Kidepo Valley National Park

Uganda is a landlocked country bordered by Kenya in the east, South Sudan in the north, Democratic Republic of the Congo in the west, Rwanda in the southwest and Tanzania in the south. Uganda’s total land area is 241,559 sq. km. About 37,000 sq. km of this area is occupied by open water while the rest is land. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which it shares with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is located on the East African plateau, averaging about 1,100 meters (3,609 ft.) above sea level. The plateau generally slopes downwards towards Sudan explaining the northerly tendency of most river flows in the country. Although generally equatorial, the climate is not uniform since the altitude modifies the climate. Uganda’s elevation, soil types and predominantly warm and wet climate impart a huge agricultural potential to the country. They also explain the country’s large variety of forests, grasslands and wildlife reserves. Uganda has a total population of about 35.6 million people. The official language is English and currency used is Uganda Shillings (UGX 1/- equivalent to USD $3600). The president of Uganda is Yoweri Museveni, who came to power in January 1986 after a protracted six-year guerrilla war.

The best wildlife viewing months in Uganda are during the Dry seasons from June to August and December to February. Primate walks in the forest are a big part of any safari in Uganda. The habitat of rainforests is, by default, very wet, and one can't avoid rain completely. However, after heavy rain, the skies often open up to bright sunshine.

Best Time

June to August and December to February (All parks)

High Season

June to September (It's rarely crowded, but you'll need to book your gorilla permits long in advance)

Low Season

March, April, May, October, November (Some lodges and camps in high rainfall areas close down; roads and forest trails can be in poor condition)

Best Weather

June-July and January-February (Little rainfall)

Worst Weather

March, April and May (Peak of Wet season)

Uganda's health system is composed of health services delivered to the public sector, by private providers, and by traditional and complementary health practitioners. It also includes community-based health care and health promotion activities.

If you choose to apply online for a Uganda e-visa, you must check some other things off the list. It depends on which visa you apply for. For the tourist visa, all the requirements mentioned above are enough. You need to make a copy of the information page, but that is pretty much it. When you apply for a Uganda transit visa, along with the things mentioned above, you also need a letter that states the reason for transit and the country of destination. Lastly, the East Africa Visa requires you to have an itinerary and a return flight ticket. All in all, the Uganda visa requirements are nothing out of the ordinary. All the things on that list are easy to obtain, and it will not take you very long. Moreover, if you decide to apply online using iVisa, the process is even easier than you think. 15 minutes of your time is enough to getyour visa in as little as 72 hours.

In Uganda, there are many different ethnic groups with different cultures. The Bantu speaking people dominate much of East, central & south Africa and in Uganda they are form several tribes e.g Baganda, Bagisu, Basoga, batooro, Banyakole, Bakiga etc. In northern & eastern Uganda, the people who speak Nilotic languages dominate more including the Lango, Acholi, Iteso & Karamajong. A few Pygmies live isolated in the rainforests of western Uganda i.e the Batwa people who live near Bwindi. English, the national language of Uganda is widely spoken followed by Luganda which is known by many people more than Swahili the trade language of East Africa. There are over 30 different languages spoken in Uganda. Traditional dance is part of culture and most ceremonies or special occasions will have these dancers from different tribes. The ‘Kiganda’ dance from the Baganda tribe is the most widely recognized where it involves the performers to move their lower body to a drum beat while keeping the upper part controlled. The ‘Basoga’ tribe have a special dance called the ‘Tamenhaibunga’ which expresses the importance of love and friendship in society. Other tribes like the ‘Ankole’ tribe have other special kinds of dances and can be seen while at cultural centers like Uganda museum or Ndere center in Kampala.

Uganda has a lot of fertile agricultural land which can grow anything thus a great variety food. The most common food grown is Matooke (green banana) which is peeled at the time of preparing and steamed in the banana leaves. It’s either served the way it is or mashed plus source either beef stew, beans, G.nuts etc. Posho which is made from maize is also common and prepared in most schools since it’s cheap. Fruits like the Pineapple, water melon, yellow bananas and mangoes are also common and can be bought from food markets like Owino & Nakasero. The Lake Victoria & other lakes have a lot of fish including the ‘tilapia’ – a tasty fresh water fish that can be deep fried or cooked. Other foods include ‘Chicken Luwombo’ – which is chicken sauce prepared in banana leaves. The ‘Rolex’, a popular street delicacy and snack is also popular in Uganda and was listed among the top African fast foods by CNN.

Uganda is sunny most of the year with temperatures rarely rising above 29 degrees (84 degrees Fahrenheit). The average annual temperature is about 26 degrees Celsius (78° Fahrenheit). The rainy season is from March till May and October till November. Light rain season falls in November and December. Dry seasons are from December to February and June to August. The best time, the best months of the year would be December to late February and from June to September.