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Crafting a safari is unlike any vacation planning that you may have done previously. That’s why so much depends upon the expertise of a professional. If you have been on a prior safari, engaging a professional is equally important to assure that your next safari compliments your earlier safaris. As you move around East Africa many parameters change. For example the accommodations in some safari regions are dominated by lodges while other regions are predominately or exclusively tented camps. Which is best for you?

East Africa isn’t zoo-like with animals readily accessible. The wildlife roams freely and follows seasonal patterns. The same region will be abundant with wildlife during some periods of the year and sparse during others. Seasonality also applies to lodging. Will the wildlife be right outside your door or many, many bumpy, dusty miles away?

Planning a safari carries the same admonition as acquiring real estate: “Location, Location, Location”. Furthermore, the type and abundance of wildlife varies by ecosystem. Consulting with a safari professional will help you sort out which ecosystems you should visit, which specific ones are viable during the period you wish to travel, which tour operator will be responsible for your visit and true value for your money, and where to stay to be in the midst of the action. There are a multitude of nuances that go into determining what arrangements are best for you and your budget. And, of course, there are enriching cultural experiences and magnificent world-class sites to be folded in your itinerary.

The best way to travel around southern Uganda and Rwanda as well is by road as the distances are relatively small and the scenery wonderful, but we recommend the newly launched 2012 regular aircraft flights for visits to Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley National Park particularly during the wet seasons depending on your budget!

Gorilla tracking safari; an adventure often referred to as “penetrating the impenetrable”. The experience of tracking and finding these great apes is arduous but exhilarating and only found at this locus and its vicinity. This is silverback ground zero – and not for the fainthearted. Compromizingly, it’s the field where we lead and instantly fell in love with it as a result of our company name. Although tourism is on a very small scale in Uganda and Rwanda, the infrastructure has improved rapidly over the last few years.

The main roads are in good condition and even the unpaved roads are well maintained, whilst high quality lodges and small tented camps are now found in most of the national parks and game reserves.

As Uganda has good regional connections with Kenya and Tanzania you can fly to the beach for a relaxing end to your safari to Africa.

Language

The official language is English, which is spoken as a second language by most educated Ugandans. There are more than 33 local languages spoken across the country. Almost everybody involved in the tourism industry, either directly or indirectly, will be able to speak some English but also German language is where we erudite our special services.

Food and Drink

Local food in Uganda is based around beef, fish or chicken stew eaten with one of four staples: rice, chapati, posho or matoke. Posho is a stiff maize porridge eaten throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Matoke is a cooked plantain dish, served boiled or in a mushy heap, and the staple diet in many parts of Uganda. Another Ugandan special is groundnut sauce. Mandazi, the local equivalent of doughnuts, are tasty when they are freshly cooked. Camps, hotels and lodges that cater to overseas visitors will serve a very international fare, and the quality of food prepared in the most remote bushcamps amazes visitors.

Tipping

Tipping is not compulsory but always enthusiastically received if you are happy with the service and would like to tip. We recommend that you tip your driver-guides direct at the end of your stay; as a rough guideline you might want to tip USD10 per person per day. It is also a nice gesture to give general camp/lodge staff a tip. Here we also recommend USD10 per guest per day. This should be placed in the communal tipping box. Obviously this is very much a rough guide and you are completely free to give whatever you feel is appropriate.

Money

The official currency used in Uganda is the Ugandan Shilling. The most widely recognized currency is the US dollar followed by the pound sterling and Euros. Hotels will accept payment for food and drinks in either dollars or pounds. Some restaurants and shops in the tourist areas may also accept payment in USD. Due to a spate of forgeries nobody in Uganda, including banks, will accept any USD bills issued before 2001 and it is best to carry smaller denominations. Credit cards are accepted at some of the major hotels but a 5-10% surcharge will usually be added. There are very few ATM’s in Uganda. Do not rely on credit cards other than as a back-up.

Affordable Price

We work very hard to ensure that we deliver true Value for Money to our customers at all times. Our belief is that visitors to this country should not associate Uganda as being a land of high prices…

Under The Skin

Read

‘The Impenetrable Forest‘ by Thor Hansen, exploring the gorillas and habitats of Bwindi Forest.

Listen

Try ‘Ngoma: Music from Uganda‘ – compiled as part of a cultural preservation project.

Watch

‘The Last King of Scotland‘ explores the Idi Amin era from the perspective of Amin’s personal physician.

Eat

Matoke is a dish made of cooked plantain which is part of a staple diet in Uganda, but is very plain. It’s often served with a groundnut sauce.

Word

Mazungu (white person) in Swahili is often shouted by children from the roadsides as you drive past.

Trademarks

Coffee, incredible birdlife, mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, banana plantations, source of the River Nile, Idi Amin, Rwenzori Mountains, colourful villages, Lake Victoria.

Shopping

Wooden carvings, batik paintings, hand-made musical instruments, soapstone carvings, malachite jewellery.

Why not start planning your tailor-made holiday to East Africa by contacting one of our specialists to beat the crowd and book with us today by securing a gorilla permit to automatically register for group departures and be offered 10% discount on Air ticket from any European destination by Brussels Airlines!

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