Uganda Trips and Tours
Uganda, straddling the equator high on the central African plateau and perched on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, is marketing itself hard as the ultimate eco destination. Its gorillas represent perhaps the most powerful image of them all. Yet it still receives relatively few tourists compared to its neighbors, Kenya and Tanzania. Those that do visit are well rewarded with a fantastic climate, an ever-changing scenery, and people who are honest, polite and genuinely pleased to help.
As soon as you step off the plane the country immediately gives a good impression: well-maintained roads with immaculately clean verges. A huge array of greens, mixed with the terracotta red of the soil, is easy on the eye. The capital, Kampala, is a handsome city, set among seven hills, with a range of comfortable hotels, al fresco eating places, lively nightlife and a fine public garden. The surrounding towns, while not high on tourist attractions tend to have a modest colonial centre, bustling markets and historical and cultural interest provided by burial grounds of the kings.
Most travellers, however, visit for two main reasons – the gorillas and whitewater rafting. Neither is particularly cheap – both, however, are unforgettable experiences.
Aside from the gorillas, Uganda’s national parks provide a rich and unique habitat for a great number of wildlife species. From savanna in the east to rain forest in the west, few countries can match the sheer diversity of the landscape. Kibale National Park has East Africa’s highest concentration of primates, with 13 species, including chimpanzee; while Queen Elizabeth National Park has 95 mammal species including the elusive tree-climbing lions.
Birdwatchers are in for a real treat with more than 1000 species to spot. Exploring the island-studded Lake Bunyonyi by canoe offers the perfect opportunity to commune with nature and soak up Uganda’s glorious scenery.
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LAND – Uganda covers an area of 241,551 square kilometers (approx. 93,263 square miles).
CLIMATE- Uganda is landlocked with no access to the sea. The country is mostly plateau with a rim of mountains. The climate is tropical and generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August).
TOPOGRAPHY – The greater part of Uganda consists of a plateau 800 to 2,000 m (2,600–6,600 feet) in height. Along the western border, in the Ruwenzori Mountains, Margherita Peak reaches a height of 5,109 m (16,762 feet), while on the eastern frontier Mount Elgon rises to 4,321 m (14,178 feet).
PEOPLE – According to the 2017 revision of the World Population Prospects the total population was 41,487,965 in 2016, compared to only 5,158,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2015 was 48.1 percent, 49.4 percent was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.5 percent was 65 years or older. The current population of Uganda is 44,179,702 as of June, 2018, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
ECONOMY -Agricultural products supply nearly all of Uganda’s foreign exchange earnings, with coffee alone (of which Uganda is Africa’s second largest producer – after Ethiopia) accounting for about 27% of the country’s exports . Exports of apparel, hides, skins, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, cut flowers, and fish are growing, and cotton, tea, and tobacco continue to be mainstays.
LANGUAGE – Uganda is a multilingual country. Forty of its living indigenous languages fall into three main families—Bantu, Nilotic and Central Sudanic—with another two languages in the Kuliak family. English, inherited from the colonial period and Swahili, are official languages. Including second-language speakers, there are more speakers of Luganda than English in Uganda.
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY – It is estimated that Uganda has an installed generating capacity of 595 Megawatts, mostly derived from hydropower.
TIME – Uganda standard time is 3 hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3)
CURRENCY – The Ugandan Shilling is the currency of Uganda. Our currency rankings show that the most popular Uganda Shilling exchange rate is the USD to UGX rate. The currency code for Shillings is UGX, and the currency symbol is UGX.
BANKING HOURS – Office hours typically are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, though in practice, office hours vary and workers frequently go home by noon on Friday.
COURIER & MONEY TRANSFER – Money transfer can be made through MoneyGram, PayPal, Western Union and Bank Wire transfer.
COMMUNICATION – There are a number of systems of communication in Uganda, including a system of telephony, radio and television broadcasts, internet, mail, and several newspapers. The use of phones and the internet in Uganda has rapidly increased in the last few years.
WORKING HOURS – Government office hours typically are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, though in practice, office hours vary and workers frequently go home by noon on Friday.
PUBLIC HOLIDAY – The Ugandan government does not celebrate a holiday on the workday before or after the actual holiday if it falls on a weekend.
January 1: New Year’s Day
February 16: Archbishop Janani Luwum Day
Date variable: Good Friday
Date variable: Easter Monday
March 8: Women’s Day
May 1: Labor Day
June 3: Martyr’s Day
June 9: National Heroes Day
Date variable: Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
October 9: Independence Day
Date variable: Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
December 25: Christmas Day
December 26: Boxing Day
HEALTH REQUAREMENT – Yellow fever certificates is required for entry in Uganda. This is required for all Visitors to Uganda and is a precautionary measure that no Yellow Fever is brought into Uganda. There is no Yellow Fever at present in Uganda, but the country is a part of the world-wide Yellow Fever Zone.
CUSTOMS – Mostly women has a duty of cultivation of staple foods on their lands and a full time housewife job in rural areas whereas men is responsible for house expenditures and for all that legal means from where he can earn money. But in urban centers, women role is different as there are much opportunities in different cities of Uganda where girls or women’s can get education and also women can do job at high professional levels. A greeting with right hand is highly appreciable in Ugandan society and giving tip to a waiter is a strong tradition. Always keep some distance whenever talking to any female or male in Uganda because it is seen very respectful. Eating and serving food on the floor is a traditional way in the society of Uganda.
ENTEBBE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – The airport is located near the town of Entebbe which is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa. In addition to that, Entebbe airport is located at a distance of 35 kms from Kampala.
The airport consists of two terminals which handle domestic and international flights respectively. Therefore, Entebbe airport offers a range of passenger services like commuter taxi service to Kampala, outlets of car rental agencies, baggage facilities and lost and found and left luggage facilities, airline lounges and a lounge called Karibuni which is accessible to economy class passengers on the payment of a $15 fee, disabled passenger assistance, a post office and several wife hot spots which are provided and maintained by Uganda Telecom.
SECURITY – Security is tight here making getting to Departure more difficult. There is no roadside drop-off or pick up directly at Entebbe International Airport. You have to walk to or from the parking lot for departure and to it during arrival.
If our Safari Tour Guide is meeting you, it will be outside of the building at arrivals with a Hand Held Kabiza Wilderness Safaris Sign on him.