Rainforest and Community Tours

Location: Rwenzori Gateway – Kasese

Holidays that caters for the needs of the travelers as well as those of the destination.

RFCT was established in 2005 to do Rwenzori treks and incorporated in 2008 is a local specialist in crafting involving trips to all Uganda’s National parks and communities. We arrange crosscutting travel aspects while accommodating guest in all levels of hotels, community lodges and home-stays.

Over the years, we have managed to merge the experience of the professional guides with the traditional knowledge in the country, enabling one of the most captivating trips around Uganda showcasing the linkages between wildlife and culture.

Description of the types of guides used on the tours

  • Experienced expert guides: with over three years experience, these are locally trained in tourism school and conversant with Uganda’s national parks and communities
  • Ranger guides: Are adopted at the gate and inside the park and wildlife reserves to supplement our driver guides by giving specific information about scientific wildlife trends in the park. these guides ag=re formally hired and employed by the park. they get a whole range of tourism and conservation training courses.
  • Community traditional guide: Are in the local community destinations or at stopovers. They are experts of their locations since they live there all their life. They are adopted to enhance the knowledge of our expert driver guides. We give them timely supplementary profession guiding and tour management training.

Available languages: English (a list of other five languages can be hired on demand)

National parks included in itineraries:

  • All 10 Uganda’s national parks,
  • All 13 wildlife reserves
  • Forest reserves of Uganda
  • Community attractions

Responsible Travel

  • Beyond travel, we return practical benefits to the communities for popular reinvestment in livelihoods and conservation within the communities that both live with wildlife and welcome the visitors.
  • Besides making memorable safaris for many, we have built another level of local expertise in supporting local community lodges in marketing, capacity building and representation to enable them meet sustainability standards.
  • Direct financial contribution to conservation through training and tree planting

Type of vehicle used:

We use only 4WD safari vehicles. All our safari vehicles have-pop up roof, opening windows, Air conditioner, with a seat capacity ranging between 3 and 9 persons.

 
Pearls Supported:
Contact:

Tel: +256 706581477

WhatsApp: +256752503445

E-mail:  info@ugandatrip.org

Websitewww.ugandatrip.org 

Contact us for more information about Pearls of Uganda

Email: info@pearlsofuganda.org

Classic Africa Safaris

Location: Entebbe

At Classic Africa Safaris, we endeavor to ensure that every safari runs smoothly, take great pride in our work, and do our best to demonstrate that you are in capable hands. We pay attention to detail and are flexible whenever possible to accommodate our customers.

Our enthusiastic and motivated guides are well trained with many years of experience. Each has attended birding and wildlife courses to enhance an already substantial knowledge of local culture and history. All our guides have certificates in first aid and have training in off-road and 4WD driving.

Classic vehicles are the backbone of the company. Each vehicle has been developed and built to a standard we believe is comparable to no other. We operate our own vehicle fabrication workshop where we ensure your vehicle is in prime condition prior to leaving on safari.

Activities Offered

  • Safaris
  • Birding
  • Cultural encounters

Responsible Travel

  • Classic Africa offset their carbon emissions via a tree planting initiative. Local farmers can supplement their income by planting indigenous trees through this project, managed by Eco Trust , a local conservation organization.
  • We are proud to support for Entebbe Primary School for children with learning difficulties. Our clients find a visit to the school a memorable and enlightening experience.
  • We support several community projects and activities throughout Uganda and Rwanda, including KAFREDPaper Craft Africa , the Batwa Cultural Experience and community cultural walks.
  • We can organize volunteering opportunities in local schools, orphanages and wildlife organizations. We also have a good relationship with Bwindi Community Hospital, where clients can visit or volunteer for variable time periods.
Available Vehicles

4WD Land Cruiser and 4WD Nissan Patrols

Pearls Supported
  • KAFRED
  • The Batwa cultural tril
Contact

Tel: +256 (0)41 4320121 / 4323560
Mobile: +256 (0)772 642527
Email: classic@classicuganda.com, classic@classicafricasafaris.travel
Website: www.classicuganda.com

Contact us for more information about Pearls of Uganda

Email: info@pearlsofuganda.org

Pamoja Safaris

Location: Kampala 

We at Pamoja Safaris our mission is to provide quality tourism services and promote tourism on the southern sector of Murchison falls national park by supporting the local community surrounded the park and focusing on education, Health access to clean water and sustainable development in the Albertine region with the funds raise from the safaris. Pamoja Safaris is profit making travel company by limited.   We are very much committed to livelihood, and cultural conservation is an key trait of our operations.  

