Things to know before travelling to Uganda
After travelling around in Uganda, I have gathered some of the things I wish I knew when planning my trip.
How to get around?
There are multiple ways to travel around so this is really dependent on your budget and how much time you have to spend.
1. Self drive
Many people opt to rent a car and drive themselves around to save some money. And depending on your driving skills this is defenitly possible. However if you do, I would highly recommend renting a 4x4 or van where you can raise the ceiling. I saw plenty of peple in national parks driving around in regular cars, and you when you spot an animal you dont really get a good view of them if you cant stand up or get out of the car, and getting out of the car is strictly forbidden. In my opinion you can use a regular car to and from the airport, and in the city but if you are travelling more than that you need to get a better car!
Most of the time the roads are pretty decent, but as soon as you drive of the main road, which you have to do to get to some of the parks and places to stay, the road get extremely bumpy and muddy, especially during rainy season. They dont call driving "to get an african massage" for nothing, it can get extremely bumpy.
2. Hire a driver/guide
To hire a driver and guide is the most expensive option, yet fairly reasonable considering, so I will argue that it is money well spent. I had a comfortable car and an experienced driver who managed the tricky roads I would not have dared to drive myself. In addition the driver will know everything abut the country from information about villages you would stop by, nice spots for viewing nature on the way, and most importantly they are experts on the wildlife and where to spot them. In addition you can just sit back and relax while you take in all the views and impressions while driving.
3. Take the bus
It is definitely possible to travel around in bus too, I have done it before and as long as you are not pressed on time it is no problem. Some things worth knowing is that the busses dont go that often and I have experienced that because of to few customers on board they decided to delay with a day. That is probably not a typical scenario, but it is something to keep in mind.
It is not extremely comfortable, but if you have the time and want to experience a less touristy version of Africa this is a good way to do it.
On long trips the busses will occasionally stop so people can use the restroom along the way and there is always one bigger stop somewhere you can eat on the journey, so no need to bring a lot of food.
4. Use a boda boda
Personally I think the boda bodas, or mopeds, are to scary, but most people dont seem to have a problem with them. You will find them absolutely everywhere and they operate like taxis on short and longer trips. You can bring a bigger backpack or something similar, but this is not the way to go if you have alot with you and you want to take a longer trip. But to see the city it seems like a great mode of transport for those who are not as scared of it as I am.
What kind of food is Uganda known for?
The most popular things to eat is matoke, cassava, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables!
One thing Uganda is known for is something called Rolex, which is basically an omelett inside a chapati. Personally I dont see the hype, but it was fine.
One thing I learned is that they make the best soups in the world! I ended up having some kind of soup every day, and it was always amazing.
People are often worried about getting sick from the food, and to that I have to say that it might happen, but in my experience it is more likely that it is because you are adjusting to new bakteries your body does not know, and not that the food in itself is bad. If you take some kind of lactic acid tablets before you go and along the way, it should be perfectly fine.
Money, ATM and exchange
People might wonder if they should bring money, if so, what currency and how much?
The currency is Uganda shillings, but they also accept US dollars and Euro. You will also be able to take out all these currencies at ATMs and banks without a problem. Some larger hotels and national parks take card, but I advise you to not end up in a situation where you dont have any cash because most places only take cash. This was a much bigger deal than I had anticipated.
Another interesting thing to be aware of has to do with change. It is not really given back in the same way I am used to at home at least. We learned that for safety reasons they dont have a lot of cash at hand in many shops and restaurants, so you have to be pretty specific when you pay, because you might not get change back. We ended up having a lot of trouble when we only had big bills and was paying a small check at the hotel. In those cases we were dependent on someone else at the hotel or around being able to change for them. It always worked out in a way and I never felt like someone was trying to "take my money", it was just MUCH easier when we had smaller bills to use.
Can you drink the water?
No, dont drink the tap water. Make sure to have a bottle to fill up from larger water bottles or buy smaller single-use bottles. You can use the tapwater to brush your teeth without getting sick, but most places I have stayed I was given a bottle of water to use for brushing my teeths and other stuff.
