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Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth…

Queen Elizabeth National Park, in the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley, is centered around Lake Edward and Lake George. The launch trip along the Kazinga Channel is especially good for viewing hippo, buffalo, elephant and a vast array of birds. Around Ishasha, go on the hunt for the famous tree-climbing lions which lounge nonchalantly on old fig trees. The beautiful steeply forested Kyambura Gorge nearby is home not only to chimpanzees but also the red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus and many bird species.

Overview

Uganda - the pearl of Africa, a country with fantastic natural scenery and a rich mosaic of tribes and cultures. Traveling through Uganda, you’ll be captivated by its beauty, safety, accessibility and friendliness. The natural beauty of its people and its landscapes are outstanding. It is one of the most appealing nations and Africa’s friendliest country.

People

Situated at the geographical heart of the African continent, Uganda has long been a cultural melting pot, as evidenced by the existence of 30-plus different indigenous languages belonging to five distinct linguistic groups, and an equally diverse cultural mosaic of music, art and handicrafts. The country’s most ancient inhabitants, confined to the hilly southwest, are the Batwa and Bambuti Pygmies, relics of the hunter-gatherer cultures that once occupied much of East Africa to leave behind a rich legacy of rock paintings, such as at the Nyero Rock Shelter near Kumi.
At the cultural core of modern-day Uganda lie the Bantu-speaking kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole and Toro, whose traditional monarchs – reinstated in the 1990s after having been abolished by President Milton Obote in 1967 – still serve as important cultural figureheads. According to oral tradition, these centuries-old kingdoms are offshoots of the medieval kingdoms of Batembuzi and Bachwezi, which lay in the vicinity of present-day Mubende and Ntusi, where archaeological evidence suggests that a strongly centralized polity had emerged by the 11th century. Three former kings of Buganda are buried in an impressive traditional thatched building at the Kasubi Tombs in Kampala.

Language

The central area is largely Bantu-speaking with the Baganda as the largest group. The Northern tribes are Nilotic in origin; the north is also the home of the nomadic Karamajong and the remote mountain tribe - the Ik. There are pygmy communities (the Batwa) in some forest areas. More than 30 languages are spoken - with English, Luganda and Swahili being the most widely used.

History

Lord Lugard established a British East African Company base in 1890 in Kampala and shortly after-wards Uganda became a British Protectorate, centered around four old African Kingdoms. The Uganda Railway linking the interior to the coast reached Kisumu (in Kenya) on Lake Victoria in 1901 and Kampala in 1915. The system of indirect rule gave Uganda greater autonomy than elsewhere in British-ruled Africa. At independence in 1962, Uganda was a prosperous and peaceful country. It went through a turbulent period after Amin seized control in 1971 and expelled the Asians. In 1986 the National Resistance Movement, lead by Yoweri Museveni, took control of the country. Today, the country is progressive, peaceful and inviting. The old kingdoms, abolished in the 1960s, were restored in 1993 and the monarchs have now re-emerged as symbols of traditional society. The 36thKabaka of the Baganda, Ronald Mutebi, was crowned in 1993 and married in 1999, to great public rejoicing.

Travel Guide

Currency

The official currency is the Ugandan Shilling (UGX), which is divided into 100 cents

Weather

Uganda is near the Equator. As a result the climate does not change much, this makes both countries all year round destinations. The rainy seasons tend to be from March to April and October to November, but this varies in different areas and it can rain any time of year, especially in the gorilla parks areas. Travel can be slower in the rainy season but the views are often better. Gorilla tracking can be muddier but remains open. In the mountainous areas it is much colder than on the plains and the rainfall is greater. The temperatures on the plains tend to be between 70°F and 86°F and in the mountainous areas they can go down to 50°F in certain months. So our advice is to travel when it is most convenient and usually the rain, which is often for short periods, is part of the great experience. A client may avoid tracking in the “official” rainy season only to find that it pours throughout his visit during another period! For this reason Volcanoes does not close our lodges during the rainy season as they do in savannah countries.

Health Requirements

Anti-malaria tablets and mosquito repellent are essential. Travel to and from some African countries requires a Yellow Fever inoculation.

Visa Requirements

****AS OF 3/12/2020, TRAVELERS FROM THE USA ARE BEING ASKED TO SELF-QUARANTINE ON ARRIVAL IN UGANDA****
Ugandan visas are required of citizens of the USA; other nationals should check. Entry visas can be obtained at Ugandan missions overseas or at Entebbe airport or land borders. A single entry visa to Uganda costs US$ 50, and is valid for three months.

Credit Cards

Major credit cards are accepted by very few outlets in Kampala, and a few hotels/lodges up-country.

Electrical Appliances

240 volts. 3-pin (square) sockets.

Water

Drink bottled or boiled water only

Map

A: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
B: Kampala
C: Queen Elizabeth National Park
D: Uganda

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