|
It is suggested that you check your status as regards visas prior
to travel with Gorilla Trails. For persons traveling in both
Uganda and Rwanda, a ‘transit’ visa may be issued on returning to
Uganda after Rwanda (at the Kisoro land border), subject to the
final departure from Uganda at Entebbe airport being within 7 days
and you traveling directly there. This normally costs USD15. If
you are re-entering Uganda for longer than 7 days you’d need to
buy a complete new visa at the border – USD30.
Health Requirements
Yellow Fever is required for all of East & Central Africa and must
be done no later than 10 days prior to your departure. If you have
a history of liver disorders (hepatitis etc) you must consult your
physician first.
Typhoid may be requested from the authorities when crossing into
Rwanda, although it is unusual for it to be requested. This can be
done by your local GP or through a travel clinic. There is also
the tablet form available - only available from certain
pharmacies.
Tetanus is also recommended, as is Cholera, but are not
compulsory.
Hepatitis inoculation is at the discretion of the traveler.
Malaria prophylactics are a must and can be purchased from your
local pharmacy. Please consult your pharmacist/doctor.
Diarrhea / Giardia etc - good personal hygiene and control over
the quality of your drinking water should avoid this, bottled
water is readily available throughout the country, but take along
some medicine in case, particularly if you are planning to spend
some time traveling alone and not with a tour. We recommend that
guests either buy bottled water, or take along water purification
tablets and look after your own drinking water.
As with all medical requirements, your doctor or travel clinic
will provide the most up to date information - the above is a
guide only.
If you are participating on an NGAMBA ISLAND FOREST WALK with the
chimpanzees please refer to the specific documentation regarding
which vaccines and health certificates are required as THEY ARE
MORE THAN THE NORMAL /GENERAL ONES required for travel to Africa.
Departure Tax
From Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania (if you are flying out) is from
US$20-50 per person and is usually included on your ticket. Check
with your travel consultant. If you anticipate paying any
departure taxes locally, please take the correct amount - change
is generally not given should cash payment be required upon
departure.
Road Conditions
While travelling through Uganda you will be mostly on tarred roads
and they are in reasonably good condition. There are some long
days in the vehicle, but the scenery makes up for it! There are
some really bad sections of dirt road.
The safari vehicles you will be traveling in are a little slower
on the road than a saloon vehicle or a smaller 'family' 4x4.
Facilities
Depending on the class or style of your safari, your accommodation
may range from luxurious to moderate. Obviously in top quality
lodges you can expect hot water, good meals, en-suite rooms etc.
Our scheduled departures and most tailor-made itineraries use the
best accommodation options available, ranging from 3-4 star.
Clothing on safari
During your safari, depending on the style of trip chosen, dress
code may vary slightly. None of the hotels insist on any formal
type of dress – ties, jackets etc – so the norm would be casual.
In towns and cities, and at certain of the more up-market lodges (eg
Mweya) then long pants and shirt / golf shirt would be acceptable,
or ladies may wear a skirt of course!
On safari in the bush lodges etc, eg Bwindi you would wear casual
clothes (tracksuit etc) for warmth, but in the larger lodges eg at
Mweya / Murchison Falls lodge then long pants / golf shirt would
be acceptable.
In the day time on safari, generally shorts, t-shirts, hat, sun
block etc is recommended.
Gorilla Trekking & Chimp Trekking, Forest walks etc
Hard wearing but lightweight clothes, no bright colours, no army
camouflage clothing should be worn. Greens, khaki and similar
neutral clothes are recommended. Avoid dark colours & bright blue
in areas where you may find tsetse flies as they are often
attracted to these colours (this would be in small parts of
Murchison Falls for example, check with your guide).
On this trip you may experience all four seasons. We suggest you
take something warm eg tracksuit, fleece or pullover for the
mountainous areas i.e. Bwindi or Virungas. It is at a higher
altitude and will therefore be cooler in the evenings - a jersey,
anorak/wind jacket and tracksuit pants would be suggested.
It will also be necessary to take some wet weather gear as it does
rain in the mountainous areas of Uganda and Rwanda on a regular
basis. We suggest lightweight rain gear for the walk to see the
gorillas.