We provide skilled tourism guides, cooks and escorts to accompany tourists who wish to summit any of the Rwenzori peaks. Our most unique tourism offering is guiding clients to the highest point on Ugandan soil, Margherita Peak at 5109m above sea level.

Although we are famous for ourtourism services we also offer additional products featuring an array of Ugandan national parks as well as volunteer tourism opportunities to the local communities in Uganda.

Type of vehicle used: 

  • Luxury Landcruiser 5-seater 
  • Safari Van 7-seater

Activities offered 

  • Tour and travel
  • Guided nature trails
  • Wildlife safaris around Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania
  • Hiking Safari
  • Cultural walk
  • Honey moon Holiday tour

Available languages: 

  • English and Ugandan Local languages

National Parks included in itineraries:

 

  • All ten national parks of Uganda

Contact

Mubaku +256 786 776 100+256 716 164 974
Kampala +256 414 698 399
+256 782 365 566
Email:
info@pamojasafarisuganda.com

Websites:

Responsible Travel

  • We sensitize the local community on the value of conservation and tourism around Murchison falls national park through member’s general meetings, community conservation outreach, community–public meetings and workshops for guides and cooks.
  • We fund school and look for sponsors to the school going children, and participate in door to door outreach to avoid early girl child dropout.
  • We provide tree seedlings to every Mubaku community conservation organization member at all general meetings.
  • Pamoja we Funds Mubaku community conservation organization with community project also mobilizes community women and encourages them to make craft to be sold to visitors. A free space house in front of Bright future Nursery school provide them with income generating activities (IGA). This way they have a new channel to distribute their good. 
  • Pamoja Safaris and Wild Experience Africa aid schools with funds to construct 4 class rooms or give out bags of cement.  Also, we look for a sponsor from abroad and run an education loan program to help students obtain higher education.  
  • We at Pamoja Safaris offers our vehicles to the community in cases of emergencies.
  • Pamoja Safaris fund Mubaku community to acquire land for a health Centre for community. The health unit will sensitize the community on family planning, reproductive health, child health care, out reaches and immunization.
  • Pamoja Safaris aids the community through the improvement of social amenities, e.g. schools, health centers.
  • The organization has its own dance and drama, soccer team and community conservation personnel, all of whom are picked for the community to enhance their economic advancement, socio-cultural livelihood and quality of life.
  • All of our 10 Teachers, guides and administration staff are recruited from the local community.
  • Pamoja Safaris together with community collaboration are planning to build Mubaku community safaris camp (MCSC). And community safari boat that will be start with it docking around Mubaku village. 

Boomu Women´s Group Bandas

Location: Between Budongo Forest Reserve and Murchison Falls National Park

Boomu Women´s Group has around 40 members from the villages of Kihaguzi and Kigaragara. These subsistence farmers had little produce left over to sell, so in 1999 the women´s group was formed, with the aim of reducing poverty and malnutrition, and providing an income for the members to be able to pay their children´s school fees.

What began as a craft group has evolved into a wonderful community tourism project, with accommodation, a restaurant, unique guided tours and a well-tended garden.

The grass-thatched bandas have been built in traditional Ugandan style for an authentic community experience. They are surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens filled with butterflies and weaver birds. Guests are welcome to relax in the gardens, visit the local community of Kigaragara and explore the craft shop. Ugandan food prepared by local women is served in the restaurant, and in the warm evenings you can relax by the open air bar under the stars.


