Things to do in Rwanda | Tourist Activities & Attractions in Rwanda
Things to do in Rwanda include tourist activities and attractions such as Gorilla Trekking, Chimpanzee Tracking, Birding, Big Five Animals viewing safari, Kigali City Tour to the Genocide memorial sites, Mountain Biking and Kayaking among others.
Rwanda has undergone a transformation over the last twenty-five years and this has made it one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world. The country has become a lot safer, there are fantastic transport systems and infrastructure, and amazing accommodations with major must-go-to national parks and cultural centers.
List of Amazing things to do in Rwanda
Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
There are about 1000 mountain Gorillas left in the entire world and Rwanda is blessed to be among the few countries where some of the remaining gorillas can be found. The country boasts of 11 habituated gorilla families all of which are found in Volcanoes National Park. Each trekking group can only have a maximum of 8 people who can spend only one hour with the gorillas after sighting. Participating in Mountain Gorilla Trekkingwould crown your ultimate experience of Rwanda. A gorilla trekking permit costs $1500
Visit the Nyungwe Forest National Park
Arguably the largest remaining afro-montane rainforest in East and Central Africa, the Nyungwe forest has an ecosystem that is so diverse that you may be spoilt for choice over what to see and what to give a blind eye. Here you will find 1,000 plant species, 120 butterfly species, 310 bird species, 32 amphibian groups, 38 reptile species, 86 mammals, and 13 primate species. It is abuzz with activity and is deserving of an entire safari of its own. You can choose to trek chimpanzees, canopy walk, walk to the waterfalls, birding, or colobus monkey trekking.
Wildlife Viewing in Akagera National Park
Akagera National park is the only savannah national park in Rwanda. It sits on a land mass of 1,085km2 and is located close to Rwanda’s border with Tanzania. Akagera National park is a must-see while on a Rwanda Safari as it boasts of diverse vegetation such as swamps, lakes, and savannah plains and is nestled amidst neatly terraced hills. While in this park you will not run out of activity as a lot is there to do ranging from game drives, birding, fishing at Lake Shakani and boat rides on Lake Ihema. The park is home to several bird species, mammals, insects, and amphibians and was recently restocked with Rhinos and Lions making the Big 5 list complete.
Kigali Genocide Centre
Following the atrocities of the 1994 genocide which left millions of people dead, about 250,000 victims were laid to rest at the Kigali Genocide Centre. In this place, time stands still allowing one to pay tribute to those that succumbed to the genocide. Visiting the Kigali Genocide Centre is your first step in appreciating just how far Rwanda as a nation has come and how valuable life is.
A Tour of Kigali Rwanda’s Capital
Kigali is a tidy green city encircled by hills and filled with friendly people. A touch of Rwanda’s culture can be enjoyed at the Inema Art Centre, Niyo Art Gallery, the Ivuka Art Centre, and generally, the Nyamirambo neighborhood is full of crafts and art. You can visit the presidential museum, Belgium camp, Mt Kigali and perhaps visit a home to enjoy a home cooked meal.
Mountain Biking
Rwanda with its ‘a thousand hills’ offers the perfect trails for mountain biking. You have an opportunity to explore and enjoy the sights of Rwanda on your cycle seat. There are trained guides and bicycle mechanics specifically for tourists exploring Rwanda through Mountain biking. Even with the guides in place, there are clear signposts and secure camping sites where you can unwind along the cycling trails. There are bicycles for hire just in case you did not travel on your own.
A Tour to the King’s Palace Museum
Take a walk down Rwanda’s cultural history when the society was organized under Kingdoms. There are two ‘palaces’ one built by King Musinga Yuhi V and another constructed under King Rudahigwa Mutara III’s reign. These two shelter artifacts have been revamped to form the present-day King’s Palace Museum. The Kings Palace Museum is found in southern Rwanda in a town called Nyanza.
Birding
In Rwanda, birding can be done anywhere and at any time of the year. The diversity in the country’s vegetation creates a habitat for birds almost everywhere. There are Albertine Rift Endemics, the Rwenzori and Virunga Endemics, and many other species to make up the total number of 650 bird species in Rwanda. For one setting out on a birding safari, endeavor to look out for parks such as Nyungwe, Volcanoes, Akagera National Parks, marshlands, wetlands, and agricultural lands to get the best birding experience in Rwanda.
Hiking and Walking Experiences
Rwanda’s great landscape offers some of the best hiking and walking experiences. At the Volcanoes National Park you could opt for the day hikes to explore the volcanoes like Mt. Bisoke and Mt Muhavura, Mt Karisimbi is an overnight trip. In Nyungwe Forest National Park you can take the exhilarating canopy walk and several other walking trails. You also have several trails outside of protected areas for one to walk. Rwanda is the place to be if you love to hike while taking in some of the most soul-taking scenes.