While Gorilla trekking you will need a comfortable, hard wearing,
pair of walking shoes or boots. Conditions are generally very
muddy/slippery. There are uphill sections which may be quite steep
and strenuous. It is also advisable to wear a long sleeve cotton
shirt and lightweight long pants to protect yourself from the
undergrowth, stinging nettles and biting ants. (Tracksuit pants
often get caught on bushes, thorns, etc and jeans can get very
heavy when wet). Gloves are also highly recommended – just cheap
gardening gloves will do. Tuck your long pants into your
socks/boots to avoid biting insects. Also take a water bottle, and
possibly a day pack for camera gear and to carry your jacket if
it’s too warm.
Gorilla trekking can be VERY strenuous, up to 8 hours or more of
hiking in hot, high altitude conditions – please be prepared for
this.
Your clothes will in all likelihood get very muddy and may not
recover to their original state - therefore take old clothing for
the gorilla trekking.
Laundry
Laundry is possible at most establishments in Uganda at an
additional cost. Mostly it is done by hand and dried naturally
outside and so this requires at least 1-2 days for turn a round
depending upon the location and weather. Please check the system
upon arrival at each lodge to ensure you are not caught short with
wet washing.
Other Suggested Items
|
Insect Repellent
Head Torch - and Spare Batteries
Wet Wipes
Water Bottle
Towel for swimming (most lodges do provide)
Plenty of film
Binoculars / camera etc |
Comfortable walking shoes
Sandals / strops
Sunscreen
Hat
Swimwear
Waterproof jacket (lightweight)
Binoculars (game / bird watching) |
Bush gear i.e: Shorts,
t-shirts, tracksuit, kikoi/sarong, strops/sandals, loose skirt,
long sleeve pants and shirt for gorilla trekking, socks for
walking boots/shoes. Note you do spend a couple of days walking -
therefore some of your gear should be in neutral or green colours
(not army colours!) - to blend in the bush. When in the vehicle,
obviously it does not matter.
*Film - for the gorillas, you may be in poor light - so fast film
is suggested, minimum 200 maybe even a couple of rolls of 400 ASA.
Normally you will not be allowed to use flash for gorillas
Videos
There is no charge for personal cameras, eg digital, slr etc.
The vehicles are not equipped with sophisticated recharging
equipment. You would have to charge directly from the battery -
you will need to supply your own equipment to do this.
Film, tapes, batteries, etc. are not readily available in Uganda -
ensure you have ample for the trip.
Some lodges have solar power that is sufficient for charging
batteries, but not all so come prepared with extra, just in case.
Photography
Do not photograph any government buildings, police or military
posts. Ask permission before photographing local people – usually
best to check with your guide. For gorilla photography a 35 - 70
mm zoom, or 50 mm fixed is usually sufficient, but you may want to
carry a longer lens but remember you may well be in low light
conditions. Take fast film (200-400 ASA plus), as you are normally
not allowed to use flash, check this with your gorilla guide.
Game & bird photography obviously longer lens would be recommended
80-300mm ideally.
We advise you not spend all your time with the gorillas trying for
the classic photograph as conditions for photographing are often
difficult, rather, look around you, observe and enjoy these
beautiful animals.
Electricity
Electricity spec: 240 volts British Standard, generally through 3
pin square plugs. Some lodges and camps have power only at certain
times of the day, and in some video charging facilities are
centralised. You will need your own charger. In Rwanda you will
need an international adaptor with the 2 round pins.
Money – please read this carefully
US Dollars cash
is the preferred option when traveling in Uganda. We suggest a
combination of small denomination notes (USD 1, 5, 10, 50) as well
as USD 100 bills - make sure they are POST 2000 and have the
‘large heads’ on – (the older notes depict the various senators
with ‘smaller heads’ – this may sound a bit cryptic, but when you
compare the notes it will become clearer. Note that whilst more
convenient in terms of changing currency and not having to carry
around huge amounts of Shillings, there is normally a surcharge on
the smaller notes when changing them. Keep your slips, you are
able to change surplus shillings back to cash if you have proof of
purchase when leaving the country. GOOD IDEA to get some Uganda
Shillings early on in the trip; the airport provides an
opportunity to do this.
Travellers Cheques
are difficult to change and REALLY bad rates of exchange generally
apply, and are often VERY difficult to cash, even in Kampala and
especially over weekends and after hours. Throughout the rest of
the country, changing TC’s is almost impossible.
