Tipping culture in Uganda/Rwanda

This seems to have more to do with where you come from,in most cases
tipping applies to touristic places Taxi drivers nothing unless they
provide an exceptional service just like the tour guides , the tip is
built into the “tourist” rate you are probably paying. Its more of a
transactional thing,  how much ? Hotel staff are often poorly paid, on
the managements basis that they can make big money from tips just to
surprement their salary as token of appreciation may be given to them
. The bigger and more grand the place, the more likely that the staff
is being exploited in this way. Tipping is a normal way of life, but
again, its a personal thing. How to calculate – I have heard about
10-15 US a day for each group – cleaning, restaurants, bar etc etc.
some times its good to ask management if they have a tip sharing
system because some staff like chefs offer an important role in the
tourism industry they rarely get a chance to get a tip but if its put
in the tip box, there’s likely hood that every body will get
apportion. if you want to tip a particular person  then just pay it
all to him directly. You could compare it to a cruise where about 250
per person per week is forcibly extracted from your wallet for this,
and is then not actually paid to the staff (sigh.).
please do tip for your exceptional service, but we dont want it for
our normal exceptional service.

DRIVING COMPARISON/UGANDA/RWANDA

If you Haven’t been to Uganda or Rwanda and you hope to visit these 2
I interesting tourist destinations in Africa, you have o know that ,
the central part of Uganda is much flatter/easier. However the biggest
issue for colonists is driving on left side, pretty alien if you
haven’t done it. Certainly you  found it a bit challenging for a while
but  it may take few hours to get used when i first drove on the
right it was abit hectic for me but there’s no much difference as its
matter of switching hands and you just have to keep your mind
concertulated , its not possible to get very lost, and the spectacular
countryside and views make it worth getting out and driving. Its worth
it just to pick your own deserted place. Just take it easy some roads
may be some of the roads we easy to navigate, but some were very
narrow and winding.In Rwanda due to colonialist , they drive on the
right hand side the same way as it is in most Eauropean countries and
most of the signage are written in French very hard to interpret if
you don’t know/speak French whwile in Uganda driving is on the left
hand side and all signage are in American English so easy to
interprete, the roads are wide and almost paved but s good as it’s in
Rwanda.to you as first time visitor to these 2 countries while on your
self drive tour,

Uganda the Must Do’s and Must See’s in a7 Day Trip

Uganda the Must Do’s and Must See’s in a7 Day Trip
The mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzes is definitely a must-see, but the other must-sees will depend on your interests, energy, how far you’re willing to drive but Uganda has many interesting
Hopefully you can speak and understand a little english . Drive up to kabale definitely an adventure unless you are prone to car-sickness and eat in the lovely places up there. Go into lake Bunyonyi and visit the lake mburo on the way expect to see lots of Zebra’s and wild game plus visit a through the Batwa people with great memories to tell!!!!
I would also suggest a day in Mgahinga national park, trekking the golden monkey and hike to Sabinyo would be worth while a day driving up to the lake Mutanda to get a viewpoint over the Volcanoes Mgahinga, Sabinyo and Muhabula and preferably two days and a night to visit this place it’s a long drive there and back in a day
You might also want to visit the Ishasha for the tree climbing lions, and jacana crater lakes including a visit to the bat cave while you gt to enjoy the 1 hour forest walk in the natural habitat.to those who are primate lovers, you will get to see black and white colobus monkeys plying and swinging around on the tree branches as they do shier daily activities. Boat cruise along the Kazinga charnel , this would enable you see plenty of bird species and plenty of game. As you prepare your self to set off for your journey back to the airport.

when is the best time to go to uganda

When is the best time to go to Uganda? Travelers have lots to say about Uganda, and it certainly lives up to the hype! Self drive uganda you can look for discount flights and where to stay in Uganda and plan all the details of your trip. Airport in Uganda Visitors arriving in Uganda usually arrive in the country’s largest airport (Entebbe International airport). It is located near the centre of town, and following your flight to Uganda, you will find that ground transportation facilities will allow you easy access to your accommodation. Transportation from the Airports After getting off your flight to Uganda, you will find that transportation from the airport is fairly easy to navigate, and you will be able to get to the city centre by any combination of bus, taxi all with varying fares at $40-50 but mostly quite affordable. Rental cars are available, and you should make sure to book this service before arriving.www.selfdriveuganda.com info@selfdriveuganda.com Weather in Uganda It is a good idea to check the weather in Uganda before you travel. Climate conditions can be variable according to destination, so the best thing to do is to see what the weather is like in the town or city you are visiting and pack accordingly. Highlights in Uganda Uganda is full of amazing sights and places to visit, the culture and history here shape this country into a fantastic holiday destination. Architecture, museums, beautiful parks and town squares, Uganda has it all! Don’t miss your chance to try the local specialities during your stay, and look out for any festivals which are happening while you’re there. Experience Uganda with amazing people, beautiful weather.

What can I combine with gorilla trekking?

Deciding to do your gorilla trekking in Uganda, it’s absolutely possible to spend a couple of weeks in the country and do so many and amazing activities combining your gorilla trekking with safari, incredible birding  like a shoebill stork and and what we get you saying is  incredible landscapes, chimpanzee trekking, wild game adventures, boat cruises and extraordinary cultural experiences which seem unique in Africa.

Doing the gorilla trek in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda nor at Mgahinga national park park on ugandas side has no difference since that the habitat and terrain is exactly the same on
the Ugandan and Rwandan sides of the mountain. And that this habitat is different
than that in the impenetrable forest in Uganda.
So given that, which you may not understand from email correspondence with who ever is booking for you the safari, as you would have chosen to save the money its better do do the trek on uganda side as it saves $400 in case you preffer to go gorilla trekking in the months of April and may, November while in Rwanda the price is constant $750. Yet the terrain is the same.
And it I think its an amazing experience to be able to be so close to the Gorillas in their
natural habitat.so if you chose to join the gorilla trek with the day with the Batwa would also be wonderful. As you get learned a lot and find your self very touched by their circumstances and loss of access to their homeland and way of life,Walking through the bamboo forests and luck green hells and farmland is totally beautiful
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is spectacular well orgarnised as a shorter trip, combined with
a nightover or so in Kigali, which automatically should be a must for every tourist visiting the country of athousand hills. If you have longer days to visit, a few days of relaxation on Lake Kivu, or a walking safari in the Nyungwe forest are an added advantage, Rwanda’s park, two hours by car and on good roads from the capital Kigali, is also the closest to an international airport, so the higher cost of the trekking permit is offset by lower local transportation costs. The Bwindi, by contrast, is ten hours by road from Entebbe, or a two-hour charter flight (Mgahinga Park currently has no habituated gorillas for observation.) The Virungas National Park can be reached by a half-day road trip from Kigali, but you might encounter delays at the border securing a DRC tourist visa. And it is most expensive to see them in Rwanda. About 490 mountain gorillas inhabit the Virunga Massif ecosystem shared by Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, the DRC’s Virunga National Park, and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. Another 300 or so live on a separate mountain in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.The game reserves of Northern Tanzania (or a luxury beach resort in Zanzibar or Kenya) are also just a light aircraft flight away and can make an easy addition to your gorilla trek. Relaxing after that Gorilla ultimate adventure trek
Gorilla trek in the Congo are much in their infancy. We are a trusted tour operator who can arrange tours for you in the congo. However, it is possible to do flights via Kenya, so should
you wish to add on a few days on safari , this can as well be arranged for you as well.

Its on a safer and wise idea to consult with the tour planners on which gorilla destination to visit and track. As they are always versed with the current gorilla groups that will meet beyond your expectations..