Kayaking
There are numerous opportunities for kayaking on lake Kivu and the twin lakes in the northern parts of Rwanda. You can also choose to do boarding or simply take a boat ride around the lakes visiting different islands.
Uganda Wildlife Authority New tariffs and gorilla permit cost /price & Current Conservation fees 2022
Uganda Wildlife Authority New tariffs 2022 and Gorilla trekking permit and Conservation fees : According to the constitution of Uganda, Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA) is responsible for conservation of all national parks and some game reserves in the country. Every after two or more years, UWA issues new tariffs either by increasing or reducing. With the new financial year just a few months away the Uganda Wildlife Authority has revised their tariff to introduce new rates for conservation products and services UWA offers.
The tourism fraternity has been waiting on these changes in relation to gorilla trekking given the fact that neighboring Rwanda had increased their tariffs for gorilla trekking years back for the most sought after primate’s product in East Africa. Gorilla trekking in Uganda takes place in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. The Ugandan gorilla trekking permits fees have been fixed at $600 per person for foreign nonresidents and UGX 250,000 for East Africans with the gorilla habituation at $1500 per person in the last few years. According to the new changes, starting 1 July 2020 the cost of gorilla trekking permit will be increasing by $100 to $700 per person but the gorilla habituation permit will be staying at the same rate of $1500.
Chimpanzee trekking the second sought after primate activity which takes place in areas of Kibale National park, Kaniyo Pabidi (Budongo forest) , Tooro Semuliki wildlife reserve, Kyambura gorge and Kalinzu forest .Kibale forest remains the most outstanding place to see chimps in Uganda and Africa. According to the new tariffs,the Chimpanzee Trekking permit and Chimpanzee Habituation permit fees have been increased by $50 respectively. A chimpanzee trekking permit fee has increased from $150 to $200 per person while the chimpanzee habituation permit fees have increased from $200 to $250 per person.
The golden monkey trekking permit fees have also been affected and according to the new tariff, it will cost $100 for Foreign Non Residents. You want to fully experience primates in Uganda!!??? You will need to include golden monkey trekking on your Uganda primate safari.
Finally according to the changes, the filming costs will be charged at 40% of the activity, Ruwenzori Trekking on UWA managed trails will cost $50 for both foreign and nonresidents and we hope this is going to lower hiking rates and reduce monopoly. The comprehensive tariff will be uploaded on the Uganda Wildlife Authority website before the end of August 2019.
Uganda has near perfect weather all year round and therefore you can visit whenever you want. Though Uganda being a tropical country, there are months with higher rains than others although you have to note that the sun comes out pretty quickly after the rains. Most travelers prefer to travel here in Jan – March and June – mid October and December. The rains are more common in April & May and then mid-October – November.
Book one of the following Gorilla safari packages;
List of Uganda Safari Activities You can Include On Your Uganda Safari Tour in 2024/2025
Top Uganda Safari Activities are extremely engaging and adventurous and they include Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi forest National Park and Mgahinga National park, Chimpanzee tracking, white water rafting Adventure at the source of the Nile, game drives in major National Parks of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National park and Kidepo National park. Other Uganda Safari activities and attractions include Mountain Rwenzori and Elgon Climbing, Cultural Experiences, Birding, Volunteering and stay cations on Ssese Islands in Kalangala on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Uganda is considered the Primates Capital of the world and arguably the best place for tourists to trek with the last remaining Mountain Gorillas in the world right in their natural habitat. The Country is also home to the powerful Murchison falls, the Big Five animals and Mt. Rwenzori.
Uganda has undergone a transformation over the years which has made it one of the most looked after safari destination in the world and with over 10 national parks each uniquely endowed with multiple plants and world life species, a Safari Tour in Uganda becomes one of the tours tourists should endeavor to book in their life time.
The country has become a lot safer, there is a fantastic transport systems and infrastructure, and amazing accommodations with major must go to national parks, cultural centers and sanctuaries. we can’t forget to talk about the amazing food cuisines, hospitable people, libraries, restaurants and an amazing night life of Kampala and other major cities.
