Practical informations for Uganda

Hunting Season:
In principal all year round but the best period is from September to April

Arrival:
By the arrival in Entebbe, you will be met by a representative from the safari company, who will help you through the customs and assist you with the import of weapons. After your arrival, you will, depending on arrival time either be driven to the charter company or to a hotel.

Camp Equipment:
The camps are well equipped with spacious insect proof sleeping tents with private toilet and shower. There are also good beds, wardrobe, shelves and chairs. Furthermore there is a very nice sitting-cum-dining tent with refrigerator and a well-stocked bar with all sorts of drinks and drinking water.

The Hunt:
You will be roused before dawn and the hunt will normally last until sunset. Lunch is either taken at the camp or in the field. The car has a well-supplied cool box with food and beverages. Concerning the hunt the game will normally be located from the car or from a look-out point in the bush, whereupon you will stalk the game. The trophies will be prepared in the camp, ready for transportation to the taxidermist, who will make them ready for export. The Safari Company will take care of all formalities regarding the export of the trophies. Always make sure that the capes of the individual trophies are also packed.

Hunting Result:
The safari company wishes to express that even though they have excellent hunting grounds, have good equipment as well as well-trained professional hunters, trackers, and skinners, factors such as weather, wind, luck, and the skill of the individual hunter will always influence the result. HUNTING IS HUNTING! It is advisable to be in a reasonable physical condition, and to have done some practice shooting, before leaving.

Visa:
Visa for Uganda is required for nearly all EU citizens and most EU- and Commonwealth citizens can get it on arrival for a fee of 50 US$. If you are not an EU citizen, please check with the nearest Uganda Consulate or Embassy, whether you need a visa or ask us. All visitors coming to Uganda must have a passport valid for at least 6 months by the arrival in Uganda.

Kindly note that travellers purchasing their visas on arrival to Uganda (airports and road border posts) must pay in USD using bills that have been issued after 2003. Older notes are not accepted and may  result in travel delays or refusal of entry.

Vaccinations:
Only Yellow Fever is required. A Yellow Fever vaccination is valid for 10 years. Vaccination against tetanus and polio (possible revaccination), hepatitis A and typhoid fever is recommended. Moreover it is recommended to start a preventive treatment against malaria before departure, continue during the stay and up to 4 weeks after the return, depending on tablets taken. But please consult your own physician well in advance of the trip.

Currency:
Uganda Shilling (100 cents). To be able to exchange currency take US$ cash, $ 100 bills only and from 2003 print date or newer. Lower denominations are exchanged 20-30% below. Travellers cheques are a nightmare and credit cards are only in a few high-end hotels. Euros in € 50 or more, GB pounds in £ 50 or more and SA rands in R100 or more can be exchanged in Kampala/Entebbe but usually not up country. We remind you that the trophy fees have to be paid in Uganda in US$.

Alternatively you can pay Limpopo Travel a trophy deposit before departure.

Airport Tax:
When leaving Uganda, all tourists must pay a tax of US$ 20.00.

Electricity:
230 volt. In 24 hunting cars volt.

Medicine:
Even though the camp is well equipped with a first aid kit, we would still recommend that you bring medicine, ordered by your own doctor, as well as: tablets for headache and diarrhoea, elastic bandages, suntan oil, antibiotics, insect spray, talcum powder, eye drops and lip salve with sun factor. A stick or spray to soothe itching after insect bites would be a good idea.

Clothes etc.:
We recommend clothes in the colours beige or green, and either made of cotton or similar fabric. It is absolutely not necessary to go out and buy new clothes. When you plan, what you have to bring, please remember that there is daily laundry service in the camps.

We would recommend:

• 2 pair of long trousers
• 2 pair of shorts
• 2 pair of long-sleeved shirts
• 2 pair of short-sleeved shirts
• 1 wind jacket (for the cool mornings)
• 1 woollen sweater (for ansitz and the nights in the camp)
• 1 pair of light hunting shoes (made of canvas or leather - well-worn)
• 1 pair of tennis shoes or slippers (to use in camp)
• 1 wide brimmed hat

Personal things as:

• Light pyjamas
• Socks
• Underwear
• Sun glasses
• Pocket knife
• Torch (with extra batteries)

Please also remember that you cannot buy items like batteries or memory cards for your camera in the “Bush” - so bring it all.

