Practical & Useful African Safari Tips – Advice – Information
Get to Know before you Go on Safari – Advice that you can use as you plan your Safari
A Safari in Africa begins with the preparation and planning. It means gathering information – planning the Safari – from Immunizations 
to getting your visa. From budgeting for the Safari to planning your itinerary about what you do not want to miss in Uganda and what activities you would like to take part in.
Activities such as visiting the Mountain Gorillas on a Trek or spend 4 hours with them on the Gorilla Habituation Experience, Chimpanzee tracking, or All-Day Habituation, Volcano Climbing, and much more.
Safari Tips and Advice will prepare you for the Safari ahead of you. We will help you make your time in Africa a success. It is all about knowing Before you arrive for your Safari in the Pearl of Africa, Uganda.
Know before you go. Know what to expect while on Safari, what to bring, what to wear, entrance requirements for Uganda, health tips, and more.
Knowing before going enriches your time on Safari. It prepares you ahead of time since you know what to expect.
Frequently Asked Questions: African Safari Tips – Advice – Information for Uganda
Find the Answer to questions that you might have about a Ugandan Safari
How do I plan my Safari in Uganda?
Our Answer: Planning your activities, planning the Safari in Africa involves preparation at home. It is good to read about the country that you will be visiting—knowing the requirements of a Safari and, of course, what to pack and bring for your Safari in Africa.
The information we have gathered here will help you in planning that just right Safari for you in Uganda. We bring years of Safari experience on board to make your time on a Safari as smooth as possible. That is why we have put together the African Safari Tips – Advice – Information for you.
Get to know Uganda before you arrive, and you will enrich your time here in Uganda. We have hundreds of pages covering what a safari is like—preparing you as to what to expect before you arrive.
Your Safari Begins with planning – We suggest that you do not do it alone but use us. We bring over a decade of experience with Hakuna Matata – No-Worries Safaris in the Pearl of Africa.
Why should I visit Uganda on my Safari?
Uganda is the Pearl of Africa and has been just that for a decade. It is home to the-Five plus Gorillas and Chimpanzees, making it home to the Big-Seven.
Early Western Explorers fell in love with Uganda and could not say or write enough about it. Winston Churchill popularized the slogan “Pearl of Africa” in his 1908 “My African Travels Book.”
Today Uganda is the Premier Primate and Gorilla Destination. The reasons are two. Affordability, in Uganda, your Money stretches further. Then there is security. Uganda is the only Gorilla Country that has had no guerrilla activities.
Uganda is Africa condensed into a small country, the size of the state of Oregon. Yet Uganda has seven times the inhabitants that Oregon has.
There are countless reasons why you should visit the country. While neighboring Rwanda focuses on high-end visitors by creating the future becoming the Singapore of Africa. Uganda is still Africa as you imagine it, only better. Parts of Uganda, such as Kidepo Valley Park, are Africa, as it used to be over 50 years ago.
How do I get to Uganda for my Safari?
You have to get to Uganda? There are two ways that you can, and that will make things easier on you in regard to drive-times once you get here.
You can fly into Entebbe International Airport and go on Safari with us, most often ending up in Southwest Uganda for Gorilla Trekking.
The other way, especially if you are coming here for Gorilla Trekking only is to fly into Kigali, Rwanda, and we take you to Uganda for Gorilla Trekking and other activities such as Chimpanzee Trekking and Wildlife. This is an option that about 60% are now considering, often flying into one country, and flying out of the other.
Most of our clients choose to fly into Kigali and fly out of Entebbe at the End of their Safari or the other way around cutting down on long drive-times.
What about my Tourist Visa?
If your Safari is in Uganda only, then you can apply for an Uganda Tourist Visa online with Uganda Immigration.
Most, however, prefer the more convenient on Arrival Visa at the Point of Entry into Uganda. The visa on arrival is not by design but by default, since the online system has not been consistent at times.
As of January 1 -2018, all Tourists to Rwanda can obtain a Rwanda Tourist Visa on arrival.
If you are visiting both Uganda and Rwanda – or going on to Kenya, you will need an East African Tourist Visa that allows you to visit all three countries as a tourist. You must apply to the country that you will be visiting first.
Tourism Visas for Uganda and Rwanda – online or on Arrival.
What about the Yellow Fever Certificate?