List of Uganda Safari Activities
1- Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
2- Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest National Park
3- Game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park
4- Game viewing and water falls experience in Murchison Falls National Park
5- Walking safari tours in Lake Mburo National Park
6- Game viewing in Kidepo Valley National Park
7- Scenic views at Sipi Falls
8- Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
9- White Water Rafting at the Source of the Nile in Jinja
10- Relaxing and local boat rides at Lake Bunyonyi
11- Vacation at Ssese Islands-Kalangala
12- Hiking of Mountain Rwenzori
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park
A Gorilla Trekking Tour in Uganda is one of the top African safari higlights that involves coming face to face with last remaining Mountain Gorillas in the world. It takes place in Bwindi National park which has a population of over 340 Mountain gorillas of which an estimated 116 are habituated. There are at least 120 mammal species living in the forest and the eleven primate species found here include black-and-white colobus and L’Hoest’s monkeys and baboons. There are also forest elephants and several species of antelopes. Of Bwindi’s 200 butterfly species, 42 are endemic to the Albertine Rift valley. Also an estimated 350 bird species with 23 endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley and 14 recorded nowhere else in Uganda justly the most incredible destination to for the best Jungle experience in the World.
Other activities that can be done in Bwindi include bird watching safaris, Butterfly watching, Refreshing nature walks, Culture Batwa (Pigmies) tours, Sightseeing-photography, Hiking adventure trips, Community volunteering programs.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale is one in all the most attractive national parks in Uganda with tropical rainforest, and a multiplicity of animals. The most famous of its 13 species is the chimpanzee, our closest relative. Kibale’s 1450 chimpanzees represent Uganda’s largest population of this endangered primate. The forest is also home to East Africa’s largest population of the threatened red colobus and the rare I’Hoest’s monkey. Other primates include the black-and-white colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboon, bush baby and potto. Also an estimated 500 elephants are present, along with buffalos, leopards, warthogs, bush pigs, golden cats and duikers.
Many keen observers on Nature Walks while in the Park, may be spot by reptiles and amphibians as well as a colorful variety of 250 species of butterflies. Kibale national park also boasts of more than 375 species of birds.
The park boasts of being the best Chimp trekking safaris destination offering best birds-butterfly watching and awesome forest and nature walk experiences, Stunning Wildlife and Nature photography. Having a lot of Cultural rich community groups to explore such as Isunga Culture group, Tooro Kingdom, Explore the Amabeere Nga Nyinamweru caves in Fort portal Town Uganda’s Best Tourism City.
Chimpanzee Family in Kibale
Game Viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth national park along with kyambura brings together the most diverse ecosystem in Africa. Located in western region of Uganda, Thousands of hippos populate these water shores. Open savannah dotted with acacia and euphobia trees provide habitat for Africas Big Fives, leopards , elephants, Tree climbing lions, Uganda Safari kobs, in addition to big herds of buffaloes. The park also harbors primate species, ten in number which include chimpanzees and monkeys. Waterbucks, giant forest hog, topi, hyenas, and Nile crocodiles are among the many animals distinguished frequently spotted in Queen Elizabeth national park by our esteemed clients while on our Uganda Safaris trip.
The park is also famous for its volcanic features, comprising volcanic cones and deep craters, many with crater lakes such as Lake Katwe, from which salt is extracted by the local communities. Having lots of activities to be participated in such as Amazing Game drives, Bird watching Safaris, Boat cruises on Kazinga channel, Sport fishing, and nature walks, Nature Photography, Chimp tracking in Kyambura gorge, Hot Air Balloon Safaris, Bakonzo Culture tours and so many others.
The Park offers beyond wildlife-flora, to Culture exploration of Uganda culturally enriched tribes just the Best way to have a taste of Africa finest wilderness livelihoods.
Lion in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game Viewing and Experience of the World’s Strongest Waterfall at Murchison Falls National park
Murchison falls national park sometimes referred to as Kabalega National Park is the largest park in Uganda and the most visited. It is named after the Murchison falls where the mighty river Nile bangs through a narrow gorge flowing down to be converted into a placid river. In the park you will see hippos, water bucks, crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopard, giraffes, hartebeests, oribis, Uganda kobs, chimpanzees, and many bird species including the rare shoebill. The flora and Fauna at Murchison is characterized by savannah, riverine forest and wood land.
The Murchison Falls National Park offers the finest wildlife experience having countless activities to participate in such as Massive Game drives, bird watching experiences, Amazing boat cruises along the River Nile, wonderful chimp trekking activities in Budongo Forest, Hot Air Balloon safari adventures, Culture adventures, Sport fishing, awesome nature walks and many more can be done with in the Great Murchison Falls National Park.
The park is also known for offering executive amazing Luxury and leisure around its gorgeously built accommodation facilities giving wilderness holidays within the Pearl of Africa.
