Common Unexpected Uganda Safari Expenses To Avoid
It is a common practice for anyone to plan their holiday expenses beforehand. There are often things that come up that force you beyond your budget. Some of these things might be worth it while others are supposed to be avoided in every way possible.
Below are some of the Uganda safari expenses you should take extra caution in order to avoid shooting beyond your budget.
Tipping
Tips are some of the things you ought to plan beforehand. Every traveler often has a budget for their trip but the one thing that might force you out of your budget is tipping because everyone is tipping. For instance, during gorilla trekking, you often trek with other travelers who might get out of their way to tip every tour guide that was part of their trip.
A gorilla trek usually has a minimum of 6 tour guides. If for lacking enough information you only budget for two tour guides, do not force yourself to act like other tourists. It is more honorable and responsible to tell your guides that you had only budgeted for one person or two.
Regardless of how insignificant the tip might be in your sight, stick to your budget. At the end of the day, if you run out of money during your Uganda safari, you will not call the people you tipped for help. Simply stick to your budget.
Alcohol Expenses
The pricing of items in Uganda varies depending on where you buy them from. Always first find out the price before taking any drink. Do not assume that because it was offered to you at Ugx8,000 in Entebbe, it will be the same price at Lake Bunyonyi. You might find the price even more than triple.
Think about how disappointed you would end up if you had budgeted for $100 only to be pushed to pay $400. This can be avoided by first confirming the prices.
The same applies to any other drinks, snacks, and food on your Uganda holiday. Even when the bar or restaurant is within the same locality, always first confirm the prices to avoid stretching beyond your budget.
Forex Exchange Rates
Whenever you do a google search, you are likely to find the forex rates for converting to Ugx a little higher than the actual market rates. But that is not where the gist of the matter is. The real issue is in how much money you are likely to lose while exchanging your money to Ugx.
There are two important issues to note when exchanging your money with Uganda shillings; Small-dollar bills and where you exchange from. Banks always have the lowest forex exchange rates therefore in order not to lose a lot of money while exchanging, always consider forex bureaus.
USD is the most prominent foreign currency in Uganda but there are a number of things involved in exchanging the USD for UGX. Among the things to keep at the back of your mind include the fact that bills below $50 will make you lose at least Ugx 400 per dollar. The same applies to dollar bills that have any markings.
Dollar editions below 2009 will either be rejected or earn you the lowest foreign rate. Therefore you have to keep these issues at the back of your mind in order to avoid losing your money during a Uganda safari.
Lost Luggage
It is common for luggage to get lost on connecting flights. If you pack all your clothes in only one suitcase, there is a likelihood that you will have to buy new clothes in Uganda if your luggage gets lost. In order to avoid these extra expenses, it is recommended that you keep a pair of clothes that can take you for two days in case your luggage gets lost.