Here you will find the Yellow Fever Immunization requirement for both Uganda and Rwanda. You are entering the Yellow Fever Zone, a belt that circumvents the world and where yellow fever vaccination is required for entrance into the country. Both in Rwanda and Uganda, if you want to enter without the certificate, you must receive n inoculation.
It takes ten days for the vaccination to be effective. It is, however, suitable for a lifetime.
There are no reported cases of Yellow Fever in either Rwanda or Uganda. There was an outbreak in Angola, now contained that started the requirement for Travelers in most East African Countries, before that it was only required if you were coming from a country where yellow fever is endemic.
For 99% plus of Travelers, this is not a problem. We did have one cancellation due to it.
What document will I need with me while on Safari?
Documents you should have in your possession for your Safari:
Have one sizeable plastic envelope that you can always keep with you. We suggest that you have like a day-pack where you can put all of your essential papers, including your cash – unless you use the safe at the lodge or hotel for that purpose.
Always have extra copies of the documents – just in case they are lost or misplaced. Do not take your passport with you if you are walking around town – instead, have a copy with you and leave the passport at the hotel.
The packet should contain the following items and anything else you may consider necessary.
- Your safari itinerary – read it over to make sure that it is just the way you like it to be.
- Your passport should expire at least six months after returning to your home country (make a copy of passport)
- You should have at least two free pages in the passport for each country you are visiting.
- You should have a photocopy of your passport.
- Your Travel Insurance Policy
- Emergency phone numbers
- Copies of any medical prescriptions
- Vaccination Certificates such as Yellow Fever for Uganda and Rwanda.
What about Money?
There are some things you need to do when coming on Safari in Rwanda that will save you some dollars and cents.
If you plan to use an ATM card or credit card, it would be good to notify your bank that you will be using your Credit Card or Debit Card for purchases or cash withdrawals from an ATM in Rwanda or Uganda.
The USD is the currency of choice in much of Africa, and it is in Uganda and Rwanda. Below you will find more information that might come in handy during your time in Africa.
Uganda Money Information
Rwanda Money Information
What about Health and Well-Being Concerns?
Most people incur no health problems while visiting Uganda or but enjoy themselves during the time on Safari.
Do, however, read our health page and take advantage of the information found there.
Vaccination Certificates such as Yellow Fever.
Bring enough of your prescriptions.
2nd set of eyeglasses
Eye-Drops if you wear contacts – we are a bit on the dusty side in Africa.
Preventing Malaria Using the right Insect Repellent Preventing Bilharzia
No Client of ours has ever become Ill on Safari, contracted Malaria, or any other ailment. Many have the fear that they will become ill on Safari, which is not the reality.
We will do our best to keep you healthy on Safari
When packing for a Safari – keep it to just the essentials and keep it light – most people pack too much.
For a safari, pack clothing, neutral in color – bring along some insect repellent – the Rid Australian product is most effective against mosquitoes, and even Tsetse flies. If you are hiking, gorilla or chimpanzee tracking – pack a light pair of hiking boots. If you are going on a flying safari in Uganda – it is best to pack light. Packing for your flying Safari in Uganda
If you are visiting a school, orphanage, clinic, pack with a purpose adding a few books, deflated soccer balls, dolls, crayons, colored pencils, stethoscope, blood pressure kit, and more, to name just a few. Keep from bringing sweets, candies, gum.
Pack light and right for your Safari in Uganda. What you pack will depend on the activities that you will participate in while here in Uganda.
Keep it simple – Plain and Practical for your comfort while on Safari in Uganda – do not try to look like a big Bwana of old on Safari.
Wear comfortable clothing, jeans, otherwise neutral colors, sturdy shoes, a hat come in handy for most. Khaki is good for its color, easy to wash, and feels good as you wear it. A rain jacket also comes in quite handy, and long-sleeved shirts offer proper protection for you from thorns and insects.
Jeans may not be recommended; however they prove to be some of the best long trousers for a safari, they hide the dirt, give more protection, and in our climate, they dry the same day after being washed at a lodge. (Please note- there is a taboo against washing another person’s undergarments – buy some small packets of soap and do it yourself).
The key is casual, every day, and practical – enjoy your Safari in Uganda.
What to wear Gorilla Tracking. The kind of shoes needed for a safari in Uganda. Binoculars for your Rwanda -Uganda Safari.
Do you Practice Responsible Tourism?
