Uganda Gorilla trekking Covid-19 and Corona Virus information for travelers to Uganda
This Uganda Gorilla trekking Covid 19 travel guidance and Corona Virus information is essential for a better planning of your trip if you intend to visit Uganda for a safari trip or a meeting. You need to be up-to-date with Uganda’s Current Corona virus (Covid-19) travel information, guidance and entry requirements before you consider the things to do on a Uganda safari and when to travel.
In this article, we try to provide the current Uganda Covid-19 (Corona Virus) information for travelers to help you start planning your Gorilla safari tour in Uganda as we help you to build a customized bucket list.
Uganda Gorilla Trekking and Safari Covid-19 Airport and Border Entry Requirements
The Uganda Government opened all Airports and Land borders for international travel and all Wildlife reserves and National parks are open for Gorilla trekking Uganda and Uganda safari tours with health screening procedures or restrictions and operating guidelines set by the Ministry of Health to minimize infections and keep everyone protected while enjoying the destination. These include compulsory wearing of facemask, rapid testing on arrival, temperature checks, hand washing and sanitization and physical distancing among others.
The Entry and Exit Requirements include:
The Government of the Republic of Uganda issued the following directives effective November 5, 2021, until further notice on COVID-19 health measures at Entebbe International Airport.
- All arriving passengers at Entebbe International Airport will regardless of country of origin or vaccination status undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing and for convenience all arriving passengers at Entebbe International Airport will have their samples for COVID-19 taken and allowed to proceed to their homes or to their hotels for self-isolation until they receive their results.
- The test results will be sent to their phones/emails and Passengers who test positive will be followed up by Ministry of Health Surveillance team.
- The only exemptions are;
i) Children below 6 years.
ii) Airline crew with evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination. - The treatment for passengers in (5) above will follow the Ministry of Health COVID-19 treatment guidelines.
- In case of a passenger who is detected on arrival with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection, he/she will be isolated and taken to the Government treatment center.
- For smooth facilitation at Entebbe International Airport, all in bound passengers are mandatorily required to;
i) fill in online Health Surveillance form https://arrivals.healthdesk.go.ug 24 hours before arrival.
ii) pay USD 30 online https://covidpay.postbank.co.ug 24 hours before arrival. - All arriving passengers are required to present to Airport Port Health COVID-19 negative PCR test certificate for a test taken within 72 hours from the time of sample collection.
- All departing passengers are required to present to Airport Port health COVID-19 negative PCR certificate for a test taken within 72 hours from the time of sample collection to boarding. They will abide by the health travel requirements of their destination country.
- Curfew has been lifted for everybody but not for bodabodas (Motor Bikes).The bodabodas will continue to observe the curfew hours of 1900hours to 0530hours
General Uganda Travel Safety
It’s a fact that safe travels and safaris have been happening everyday year in year out with no exception of 2019 in Uganda. There are no attacks on tourist hotels or lodges in wildlife parks and when it comes to terrorism, Uganda is exceptional in relation to her East Africans counterparts acting as a role model for other East African countries.
Crime, more especially violent crime has reduced significantly in Uganda. This is as a result of a sharp increase in the number of police on the street and the recently introduced Local Defense Units (LDUs) who are visible on the streets of Kampala during peak hours. This has cut reported incidents of crime to a minimum in the Kampala metropolitan area according to the police report.
The Security agencies and the diplomatic entities have also observed a decrease in reported crimes related to pick-pocketing, “snatch and run”) along with other petty and opportunistic crimes though they are still common in Kampala but rarely involve acts of violence. Travelers should still exercise caution when visiting crowded areas such as large open-air trading markets and music concerts as it is in any large city with large numbers of idle youth and unemployed.
Crimes that may result into violence commonly happen when the victim attempts to resist the assailants and these include two reported violent crimes from 2009 which involved motorcycle (“boda boda”) drivers sexually assaulting their female passengers after picking them up from a nightclub in one of the uptown areas of Kampala. Due to these security incidents and accidents involving “boda bodas,” travelers are encouraged to avoid use the motorcycles during the night and should be cautious and alert when they use them during the day
Below are Step by step guidelines to keep you Safe and secure on your visit to Uganda
- As you are planning for your Uganda Safari, please check for Travel alerts issued by the U.S. State Department or the British Foreign Office, Center for Disease and Control (CDC) including checking the Website of your Nations Embassy in Uganda.
