Birding Uganda

Passports & Visas Health & Vaccines

Immigration Requirements.

To enter most African countries you will need a passport that remains valid for at least 6 months from your date of departure from that country, not your departure from home, and at least three blank passport pages are required. However, just like other non-citizen and non-residents arriving by Air, they must be in possession of valid return air tickets.

Health Services and Vaccines

Health service(s).

All camps and (private) guides have a First Aid Kit available at all times but if you do require any other personal medication try and take more than enough for the trip as getting hold if it may be difficult in many remote areas of Africa. Before travelling it is a very good idea to contact your local physician for advice for travelling to Africa or visit the CDC website at least 6 weeks prior to departure. Countries may change their vaccination requirements without notice according to recent epidemics or outbreaks, so check up before you head out. Many African countries might be a malaria area so prophylactics are advised. Usually travelling in the drier season the risk is far lower than in the wetter months.

Medical services are underdeveloped and often only large cities might you find anything resembling western standards. There are a number of small private clinics which are better than the general hospitals, but the clinics in the rural areas usually only have the basics. Tap water in the major towns is purified and perfectly safe to drink. In the more remote areas always boil it first, except if you’re staying at a lodge or hotel where drinking water is boiled already, or extensively filtered and very much safe for drinking. Bottled water is readily available in the bigger towns, however we ask our travellers to carry a reusable water bottle to minimize the use of plastic during their trip.

Cash and Cards

Currencies in Africa

With cash US Dollars, make sure you bring new notes – the ones with the “big heads” . Many banks don’t accept the old notes with small heads or notes that are damaged, torn or written on and so you’ll find that you can’t spend them anywhere. The oldest dated need to be no older than 2013 and some countries even 2021. Your trips are normally all inclusive and the cash money to take with may be to use at shops, restaurants or given as a tip to staff on safari.

When exchanging your US Dollars for local currencies, preferably use only the services of a designated Bureaux de Change and keep up-to-date with the most recent exchange rate. Both at the airport as well as at most shopping centres  there are official places where you can change your money.

At most African border posts, you can exchange USD at the border for local currency – but you won’t get a favourable exchange rate, and are bound to come across informal money changers. Be very aware of scam artists, fake bills, and paper fillers!

Paying with credit cards, and some debit cards, can be very difficult away from the larger airports and cities, extra credit card charges may also be incurred. VISA and Mastercard are most commonly accepted, American Express and Traveller's Cheques are almost unheard of.

ATMs are available within large cities and some major towns . Most banks have ATM’s which accept Visa cards for cash.

Suggested Packing List

You can find most of what you need for your safari from The Safari Store website.

Safari Checklist

Clothing

Avoid bright, black and white colours Do not wear camouflage clothing as this is often associated with the military. Avoid dark blues and black, they tend to attract insects. Choose breathable, lightweight, quick-drying and earth-toned clothing

• T-shirts x 5

• Long sleeve blouses and shirts to protect you from the sun and insects x 3

• Shorts x 3

• (Zip-off) pants x 1

• Casual dress and/or skirt (for women) x 1

• Fleece and/or warm jacket (depending on time of year and area of the country) x 1

• Pyjamas

• Raincoat (November to April)

• Windbreaker jacket

• Swimming suit

• (Wide-brimmed) hat

• Undergarment and socks

• Sports bra (for women)

• Closed walking shoes for walking safaris otherwise light well ventilated shoes

• Flip flops and/or sandals

• Sunglasses

Health & Safety

• Vaccination card

• Passport

• Visa(s)

• Cash

• Pharmaceuticals & Toiletries

• Standard toiletries

• Prescription meds

• Malaria tablets (if recommended)

• Small first aid kit

• Meds for: diarrhoea, nausea, headaches, indigestion, heartburn, sore throat, stomach flu, allergies)

• Nasal spray

• Eye drops

• Antiseptic lotion

• Bandages

• Band-aids

• Sunburn treatment

• Thermometer

• Ziplock bags

• Earplugs

• Hand sanitizer

• Insect repellent

• Wet wipes

• Sunscreen SPF30 or higher

Gadgets

• Binoculars

• Camera and lens(es) + battery (s) + charger + memory card(s)

• Headlamp or small torch

• Portable power bank

• Smartphone

• Kindle/iPad

• Headphones

• Adapters

• Hard Drive

Gratuities

Tips – These are often greatly appreciated by the staff in the camps and a general guideline to help is usually around $5-$20 per person per day for the general staff and $10-$25 for your (local) guide per person per day. Obviously this is entirely at your own discretion and not obligatory and with how well you feel your experience has been.

If you would like to tip at a restaurant check if a service charge has already been added if this has not happened then a maximum of 10% is fine.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is often required by properties as a condition of your booking. We recommend that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans can include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. For your convenience, we offer travel protection through Travelex Insurance Services for US residents. For more information on the available plans or to enrol, go to www.travelex.com or contact Travelex Insurance Services at 800-228-9792 and reference location number 09-1185. Please Note: To be eligible for the waiver of pre-existing medical condition exclusion, the protection plan must be purchased within 15 days (Travel Basic) or 21 days (Travel Select) from the time you make your initial trip deposit. However, the plan can be purchased any time prior to departure. The product textriptions provided here are only brief summaries. The full coverage terms and details, including limitations and exclusions, are contained in the insurance policy. Travelex Insurance Services, Inc CA Agency License #0D10209. All products listed are underwritten by, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, NAIC #22276. 11.17 83I

Social Media

 If you plan to document your trip on social media, please remember to tag us @wild_n_beyond_safaris, @jamesda_privateguide