Game Viewing in Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo valley is one of Uganda’s most spectacular parks and is referred to as the Serengeti of Uganda. It contains one of the most exciting faunas of any Ugandan national park. This national park is 1,442 square kilometers in the deep Northern Region of Uganda. Kidepo harbors scenery that cannot be found in any other parks in east Africa. It has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 475 bird species.
Having over thousands of wildlife can be spotted with in this area during the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. These seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain, make the Kidepo Valley-Narus Valley the park’s prime wildlife location. Going beyond wildlife to offering the best challenging Hiking, cave adventure experience around its 3 mountains in the Park Lomej Hills, Mountain Morungule and Mountain Lonyili reaching the Hot spring of Kanagorok such a marvel.
Giraffes in Kidepo National Park
Walking Safaris in Lake Mburo National Park
It is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks located within western Uganda and underlain by ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 million years. It is home to 350 bird species as well as zebra, the only park in Africa were you can spot impala, eland and antelopes grazing together, buffalo, oribis, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi and reedbuck. Together with 13 other lakes in the area, making it one of a birding destinations. Offering experiences such as Walking Safaris, Game drives, Bird watching safaris, hiking adventures on the Mburo Hills and Boat cruise experiences, Nature photography and sightseeing activities.
Having well-built tented Wilderness Camps that offer the tourists the best African wild Night camping experience as they are overlooking the great herds of animals grazing over the Lake Mburo lands and being just a 2 hour’s drive from Kampala the Capital city of Uganda,Lake Mburo National Park is the best option of short time travelers caught up by time and wish to explore the African wilderness Experiences.
Zebras in Lake Mburo National Park
Bird Watching at Semuliki National Park
The Semuliki National Park located in the deeper western Regions of Uganda close to the Uganda-Congo boarder is a rich habitat of grassland, savannah, forest and wetland is home to diverse fauna, in addition to 400 bird species such as white chested bill, Dwarf Hornbill Red bill, Pipping Horn bill, Yellow chested Nicator, Great Blue, Ross’s Turaco, the elusive Shoe Bill lots of other sun birds can be spotted with in this spot and 300 butterfly species. It is one of the richest areas of floral and faunal diversity in Africa, with bird species being especially diverse. The park has two hot springs in a hot mineral encrusted swamp. One of the springs-Sempaya hot spring – resembles a geyser by forming a 0.5 m high fountain. These hot springs attract a large number of shorebirds and they are a source of salt for many animals. The park has over 60 mammal species, including forest buffalos, leopards, pygmy hippos, Mona Monkeys, water chevrotains, bush babies, civets, elephants, the Pygmy Flying Squirrel (Idiuus zenkeri) and nine species of Duikers.
The great Semuliki National Park is offers the best Birding Safari experience to the Tourists with all sort activities from Bird watching Safaris, the best Primates trekking with in the Semliki Forest, the Nature walks within the forests and Park areas, Culture Batwa tours, best Camping experience, Game Drives. Lots of other fun filled activities. To explore through well within this area of the Pearl of Africa while on a Safari trip.
Shoebill Watching Mabamba Swamps.
The Mabamba Swamps west of Entebbe is one of the best and most convenient places to see the elusive Shoebill. After a few minutes in a small canoe the papyrus reeds opens up into a flat grassy wetlands where a number of Shoebill can regularly be seen. The bird is easiest seen in the morning when they stalk their main prey, the mudfish or frogs, but may be spotted all day. They may stand absolutely still for long periods awaiting the movements of their prey and then suddenly strike with a marvelous speed.
Although one can reach Mabamba by road we highly recommend the boat tour across Lake Victoria because it gives you an opportunity to see many of the birds that you may otherwise miss. Sometimes even the shoebill may elude you in the canoes only to be seen as you approach, or leave, by the bigger boat.
White Water Rafting on the White Nile in Jinja
White Water Rafting on the River Nile Jinja
Mountain Climbing at Mountain Rwenzori National Park
The Mt Rwenzori National park has Africa’s third highest mountain peak and many waterfalls, lakes, and glaciers to explore. The park is known for its beautiful plant life such as perfect Botany sanctuary. The Rwenzori Mountains are higher than the Alps and are ice-capped. Mount Stanley is located in the park. Margherita Peak, one of Mount Stanley’s twin summits, is Africa’s third highest peak with a height of 5,109 m (16,762 ft) Africa’s fourth and fifth highest peaks (Mount Speke and Mount Baker) are also located in the park these being Hikers delights on a Engabi Tours and Travel Uganda Mountaineering Safari. It has a high diversity of plants and trees. The park is noted for its botany, which has been described as some of the most beautiful in the world. There are five distinct vegetation zones in the park, which change according to changes in altitude.
