Planning your safari to Uganda, Rwanda, and the rest of East Africa requires good research of the best tour operators in the region so as to plan the perfect safari holiday. While travel presents visitors with a remarkable opportunity to explore or discover new places, getting there requires ultimate preparation. You wouldn’t want to ruin your experience first time or even if it is your second time to visit the destination. Not to bump into the destination unaware, we have put together the list of safety and travel tips;
Carryout adequate research
First things first- you must dig deep into the destination to ascertain about prior to actual date of your visit. You can learn about the destination by consulting the locals or read through the past travelers’ reviews. You can also go through the state department’s website for updates or enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
You can also call in an emergency as one significant travel security precaution. Reach out to the nearby embassy/consulate, police station or any local emergency departments to get contact details.
Protect your essentials at the hotel room or while in the car
Security measures must be taken keen attention whether you are at your hotel or shopping. Your hotel room must be safely locked if you aren’t around and so are the car doors or windows while you are out shopping or having some bite somewhere in the restaurant.
Be aware of your surrounding at all times
Always be keen on your surrounding especially your personal belongings. When interacting with people around, be keen enough and make the best use of your judgment. Cases of robbery take place regardless of the destination.
Secure travel insurance
Travel insurance plays a significant part when it comes holidays. It protects you from a number of factors including cases where the trip is cancelled or it is cut short due to unavoidable factors; delayed departures or missed transport, medication plus other emergencies.
Carry new US Dollar bills
Whether you intend to travel to Uganda or Rwanda for a holiday, US Dollar is commonly used. Most transactions are done using dollars and even visas. It is a good thing to ensure that you have new dollars with big bills to attract higher exchange rate. Once you have arrived into the country, it is important to have your foreign currency exchanged to local currency to ease your transactions in the local markets.
Pack well
Do not forget to carry essentials for your road trip to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, Rwanda or any destination of your choice in East Africa. Some of the essentials you require on your packing list include waterproof hiking boots, daypack, long sleeved safari shirt, trousers, first aid kit, anti-malaria tablets, torch, wipes, power bank, headlamp, and more.
Do not try to attract attention of people
Anything that you feel can attract the attention of others should be kept off from people’s presence. Your jewelries and other luxury items must be well-kept and secure from the reach of robbers.
Dress respectfully
Your dress code shouldn’t demean the local cultures and when choosing the entire, be mindful of the society’s norms. People’s cultures should be respected at all times not only during direct interaction but dress code.
Have copies of essential documents
Get copies of essentials like passports, your driver’s license plus other relevant travel documents. You can have soft copies and also hard copies –this is to avoid you scrambling finding them when in need.
Don’t forget to keep in touch with family back home or friends
Regardless of the destination, ensure that your family or friends back home are aware of your location. Keep in touch with them at all time as one way to keep them up-to-date with your journey. You can also share a copy of your travel plan with them such that they know where you are going to spend your holiday.
Photography regulation
Do not start taking pictures of places or people without their knowledge. Some places like barracks and others aren’t allowed for someone to take pictures from. Inquire from your local tour leader which areas aren’t permitted to photography such that you don’t fall in the hands of police.
Connect to Wi-Fi with protection
While there could be access to internet in public places, security wise, it may not be viable. This is why you must keep safe your phone or garget from some public internet connection.
When to get there
The best time to visit destinations like Rwanda and Uganda for gorilla trekking is from June to September or December to February. These are the best dry months of the year with favorable weather conditions. If you are interested in Tanzania or Kenya Great Migration, then consider traveling around July to October –the peak months for you to witness millions of wildebeest cross to Mara Reserve in search of pasture.
Getting around
The easiest and safest way to getting around African destinations is by dealing with a local tour operator. You can hire a car with the tour operator and also an experienced guide/safari leader.
