With breath-taking natural beauty and year-round warm weather, Uganda is one of Africa’s most beloved travel destinations. The source of the Nile River, home to the continent’s tallest mountain range as well as its biggest freshwater lake, Uganda has a whole lot to offer. OH, and did I mention this wildlife wonderland is home to the Big Five? For me, the love affair began with a gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda and it never ended.

Best Time to Visit

During the dry season of the year, December to February is one of the best times to visit. Once you hit March, you will be in the heart of the soggy wet season, which lasts until May. While you can get some incredible bargains, you need to come ready for serious showers. At last, the clear and blue skies appear again in June and last through August. This is the most popular season for gorilla trekking, so it is a prime time to view epic wildlife. The skies darken a bit throughout all of September and November but it’s still doable travel time if you don’t mind packing an umbrella. Rain is actually the biggest factor in Uganda as the temperature is pretty consistent all year round. You will find temperatures up to the mid-80s Fahrenheit on the warmest days with most days averaging around 78 F degrees. Chilly nights can drop down into the 60s (or even the 50s in the mountains) so be sure to pack a warm jacket.

What to Expect

Language: The two official languages of Uganda are Swahili and English. You’ll find that the vast majority of people speak a high level of English, alongside the 40 native languages of the country which are divided into Bantu, Central Sudanic, and Nilotic groups.

Currency: Ugandan shilling. At the moment, you’ll get around 3700 Ugandan shillings per one US dollar. On the ground, you will also find that most places also take US dollars, as well as euros and British pounds.

Credit Cards: Cash is king here. Make sure you always have plenty of cash on hand. Beware that you’ll get a bad exchange rate at the airport. Exchange what you need to, then withdraw cash at an ATM. Most cities will have ATMs all over the place. However, they can (and do sometimes) run out of cash, so avoid waiting until you’ve got no cash on hand to take out more. You will find hotels and big restaurants accept credit cards (though Visa far more than MasterCard or American Express).

Plugs: Uganda uses the plug type is G, which is the same as you’d find in the UK, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, Malta, Bahrain, and Sri Lanka

Safety: One of Africa’s safest countries, the biggest thing for the average traveller to avoid is drive-by theft. In Kampala and other high traffic areas, you will see thieves drive by on a motorbike and grab bags that are easy targets. Just be aware of your surroundings!