VISAS
Most travellers can obtain a Uganda visa right in the airport upon arrival, with a passport valid for 6 months and €39. A good rule of thumb is that if your country of residency does not have an Uganda Embassy or Consulate you can get a Visa upon arrival. However always check well before departure, because this can change.
POPULATION AND LANGUAGE
Most of the population is centered around Kampala the capìtal, where English and Luganda are the primary languages. Around our River Camp Madi is the primary language, but English is widely spoken.
There are about 25 million people in Uganda with half being under 14 years of age.
WEATHER
Uganda is very tropical with two rainy seasons of April/May and Oct/Nov, although it rains all year. Average temperature is a pleasant 26 C (79 F), making fans and air conditioners unnecessary.
BANKING
Based upon many experienes we strongly advise you bring all the cash you need while in Uganda in a Money Belt. Some large stores and some big hotels accept VISA, but only VISA crédit cards. We do not accept crédit cards in our camp and the Boma Guest House does not accept crédit cards. We both accept USA dollars printed after the year 2000, Euros and Pounds Sterling.
The ATM machines in Uganda only accept cards that have the “PLUS” symbol on the back. However we advise you not to use the ATM machines in Uganda. Many of the machines will debit your card but not give you the cash, then you are faced with problems of getting a crédit from your bank, which can take months. In Europe and Dubai all cards are accepted and the ATMs are safe.
The currency is the Uganda Schilling which is fairly stable, but slowly is losing value.
At this moment 2250 Ug Shil = 1 US dollar.,
COMMUNICATIONS
In our camp there is a computer using a cell phone tower connection, which is off and on in terms of quality of connection. We do charge for this in camp.At the Boma there is wíreless Internet connection if you have a lap top.
Cell phone connection in our camp and in Entebbe is fairly good. Bring an International cell phone or buy a cheap phone in Uganda if you need to call home.
Country code is 256.
MALARIA
Malaria is brought on by a blood-fouling female mosquito that is a carrier of the various strains of malaria. It kills over 1 million people per year. It is essential that you take steps to prevent malaria before traveling to Africa. There are several drugs on the market that prevent the disease, all of these drugs somehow interupt the sexual cycle of the parasite that the mosquito injects into you. It is uncertain how the drugs interupt this cycle only that they do.
The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta has information on the web you and your doctor can read about at:
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/malinfo.htm
or
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/malariadrugs.htm
In the August 1997 issue of the Atlantic you can read a good article about Malaria at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97aug/malaria.htm
Malaria mutates through time and the drug companies keep changing the drugs to keep pace with the mutating.
Chloroquine for years worked affectively on malaria
then it mutated in the 80s and Mefloquine (also called Lariame) became the drug of choice, however many people get side affects from using it and your doctor needs to research this before giving you this drug.
Both of the above drugs you start taking two weeks before departure and for 4 weeks after return and you take them once per week.
Some people take doxycycline (also an anti-biotic) daily to prevent malaria, however it makes your skin sensitive to the sun.
The new drug of Choice with few side affects is made by Glaxo Wellcome is ca
MALARIA
Malaria is brought on by a blood-fouling female mosquito that is a carrier of the various strains of malaria. It kills over 1 million people per year. It is essential that you take steps to prevent malaria before traveling to Africa. There are several drugs on the market that prevent the disease, all of these drugs somehow interupt the sexual cycle of the parasite that the mosquito injects into you. It is uncertain how the drugs interupt this cycle only that they do.
The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta has information on the web you and your doctor can read about at:
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/malinfo.htm
or
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/malariadrugs.htm
In the August 1997 issue of the Atlantic you can read a good article about Malaria at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97aug/malaria.htm
Malaria mutates through time and the drug companies keep changing the drugs to keep pace with the mutating.
Chloroquine for years worked affectively on malaria
then it mutated in the 80s and Mefloquine (also
lled Malarone. This drug promises to replace all other Malaria preventive drugs. It is taken daily and is expensive.
If your doctor is unfamiliar with tropical medicine, give him/her the above information well in advance so that he/she has time to study which drug is best for you
