Anyone visited Uganda?

[Mumcraft]

DH very keen on an adventurous holiday this year now the boys are older and has suggested we go to Uganda for the summer with 2teen boys 19 & 16. I’m up for the adventure and seeing the wildlife and safari but this feels more on the extreme edge of family holidays and wondering if the boys will enjoy it as much. One boy less sure.
Just interested in hearing any views if you’ve been: what were the highlights, is it safe to travel around, what was the food like, are there lots of mozzies in July? Any other tips would be welcome!

I spent quite a bit of time in Uganda a decade ago.

Generally it’s safe during the day but we were advised to book cars/taxi’s for the evening.

Most socialising is in hotels, with nice gardens, pools etc. Jinja is good for “adventure” activities and you can do the source of the Nile etc.

Kampala is very crowded/busy as you’d expect. I did a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park - saw the “big five”.

I wasn’t there on a holiday package so booked things in country as I could, I think if you are booking through a company it’s probably easier to see the highlights.

Food was good; you can search out local food or there’s lots of Indian restaurants and plenty of “western food”.
Lots of Americans living in the areas I frequented - either on missionary work or working in health care for 2-5 years - that probably influenced the food.

Things like Murchison Falls are spectacular and there an abundance of specialty tours like Gorilla treks, rhino ones.

No idea about mozzies in July I was there during our winter months. It is a malaria country and I found the malaria tablets quite challenging on my stomach.

I haven’t been for a bit but I think it’s a tremendous place, and very underrated. I was on a lower budget for things like safari so I don’t know much about the higher end tourism. I stayed in some great guest houses and visited some nice hotels in the cities and large towns. In the bush I had a great bell tent! I will never forget seeing an elephant of course but there’s also so much amazing bird life too.

I met many interesting and friendly people and found the major destinations very safe. In these areas lots of people speak English (along with a wide range of other languages). I found the Rift Valley truly spectacular.

I loved it when I went but probably 20 years ago now.you could do a trip with Uganda and Kenya.ethiopia is more epic though,Ethiopia is the absolute top place to visit-lalibella,Simeon mountains,blue Nile etc,but Kenya more animals so if you can fit all 3 do that?

I did safari in Uganda just before the pandemic. I used these people www.huguhuguadventures.com/

Thanks for all responses, I can’t wait to go!
Thanks for the link to the tour company, very helpful. I think that will be our next job to work out what we want to do and where to visit. Sounds like there are some fun activities for the boys as well. We’ll have 2wks, mid budget.
DH desperately wants to do the gorilla trekking, I guess we’ll fit other safari trips and activities around that. The falls also sound amazing!

I used this company -

https://redchillihideaway.com

Their website gives a good overview of the type of things you can book.

You’ll have a great time I’m sure.

We went to see the gorillas but I'd imagined it wasn't safe now?it's all amazing though.we rafted the Nile from jinka but seems so dangerous looking back now!

Just total cashback there we stayed at Red chilis! gorgeous!

great, thanks for the recommendation! Yep I think there are 3 places you can visit gorillas, one is unsafe but the Uganda site is meant to be ok. Did you think the rafting was safe? I did it once in NZ about 20yrs and was terrified!

Sorry flashback not cashback,and I see it's very changed since I was there looks even more awesome!yes we went over to the congo so maybe ugandas ok,thatl be epic if you can do it there still.i didn't feel safe on the rafting then it was really scary but imagine safety standards are better these days!it's a wonderful country well worth visiting for sure.

lol I did wonder about the cash back! 😄
I am slightly nervous about the rafting but it does sound fun. I’m sure it is probably more set up for tourism these days even if it’s still quite unknown as a holiday destination. Boys can’t imagine the animals will just be in the wild and then be right in front of us!

Their laws on homosexuality are pretty draconian. One of the harshest in the world. Are you ok with that?

Also FCDO advises against travel to QE National park. Plus you need a yellow fever vaccination. Often these are only required if you are coming from an infected area but FCDO says it’s necessary. The terrorism advice is grim too! Have you read and digested any of this advice from FCDO? I’d swerve it and find somewhere else.

One of the schools near us go there for their school trip regularly so must be pretty safe.

Thanks I’ve read the advice, we definitely won’t be going to QE national park area. We knew about vaccines etc.
DH did ask about terrorism, he found out there was one incident a few years ago and they’ve beefed up security since then, the types of areas we want to visit are said to be safe. Obviously we’d need to be careful when travelling.

