Rwanda is a very small, land locked country found in Central Africa with approximately 26,340 sq. km. during your Rwanda tours, you will find five prominent volcanoes and 23 lakes as well as quite a few rivers. A massive phase of the country has an altitude of between 1,500 and 2,500 meters above sea level.

In prehistoric instances, one third of Rwanda used to be covered with woodland rainforest. Today the only large tract of forest left in Rwanda is Nyungwe in the southwestern part of the country; it covers almost 1000 square kilometres. Some areas of forest run up to the Volcanoes National Park in the northeast, but most of the natural vegetation here is bamboo woodland and open moorland.

Rwanda highlands in large parts of the country are now dominated by the terraced agriculture that gives the Rwandan geographical region its beautiful and exceptional views. The eastern part of Rwanda has totally special vegetation, the standard African bush, a combination of savannah and grassland dominated with acacia trees.

Average temperatures are between 24 – 27 degrees with the Coolest months from August – September.

Official languages; Kinyarwanda, French, English & Kiswahili.
Local Currency; Rwanda Franc Approximately 580 Rwandan Franc = 1US Dollar (as at January 2020)

Planning to visit Uganda and you are an East African national?, You will be issued with a 6 months local visa (renewable) at the boarder with no fee.
All other nationalities will be required to purchase visas at minimal costs and the price depends on the nationality, up to USD60 for a single entry.

IMPORTANT: The visa certification / permission MUST BE processed in advance of your arrival irrespective whether or not you fly or drive to Rwanda/Uganda – through their closest Rwandan High Commission.

It is really important for travelers planning to visit Rwanda to follow this and do it as quickly as possible to enable enough time for the visa application to be approved. It’s appropriate for Rwanda visitors to print out a copy of their submission so that they avoid inconveniences when they arrive in Rwanda.

Upon re-entry in to Uganda, e.g. from Rwanda via road, a transit visa for USD15 may be conceivable, depending on your itinerary and the safari destination you are heading to, and for how long you plan to take. Many times, a full new single entry visa at USD50 will be charged.

It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that your passport is valid for a minimum of six months and has various clear pages for visas prior to departure. If you are visiting Uganda on a British Passport new policies require that your passport is valid for 12 months for entry into Uganda.

If you have a records of liver problems (hepatitis, etc) you should consult your doctor first before departing for your gorilla safari tour.

Typhoid can also be requested from the authorities when crossing into Rwanda, even though it is uncommon for it to be requested. This can be completed by way of your local group or through a journey clinic.

Tetanus is also recommended, as is Cholera, but are not compulsory.
Hepatitis vaccination is at the discretion of the traveller.

Malaria tablets are necessary and can be purchased from your neighbourhood pharmacy or anywhere during your tour to Uganda. Get in touch with your pharmacist/doctor if you need better prescription.

It is also a good idea to carry along some insect repellent (mosquitoes repellent) with you to spray on yourself in the evenings and early morning.

For trouble free gorilla encounter, it should be noted that sick persons are not allowed to visit gorillas in Uganda. Should you have cold, flu or related sickness, you are not allowed to embark on a Uganda gorilla trek.

Friendly Gorillas safaris’ recommendation is that if you sense you are involved in this aspect, do inform your safari guide as soon as possible, and he will seek advice as to the exceptional way(s) to deal with the situation.

Whenever on Uganda tracking gorillas or chimpanzees, you are advised to strictly follow the tracking guidelines so as to avoid conflict with the Gorilla tracking authorities.

There are however, some simply terrible sections of filthy road, especially in the more mountainous areas. In these areas journey will be slower, quite bumpy and there ought to be a lot of dust experienced en-route. This is one of those safari experiences you need to encounter J. There are alternatives for scheduled or charter flights for the longer routes – please enquire for fees and possibilities of this.

Your safari vehicles is typically used to transfer between destinations as well as National park game drives and other relaxing activities at the hotels and inside the National Parks.

We advise a barrel or smooth bag (15 kg maximum) for your essential gear, plus a digital camera bag or smaller ‘day pack ‘ for interior the vehicle. Samsonite / difficult luggage / suitcases, etc. are not appropriate as it makes packing very difficult.

