20 Things that will Surprise you About Uganda
Here are some of the 20 Things that will Surprise you About Uganda, and they have widely surprised so many Tourist Today.
1. A Ugandan tourist visa is free if you have an Irish passport.
You’ll pay $50 USD ahead if you visit Uganda from most countries. However, people traveling on Irish (and some other) passports get their visa gratis. more of the Things that will Surprise you.
2. Arrival at Entebbe Airport was hassle-free
It took us about 10 minutes to clear immigration and pick up our checked bags.
3. Uganda is on the equator but it’s not *that* hot
Temperatures stayed solidly in the 20’s Celsius (80’s Fahrenheit) due to Uganda’s higher elevation and even got chilly some nights.
4. The toilet facilities were better than expected
We encountered mostly western toilets complete with toilet paper and only used the bush toilet on days when we were tracking the gorillas and chimps.
5. Biting insects were generally not an issue (outside of Entebbe)
due to Uganda’s higher elevation in sea level.
6. Mosquitoes can bite through your socks so make sure to apply plenty of DEET
We did encounter mosquitos in Entebbe and found to our dismay that they go for the ankles and can bite through socks.
7. While many of the roads in Uganda were rough, quite a few were luxuriously smooth
8. It’s hard to find unique souvenirs and postcards in Uganda
There were very few places selling crafts and even fewer places that sold postcards. Stock up when you find them.
9. Lodges in Uganda love to serve soup to visitors
The lodges in Uganda cater to a western diet and serve the soup with every meal even though Uganda is on the equator.
10. You can be a birdwatcher without leaving your car
Birds are everywhere in Uganda and tend to perch on power lines and in the trees along the highway.
11. Ugandans announce their love of God with pride
We saw tons of prayerful slogans on buildings, vehicles, and more.
12. Uganda is incredibly fertile and everyone seems to be a farmer
13. Everything grows in Ugandan soil
Bananas, pineapples, mangos, maize, tea, coffee, rice, and more. We saw it all.
14. It’s incredibly dark at night in rural Uganda and don’t count on there being electricity
Some lodges turn off the generator overnight. Pack a strong flashlight or lantern to feel more secure at night.
15. Tourist police patrol lodges in an otherwise safe country
We felt incredibly safe in Uganda. This feeling was reinforced when we learned that the tourist police patrol many safari lodges.
16. Lodges don’t always provide bottled water or shampoo
Make sure to bring what you need rather than relying on the lodge to provide it.
17. There are no traffic lights in Uganda and many kinds of speed bumps
We didn’t see a single traffic light on our entire trip. We did, however, see a myriad of speed bumps ranging from giant humps to a series of small obstacles.
18. Tracking mountain gorillas can take as little as 15 minutes
It took us over 2 hours to track the Nkuringo family of gorillas. Other guests staying at Lake Mutanda Resort and doing the trek out of Rushaga found their gorilla family in 15 minutes!
19. Gorilla permits don’t always sell-out
We were the only two on the trek to see the Nkuringo family (we visited Uganda in December 2016 just before Christmas). While it’s generally advisable to book gorilla permits several months in advance, there can be last-minute availability depending on the season another thing that will surprise you.
20. It’s best to leave your hairdryer at home
Hair Dryers are expensive to run on generator power and have the ability to use up all the solar power at a lodge in short order. Do everyone a favor and leave your hairdryer at home.