Simple Responsible Tourism Eco-Friendly Safari Tips. Tips that will enhance your time in Uganda A Code of Conduct for Safari Visitors to Africa that respects Communities –the Environment – the Wildlife.
Before you arrive for your Safari in Africa – take part in planning your Safari by taking an active role in creating your Safari, and we will help in making a responsible tourism Safari just for you.
No off-road game driving, no garbage thrown out of windows, merely practical tips you already adhere to in the West
Pack in and pack out. On a Gorilla Trek, be sure to carry out what you carried in.
Take nothing with you – but memories and pictures – leave nothing behind but footprints.
We want to conserve for future generations to come.
What Kind of Lodges will I stay in?
If you look at many itineraries online. And if you checked lodging facilities that were selected for you, the quality would often be what one could call abysmal. Even when it comes to budget facilities, we only use budget facilities that, in most cases, have self-contained rooms.
Lodging is an essential aspect of your Safari in Uganda, and we do not take it lightly. If our clients complain about a lodging accommodation facility – our response – it goes off our list, and we remove our recommendation of it from our website.
Safari Lodging experiences depend on many things – the mood of those who receive you and wait upon you, the management. We have found that things can change, and we do our best to make sure that your stay at a lodge is satisfactory.
We choose the best midrange and Luxury Safaris for our Clients on Safari with us.
What will I eat while on Safari?
What you eat and the quality of food that is served to you on Safari depends on the kind of lodges you are using.
If you want quality safari Food that is of Restaurant Quality than stay in upmarket lodges, Moderate lodges will be ok serving sumptuous – tasty meals.
When you go to budget lodges, you are often receiving fried foods like fish and chips, stews where the meat may not be tender. Breakfast will be just eggs and toast, along with instant coffee.
What if you are a vegetarian or vegan and going on Safari? Most of the time, you are fine with certain precautions taken.
Your Safari in Uganda will turn out to be a Foodie Adventure that you will enjoy.
Taste of Uganda
Vegan or Vegetarians on Safari
What can I drink on Safari?
You will not get thirsty on a Safari in Uganda. There is bottled water, Coke and Pepsi Products, 7-Up, Mountain Dew, Schweppes. Diet Sodas are rare, though Coke-1 can be found in some supermarkets. Sparkling water is not to be found except in a few supermarkets.
Lodges have plenty of Beer both brewed in Rwanda and Uganda, Juices, some of which are squeezed freshly, and sodas.
Wine is served from boxes and can be disappointing, here is our solution.
Rwanda and Uganda grow great Arabica Coffee, in a budget and many moderate lodges you are served instant with powdered milk and sugar. Here is our Solution.
What is my Driver like?
You can always find a driver in Uganda – the need is for a driver that is also a tour guide. At Kabiza Wilderness Safaris, we hand-pick the tour guides based on their experience, and we use the feedback from our clients.
Customer service and satisfaction are foremost on the minds of our driver-guides who will go beyond the expected norm to make your Safari in Uganda a success. As said – you can always find a driver in Uganda, but you need one to get you there and who knows Uganda, the parks, the Wildlife, the culture, and more.
Our driver-guides have at least seven years of experience in the Safari-Tour business. They do not need a map – it is in their head, they will know when a bridge is out, a road is being repaired, and they will take an alternate route if necessary.
How much do I tip on Safari?
Tipping is showing one’s gratitude for excellent service. Uganda and Rwanda are both culturally non-tipping countries.
Fortunately, Visitors of Uganda think differently in most cases. Here you will find help in what is the right tip for lodge and restaurant staff while on a Safari.
What to tip a ranger that takes you gorilla trekking or on a game drive. Often our clients write to us about tipping.
Most of what you need to know is found here.
Those in the tourism industry forget at times that tips are not an entitlement but an acknowledgment for excellent service that has been given. We do not have a list of minimum tips and find such bad taste bordering on greediness. This is especially true when it comes to Gorilla Trekking.
Tipping is an investment in the life of a Ugandan.
Most Safari Goers want to take in Gorilla Trekking in either Uganda or Rwanda. Gorilla Trekking is different from a wildlife Safari in Uganda or other parts of Africa.
It takes some different preparations, things to know about, and how to get permits for your Trek.
In Uganda, there is also the exclusive, one of a kind all day Gorilla Habituation Experience where you spend 4 hours with a Gorilla Family. We also have tips and advice for that activity.
