Travel Advise Uganda 2023

East Africa Travel Advice

East Africa is one of the leading tourist destinations in the whole of Africa with the gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, and the great migration as some of the main highlights in the region. Masai Mara also still stands out as one of the must visits.

Gorilla Trekking permits

Gorilla trekking can be done in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo though rates vary according to Country.

Uganda

In Uganda, gorilla trekking is done in two parks; Bwindi impenetrable  forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park.

Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda go for US$700 for foreign non residents and US$600 for foreign residents while Gorilla habituation goes for US$1500 foreign non residents and US$1000 for foreign residents. However Uganda wildlife Authority is in a process of revising the gorilla trekking fees.

We recommend booking your July and August permits as early March. This is because these are the peek months in Uganda, therefore you are likely to miss out on the permits in case you consider booking in the time of late May and June.

Rwanda

Rwanda has one gorilla park found in the Virunga ranges which are shared among;Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo.

A gorilla permit in Rwanda goes for US$1500 per person; this makes it the most expensive gorilla permit among all the three countries that host mountain gorillas.

Democratic republic of Congo

Congo is home to three types of mountain gorillas which also include the mountain gorillas. However because of the insecurity in the country in the country; there are not many companies organizing trekking safaris in Democratic republic of Congo.

Democratic republic of Congo has the cheapest gorilla trekking permit going for US$400 per person.

Chimpanzee Tracking permits

Uganda

Chimpanzee tracking can be done in mainly three locations in Uganda; Semuliki wildlife reserve, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kibale forest national  park. Kibale is the most expensive of all the three locations because it has almost 100% guarantee to see the chimpanzees while in the other two destinations, you are have 60-70% chances of seeing the chimpanzee.

Permits range from US$30 in Semuliki national park, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park at US$50 per person and US$200 in Kibale forest national park. However Chimpanzee habituation (US$250) only exists in Kibale forest national park.

Tanzania

Gombe stream national park is one of the few parks in Africa where chimpanzees have been researched on. Anyone considering Chimpanzee tracking in East Africa mainly has two options; Kibale forest national park and Gombe stream national park. The two parks offer the highest possibility of spotting chimpanzees in the wild.

Car Hire

Logistics are a basic necessity in any itinerary; whether you are purchasing a safari package or considering a self drive safari. Whichever the case; prices vary according to the type of car you are considering.

For some reasons; people choose car hire with a driver instead of simply hiring for self drive. But it all depends on your budget; car hire with a driver is slightly more expensive though it will save you the time you would waste in trying to discover routes by yourself.

A self drive budget ranges from US$45 to US$100 per day with out camping while hiring with camping gear ranges from US$50 to US$150 per day yet hiring with a driver ranges from US$90 to US$250 per day.

Park Entrance Fees

Park entrance vary according to the park and activity an individual considers to indulge in. For instance park entrance is simply US$40 per adult and US$20 for children in. Murchison Falls national park, Kidepo Valley national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Mgahinga Gorilla national park, Kibale forest national park, and Lake Mburo national park

East African VISA

You can apply for the East African Visa through the country you will land in first; that is Either Uganda or Kenya. Rwanda is currently revising its policy regarding the East African VISA while Tanzania requires a separate VISA all together.

Travel Insurance

There are several travel insurance plans available however most if not all tour operators in Uganda recommend tourists to get travel insurance in their country of origin. However besides your country travel insurance, All East African countries require you to buy travel insurance commonly known as “Comesa”. The price for Comesa varies according to the number of days. It is sold in packages of 2 weeks and a full month.