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TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Please ensure that you are in possession of valid travel documents for Uganda. If you have any queries in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact us. Although we will endeavour to assist, we do not accept any liability or obligation for your travel documents. It is your responsibility to ensure that your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months after your intended stay. All passport holders must obtain visas when traveling to Uganda. Please find out prior to your tour departure whether or not you can obtain Visas from the border as the info differs from some websites to the other. It is important to have the right travel documents. Please contact your travel agent or local embassy to find out.

Please Note: Due to the high demand in Gorilla permits the Drifters office will only confirm your tour departure once the permit is secured. Once the Uganda tour booking is confirmed, the Gorilla Permit will be automatically pre-booked and paid for. The guest/s will then be liable for full payment even if the tour is cancelled.

1) Arrival at Entebbe International Airport – Please find out if you need to apply and obtain your Uganda Visa prior to your arrival in Uganda.

Please insure you are up to date on the Yellow Fever requirements for Uganda.

PLEASE NOTE
Uganda Immigration have implemented the use of Electronic Visas from 01 July 2017.
All visitors who require an entry visa and do not yet have one, must apply through the online application system prior to arrival.

You are required to upload clear copies of current passport, Yellow fever certificate and Passport photo.

On completion of the online application you will receive a bar coded email notification. Print out this email and bring it with you to Uganda.
Upon arrival at any border (entry point) you must present the bar coded email.

The immigration officer will scan the bar code, take your finger prints and photo and ask for the$100 cash payment for the visa. (Please note, Uganda only accepts USD bills dated 2009 or newer and in excellent condition).

A visa sticker will be printed with your photo and placed in your passport.

Online applications must be made through the visa immigration website on https://visas.immigration.go.ug
Tel: +256 (0) 414 342 196/7 |Fax: +256 (0) 414 342 188
Mob: +256 (0) 772 403 330
E: vmugaba@utb.go.ug | W:www.visituganda.com

Visas are not readily obtainable at the Airport in Uganda. We highly recommend that these visas are obtained prior to departure.

Telephone numbers: Ugandan High Commission, Pretoria: (012) 342 6031/2/3

Or visit Uganda Tourism at www.ugandatourism.org

Make two photocopies of valuable documents such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.

PLEASE NOTE IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE THE CORRECT TRAVEL DOCUMENTS (VISAS AND VALID PASSPORTS)

FOREIGN CURRENCY

Upon arrival in any respective country we operate in, you will be able to find a Bureau de Change OR ATM Facilities at the airport or in the Town/City the tour is departing from. It is advised to bring any major world currency (US Dollar, Euro or British Pounds) in small denominations and not dated older than 2009. It is advised to get a small amount of local currency upon arrival just to get around until your tour starts.

While on tour our guides will inform and show you the best places to exchange any Major World Currency with the best possible exchange rates either before your tour starts or during the course of the tour. Our guides will brief you exactly on where to exchange and roughly how much you will need to exchange after discussing possible optional activities, own expense meals or possible curio stops. Drifters trucks have safe-keeping facilities for extra cash/flight tickets/passport.

US Dollars cash is the preferred option when traveling in Uganda. We suggest a combination of small denomination notes (USD 1,5,10, 20, 50) as well as USD 100 bills – make sure they are post 2009 and have “large heads” on them. Foreign currency is not widely accepted outside of Kampala, however there are plenty foreign exchange bureaus in Kampala and changing money is easy.
Traveller’s cheques are difficult to change and really bad rates of exchange generally apply.
There is at least a 5 % surcharge when using a credit card and they are not accepted in many places at all.
Drifters trucks have safe-keeping facilities for extra cash/flight tickets/passports.

INSURANCE
It is compulsory that all passengers make arrangements for adequate travel insurance to financially safeguard against unforeseen circumstances. If you need further information please do not hesitate to contact us. Drifters do not accept responsibility for any loss, injury, damage, accident, fatality, delay or inconvenience experienced whilst on tour. You will be required to complete and sign a full indemnity prior to your tour departure.
Your insurance should include all the countries and territories that your tour will pass through. You must ensure that you have sufficient cover for medical and evacuation costs, and should base this on advice from your insurer. A minimum benefit of USD 60 000.00 is recommended for evacuation from any area in which Drifters operates in Africa to South Africa, with further benefits for medical costs in South Africa, and for possible repatriation to your home country. Please note that you will be required to furnish details of your travel insurance to Drifters before you will be allowed to travel with us. Please ensure that these details are completely and accurately recorded in order to facilitate a claim should this be necessary.

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS & REQUIREMENTS

A Yellow Fever vaccination is required and must be done no later than 10 days prior to your departure. Strongly recommended additional vaccinations are Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid and Hepatitis.