Gorilla Trekking can be done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla Park in Uganda.
Gorilla Trekking is different from other safari activities, and it is best to be informed, to know before you go on a trek.
Gorilla Trekking is only done in three countries. Uganda has become the country of choice for most. It is best to know before you go.
What about my Safety and Security on Safari?
Uganda is one of the most stable and secure countries in Africa – it is also one of the top friendliest countries in Africa, according to an African Economist Survey.
As a Tourist, you even receive extra security in the form of our Tourism Police, and when you go on a game drive, an armed ranger is with you.
There are no Guerillas on a Safari only Mountain Gorillas. Gorilla Trekking, like other Safari activities in Uganda, is safe. There have been no security incidents in Uganda.
The safest place to be in Uganda is on a safari. Your driver-guide and our staff will do our best to make your Safari in Africa a safe one.
Safaris in Uganda remain safe and secure, in part due to the security precautions by the government.
Your Safety and Security is on our mind when planning your Safari.
Does the COVID-19 Pandemic affect my Safari?
Yes, it does at least for the rest of this year. Uganda has been spared from the worst of the pandemic. A lockdown was imposed on the country in March of 2020. There were a few cases and no deaths. Lockdown measures were slowly lifted, and the rate of infections rose. The death rate was zero until August.
October 1, 2020, the airport will open again. It will be difficult for travelers from the USA and Canada to reach here. There are travel restrictions beyond Uganda. Restrictions over which Uganda has no control.
There are specific conditions that have been put into place for visitors. We suggest that you read them. They include arrival and departure. There are also facemask rules, sanitizer, vehicle rules that you must abide by. It is an added inconvenience. However, a Safari in Uganda is well worth the extra effort.
What kind of Safaris do you offer in Uganda?
We offer and specialize in Luxury and Midrange moderately priced Safaris in Uganda. That is what we do best. We do not dabble in all kinds of Safaris. Nor do we offer Safaris all over the continent. We focus on Uganda, and luxury and midrange Safaris give travelers the best experience in the pearl of Africa.
Affordable Luxury Safaris in Uganda are Our Specialty:
Experience Africa with that added touch of subdued elegance. A Luxury Gorilla – Chimpanzee – Wildlife Safari staying at some of Uganda’s best Luxury and Exclusive Lodges.
A luxury Safari in Uganda gives you that added plus. Comfort, Elegance, Style. Lodges that cater to your wishes and needs with a well-trained staff and that includes some East Africa’s finest Chefs A comfortable, secure Toyota Land-Cruiser Vehicle with Pop-Up Roof.
Luxury Fly-in Safaris give you more time in the parks and less time on the road. The remote Kidepo Valley Park is a favorite fly-in Safari destination.
A Luxury Safari in Uganda – not an added also offer; it is our Focus and Speciality.
Value-Plus Moderately Priced Safaris with Kabiza Wilderness Safaris
For over a decade, our focus has been Value-Plus Safaris in Uganda. A shoestring or budget may look appealing on paper, but it lacks what most expect on a once-in-a-lifetime African Safari. The reason we offer Value-Plus moderately priced safaris using quality and proven mid-
A Value+ Private Safari gives you that added comfort without compromising the experience of the Safari.
We offer private Hakuna-Matata No-Worry Value-Plus Safaris in the Pearl of Africa that put you into the best mid-range lodges found in Uganda. Your experience is what is always on our minds, and our Value+ Safaris give you just that.
Value Plus Midrange Safaris in Uganda
Kabiza Wilderness Safaris – our Focus
Our Safaris include Honeymoon, Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Family, Hiking safaris in Uganda, combined safaris that include Uganda Rwanda Safaris, and we have missed the Safari that you wanted – we will do so.
We know Uganda and Rwanda, we live here, we have driven to every part of both countries, we know the lodges, parks, cultural places, allowing us to create for you the Safari, best for you.
There is only one thing that we do “Create Memorable Safaris in the Pearl of Africa – Uganda and that we do “Hakuna Matata Style,” meaning no-worries, leave that to us.
We do not dabble in selling Safaris all over Africa, Uganda is our Focus. Our Safaris extend into Rwanda since Kigali is often our starting point for a Safari, especially for Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
We know Uganda, and beyond the Guidebooks, Forums, Blogs, we live and work here.
Want more African Safari Tips – Advice – Information –write to us