Good to know, lucky school kids!
BIL went with his school kids to visit Rwanda and Uganda before lockdown and said it was one of the best experiences of his life. That’s where DH got the idea from

My brother went rafting there and said it was amazing.

if it’s just a bit too much for you consider Botswana which I’m told is absolutely amazing and less security issues. Wherever you go you’ll need full vaccinations including yellow fever which take months for the full course and to take the strong anti malarial medication, plus 50% deet repellent

Yes I think the learning experience from visiting Uganda/Rwanda/Ethiopia etc is huge,they are incredible places and so different from the UK,good places for young people to visit.

Before you even start make sure you can get the vaccinations in time, ours took 6 months!

I went 18 months ago, for work not a holiday, but did travel around the country. First, it's beautiful, incredibly green and Lake Victoria is jawdropping.

Roads are insane, Kampala in particular. I work for an international org and we were not permitted to travel at night/ early morning because it has one of the highest traffic mortality rates in the world.
Mosquitos are prevalent. Malaria rates are high, as are Dengue.

Food- particularly in Western Uganda (Mbarara) beef is amazing. I ate a a mix of local places and hotels and it was really good. It's really cheap to eat out - we had a three course meal in a fine dining restaurant in Kampala for $80 for five people.
Local Gin (Waragi) is incredible. Wines (mainly South African) really good.
It's really hot. I was there May/ June ( so rainy season) and it was unbearable some days. I have colleagues there , it's hot, humid and hard going!
It's an amazing place, birds in particular are worth going to see (Kaloli and Shoe Bill Stork were huge highlights of my trip). Avoid border towns - Busia/ Tororo (Kenya) are not wholly safe for tourists (they're predominantly truck stops, sex trade and smuggling are rife). The towns on the border with DRC/ Rwanda have had an uptick in terrorism.

I really loved it but was sheltered to an extent by my org. If you follow FCO guidance, you'll have an amazing adventure.

We went to Uganda over Christmas 2023/24 - me, DH and 10-year old daughter. DH and I had worked there 15 years ago, so knew the country to some extent.
We had an amazing time - chimp tracking in Kibale forest, safari in Queen Elizabeth national park (although currently a no-go area according to FCO), relaxing at Lake Bunyonyi, more safari in Lake Mburo national park, and then a boat trip on Lake Victoria (near Entebbe) to see the elusive Shoebill stork.
If you've never been before, use a company to plan your itinerary. Our guide booked all our hotels for us, arranged all the entry to national parks and permits for chimp tracking etc.
The safari in Lake Mburo was amazing, as you can do a walking safari with a ranger and we got up very close to giraffes and zebras.
Uganda has a range of accommodation to suit different budgets, but comfortable accommodation in the national parks is not cheap. The food in most of the lodges is good, but bear in mind that there isn't a lot of choice for fussy eaters.
Lake Bunyonyi is my favourite place in the world, just so tranquil and beautiful. Perfect place to relax.
As mentioned by pp, travelling at night is not advised. It's just so dark, and the roads can be a bit worse for wear.
Mozzies depends on where you are really. Always take antimalarials and use repellant (DEET). Also wear long sleeves and trousers at dusk.
In my opinion, Uganda is a stunning place to visit - friendly people, beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife. My DD is already asking when we can go back.

Thanks for all the advice, really helpful! Now trying to put together an itinerary, getting the gorilla permits will be critical as they’re so limited. If we can’t get them this time, we’ll definitely be booking this holiday for next summer!

We went in 2006 to see those fabulous Gorillas, we were on an exodus trip that started in Kenya and we actually crossed over into Rwanda to see the gorillas in Volcanoes national park. At that time it was slightly cheaper in Rwanda. Back then it was £500 / person got the gorillas, imagine it's more now. In Uganda we went quad biking, saw chimpanzees and stood on the equator line. I have so many happy memories. Hoping to take my slightly younger kids to Namibia this year.

We went earlier this year to see the gorillas - amazing experience! We were on an organized tour but it's probably not difficult to make your own arrangements for some of it. Try Great Lakes Safaris. We had a car & driver for part of the trip and it made things more relaxed (roads can be terrible and it takes a while to get to some places) and it was interesting to hear his perspective.

Uganda is quite poor and you may not agree with the politics. Some beautiful scenery and the people seem lovely. If you want to do a gorilla trek be aware it's very expensive and needs to be booked well in advance. Lots of other wildlife.

As for FCO advice, it can put the wind up you but it always errs on the side of caution. Do your research, check reviews and latest info then plan accordingly.

Oh, and you may need a yellow fever certificate.