Malaria prophylaxis is essential. Please consult with your general practitioner regarding this. Resistant strains of Malaria occur in Uganda and adequate chemo-prophylaxis is essential. Prevention is better than cure; please use insect repellent on exposed areas after sunset. Malaria is a very common ailment in Africa; however adequate preventative measures greatly reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

All Drifters guides have first aid boxes for use in emergencies.

Personal medication
Please bring along any personal medication that you might need on your tour as specific medication could be difficult to find or might not be obtainable in most places we visit. General medication for headaches, colds and fever are easy to get.
Please also inform your guide of any medical conditions. This information will be received professionally and kept confidential.

WEATHER CONDITIONS

It is summer year round in Uganda. The country straddles the equator which means there is no winter and no summer. Temperatures in most parts of the country vary between 25°C and 30°C dropping only by about 5°C overnight. Traditionally May and November are the wettest months in the country where morning clouds build up and are followed by torrential rain and spectacular thunder and lightning shows. Please take weather conditions into consideration when choosing a sleeping bag for your tour. Please note that night time temperatures during June, July and Augusts can be cold and guests should take this into consideration. Uganda is an Equatorial country predominantly covered in rainforest – severe rainfall can be expected during the rainy season; It is advisable to carry a second pair of shoes in the rainy season, ideally of a fast drying or semi-aquatic design; Likewise, waterproof backpack liners are advisable.

For more accurate information, please visit AccuWeather and choose your destination.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/browse-locations

CLOTHING & PERSONAL EFFECTS

Herewith a recommended guide of what to bring along:
For walking, hiking and Safaris
Sport Shoes / Sneakers
Sandals
Hat
Sun Cream
Water Bottle
Smaller day pack
Camera, Binoculars
Books (Birds, Mammals, personal reading books, Optional)

For general travelling (to keep yourself entertained on the longer drives)
Personal iPod
Personal Reading Books
A deck of cards or something similar
Battery chargers for your personal devices (Ipods, Ipads, E-Readers, Handy’s etc)

Our vehicles are well equipped with charging facilities while driving. A Two-pin charger is perfect.

Clothing and Toiletries
Long Trousers / Tracksuit
Hat or cap
Shorts
Swimming Costume & Towel
Waterproof Windbreaker
Personal toiletries
Jersey / Jumper
Insect Repellent
Socks & Underwear
Gloves (lightweight durable gloves for the Gorillas trekking)
T-Shirts / Shirts

General Accessories
Mosquito Net (Optional)
Malaria Prophylaxis (please enquire from your general Doctor at home)
Money (Sundry expenses, gratuities)
Torch / Flashlight / Batteries
Sleeping Bag & Small Pillow
Thermo Insulation mat or sheet to place on top of the camp bed to prevent the cold coming from the bottom.
Refreshments
Pen
Some sort of a Dry bag or Waterproof cover for your camera while tracking Gorillas (in case of rain)
Passport / Visas (if applicable)

Please also see the link below for additional info and packing ideas.
http://www.ugandawildlife.org/explore-our-parks/parks-by-activity/gorilla-tracking

MEALS AND REFRESHMENTS

Meals are provided as indicated in the brochure/website. Soft drinks, bottled water and alcohol are for your own expense; obviously there is ample opportunity during the tour to buy refreshments. The guide will advise when you need to stock up for a couple of days.

PERSONAL EXPENSES

Our price includes all transport, accommodation, entry fees and permits, one Gorilla trek and one Chimpanzee trek, game drives and walks, group equipment, professional guides and most meals. We do suggest that you budget extra for own expense meals, drinks, curios, tips, visa’s, taxes and optional excursions.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU BRING US$ 725 EACH IN CASH FOR YOUR GORILLA PERMIT
– this is to be paid to the Drifters guide on the morning of departure (Preferably Big Denomination Notes eg US100 or US50).

Please note -Dollar bills must be printed from year 2009 onwards (Big Heads).

The US$ 725 local payment guarantees the Gorilla trek, this is required from each participant at the start of the tour.

A reasonable amount of personal spending money must be brought on our tours. This is to cover own expense meals, snacks, sundry goods purchased – such as batteries, suntan cream etc. all bottled water, alcohol and soft beverages, curios, optional extra excursions, airport tax, transfers and tips

In Africa things work a little different to the rest of the World. Tipping or gratuity, unless otherwise specified, is not included in the price you pay for services delivered. This accounts for restaurant meals, casual help and the services of the guide or guides that you will meet on your tour.

In Southern and East Africa it is classified as a common courtesy to TIP “casual help (guides)”.

This TIP is not something that is forced upon you by any means, but in many industries of tourism it is customary. It works as follows: if you believe your guide has lived up to your expectations and has performed his/her job in a way that you respect and are happy with the services rendered, an amount of R 50 per day or equivalent amount of R50 per day in any major currency per person per day would constitute a fantastic tip. Remember that this is just a guideline and is not by any means compulsory, but seen as common courtesy in Southern and East Africa.