The park has 89 species of birds, 15 species of butterfly, and four primate species. You will find forest elephants, chimpanzee, hyrax, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, duiker, and Ruwenzori Turaco. The park offers breath taking challenging Hiking adventures in the world as most of its areas are greatly hilly perfect for an awesome climb, magnificent botany adventure, wonderful bird-butterfly watching safari, Bicycle-nature walks, Game drives and lots of great cultural adventure of the Bakonzo cultures. Such a spectacular experience while on Engabi tours and Travel Uganda Safaris Trip.
Mt Elgon National Park Hiking
Mt. Elgon is an extinct volcano that first erupted more than 24 million years ago. With the largest surface area of any extinct volcano in the world (50 km by 80 km) The Park is named after Mount Elgon, an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya. The botanical diversity of the park includes giant podocarpus, juniper and Elgon olive trees cedar Juniperus procera, pillarwood Cassipourea malosana, elder Sambucus adnata, pure stands of Podocarpus gracilior and many orchids. 400 species have been recorded.
The park is also home to a variety of small antelope and forest monkeys, including the Black-and-white Colobus and Blue Monkey. Over 300 birds can also be found in the area, Elephants and buffalo, other scenery like cliffs, caves, waterfalls, gorges, mesas, calderas, hot springs, and the mountain peaks. The most popular areas are the four explorable, vast caves where frequent night visitors such as elephants and buffaloes come to lick the natural salt found on the cave walls. Kitum cave, with overhanging crystalline walls, enters 200 m into the side of Mt. Elgon.
The Park boosts of countless fun filled activities that have been participated in by lots of our clients such as Game drives, Nature walks, and Bicycling trips alongside Breathe talking wildlife Photography, lots of magnificent Botany gardens, camping trips and Challenging Mountaineering experiences, Cave exploration adventures. Tourist’s great adore the experience to Mt Elgon while on Uganda Safaris trip.
Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Lake Bunyonyi Canoe Rides and Scenery viewing
Vacation on Ssese Islands Kalangala
With all the above activities, be assured that you can never be bored in Uganda as the country has enough activities to fill weeks, months and years and combined with the good weather and safe environment, it’s no wonder more and more people are visiting the country.
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Tour Packages in Uganda that you may book for your African Safari Tour
How to Pack a Professional Safari Travel First Aid Kit : A Safari travel first aid kit is essential when going on safari in Africaespecially in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya to ensure stable and secure health care on the road. Our travel advisory guide below looks at how to pack a travel first aid kit on your safari especially for first timers.
A first aid kit is an essential piece of equipment on any gorilla trekking tour, wildlife safari and adventure, but most travelers aren’t sure exactly what they need to take with them. So, here is an expert guide on how to pack a first aid kit and what to include in it.
Many travelers around the world have helped each other to strap up a sprained ankle or two on jungle treks, dressed countless small cuts and wounds, and even once cleaned and treated a dozen small leech bites on the legs of an unlucky trekker, among other things.
Thankfully most of the incidents in most cases are minor. But whether you are on a gorilla trekking tour, wildlife safari, mountain hiking or a rafting adventure be sure to always encounter accidents and injuries. As any experienced traveler or health professional will tell you, things can and occasionally do go wrong on any trip and taking a well-stocked kit with you is always advised.
A well-stocked first aid kit on your safari is vital but there is absolutely no need to go overboard because you certainly don’t need to carry around the entire stock cupboard of your local pharmacy.
Over the years we have realized that most first time travelers carry commercially available emergency first aid kits and am pretty sure there is absolutely nothing wrong with these packs at all and in fact they are excellent and, in a pinch, I would still recommend them to any traveler. However, over the years, with a lot of East African travel experience, I have refined my own kit to reflect what I will use out on the road and what I know what will make for a much better first aid kit for the average traveler too.
The best first aid kit on your safari are simple but varied and will have a variety of dressings and equipment to deal with the absolute basics. More importantly, they can be used with little or no training. So what items should you include? Here are our picks for the essentials.
Safari First Aid Kit
Plasters (Bandages)
It goes without saying that these are an absolute essential in any first aid kit on your safari. The most common form of minor injury is a cut or a graze, so it is always a good idea to carry a handful of plasters in a variety of sizes. If you think you will be doing a lot of trekking on your travels and you aren’t used to that form of exercise, then some blister plasters are a good idea.
