Do you aspire to meaningful Uganda travel? I’ve had quite a few people ask me about travel safety in Uganda after learning about my guiding services. While Uganda is certainly a country with some history of unrest, you will feel safe here despite the general lack of infrastructure and organization. If you’re planning to travel to Uganda, here is some advice on how to stay safe.
Are You Concerned For Your Safety In Uganda?
Before you leave for your trip, you would have very little reason to even consider your safety being threatened in Uganda. Other than the usual common sense precautions, you would travel like you normally do. Once you arrived at the airport, however, there are some things that will give a pause.
The first thing that you will notice upon arriving at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala (which is awesome by the way) was that there were armed guards with AK-47s opening the gates and letting guests in.
however when you drive through town you will see no reason to be worried, but the presence of armed guards are definitely something that will get you thinking.
In Uganda we have some petty and some serious crimes and certainly the hotels take the protection of its guests very seriously.
How To Ensure Your Safety In Uganda
Beyond the usual common sense rules, there are a few other steps you can take to preserve your safety in Uganda. As always, be sure to stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings.
Travel Privately With A Driver. Go here to get a special arrangement
Unfamiliar taxis and especially the ubiquitous motorcycle taxis can put you in a precarious position if you get the wrong driver. All of your transportation in Uganda can be private transportation that is booked ahead of time. Hotels or tour agents have prior arrangement for their driver to bring you to and from the airport, and any Safari or any reason for your trip here can be done by the same driver for the entire trip. This is the best way to be sure that you can trust your driver and that you’re not in danger of being the victim of a scam.
Lock Your Doors And Roll Up Your Windows
This doesn’t apply when you’re out on safari or driving through entebbe or a rural quiet area, but when you’re in the middle of a busy city like kampala it’s best to make yourself inaccessible.
Walk With A Purpose And Feel Free To Ask Where You Are Not Sure Where You Are.
If you’re lost or just want to stop and take in the beautiful Ugandan landscape, don’t show it. When you appear to be lost ask some people have a good speech of English to help you out.
Don’t Show Off
This is for especially kampala, don’t walk around the city like a display window at a department store. Camera equipment, jewelry, smartphones and cash should only be out when they need to be used, or in the case of jewelry,Cameras in particular are more expensive in Uganda than in the United States,
Avoid The Nightlife
As much as it pains me to say this because I love experiencing other cultures and getting out in the city, it’s best not to walk around cities at night. If you must, try to travel in a group, which is good practice during the daytime as well.
Pack Light
The more stuff you have to keep track of, the easier it is for someone to sneak away with some of it. If you’re able to travel carry-on only then you eliminate one of the most common places for thieves to access your gear: when it’s separated from you on the tarmac and conveyor belt. The airport in Entebbe is busy sometimes and if you have a lot of bags in tow then it’s very easy for someone to slip through the crowd and get into your bag when you aren’t looking.
Expect To Get Dirty
While most roads here are murram dirt roads expect your clothes to get dirty most of the rural safari roads are full of dirt.so carry clothes which can easily absorb the dirt .
Insure Your Safety In Uganda
No matter how many precautions you take, things can always go awry. Whether it’s crime or any other unforeseen incidents, I always recommend carrying Travel insurance.
Don’t Leave Your Passport In The Car Its Not Safe.
Story Time from a different source ! During our drive back from Bwindi to Entebbe, our driver pulled into a restaurant for our planned lunch stop. This particular restaurant was gated and secure so I took my camera gear with me (it never leaves my person) and left the rest of my luggage in the car. While my travel companion and I were going through the buffet line, I heard her speak up in a nervous tone:
“Is that our car?!?”
Yup, it was. There was our driver, with our luggage and passports in the car, pulling out of the restaurant parking lot and driving down the road. Now, we had spent the last few days with him and knew he was trustworthy, but seeing your passport speed down the road when you’re in a foreign country is not a good feeling no matter who is taking it for a ride!
Frantically, we called the number for the tour company in an attempt to get a hold of our driver. After a few minutes, we got a call back.
“It’s OK, he just had to get gas.”
Fair enough, we just wish he had done it while we were in the car! Somewhat relieved, we ate our lunch. Then 45 minutes had passed and our driver still wasn’t back. We called again:
“Don’t worry, he is just running an errand.”
We were worried! We called back and demanded he came back with our passports. Finally, after about 90 minutes of being away, our driver returned. We immediately looked through our luggage for any signs of disturbance, but none were found and our passports were safely there.
While your driver could be true to his word, it is one of the more unsettling situations you can encounter on the road having realized that you don't have your passport at a check in point. But make this a valuable lesson: keep your passport on you or locked in a safe where it can’t move
Ugandan People Are Very Very Friendly
While it is practical and real advice,I want to make it abundantly clear that I encourage anyone who is interested to travel to our beautiful country and, while precautions must be taken, don’t stress too much about your safety in Uganda.
Ugandans are some of the most friendly and happy people and the crime advisories are, like in any other place, due to a few bad seeds ruining things for everyone else. Almost every single person you meet is helpful and friendly, and you will loss count within the first 30 minutes in the car of how many people waved at you. Uganda is an amazing country and I hope will you have a safe travel here and probably return.
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