Before You Leave
DOCUMENTS / PASSPORTS:
- U.S. citizens currently require a visa for entry into Uganda. Classic Escapes uses the services of Zierer Visa Service to obtain the proper visas. A kit of information is included with this document. Please read over the instructions carefully. You will be responsible for sending the proper paperwork, photos and payment to Zierer directly.
- Applications for a Uganda visa will require your passport, two applications and two color passport-sized photographs per person.
- If you choose not to use Zierer Visa Service, you may elect to obtain your visa directly through the proper consulate office.
- A passport valid for at least 6 months after your travel ends is required.
Foremost, allow sufficient time (up to 6 weeks) if you need a new passport to be issued. You will need two recent photos, plus proof of citizenship or your expired passport. The fee for an adult is $85 for a first-time passport and $55 for a renewal, with delivery by mail in 3-4 weeks. Call the National Passport Information Center toll free at 877-487-2778 for information or email them at npic@state.gov. You can also visit their website at http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html for further information. Same day service costs an extra $30; frequent travelers should request a 48 page rather than the 24 page passport when renewing.
When you travel, we recommend that you make two copies of your first passport page; keep one copy at home in the unlikely event that your passport is lost, and take one copy along to use as an ID when cashing traveler's checks should you leave your passport behind in the hotel safe deposit box.
SINCE AIR TICKETS MUST BE IN THE SAME NAME THAT APPEARS ON YOUR PASSPORT, PLEASE MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED ON YOUR CLASSIC ESCAPES PROGRAM IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport, onward/return ticket, entry visa and International Health Certificate are required.
CUSTOMS: The following items may be imported, by visitors over 17 years, into Uganda without incurring customs duty (except when entering from Kenya and Tanzania): 200 cigarettes or 8 ounces of tobacco; 1 bottle of spirits or wine; 20 ounces of perfume. You may bring into Uganda all the personal effects that you need, including cameras, and any amount of film. You should bring proof of purchase and/or register your video cameras or extensive photography gear with U.S. Customs before you depart. Upon your return, the U. S. forbids the import of any product derived from an endangered species. Do not be tempted to buy ivory, tortoise shell, elephant hair bracelets, or any product derived from rhino, elephant or big cat.
TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF
INNOCULATIONS: Yellow fever inoculation is required for Uganda, especially if you enter after visiting an "infected" region, but that regulation can change at any moment. Get a yellow fever vaccination and a signed yellow fever certificate, which you should carry with your passport. After immunization, an International Certificate of Vaccination is issued. It becomes valid 10 days after vaccination to meet entry and exit requirements for all countries. The Certificate is good for 10 years. You must take the Certificate with you.
While cholera is a health risk in Uganda, it is not mandatory to be inoculated for it before entering Uganda. In addition, typhoid and tetanus inoculations are recommended but not mandatory. Consult your doctor for a prescription for a malaria suppressant at least two weeks prior to departure as tablets should be taken a week before you depart, as well as during and after trip. The best prevention is to avoid mosquito bites. Wear long slacks and long sleeved shirts, use mosquito nets, and a repellent with 30% DEET, Skin So Soft, or oil of citronella. Malaria symptoms can appear as few as 8 days after exposure or a year later. Do not be misled by flu like symptoms of chills and fever. Since some U.S. doctors are unfamiliar with malaria, insist upon a blood test. Delays in treatment can have serious consequences. For further information, check out the CDC's web page on malaria prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ malariadrugs.htm.
Please consult your physician, local health authority or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) or via their web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel for any additional health precautions. For outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's web site at http://www.who.int/en/ . Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/iht.
FOOD AND WATER: All water should be regarded as being a potential health risk. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilized. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. We recommend you drink bottled water, do not use ice outside of approved lodges or camps or consume unpeeled fruit. You may find the best food served at your tented camps, although hotel fare includes spicy East Asian cuisine. Uganda Waragi is the local gin, but we recommend the local beer, bottle water or sodas, instead. It is very important that you drink plenty of water especially during the warmer months. It is generally recommended that guests drink at least 2 to 3 litres (4 to 6 pints) of water per day to limit the effects of dehydration. This excludes tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages, which act as diuretics and actually contributes to dehydration. Classic Escapes provides a bottle of water for each passenger each travel day in the vehicles.
IN SHAPE: To enjoy your trip to the fullest, you must be in excellent physical and mental health. Mountain gorillas live in high altitudes, and the trek to see them is strenuous. Anyone with a heart condition or respiratory problems should not plan to participate, but please understand it is impossible to deduct any costs for any unused part of the tour. Because of the altitude, avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy food, to best acclimatize. You should organize a small first aid kit. In Uganda, skin infections are common; even the smallest wound should be disinfected and covered with a bandage. Rough roads and driving "off road" in game reserves and parks may bounce you around so you should be prepared.
HEALTH ABROAD: Your program includes some of the most exciting and awe-inspiring areas of the world, yet they may not always conform to US health standards. You will receive information on optional health insurance coverage and we highly recommend you register for this coverage. There is sometimes a concern of contracting more serious illnesses while traveling, such as AIDS/HIV. As travelers come to Africa for the animals, the sun and the chance to learn about the environment and culture, they very rarely use this opportunity to engage in unsafe behavior. You can remain healthy and not increase your risk factor by abstaining from unsafe sexual activity, not coming in contact with bodily fluids of others and not sharing needles or razors. You cannot contract AIDS through casual contact, handshakes, insect bites, toilets, swimming pools, food or water.
HIGHS AND LOWS: Although it is equatorial, much of Uganda is at altitudes from 3,600 to 6,000 feet, with trekking altitudes around 7,000 feet while in Bwindi. At certain heights, the phenomenon known as altitude sickness can occur. There are no specific factors such as age, gender, or physical condition that correlates with susceptibility to altitude sickness. Some people get it and some people don't, and some people may experience it one visit and not the next time. Symptoms include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, lack of concentration, nausea, swelling of ankles, and in extreme cases, hallucination. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, heavy food and strenuous physical activity. Citrus fruits and bananas may diminish the effects. If you do not feel well, take it easy. Put your feet up, drink plenty of clean (boiled or bottled) water, and take a siesta after lunch.
ATLTITUDE CHART:
| Altitude (feet) | |
Bwindi National Park |
3,805 – 8,551 |
Entebbe |
3,717 |
Kampala |
3,930 |
Kibale Forest National Park |
3,168 – 5,247 |
Mbale |
3,976 |
Lake Mburo National Park |
4,000 – 6,000 |
Murchison Falls National Park |
2,031 – 4,238 |
Queen Elizabeth National Park |
2,985 – 4,560 |