Three of Africa’s so-called Great Lakes are situated in Uganda: Lake Edward, Lake Victoria and Lake Albert. Besides these, Uganda also has a number of smaller but equally beautiful lakes, it’s also home to the White Nile River; little wonder then, that this beautiful country is known as the Pearl of Africa.

Uganda has a diverse landscape encompassing not only lakes but also the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, some forests, and falls; of which, the 40 metre high Murchison Falls are the most spectacular. Uganda has an array of protected areas with abundant wildlife; primates and birds being extraordinary.

While the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the best place to see mountain gorillas, chimpanzee trekking can be done in Kibale National Park. A huge variety of primates like Guereza, Vervet, Red tail, Black and white colobus, L’Hoests and blue monkeys, are often seen at campsites.

Outside the protected areas this fertile equatorial country, is intensively cultivated with the crisp green tea plantations being particularly pleasing to the eye. A variety of crops are grown for domestic consumption: bananas, rice, cassava, maize, mangos, citrus, sugar cane as well as various vegetables. Uganda exports coffee, tea, tobacco and cotton.

Uganda is an easy country to overland as the people are friendly and helpful, and accommodation and campsites are excellent. English is almost universally spoken and the children are always excited to see ‘Mzungu’.

Overlanders who prefer the road less travelled should include the seldom-visited Kidepo Valley National Park in their itinerary. Its isolation and rustic feel is quite unique in Uganda and the surrounding area is home to the traditional Karamojong people. These tribesmen are cattle farmers, similar to the Masai.

CURRENCY:
Ugandan shilling.

DRIVING IN UGANDA:
Drive on the left-hand side of the road. By African standards the road conditions in Uganda are pretty good and about 80% of the roads are tar, with the occasional pothole.

The speed limit is 100 km/h on the highway but you would most probably only average 80 km/h. Driving is generally slow as there are countless little villages. The speed limit in urban areas is 50 km/h; beware of unmarked speed bumps at the entrance to towns. The capital, Kampala, is known for its heavy and somewhat chaotic traffic.

Motorcycles are the preferred mode of transport and motorbike taxis can carry up to three passengers at once! You have to drive defensively as the minibus drivers are notorious for overtaking on blind corners.

Roads inside the parks are unsurfaced and the condition of these gravel roads tends to vary from one season to the next with the most deterioration likely during the rainy season. Be especially cautious on the main (gravel) road from Masindi to Murchison Falls National Park as many accidents occur here. Drive slowly (25 km/h) and carefully on this road!

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES:
English & Swahili.

POPULATION:
45 million.

TIME ZONE:
GMT+3 East Africa Time.

VISAS:
Citizens of the following countries do not need visas to visit Uganda: Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Burundi, Comoros, Cyprus, Eritrea, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

All other visitors can either obtain visas on arrival or apply online at www.visas.immigration.go.ug. Single entry visas are valid for 90 days while multiple entry visas can be issued for 6 months, 12 months or 24 months.

Travellers who want to visit Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda can apply online at www.visas.immigration.go.ug for a 90-day East Africa Tourist Visa, or upon arrival.

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TOP ATTRACTION: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
TOP ATTRACTION: Kibale National Park
TOP ATTRACTION: Kasenda Crater Lakes
TOP ATTRACTION: Queen Elizabeth National Park
TOP ATTRACTION: Kidepo Valley National Park
TOP ATTRACTION: Semuliki National Park
TOP ATTRACTION: Lake Bunyonyi
TOP ATTRACTION: Sipi Falls
TOP ATTRACTION: Jinja: Source of the Nile
TOP ATTRACTION: Murchison Falls National Park