Elastic bandages
For when you have something a bit bigger than a cut, basic elastic bandages are useful for keeping small dressings clean and in place until you can get some medical attention. Remember you’re only going to use them in an emergency and hopefully only until you can get some professional medical care therefore you don’t need too many of these.
Small scissors
These come standard in any commercially available first aid kit though you can buy them separately. They are useful for trimming gauze or bandages to size. Always be careful if you do carry scissors to ensure that your first aid kit goes in your checked bag when you are in transit or else airline security will take them off you.
Gauze
Gauze is the medical jack of all trades. Never carry a first aid kit on your safari without a supply of gauze in it because you can’t imagine how many times it will be useful on your safari. It can be used to apply pressure to a wound, clean an injury, soak up blood, help stop bleeding, and even form part of a basic dressing for small to medium wounds.
A clean wound and a layer of gauze kept down with either tape or a bandage is often enough to allow time for you to go and get it looked at by a professional. The best type of gauze to carry in a first aid kit is individually wrapped sterile squares. This eliminates the need to cut them to size when you need them quickly and obviously makes it easier to keep the wound clean and sterile.
Surgical tape
Surgical tape is one of those essential emergency items for when you need to apply and secure gauze or a bandage to a wound although plasters can do the same job if need be.
Tweezers
Tweezers are another item that often come standard in most first aid kits and can be useful for pulling out splinters, getting out little bits of stone or dirt when cleaning a wound, or any number of other practical uses.
Antiseptic wipes
For some reason this tends to be the one thing most people overlook when thinking of first aid, but antiseptic wipes are an absolute essential in any good pack. No one wants a cut or wound to get infected, and antiseptic wipes are perfect for cleaning it before applying a dressing. Just a small handful will suffice for most packs. Like most basic items, they are easy to replace at any pharmacy when you run low.
Condoms
Apart from the obvious benefits of staying safe sexually, these handy little items can be used as emergency water carriers or even filled with ice as an emergency ice pack.
Pain relief tablets
A small pack of basic paracetamol is usually sufficient however ibuprofen or other similar medications are fine too. It doesn’t have to be fancy, basically whatever you normally take for pain relief when you have a headache or minor pain.
Loperamide tablets
Also known under a variety of brand names such as Imodium, this is useful for stopping diarrhea for short periods when you need to catch a bus or train. Remember, these are for those emergency moments only when you are actually in transit, as they do not cure diarrhea and shouldn’t be used when you can rest up for a couple of days. (Normally the best way to treat diarrhea is to let everything pass through your system normally and drink plenty of water to replace lost fluids.) If you use them sparely, properly, and as directed on the pack, loperamide tablets can be useful additions to any travel first aid kit.
Antihistamine cream
It happens to all of us on our travels: we get bitten by some form of insect and end up with a painfully itchy bump or rash. Don’t worry, the absolute majority of the time the bumps and stings aren’t anything to worry about at all, but they are damned annoying! This is why a good antihistamine cream is a useful addition to help control the itching and swelling.
Antibacterial creams
It’s also a good idea to carry antibacterial creams like Neosporin for any cuts and scrapes you get. This will help heal them faster as well as prevent any possible infections.
Obviously, this list can be tailored or added to depending on your trip needs and any good first aid kit should also include any specific or individually prescribed medication or antimalarial. For the majority of travelers, however, the items and kit listed above will cover the absolute majority of basic incidents and accidents.
So now I am pretty sure you can pack up your own little first aid kit and keep it stashed in your pack for emergencies. Chances are you will probably never use it and I hope you never need to but if you have one at least you can enjoy your travels with peace of mind and be safe in the knowledge that you are prepared.
How to Avoid Getting Sick on a Uganda Safari-Top Tips : As a company we get a lot of questions about health care on the road and how to avoid getting sick on a Uganda Safari especially after Covid-19 pandemic, What vaccines are needed? What happens when I do get sick?” and Since we are not doctors, we don’t like giving medical advice so we asked our team to write a few article on health and safety when you travel. This article features easy ways to stay healthy on the road while on Safari in Africa .
Getting sick is a part of everyday life and being on the road doesn’t exempt you from that fact, especially when travel itself exposes you to a whole new range of environment, bugs and insects. The fact of the matter is the longer you are traveling the more likely you are to pick up a bug or two.
Does this look like a good sight when you traveled all the way yo enjoy your safari? I thought not too.
The key to minimizing the chances of this, however, is to actively combat the risk factors of becoming sick in the first place because the last thing you want to do is to expose yourself to any more risk than you have to. Prevention is far better than any cure!
