 18 families of gorillas adapted to the presence of man ; these families are located in 5 trekking starting points about 1.30 hours apart in the Bwindi forest or Mgahinga National park.
There are a maximum of 8 permits for each family and in high season, July, August, December, January and February, they must be requested well in advance.
Before booking with us we will give you confirmation of availability for the date on which it will be scheduled.
We have 4×4 land cruisers with 6 – 4 and 2 seats depending on the number of participants, or even 9-seater mini-vans that we load with a maximum of 6 people.
During the stops for refueling or at the villages that you will meet, it will be possible to get off the vehicles to stretch your muscles and maybe take some photos.
Before photographing people it is good practice to ask permission or consult with our driver-guide.
At the markets, You will require to keep some Ugandan Currency to enable you buy anything you want but always receive permission to take a photograph.
What you have purchased you can later give away to those in need.
Along the way you won’t come across many equipped service areas and the toilets are often open air, so remember to use the toilet facilities of the structures where you will stay overnight before departure.
Your driver will always be at your disposal, so if you see a particular place or situation that attracts your attention, don’t hesitate to ask to stop the car (compatibly with the timing of the transfers).
Having scrupulously tested each structure, we offer a list of structures according to the type of trip you choose, you can evaluate the structure from the web and we will be able to answer any information or doubts you need regarding each equipment present in the lodge.
We tend to give priority to structures that are located near the crucial points of the park or close to the activities you are going to do, this will allow you to save time and kilometers.
In Uganda it is possible to stay in structures of all levels: low cost accommodation: Guest houses with private bathrooms or even fixed tents with private or shared bathrooms, with absolutely excellent standards of cleanliness and hygiene; mid-range accommodation – high-end accommodation
Please let us know if you have seen a particular structure in which you would like to stay, as all our tours are customizable, we will be able to adapt the tour to your request or explain the reasons why it would be advisable to use another one.
Good quality food and hygienic standards dictated by Western tourism will be served in all the structures where you will stay overnight. So don’t hesitate to eat raw fruit and vegetables too, obviously don’t go overboard with experimenting with local dishes, especially before long journeys.
Outside of the facilities , in case you wish to buy extra food, do it carefully and above all do not ingest raw or undercooked food. In the case of fruit bought in the markets, it is suggested to eat it after being washed/ peeled.
GSM telephone lines work almost everywhere, but the costs for calls made or received with an Western cards are quite high.
For short communications we suggest using programs such as Whatsapp (in almost all the structures where you will stay you will find free wifi connection), or sms messages.
If you want, we will take care of getting you a wifi router to take with you and that you can use until the end of the trip.
Tips are welcome, give according to how you appreciate the service rendered to you but for the guide who will accompany you during the tour, which will be essential for the excellent success of the trip, will obviously be at your discretion, but we recommend calculating a figure that varies between $10 and $ 20 usd/euro per day per group, depending then the number of participants that your guide will have to manage.
Usually for the baggage handlers you can consider between 4000 -10000/= Ugandan shillings which is equivalent to $1- $ 5 but for small tips we recommend the use of the local currency.
For waiters, hotel staff and cleaning ladies, we recommend at the end of your stay to leave in the hotel “tip box” or give individual person that you are happy with more a figure that indicates your satisfaction with the services of the facility.
As for the rangers and park staff who will accompany you during some of the activities in the forest or in the national parks, depending on their commitment, competence and precision, you can leave a small amount that can vary between 10 and 20 thousand shillings
NB for small tips we recommend the use of the local currency
English is the official language in Uganda; although “Luganda” is the most common language used by the locals. More than 40 different dialects from region to region are spoken throughout the country. Luganda is the first language used by the natives of the “Buganda” region which includes more than 7 million people, together with English it is the language taught in schools, although Swahili is the second official language after English.
The official currency of Uganda is the Ugandan shilling.
The Shilling – US dollar exchange rate is:
3,500/= Ugx (Ugandan shilling) = $1
The Shilling – Euro exchange rate is:
3900/= Ugx (Ugandan shilling ) : €1
The Shilling – Pound exchange rate is:
4900/= Ugx (Ugandan shilling ) : £1
Expenses to be incurred on site will be limited to drinks at the lodges (soft drinks or alcoholic beverages), tips, any laundry costs, souvenirs and, if we opt for half board, lunches.
We always advise you to change euros (or US dollars) into local currency upon arrival , which you will need for the previously mentioned small expenses, try to convert only large denomination banknotes (50 or 100) as the small denomination ones have a disadvantageous conversion; it will be our guide to show you the most advantageous Forex Bureau.
We also recommend that you bring US dollars strictly issued after 2010, without any cut or ink anything on it because they are not acceptable in Ugandan bank.
For more expensive expenses, such as more expensive souvenirs, or to participate in optional activities not included in the program.
It is not recommended to use the credit card outside the structures where you will stay.
Yes! This is certainly our priority: to create a tailor-made travel experience in relation to your requests, which we will adapt based on our logistical expertise and our precise knowledge of the area.
Each trip and tour that we offer in the section relating to “Our trips” can be modified according to your preferences (are you more interested in primates or the big five? Trekking or cultural experiences?), based on your budget (therefore also on the choice of alternative structures to those proposed) and based on the duration (from 3 to 28 days);
After the first exploratory request, which you will fill in using the appropriate “form”, it will also be possible to arrange for a telephone “meeting” which will help us to understand your travel preferences in even more detail.
Absolutely yes!! With an “extra cost” on top of what we charge. we have the possibility of providing you with the above listed speaking guides/driver
Absolutely yes! Well in advance, we will offer you standard departures on our website and on our social channels with fixed dates and with a number of participants that will vary from 4 to 10 people.
Furthermore, once you have booked a trip for 2 or 4 people, it will be possible to “open” your individual tour to other participants (with your dates and program), so that you can save on total costs (for each participant who adds the final price would go down).
It will also be possible to register on the form relating to groups and give us a preference on departure dates, budget and duration; In this way we will be able to collect your preferences and create an ad hoc group tour for you.
The major problem relating to “last minute” bookings is due to the availability of permits which would allow you to see the mountain gorillas which are 8 per day per gorilla family and which cannot be changed in date; in high season (December, January, February, July and August) the request for permits is very high and our advice is to move between 12 and 6 months in advance, especially to have more freedom of choice on dates.
In any case we buy many gorilla permits in advance during the high season, so do not hesitate to ask us for availability and maybe we can give you an immediate solution or an option by changing the program by a few days.
In case you are temporarily unable to leave, we expect the deposit to be frozen and no price increase.
To confirm a trip with Way To Wild Safaris ,t is necessary to pay a deposit of 50% at the time of booking, you will have to pay the remaining 50% one month before departure; all by bank transfer of which we will give you coordinates once the contract has been signed and the trip and the services chosen have therefore been confirmed.
We will be flexible on any requests or delays in the event that the booking is made particularly in advance.
It is possible to make a mix between the Four countries but everything will depend on your budget and time you have available although the costs for Rwanda are very high & other countries.
