Geography
Uganda has borders with Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Lake Victoria to the southeast, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. The capital city, Kampala, is on the shores of Lake Victoria and is served by an airport at Entebbe. The White Nile is the country’s principal river, flowing northwards for 800 kilometres (500 miles) to the border with Sudan. Uganda has a land area of 241,000 square kilometres (almost exactly the same as the UK) and this is made up of a great variety of landscape, including arid plains, rolling savannah and lush tropical forest. Extending north-south for some 110 kilometres (68 miles) and rising to over 5000 metres (16400ft.), it is Uganda’s impressive Ruwenzori range which is of most interest to adventure travellers. This extended massif forms an effective natural boundary between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The name Ruwenzori means “rain maker” and with good reason, as parts of the area receive over 200 inches (5 metres) of rain a year. The 3 highest peaks of the range are Mount Baker (4842m. – 15880ft.), Mount Speke (4890m. – 16040ft.) and Mount Stanley (5109m. – 16760ft.) and these can be accessed by way of a brilliant and challenging circuit trek which follows the valleys of the Bujuku and then Mubuku rivers. Uganda was a British protectorate throughout the first half of the 20th century and was only given its independence in 1961. Uganda continues to be a Commonweath country. Milton Obote was the first Prime Minister of note and his government was ousted in January 1971 in a coup led by armed forces commander Idi Amin, who declared himself president, dissolved the parliament, and amended the constitution to give himself absolute power. Idi Amin's 8-year rule led to economic decline, social disintegration and wholesale human rights violations. Subsequent to Amin’s forcible removal in 1979, the political situation remained in turmoil and was only stabilised by the emergence of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), led by Yoweri Museveni. Since 1985, the NRM has dramatically improved the human rights situation in the country, initiated widespread economic reform and established a new constitution which has been approved democratically. Uganda can now boast one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and its capital, Kampala is a modern, bustling city. In the early 1990’s there were localised problems in the west of the country, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the region of the Ruwenzoris Mountains. This was a “no go” area for several years, but is now once again accessible.

Time Zone
The time in Uganda is GMT + 3 hours.

Climate
Thanks to its equatorial location, the climate of Uganda does not vary a great deal throughout the year. For example, the maximum daily temperature in Kampala is around 25 degrees centigrade (77º F) all year round, falling to 17 degrees centigrade (63º F) at night. There are two periods of the year which experience considerably more rainfall than the average. These are March to May and October to November.

The Ruwenzoris are noted (infamous) for the incidence of wet and cloudy weather and even during the driest periods of the year it would be usual to experience some rainfall. Daytime maximum temperatures at lower elevations on the mountains average 25 degrees centigrade (77º F), falling progressively with increasing altitude. At 4000 metres (13000ft.), the daytime highs are likely to be 10 degrees centigrade (50º F). At the highest mountain huts in the Ruwenzoris, the night-time temperatures can fall to a couple of degrees below freezing.

Rough guide to temperatures January & February

Currency
Uganda’s unit of currency is the Ugandan shilling. As of February 2006, the exchange rates are:

£ 1 = UGS 3184
€ 1 = UGS 2174
$ 1 = UGS 1825

Your travel money should be carried in the form of travellers cheques (preferably American Express), with a little cash set aside for incidental expenses on departure and return. Credit cards can be used to purchase goods and services in some places.

Visas
All nationalities need to obtain a visa for entry into Uganda. Rates vary depending on your nationality. Full details of current rates and the visa application process will be sent to you when we confirm your booking on a KE trip.

Vaccinations
You should attend your own GP and dentist for a check-up. A ROUGH GUIDE for an immunisation programme is as follows: (We must stress that this is only a basic guide - and you must abide by the advice of your local GP).

(a) Yellow Fever. Everyone must be vaccinated against Yellow Fever. This is a requirement for Uganda. You must also make sure that you carry with you a certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever, since you may be asked to produce this when entering or departing Uganda.
(b) Polio. Normally you will just need a booster.
(c) Tetanus.
(d) Typhoid. A full course requires 2 injections separated by an interval of 4-6 weeks.
(e) Hepatitis (A) and (B).
(f) Anti-malarial prophylaxis: Please refer to your GP (or to one of the agencies listed below) for the most up to date information about anti-malarial medication for the areas that you will be visiting.
(g) Rabies pre-exposure vaccination. Please refer to your GP (or to one of the agencies listed below) for advice on whether you need rabies pre-exposure vaccination. This vaccination does not eliminate the need for urgent evacuation to a suitable medical facility for additional treatment, in the unlikely case of your being bitten. However, it does simplify that additional treatment and also prolongs the period that you can safely delay before receiving post-exposure treatment.

Given enough notice, your GP will be able to administer all the above.

Additional Sources of Information

Books
Lonely Planet - Uganda.
Uganda. The Bradt Travel Guide.
Footprint Uganda Handbook.
Trekking Guide to East Africa - David Else 1993 Lonely Planet (Revised edition due 1998).
East Africa - Travel Survival Kit - Geoff Crowther Lonely Planet 1991
Backpackers Africa 4th Edition - Hilary Bradt 1993
East Africa Handbook - Michael Hodd - Footprint Handbooks 1996

Maps
Nelles Uganda Travel Map. 1:700,000

Our trip dossiers/itineraries give details of books and maps that are specific to a particular trip. Click here for details of book and map retailers.

Web
Lonely PLanet - www.lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides - www.roughguides.com