Wash your hands
We know this sounds basic, but it is surprising how many people forget it though this simple act of washing your hands should be drilled into any traveler since day one of planning your Uganda safari Tour. We have realized that the washing of your hands has a huge impact on controlling infection in a human setting, but the same is true for every aspect of day-to-day life and traveling the world is no exception.
Hand hygiene is essential to stop the spread of infection and can dramatically reduce your chances of Ebola, diarrhea, vomiting, food poisoning and flu.
Many travelers carry small bottles of hand gel and these are great as a backup but they aren’t a replacement for good old soap and water. Wherever possible wash your hands under hot water for at least thirty seconds before and after eating and always after going to the toilet. This is one of the ways to avoid getting sick.
Put on a face Mask
With recommendation from your doctor or if you are not sure of the safety of your surroundings especially when close to animals always ensure to put on a mask. According to WHO guidelines, its recommended you clean your hands with alcohol based hand rub or soap and water before putting on a mask,cover your mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask,avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water,replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks and to remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard immediately in a closed bin; clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Drink bottled water
This is another way to avoid getting sick. When you can’t be sure of the purity of the local water or you are traveling in areas where sanitation is not that great, then you should avoid the local tap water. Even if locals drink it without any problems your stomach may not have the right bacteria to protect you from becoming ill so avoid local water and ice when provided.
We recommend that at the very least you should always drink bottled water and double-check that the seal is intact on the bottle top too. It is also a good idea to use bottled water to brush your teeth. Remember it saves money and environment when you use a water bottle with a built-in filter as this reduces the need to buy bottles of water constantly.
Always be careful of food contamination
Food contamination is one of the biggest causes of traveler’s diarrhea problems on any travel adventure. If you are not careful with your food on your travels, you could potentially be exposing yourself to diarrhea, cholera, and much more nastiness.
You should always ensure that any food you eat is fresh, cooked thoroughly and served piping hot. This helps you avoid getting sick.
Uganda Safari
For street food lovers, it’s amazing as you can be able to see how clean the cooking environment is and the food is often prepared right in front of you. But look out for signs of good hygiene practice at any street food stall or food court you eat at. Does the person handling the food wear disposable gloves and change them frequently? Is there a separate person handling the money or, at the very least does the person cooking the food remove and replace gloves every time they handle cash? Is hand washing a regular occurrence? Is raw food left out in the open or is it stored correctly? These things may seem inconsequential but they are important.
You probably aren’t going to avoid a bit of stomach upset completely on your travels especially if you are traveling long term but if you are aware of good food hygiene practices and follow them as much as possible, then you can at the very least minimize the risk of becoming ill.
Don’t be afraid of having familiar food
Eating local food and delving into the local cuisine is one of the absolute true pleasures of traveling and one you should never miss out on but that said, a degree of common sense is needed too. Jumping straight into a diet of spicy curries or predominantly red meat is a good way to ensure some form of gastrointestinal upset if your stomach isn’t used to it.
Food intolerance happen when your gut can’t properly digest the food you’ve eaten, or you’ve introduced something completely new and different to it which can irritate the digestive tract and lead to stomach pain, cramps, gas, diarrhea, vomiting, and heartburn. The trick to trying new foods and new cuisine is to mix it up a little bit. If your stomach is sensitive, take it easy at first and don’t be afraid of eating familiar food from time to time.
Always stay active
Exercising is one of the best ways to stay fit, healthy and to fight off unwanted infections and a way to avoid getting sick .It improves your overall health and well-being and strengthens your immune system which makes you less susceptible to illness and if you do get sick your body is able to fight off the infection and more quickly get you back on your feet. It is 100% factual because fit people still get sick, but in general the fitter you are, the better your body will be at shrugging off that annoying bug or illness.
Protect yourself against the sun rays.
Sunburn can seriously ruin a good travel experience! Travelers get very badly sunburned while on a Uganda Safarimainly due to forgetting to reapplying sun cream. It is not an experience you would want to experience!
Protecting yourself from the sun goes beyond getting bad sunburn, always ensure to stay well hydrated if you are traveling in a country or region with a hot or tropical climate as well as cover up with loose clothing plus a hat or scarf. If you don’t then dehydration can set in very quickly and that can lead to more serious conditions such as exposure, heat exhaustion and heatstroke which if left unattended can become a medical emergency.
Get vaccinated
Vaccinations are probably one of the most common travel health concerns that people ask travel experts and friends. As the saying goes, prevention is always better than the cure and nothing is better at protecting you from the risk of getting a disease than being vaccinated against it.
Vaccinations are required depending on what vaccinations you have already, what country or region you are visiting and individual factors such as your personal medical history, how long you will be traveling and what you will be doing. This is why it is essential that you get one-on-one personal advice from your local travel clinic, nurse specialist, or physician before you travel.
