Essentials
GETTING THERE
& AROUND
There are no direct flights
from India. You can reach
Uganda via Nairobi (Kenya
Airways) or Addis Ababa
(Ethiopian Airways) with 10
to 12 hours of travel time with
one or two stopovers (return
faresfrom`36,000).
GETTING AROUND
Cycling opportunities are
growing in Uganda for
a good reason. Once you
get on country roads,
the possibilities are nearly
endless, with a pleasant
climate and scenic roads
to fuel the trip. Consult any
local bike shop for best deals
ondailyor weeklybasis.VISA^
Indian passport holders will
need a single-entry visa to
visit Uganda. The process
generally takes about three to
four working days and would
cost you around ` 7,1 0 0
(www.ugandaimmigration.org).EMBASSY ALERT
High Commission
of India - Kampala,
Uganda:
http://www.hci.gov.in/kampala
CURRENCY
1 UgandanShilling=`0.019
VEG OUT/ FANCY
A CURRY?
Ashiana Restaurant
in Kampala serves mouth-
watering Indian dishes
(00-256-752-222-848;
http://www.facebook.com/
ashianabugolobi; Plot 8,
Bandali Rise, Kampala).MAKE IT HAPPEN: UGANDA
WHAT’SMYPLAN?
For the trip described here,
give yourself at least 10 days.
Travel times can be long, so you’ll
want a recovery day between
strenuous activities, and time
to enjoy your surroundings.
We’ve barely scratched the surface
here – with its incredibly diverse
landscapes and attractions,
you could spend months in Uganda
and still not see everything. Other
experiences you might want to add
to a longer itinerary are: trekking in
Rwenzori Mountains National Park;
white-water rafting at Jinja;
a safari in Queen Elizabeth National
Park or Murchison Falls; throwing
yourself into Kampala’s nightlife;
and flopping on a beach on an
island in Lake Victoria. There are
a few domestic flight routes in
Uganda, which will cut down travel
considerably: take a look at Aerolink
(www.aerolinkuganda.com) and
Eagle Air (www.eagleair-ug.com).WHEN IS THE BEST TIME
TO GO?
You can visit Uganda year-round
as there isn’t much difference
in temperature from month to month.
If you’re here primarily for thewildlife, the two dry seasons are
good times to go (December to
February, and June to August).
Tracking permits are in demand;
plan to apply for these up to a year
in advance of your trip
(www.ugandawildlife.org).WHAT’S MY BUDGET?
You can generally have any level
of trip you want here. If you’re being
careful, you could be comfortable
on ` 2,500 to ` 3,500 a day,
staying at local guesthouses, eating
at stalls and using public transport.
If you’re sparing no expense, there
are all the upmarket lodges, fine
dining and private guiding you
could want. With a budget lying
somewhere in between, expect
to pay around ` 8,800 a day. The
one expense you won’t get around
is park fees and tracking permits;
these are necessarily high to help
with conservation, maintain the
infrastructure, pay guides
and porters and fund anti-
poaching patrols.WHERE CAN I GET
MORE HELP?
Audley Travel offers
tailor-made tripsto Uganda. An eight-day trip
following a similar itinerary to
ours costs from ` 4,40,000/
person (based on two sharing).
The price includes accommodation
with all meals, gorilla permits,
chimp habituation permits, park
fees, vehicle and flights (www.
audleytravel.com/uganda). Lonely
Planet’s East Africa guidebook
(` 1, 760 ) has a chapter on Uganda.
You could also take a look at the
tourist board site (www.utb.go.ug).WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
If you’re tracking gorillas and
chimps, you’ll need to show your
passport at the permit offices.
Bring a printed scan, rather than
carry the real thing around with
you. As well as Ugandan shillings,
bring US dollars for tipping guides
and porters (around ` U S$10/
person/ day).WHAT WE LEARNED
ALONG THE WAY
¶^ Mapping apps aren’t very
accurate in calculating travel
times. What looked like a
three-hour journey on Google
Maps often took twice that.¶You'll need anti-malarial^
pills, so carry these with
a proper prescription.¶Plants scratch! In the forest,^
it’s a good idea to wear
protective gloves, a long-sleeved
top and trousers. You will sweat
a lot, too, so clothes with
wicking properties are
a sound investment.PLAN YOUR TRIP
ON THE ROAD
Travel for more than five minutes on
a Ugandan road and you’ll notice the extra-
ordinary things people manage to carry on
their bikes and motorbikes. Men pedal-
ing about with half a field of bananas on
their bikes is common. Our other favourite
haulage-on-a-two-wheeler spots were: 11 car
tyres; three adults, one guitar and a gourd;
three live pigs; an entire tree;
one large mattress and
two small children.98 October 2019