Weapon:
Temporary Import Permit has to be requested prior to travel. Limpopo Travel organizes all formalities in connection with this. On arrival the Temporary licence is issued at the airport (no hassle, simple procedure). We recommend you to bring a medium calibre rifle (7-8 mm f.inst. .30-06) for plains game. For thick-skinned game like buffalo minimum allowed calibre in Uganda is .375. Many hunters find that .375 magnum is a very good all-round rifle, both for small and big game. The rifle should be carried in a solid hard case. Please bring your EU weapon passport if you are an EU citizen.

Ammunition and bolt must not be carried in the rifle case, but in your suitcase, which is checked in. For daily use while in the field, we would suggest that you bring a soft rifle case to protect the rifle.

Ammunition:
It is every hunter’s nightmare to run out of ammunition in the middle of the bush. It happens now and again, and therefore we recommend you to bring sufficient. Ammunition is not available in the country.

We recommend that half the heavy calibre ammunition be of the “solid” type for buffalo. It is fine to shoot the first shot with soft, but if any consecutive shots are needed the probability is that the buffalo will be moving away from the hunter in which case a solid will penetrate deeper towards the vitals. So if 40 rounds of heavy calibre are brought 10-20 should be solids. We recommend 60 rounds per hunter.

Binoculars:
We recommend that you bring binoculars. 7x or 8x is sufficient, since 10x or more has a tendency to seem out of focus, due to the heat.

Before leaving for Uganda:
Before you are leaving, we kindly ask you to check the following:
Check once more that weapon make, calibre and number are identical to what you have given Limpopo Travel earlier. You risk to lose one day of hunting, if there has to be applied for a new weapon import permit!

Arrival formalities:
On arrival in Tanzania you will have to fill out an Arrival form.

Insurance:
We have made a cancellation insurance on your behalf and recommend you to take out a travel insurance.
Please be aware that in case of a cancellation, you will get a voucher.
Please see the attached information regarding insurance.

Trophy Import:
If you wish to hunt game, protected by the Washington Convention, you should contact your local authorities PRIOR to departure regarding any necessary formalities in connection with the import to your own country.

The responsibility for these formalities rests solely on the hunter, and we would recommend that you either contact a taxidermist or a shipping agent. 

Gratuities:
It is normal to give an amount around US$ 350,- per hunter and US$ 100,- per non-hunter per week. This amount covers tips for the camp staff, skinners, trackers etc. To that amount comes tip to the professional hunter where an amount around US$ 500 for a 1:1 hunt and US$ 800 for a 2:1 hunt per week is normal.

Naturally in the end the size of such tip is a personal matter.

Documents:
All relevant documents and tickets will be forwarded 10-14 days before the beginning of the trip.

Hunting Protocol:
When the Safari is over, a protocol must be made and signed by each participant. It is imperative that any complaints be entered into this protocol, since otherwise they cannot be dealt with (please see below)

Photos:
From our hunters we are very interested in receiving photos, which possibly can be used in connection with offers and our annual catalogue appearing at the end of the year. We would very much like to receive the photos as soon as possible after your return. If your pictures are used in the catalogue, you will receive € 50,- per photo. The amount will be credited your Limpopo Travel account and may be used on your next trip.

Please note the importance of where the picture is taken, which means that it is best photographing for example the shot stag in the nature and not in front of a house, a Landrover, a fence etc. 

Possible misunderstandings:
If, contrary to expectations, any problems should arise during your stay, which you feel unable to solve yourself, please contact us either by fax ++45 62 20 25 42 or by phone - ++45 62 20 25 40, during office hours (Mon-Fri 8.30-17.00). As we have already informed, it is too late to correct any misunderstanding or faults after your return home. Therefore, it is vital that you contact us immediately, if problems arise, in order that we may correct any misunderstanding on the spot. It is only possible for us to react on complaints brought to our attention immediately and entered into the protocol.

Emergency Phone:
Limpopo Travel have established an emergency telephone service, whereby our clients can reach us 24 hours a day - 7 days a week - a talk to a competent member of our staff. We would like to stress that this service is intended for emergency calls only, where contact with Limpopo Travel or a next of kin is vital. Please feel free to use this line, when absolutely necessary, but please also avoid any unnecessary calls. ++45 30 26 25 40.

After your Return:
We are always happy to hear from you, after you have returned home. It is of great importance for us to know, what happens “out there”. This is the only way we can develop and possibly improve our hunting tours.  Therefore - whether you wish to praise or criticise - please let us hear from you!

We hope that the above information answers some of the many questions, which you will naturally have before the trip. Should you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.