- Always keep a distance whenever in public
- Always put on a mask and wash your hands with soap
- Always sanitize your travel bags
- However much it may sound lovely and fascinating please always try and avoid a self -drive because you do not know Uganda and it might be chaotic and disturbing for you as a first-time visitor.
- Do an internet news search on Uganda and always stick to news reports by the local Ugandan Newspapers such as New Vision, Daily Monitor and the Observer News paper
- Avoid any night travel outside of Entebbe-Kampala if you have no company or guaranteed security
- Always use a Mobile Phone with Skype and or WhatsApp on it. The good news is that most hotels and lodges have WiFi.
- If possible always avoid arranging your own Safari by attempting to book lodges, a vehicle, and permits. This is not a European vacation where you can easily do that. We know Uganda, we live and work here and we know how to cut through the hustle and bustle and create a memorable safari for you
- We suggest that you always stay aware and alert. That is precisely what the US State Department suggests to US Citizens traveling to Uganda.
- It might sound funny but always move with your Common Sense and do not leave Home without it.
Safety tips while on safari in Uganda
All National Parks and Wildlife Reserves are under the jurisdiction of Uganda Wildlife Authority and parks have stipulated guidelines and rules which are strictly enforced. Besides the rules that Uganda Wildlife Authority has put in place, as a company we have added some of our own that will keep you safe and secure on your Safari in Uganda.
While on your safari please ensure you follow the Gorilla trekking Uganda and Safari safety guidelines below:
- Always make no movements on foot without an armed Ranger escort when you are inside the parks and when outside of park always stay with your driver-guide.
- No Driving in parks from 7:30 pm until 6:30 am.
- Avoid getting close to wild animals
- Always wash your hands and put on a mask
- Avoid unnecessary movements while inside the parks. There are wild animals and a threat of coming across poachers.
- Avoid game drives without an armed ranger or your drive-guide on board vehicle
- Always ensure to carry a copy of your passport and mobile phone in a back pack though you should turn it off when on activities such as Gorilla Trekking.
- Always use a life vest when on a boat cruise Safari.
- Never leave children unattended to while on a family safari.
- Dress for the occasion while on gorilla and chimpanzee trek, hiking for your well-being.
- Use a porter whenever available for activities such as for Gorilla Trekking and hiking.
- Do not wear Camouflage clothing because it gets you unnecessary attention and is not suggested
- Sitting on the roof of a vehicle is not allowed since the Uganda Wildlife Authority deems it as dangerous.
- Night Game Drives are only conducted with Uganda Wildlife Vehicles except where a lodge is authorized by UWA to do so.
Not satisfied with the above? please contact us and we will get back to you with the answer to your question.
We give you factual information about Safety, Security and Health, including Ebola, Coronavirus Covid-19 and the latest current information about what travelers need to know such as Visas and more.
Whether you are on Safari with us or someone else, it is our Wish that you have a smooth or “Hakuna-Matata” Safari in the pearl of Africa – Uganda.
Finally our position on whether it is safe to travel to Uganda, our Answer is a big yes as long as you use common sense and adhere to some of the practical Safety and Security Steps that we offer you. We are a Ugandan Tour Operator with extension trips to Tanzania, Rwanda and Zanzibar and we live and work in Uganda and above all we do not take your safety and security lightly.
Hoping you can now easily plan your Ugandan Safari and we create for you a “Hakuna Matata” Uganda Safari.
Choose from our suggested best Uganda safari offers, travel itineraries and tour packages below which we have arranged in order from shortest to longest trip and the costs may range from $800 to $8190 and above per person based on trip duration, traveler’s number and travel style among other factors.
1 day Uganda Gorilla trekking tour from Kigali
2 Days Gorilla trekking safari tour
3 Days Uganda Gorilla trekking safari
3 Days Queen Elizabeth NP Safari
9 Days Uganda safari and Ssese islands beach safari
Combined Uganda safari offers,East Africa safari travel itineraries and Tour packages
12 Days Uganda Tanzania safari through Rwanda
14 Days Uganda Rwanda and Tanzania safari
16 Days Uganda Rwanda and Congo safaris
16 Days Gorilla trekking Tanzania safari and Beach holiday
CONTACT US for a Uganda safari, Tanzania safari and Rwanda price quotation or an inspiration and information