Bank cards (hole in the wall ones) that work
internationally in other parts of the world (even in Africa like
South Africa) GENERALLY DO NOT work here in spite of them claiming
to be internationally usable all over the world!! Do not rely on
this, though you may be lucky!!
Credit cards – there is at least a 5% surcharge when using
a credit card, and they are not accepted at very many places at
all. Cashing money on CC can ONLY be done in banking hours (9-3pm
weekdays) at Barclays Bank KAMPALA & rates of exchange are not
good either & it takes time.
Spending money - you will need to cater for drinks, curios etc -
USD 20-40 / day plus the odd dinner not included (please refer to
your itinerary)
Exchange rate USH 1800 = USD1 approx, at time of writing January
06.
Travel Insurance
It is a strong recommendation that you are covered by some type of
medical insurance. Should you require further information please
do not hesitate to contact us. Minimum cover should be $25 000 for
medical and related expenses.
Luggage
Due to space limitations it is imperative that luggage be kept to
a minimum. We suggest a barrel or soft bag (20 kg) for your main
gear, plus a camera bag or smaller 'day pack ' for inside the
vehicle. Samsonite / hard bags / suitcases, etc. are not suitable
as it makes packing very difficult.
If you are traveling on a light aircraft within Uganda, then the
luggage restriction is 12kg in soft bags and this is strictly
adhered to.
Drinks
You will be expected to purchase your own drinks, if you prefer
wine / spirits we suggest you bring it in from abroad or purchase
it at the airport duty free. Beer, cool drinks, bottled water,
local gin, etc. are readily available up there at reasonable
prices. Bottled water is available at most towns, discuss with
your guide. Please bring your own supply of water purifying
tablets, or your own water bottle if you prefer.
A cooler box is kept in the vehicle for any drinks you wish to
store en route, whilst traveling.
It is possible to buy at the duty free IN ENTEBBE AIRPORT ON
ARRIVAL certain alcoholic drinks, wines are somewhat limited (and
a bit pricey) – but as a last resort this can be done.
A complementary beverage bag with tea and coffee is available in
the vehicles – useful for early morning game drives and also to
supplement packed lunches on long days of travel. Discuss these
requirements with your guide en route.
Estimated prices
Water – approximately 0.50 US cents per half litre
Sodas - approximately 0.50- $1.00 US cents each
Beers - approximately $2.00 US each
Sprits - (imported) – Between $2.00 - $3.00 US per drink
Wine - (imported) – Between $5.00 - $4.00 US per drink
Conditions
You will encounter some very bad roads, dust and mud. Take a roll
of toilet paper in case you are caught short on the road.
Sometimes the road conditions call for slow travel, and you will
arrive in camp late - safety is of prime importance.
Distances
Some of the days are long with hard driving - however the scenery
is beautiful and will generally make up for any discomforts you
may feel. There are options to charter fly the longer routes –
please enquire for prices and feasibility of this.
Reference Books
If you particularly enjoy bird-watching, try and get hold of an
East African bird book - it will make your journey even more
enjoyable! The guide generally carries a set of reference books
for the entire group's use. Binoculars are handy to take along.
Safety
Your personal safety and well being is our prime concern - but do
not tempt petty theft, pickpockets, etc. When near markets or in
the centre of Kampala/Entebbe - be careful with personal
possessions and cameras, etc. A "moon bag" is a useful item. We
recommend that you keep cash, travelers cheques and credit cards
on your person at all times. Some lodges/camps/hotels have safe
keeping facilities – please enquire on an individual basis, should
you require this service.
Tips: Obviously at your discretion, but an indication of what is
generally given per passenger travelling is:
Gorilla Guides: Tips should be given to the main guide who will
distribute amongst the trackers and game guards – region of
USD10-15 for the main guide (per guest)
Porters: This is an optional extra and they are normally hired for
around USD10 per porter per day and the tip will vary depending on
the work load – between USD8-10.
Safari Driver/guides: USD 5 to 8 per day – per guest, averaging
4-6 guests in a vehicle. If you are traveling privately, ie just
two of you, please tip at your discretion.
Cooks/camp assistant: USD 3 to 5 per guest per day
National Parks Guides (cruises / bird walks) / Porters at hotels /
waiters : USD 1.00 to 2.00 in local currency -. |