Charters bags allowance – If you are travelling on a mild aircraft inside Uganda, then the baggage restriction is based on other customers and bags weights and varies from plane to airplane and routing however normally only up to 10kg per man or woman in soft baggage and this is strictly adhered to for safety reasons.

We recommend light wears and sneakers for the hike to see the gorillas in Uganda.
During your safari in Uganda, depending on the safari activities, destination and weather, the kind of clothes you wear may vary.

Women are recommended to cover knees and shoulders when in a rural village or market however, it should be noted that none of the lodges/hotels insist on any formal kind of dress – ties, jackets and so forth – so the norm would be casual.

Jungle attires like hiking boots, no white colors, e.g. greens, khaki and comparable neutral clothes are recommended. During day time on safari, typically shorts or lightweight trousers, t-shirts, hat, sunblock and many others are encouraged as it is usually pretty warm (25-35 degrees C average).

As you enjoy your gorilla tour in Uganda, avoid wearing blue shades in areas the place you highly attracted to tsetse flies, as they are often attracted to these colours.

We recommend you take something warm like tracksuit, fleece or sweater for the mountainous areas i.e. Bwindi or Virungas. It is at a higher altitude and will therefore be colder in the evenings. – a rain jacket/anorak is also advised as it rains, commonly in the in the rain forest areas, even in the drier months.

Long trousers and long sleeved shirts are also advised for typical night-time use to assist in the prevention of mosquito bites and also as it’s normally cooler than at some stage in the day.

For a ready-made or custom made gorilla safaris to Uganda, please do contact us for full list of your gorilla tracking packing list.

Since most safari lodges in Uganda operate on solar power, During your gorilla safari in Uganda, you are strongly advised to make perfect use of your camera power and charge whenever you have the chance to. This will ensure you have a memorable Gorilla trek.

Gorilla filming tips;

• Do not shoot photos of any authorities buildings, police or military posts.
• Ask permission before photographing local people.
• For gorilla photography a 35 – 70 mm zoom, or 50 mm fixed is typically sufficient.
• Take speedy film if using movie (200-400 ASA plus), as you are now not allowed to use a flash.
• Please take a look at your digital camera before to make sure you comprehend how to turn it off manually.
• Game & bird photography obviously longer lens would be encouraged 80-300mm ideally.
• Do not spend all your time with the gorillas trying for the classic photograph, look around you and observe and enjoy these gentle animals.

During your gorilla safari in Uganda, it is possible to have your laundry done at a small extra cost. Mostly it is achieved through hand and dried naturally outside. There are a few safari lodges with machine laundry.

Please check the system upon arrival at each lodge to ensure you are not caught short with wet washing – especially in high rainfall areas like Bwindi.

Electricity spec Uganda: 240 volts British Standard, generally through 3 pin square plugs.

Rwanda: 240 volts but using the 2 pin European style plugs.

Some lodges and camps have power only at certain times of the day, and in some charging facilities are public. You will need your own charger.

In gorilla safari lodges/ camps using solar electricity, the amount of power available for charging often depends on how sunny the weather has been and how busy the lodge is with charging equipment, so whilst they will always try to assist, continuous charging cannot be guaranteed at all times to be available.

Use of specialized electronics, hair dryers, curling tongs, shavers and other electrical equipment is possible at hotels in towns and at lodges with large generator power back-up systems but generally not possible at solar powered lodges – please check your Gorilla tracking Uganda detailed itinerary to ensure you are aware of where you can utilize these items and advise your agent in advance if special arrangements need to be made like for breathing machines.

The safari vehicles you will use through out your Gorilla tracking tour may also have invertor systems for charging items but this facility is not guaranteed.

US Dollars currency is the preferred option to bring when traveling to Uganda/Rwanda.
Once in Uganda/Rwanda, we advise guests to change some dollars into local currency for use as spending money on the road like for drinks, etc. Gorilla tracking Uganda advices that you keep small notes (USD 1, 5, 10, 50) as well as USD 100 bills – make sure you only carry dollar bills newer than 2009. Please ensure that all USD bills are in good condition, i.e. without rips, tears and any mark.