Lodge Amenities

  • Restaurant and open air bar
  • Craft shop
  • Gardens

Room Description

Boomu has seven twin bandas,  one double banda and a building with two triple rooms. All have mosquito nets, electric lights (from a generator) and shared bathroom facilities.
Showers are cold water tanks fitted with a shower head, and are outdoors. Jerry cans of hot water can be provided on request.
Toilets are dry eco toilets.

Activities At The Lodge

  • Village walks
  • Cooking demonstrations
  • Basket weaving lessons
  • Bird watching in the gardens or nearby Budongo Forest
  • Chimp tracking at Budongo Forest Reserve

Responsible Travel

  • Boomu has four full-time employees and many part-time staff who benefit directly from tourism. All the money from the community tour and a percentage of the turnover is put into a community fund that finances school books, soap, pencils and porridge for local children attending a nursery created by Boomu.
  • Other projects that benefit from this fund are educational projects, local clinics, water access improvements, and agroforestry initiatives. Community members have also been trained in high-quality blanket weaving, which can be sold to local lodges and hotels.

Price:

  • Bed breakfast and dinner 55,000 Pp.
  • Camping per person per night 10,000 USH
  • dinner/ lunch 15,000 USH 
  • Breakfast 10,000 USH
  • village Walk Basket Weaving Demo 15,000 USH pp each activity
  • Cookeing Tour  20000 USH Pp.

Contact

Tel: +256 772 448 950/ +256772657700
Email: info@pearlsofuganda.org 
Website: www.boomuwomensgroup.org

Supported by

Useful Phrases

  • Hi – Ki Kati
  • Good morning (literally, How was your night?) – Wasuze otya?
  • Good afternoon or
  • Good evening (literally, How was your day?) – Osiibye otya?
  • How are you? – Oli Otya
  • I am ok – Gyendi
  • My name is… – Nze…
  • Goodbye (to one person) – Weeraba
  • Goodbye (to more than one person) – Mweraba
  • Please – Mwattu
  • Thank you – Weebale
  • Sir – Ssebo
  • Madam – Nnyabo
  • Excuse me (to get someone’s attention) – Owange
  • Ok – Kale
  • No thanks – Nedda
  • I don’t know – Simanyi
  • How much money is it? – Ssente mmekka?
  • Do you speak English? – Omanyi luzungu?
  • I understand – Ntegeera
  • I do not understand – Sitegeera
  • I want – Njagala

Pronunciation:
Luganda is phonetically similar to Spanish – so “i” is pronounced like the “ee” in “see”, and the “e” at the end of a word is pronounced similar to the “ay” in “say” or the “e” in “wet”, and not left silent as in English.
Thus, “weebale” (thank you) is pronounced “way-ba-lay”.

Using Luganda
Ugandans are generally very friendly and extremely polite – saying “weebale Ssebo” will be much appreciated by your waiter, guide or driver.

What’s The Weather Like?

  • Uganda enjoys a tropical climate, though the heat is tempered by the altitude, as most of the country is above 1000m.
  • Rainy seasons are from March to May, and September to November
  • Dry seasons are from December to February and mid June to mid August
  • Average temperatures range from about 16°C (61°F) in the southwestern highlands to 25°C (77°F) in the northwest; but in the northeast, temperatures exceed 30°C (86F).

What Should I Bring?
General

  • Daypack.
  • High SPF sunscreen (Uganda is on the equator!).
  • Flashlight.
  • Insect repellent.
  • Spare or rechargeable batteries (these are difficult to find once you are in the Parks).
  • Waterproof bags to protect equipment.
  • Electric plug adaptors for 240 volts AC 50 Hz. UK-style square-pin plugs are used.
  • Some people find contact lenses uncomfortable in Uganda because of the dust – you may find it more comfortable to wear glasses while on the road.
  • Antiseptic handwash.
  • An International Driving License if you are thinking of hiring a vehicle.