When travelling to Africa, we recommend vaccinations for yellow fever, Cholera and hepatitis B before as you plan to travel or before entry. Remember Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory in most African entry points
Always ensure to protect yourself from mosquito bites
Mosquito bites are an absolute nightmare for any traveler. They will sometimes simply annoy you with painful and itchy welts but at worst they can transmit a whole variety of diseases such as yellow fever and not to mention malaria.
Mosquitoes can be a problem in many parts of the world but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the NHS’s Fit for Travel site are excellent places to find out where there are outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola or malaria.
Always ensure that you wear the right clothing, wear light, loose cotton clothing that covers most of your skin especially around peak exposure times and places. For example, near bodies of water or at twilight or after dark, the peak time for malaria-carrying mosquitoes to feed.
Finally always sleep under nets where necessary, take anti-malarial use anti-mosquito coils and plug-in devices, apply a good dose of 30–50% DEET spray, and reapply it regularly. It is important to remember that none of these methods is completely foolproof. You can do everything right and still get bitten. However, you can always avoid getting sick with the tips above.
Basically speaking, if you are heading to Africa which is considered a high risk for malaria then I highly recommend antimalarial.
The most important thing to remember however that is each antimalarial affects different people differently. A lot of people will only suffer mild side effects, and most will have none at all.
Always make an appointment with a travel health professional well before you head off on your ‘round-the-world adventure. Many travelers instead leave it until the last minute. The average recommended time to see a health professional is 6–8 weeks before you leave, but personally I would aim for a little earlier than that, especially if you will think you will need more than one vaccination or if you have specific health concerns. The worst that will happen is that you will get an appointment closer to your time of departure if it is determined that you don’t need that amount of time to get things sorted.
The above look very simple steps that will dramatically help you avoid getting sick abroad, but often many people overlook them. Ensure that before you set off on your trip of a lifetime, take a moment to think about your health and prepare properly. That way you will be able to enjoy your trip with peace of mind.
Remember that these are general health tips only, and while they are written by qualified travel experts, they are no replacement for a consultation with your travel health nurse or physician, where individual health concerns can be discussed based on your personal history.
Engabi tours and Travel awaits your booking to take you on your safari, but rest assured that your health is a priority to us.
Gorilla Trekking Experience In Uganda | What is Gorilla Trekking Like? In this blog, you will read about our Travel Consultant’s Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Gorilla Trekking experience in Uganda is an absolute meet and greet experience between us and our closest relative the mountain gorillas in the jungle! I’ve been blessed to have one of the most amazing Gorilla Trekking experiences of my life and in the world while gorilla trekking Safari at Bwindi impenetrable National Park. I was with my colleagues, a group of 7 all afraid of the wild jungle but we took the risk because of the Gorilla curiosity coupled with the love for conservation.
As we continued our Gorilla Trekking experience in Bwindi National Park, we walked through the jungle amazed at how the environment was so calm and which ever songs the birds were singing they were great. It was as if there was a pattern; was it their communication? I have no idea. It was great far and near sounds of love and they must have been love songs. We had only walked for an hour or so minutes then we saw it, exactly what we wanted a gorilla, a baby gorilla swinging freely from tree to tree. I have never seen something full of life like this. It was just the beginning! we saw another and another surely not minding our presence and we had to be quite suppressing our excitement to take in the greatness.
The warmest sight was a mother gorilla carrying a baby gorilla on its back and the baby was resting peacefully with no worries. This mother gorilla view was an epitome of love. I was so close to them and i felt the connection, the tenderness, the warmth…Glorious! We kept seeing more and more as we moved up the hill. I was wowed at how the gorillas interacted peacefully and freely with Mother Nature and how experienced they were in this.
Gorilla Trekking experience in Bwindi
Meanwhile the clock was ticking and reality had to hit us as time was moving and moving so fast. We had a few minutes just to move back to the visitor Center. With our sticks, we moved back to sad reality as our guide told us more and more about the gorillas their distinctions and much more you’ll know if you go there. I yearned for more time, more hours with the most incredulous creatures on the planet and more minutes with nature. But that’s just how limited elated experiences are like. Value for time and money is at Bwindi. If you want a great outdoor mellow experience, book your “Hakuna Matata” Gorilla Trekking tour with Engabi tours and Travel.
CONTACT USfor information, Quotation or an Inspiration about Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Congo! If you can’t wait to start planning your Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari, please send a WhatsApp text on +256757341593 and a travel consultant will get back to you ASAP.
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