Note that whilst more convenient in terms of changing currency and not having to carry around huge amounts of local money, there is normally a surcharge on the smaller notes when changing them. Keep your slips, you are able to change surplus local money back to cash if you have proof of purchase when leaving the country.

Unfortunately, during your safari, you can not use travellers cheques to change as they are often VERY difficult to cash, even in large towns and especially over weekends and after hours. Throughout the rest of the country, changing TC’s is almost impossible. Ask Gorilla Tracking Uganda for details.

There are only a few banks in Kampala (to our knowledge) that are authorised to give cash advances on credit cards. Visa cards are generally fine BUT Mastercard are NOT guaranteed and will only be cashed IF they clear certain internal security checks. There is a limit on amounts that may be drawn, and only during banking hours.

Exchange rates will be poor, and they may also charge extra service fees.

Payment for services by credit card can only be done by VISA card or MASTERCARD in some places. Only large hotels generally accept this means of payment and they will also levy a fee of at least 5% on top of any bills. So, the long and short is keep your credit card for EMERGENCIES ONLY. Gorilla Tracking Uganda accepts payment with Credit Cards.

ATM Machines – they are often not working although there are now some in Entebbe, Kampala and also some in larger up country towns. They pay LOCAL MONEY only and the client needs an international use PIN code to draw money and it can only be done with certain cards. Maximum Ush5 million per day (about USD1200 equivalent) but also depends on the clients own individual bank set up so may well be less. Contact Friendly Gorilla Tracking Uganda for more details.

Please also be aware that the traffic in & out of Kampala is terrible and so going to the bank can take up to one hour just standing in traffic in the city.

You will generally be expected to purchase your own drinks on safari. Most camps/lodges have a reasonable selection of wines and spirits – with the more upmarket ones generally offering more choice. Beer, cool drinks (sodas), bottled water, local gin, etc. are readily available everywhere. Prices vary depending upon where purchased.
Please be aware that you should only drink bottled water, not from the taps for health safety reasons. Bottled water is available for purchase everywhere en route and some lodges also supply limited courtesy bottles in the rooms.

Please bring your own supply of water purifying tablets, or your own water bottle if you prefer. Contact Gorilla tracking Uganda

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
$50 000 for medical and related expenses.

AIRPORT DUTY FREE SHOPPING

The Entebbe airport has a reasonable duty free section – with an array of curios, t-shirts and books, maps etc – for last minute shopping. Certain of the more up-market lodges also have curio shops. There is also a limited choice at the curio markets around the country and in Kampala. Speak to your guide for advice if you are looking for something in particular.

Duty free allowance is 2 bottles of wine/spirit, and 200 cigarettes.

Your non-public protection and well-being is our prime concern. Please take care of all your private possessions at all times – do not tempt petty theft, pickpockets, and many others with showing large quantities of money, specifically when close to markets or in the center of Kampala / Entebbe / Kigali. Valuables, especially cash, travelers’ cheques and deposit playing cards ought to be kept on your individual at all times.

A “moon bag” or “body belt” is a beneficial object for storing cash and other valuable small items. When leaving the car in towns, please make sure all the windows are shut and that you take your valuables and cameras with you for protected keeping.

When at inns / hotels we advocate you both hold your cash and valuables with you or utilize the secure preserving facilities furnished at the quite a number establishments.

Please additionally be positive to check your room and ensure you have the entirety packed before moving on to a new place.

Depending on the category or style of your safari, your lodging may range from luxurious to moderate or budget. There are many one-of-a-kind types of accommodation in Uganda/Rwanda ranging from large hotels to smaller more intimate accommodations and tented camps.

Do get in touch for a personalised itinerary with details of each vicinity you will be staying on your safari.
Should you stay in the extra modest local hotels/guest houses during your Uganda tour, you will have the use of showers and toilets; hot water cannot usually be guaranteed. The hotels/guest houses themselves are very primary and normally clean, the staff are pleasant and helpful.

Uganda safari lodges are relaxing and less noisy, in particular on weekends but the neighbourhood is pleasant and tolerant. Food is usually decent, hearty African fare, every so often there are European/Western devices available.