Clothing

  • Good walking boots/shoes.
  • Sandals or other light shoes.
  • Waterproof jacket or rain poncho.
  • Lighter clothing for Kampala and the savannah, with layers for the cooler evenings.
  • Warm clothing for mountainous regions, including thermal layers and a fleece.
  • Sun hat/cap.
  • Uganda is a conservative country, and visitors should dress respectfully. Avoid short skirts and short shorts.
  • In mosques, women will be expected to cover their shoulders and sometimes their hair, and should wear loose clothing around their legs.

Should I Bring Any Specialist Equipment?
This depends on your interests – for photography, birding and wildlife enthusiasts we recommend the following:

  • Binoculars: The better ones start at about $250: you get what you pay for! Waterproof binoculars are great in Uganda as they are also dustproof. For most travelers stick with 8 or 10 magnification and 32 objective. These will be lighter than the 42 objectives which are heavy to carry all day.
  • Cameras: Choose something which you know you can handle – a heavy camera with many settings will be off-putting for some people to use. For good wildlife shots, get at least 8x optical zoom. Six to eight megapixels is fine unless you want poster-size photos. Bring a lens cloth to remove dust, several changes of batteries (even if you use rechargeables – not all sites have power points) and take several 1GB memory cards instead of one large one, to avoid losing all your photos if something goes wrong.

Do I Need A Visa To Enter Uganda?

  • For most nationalities, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland, 90-day tourist visas can be purchased on arrival at Entebbe airport for $50, or at the Ugandan Embassy in your home country prior to departure.
  • Your passport must be valid for at least six months following the date of entry.
  • As visa regulations change frequently, please check with the Ugandan Embassy in your country before departure.

What is the Currency?

  • The Ugandan Shilling. This cannot be purchased outside the country.

How do I Exchange Cash?

  • US dollars, UK pounds and Euros are accepted by UWA for gorilla/chimp tracking permits and park entry fees. Many larger hotels will also accept US dollars and Euros – though you should check in advance.
  • Note: All US dollars must be printed post-2003, and should not be damaged in any way. Higher exchange rates are given on larger value notes
  • Banks and Forex bureaus will exchange cash, alternatively you can use ATM machines – common in the major towns. They should accept Visa Debit and Credit cards.

Can I use Credit or Debit Cards?

  • Visa is more likely to be accepted in city hotels and stores, followed by Mastercard. Other credit cards are unlikely to work.
  • Alert your bank before using your card abroad to avoid it being blocked.

Can I Bargain When Shopping?

  • Prices are fixed in shops, but food and craft markets will be more flexible. You stand a better chance of getting a reduced price if you purchase several items from the same seller.
  • Prices are generally very low – so do consider if what you are asking for is fair.
  • Agree on charges for minibuses (matatus) or motorbike taxis (boda-bodas) with your driver beforehand.

What Vaccinations Do I Need?

  • A yellow fever vaccine is essential – bring your certificate with you
  • Hepatitis A and B, meningitis, polio, tetanus and typhoid vaccinations are also recommended
  • A rabies vaccination is recommended for anyone who expects to be in close contact with animals, or in a very remote area
  • Be aware that some of these require a course of injections, and others take several days to take effect, so you should visit your doctor or travel clinic as soon as possible before you travel.

Should I Bring Any Other Medications?

  • Anti-malarial tablets are recommended throughout Uganda – visit your local travel clinic to determine which type is best for you. Note: Chloroquine does NOT protect against malaria in Uganda.
  • Bring all prescription medications with you – they may not be readily available in Uganda.
  • Be sure to purchase travel insurance before you begin your trip, including medical evacuation if possible.

What Other Health Risks Are There?

  • Even if you are taking anti-malarials, you should still wear insect repellent, long-sleeved shirts, long trousers and closed shoes. This will also help protect you from other diseases carried by mosquitoes, and other insects such as tsetse flies.
  • All accommodation in high-risk areas will have mosquito nets – be sure to use them.
  • Avoid swimming in Uganda’s lakes – all except Lake Bunyonyi carry a risk of bilharzia
  • Tap water is not suitable for drinking, though bottled water is readily available throughout the country.

