Travel tips for African Safari

A. Safari Planning:

1. What are your specific tastes and interests?

•  Outdoor activities preferred

•  Lodging Safari style

•  Other personal interests

2. When do you plan on traveling?

3. How many people do you expect in your group and what is the composition?

4. What is your budget?

5. Contact your Tour Operator by e-mail or phone

B. Car Rental Services:

It advisable that you hire a 4WD vehicle with a driver for your safari from a registered and licensed car hire specialists. Do not rent a Taxi “matatu” vehicle because if it breaks down on the way, all your travel plans are hampered because they do not provide a rescue vehicle.

C. Uganda Visa

Single entry visa costs USD 30

Multiple entry Visa costs USD 100.
Student visa costs $20

Student multiple entry Visa costs$30.
Visa requirements are subject to change.
It is therefore advisable to take advice from the relevant embassies before traveling.

Entry permit.
A Single journey entry permit to Uganda is given and on arrival, visitor pass is issued for purposes of having a holiday, traveling, or doing business in Uganda . Multiple entry visas can be granted for business purposes.

Uganda Visa and Entry permits are issued at Entebbe International Airport or at any border entry point.

F. Useful Telephone Numbers and Contacts

C. Uganda Travel Map

D. Rwanda Travel Map

E. Road distances

Emergency

Police: 999 (Toll Free)

Fire Brigade: 112 (Toll Free)

Umeme-Electrical: 185 (Toll Free)

National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC): 197 (Toll Free)

Doctor: The Surgery (0414) 256003

Doctor: International Hospital Kampala (0414) 340531

Dentist: Basil's Dental Clinic (0312) 260231

International Air Ambulance (IAA): (0312) 200508

Mulago Hospital :

Useful Numbers

MTN Help line: 123 (Toll Free)

Celtel Help line: 1100 (Toll Free)

UTL Help line: 222 (Toll Free)

Directory Enquiries: 901

International Directory Enquiries: 0901

Operator: 0900

Entebbe Airport : (0312) 353100, (0414) 353000

Immigration Department: (041) 231031/3

Kampala Aero Club and Flight: (0414) 320002

Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO): (0414) 542599 or 0772 635669

Uganda Tourist Board (UTB): (0414) 342196/7

Automobile Association of Uganda (AAU): (0414) 250745, (0414) 255917

Posta Uganda : (0414) 255511/2/3

Photo Processing :( 0414) 341 934 or :(0441) 230 556

Birth and Death Certificate Registry: 0772 647 307

Multichoice Television: 0312 245245

Uganda National Theatre: (0414) 254567, (0312) 264569

Uganda Society for Protection Care of Animals (USPCA) : 0772 403789

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) - Plot 7 Kira Road , Kamwokya, Kampala .
Tel: (041) 346288 / 355000. Fax: 041 346291. Email: uwa@uwa.or.ug.
Web site: www.uwa.or.ug

G. Currency Tips

Uganda operates a liberal banking and Foreign exchange policy.

The Uganda shilling is the currency used and it is available in denominations of 50,000/=, 20,000/=, 10,000/=, 5,000/=, 1,000/= for notes and 500/=, 200/=, 100/= and 50/= for coins, each with spectacular features. Foreign currency transactions should only be carried out in commercial banks and licensed Forex bureaus. Avoid exchanging your money from the street vendors as you can easily be cheated with fake cash.

Foreign currencies used include: US dollar, Pound and Euros.

Credit Cards are not widely used but can be accepted by major Hotels.

Barclays Bank and Standard Chartered Bank offer advances against Visa Cards through ATM Network.

H. Photography is not allowed at military installations. In places of tourist attraction, visitors are permitted to take pictures. Ask permission to take photographs of the local people. The tour guides will help tourists to communicate with the locals. Tipping is necessary depending on how the service you have been rendered is satisfactory.

I. Diseases: Visitors are advised to carry along with them anti-malaria drugs, insect repellant, sunshine lotion, light clothing, rain jackets, jungle-boots, binoculars while conducting your Safari.

Caution: Although Uganda has registered low prevalence rates in the past years; AIDS threat is still rampant in the county, so you should take a lot of care as you travel around. Watch out for prostitutes especially in entertainment places, bars and along the routes leading to busy hotels in town and streets. They aim at valuables like: Laptops, watches, phones, cameras, money wallets, etc

J. Necessary commodities are available in supermarkets, shops and local markets countrywide. Roadside markets offer a variety of fruits like bananas, mangoes, oranges, avocado, pawpaw, apples, carrots etc. Make sure that you wash the fruits thoroughly before eating; however, you can enjoy roasted chicken, goat meat and banana (gonja) on the spot.

K. Security and safety: Take care of your valuables like watches, necklaces, cameras, money and Laptops. Incase of any problem, the police should be called immediately to help by dialing 999 from land lines and 112 from cellular phones.