Electricity
As soon as you leave the main cities there is not that much electricity, but every place you stay will have generators. You will be able to charge your phone, camera etc, but maybe not everything at the same time. At more budgetfriendly places there might just be outlets in the reception or social area, so make sure to check that and charge your essentils when needed.
However, if you stay at what is categorized as mid-range and above there will be enoigh outlets in the rooms. The people working there will also give you all the info you need and a little tour when you check in.
Internet
Be prepared for periods without Wifi. Even though most hotels offer Wifi, it is not very predictable. Most times it only works in the reception area, and sometimes not even then. It comes and goes. However, I learned that it can be kind of nice to detox from wifi for a period.
If Wifi is very important for you, I would recommend buying a SIM-card when you get there.
Do they speak English?
There are over 40 different languages spoken in Uganda, with Luganda being the most common. However, most people speak English, and especially in the tourism industry. You might meet and talk to people in smaller villages or remote areas who dont speak English, but I have never found it to be a problem when travelling there.
National park fees are expensive
The main reason many travel to Uganda is to go trekking for Gorillas or chimpz or to go on gamedrives and safari. This is espensive and there really is no way around it. So for those trying to travel Uganda on a budget this is not were you will be able to save money. However i think its worth mentioning that doing this is per 2023 cheaper to do in Uganda than the neighboring countries like Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya. And the experience is truly amazing!
Visa
You will most likely need a visa to enter Uganda, few countries are exempt from this. However, the process is quite easy compared to some other countries in Africa I have been to. You can easily apply for an E-visa online, you will receive a confirmation when everything is okay, and when you enter Uganda you show this and get a printed visa for your passport.
Some of the countries in East Africa has also agreed to join forces, so if you are travelling to Rwanda and /or Kenya too i would recommend getting the East-africa visa.
However it is important to know that as soon as you enter another country the visa expires. For example I traveled from Uganda to Rwanda without any problem. Then traveled to Congo and wanted to enter Rwanda again to get to Burundi. Then the East Africa visa had expired since I had entered Congo. In that case I got a transit visa at the border since I was just entering Rwanda to transit to Burundi the same day. So if you are doing the same, remember to ask for that if they dont tell you. Otherwise you have to pay much more for a regular visa.
Vaccines
You have to show proof of vaccination for Yellow-fever when entering, so this is very important to have in place before you travel. You also need to send in proof of this when applying for visa, so make sure to take it a couple of months before travelling to be sure. There are also other recommendations on vaccines to take before leaving, so take a trip to your doctor or the closest vaccine center to check before you travel.
What about diseases?
One thing people always seem to be worried about when I travel to Africa is all the diseases. Yes there is Malaria in Uganda for instance, but from all my travelling I have never really gotten sick in Africa. The worst I have experienced is problems with my stomach, but no more than when I travel around in Asia or South-America. I have traveled around in Africa both taken medicines for malaria and not, but to be on the safe side I do recommend taking it and also getting the necessary vaccines before traveling. Make sure to wear long pants and sweaters in the evening when the mosquitoes are out and tuck your mosquito net tightly, and you should be fine.
Tipping
It is definitely customary to tip in Uganda. Coming from Norway where there is a different culture for tipping I always find it a bit difficult to figure out when and how much to tip. We quickly learned that we need to have some bills on us at all times. My recommendation is to tip between 10-20% and to tip every guide, ranger, waiter and others who help you.
What to wear?
When I read about what to bring to Africa I always see so many writing about wearing natural colors like beige and green, and to avoid black.
There is some truth to it, but dont take it too seriously either.
Yes if you are going trekking and want to get close to the gorillas for instance, its encouraged to avoid bright colors that might upset the animals. However, when you travel around you see that the people living there wear lots of color, so no you dont have to just bring beige and green clothes. Another aspect is that the Tsetse flies are attracted to black so you should not wear that color, but in my trip there was only a short period of around 10 min where I had to be aware of them by Murchison Falls, so it depends on where you travel.
Some things I am glad I packed with me:
- Gaiters for trekking
- Gloves for trekking (you will have to grab on to a lot of stuff)
- Scarf, beanie and wool sweater (It gets cold at night in the mountains
- Stomach medicine
- Cards or a game for the evening