How Safe Is Uganda For Tourists?

  • Uganda is generally considered to be a safe, stable country with low crime rates.
  • The Sudan border regions and the Karamoja in the north should be avoided.
  • Use common sense in the cities – do not carry large amounts of cash or valuables, and keep money and credit cards in an inside pocket.
  • For the most up-to-date information on Uganda, visit the FCO website.

Do I Need A Plug Adaptor?

Is There Electricity In The Whole Country?

  • Few areas outside the towns and cities have electricity.
  • Lodges in rural areas will usually have solar panels or generators. This may mean that there is only power at certain times of day, or that plug sockets are limited.
  • Throughout the country, there are regular “load shedding” blackouts to keep up with the demand for electricity. These may occur several times a day, and vary in duration. These will not affect the lodges with solar panels or generators.

What Language Is Spoken In Uganda?

  • English is widely spoken, especially in Kampala and by those working in tourism.
  • Of over 50 local languages, Luganda is most common. Swahili is also spoken by many people as a second language.

Can I Make Phone Calls In Uganda?

  • If your cell phone is compatible, you may be able to purchase an inexpensive SIM card, widely available throughout the country.
  • The international dialing code for Uganda is +256

Where Can I Use The Internet?

  • Internet cafes are common in Kampala and all major towns, though the connection is likely to be very slow.
    Some hotels will also offer wifi.

 

Contact us for more information about Pearls of Uganda

Email: info@pearlsofuganda.org

Volunteer vacations are a great way to experience Uganda and give back to communities and projects

Soft Power Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before heading off on your trip to Uganda consider saving a little space in your suitcase or backpack to bring some school supplies to Uganda’s needy children.

Pack for a Purpose  Details coming soon!

Contact us for more information about Pearls of Uganda

Email: info@pearlsofuganda.org

Getting Around Uganda

Travelling around Uganda has never been easier – flexibility exists in use of private or public transport, with the improving transport network and extended communication facilities to upcountry regions.

Travelling around Uganda is a true adventure. There are several ways to get around in Uganda, and the option you choose will depend upon your time constraints and your budget. Travelling by road is the most accessible and probably the cheapest way to travel though domestic flights are available. Public transport connects all major locations, and ventures far off the beaten track.

Tour Operators and Public Transportation

Buses, taxis, VIP vans and several touring trucks operated by individual tour operators are all available to help travelers reach their destinations. Motorcycles or boda bodas, as they are locally known, can always be used for short distances. Safety can be a concern so its not recommended to travel without a helmet.

Consider finding a tour operator to assist with your travel plans.

 

 

Self Drive
Self-drive options are best left for return visitors to the country and more seasoned travelers who are accustomed to driving in a variety of road conditions. You may find you are more comfortable leaving the driving up to a local driver guide who will also give you an interpretive commentary while you enjoy the scenic view.

Domestic Flights
Contact one of our leading Pearls of Uganda tour operators to get assistance with your transportation and travel package.


Contact us for more information about Pearls of Uganda
Email: info@pearlsofuganda.org

Getting to Uganda

Uganda has become a very accessible destination which you can reach by air, water (across Lake Victoria) or land. 

Airlines
There are several airlines that can get you into Uganda, including Air Tanzania, Air Uganda, British Airways, Brussels AirEgypt AirEmiratesEthiopian Airways, Gulf AirKenya AirwaysKLM, Precision AirQatar AirwaysSouth African Airways, and Rwandair.

Flights for travelers primarily arrive into the modern Entebbe International Airport (EBB) located one hour from the capital of Kampala.

Need help finding flights?

Contact one of our leading Pearls of Uganda tour operators to get assistance with your flights and travel packages.

The Uganda Tourism Board has a full airline directory so you can search a preferred carrier to find a flight to Uganda.

 

 

Contact us for more information about Pearls of Uganda
Email: info@pearlsofuganda.org