While a Uganda safari might be a dream come true for most travellers, even dreams cost money in most cases. So, if you are preparing to travel to Uganda, you will have to prepare in advance for all the expenses, from food to living expenses and, of course, shopping.
Keeping that in mind, we have put together a list of things you should know before travelling to Uganda so you can prepare better for your trip:
The Ugandan currency
Ugandan shilling is the official currency of the country. It is better if you look up the exchange rates for the respective currencies before you go about planning for the trip.
You can exchange most major currencies, including the Euro, Pound and the South African Rand, locally. If you have some idea about how much it is going to cost to travel here, you can also do the exchange before leaving for the trip itself. But if you did not get a chance to do so or have run out of money, there are a lot of exchange facilities and ATMs in almost every big city that will have you covered. Just make sure you get smaller denomination notes as well as the bigger ones because sometimes local stores will have trouble giving you change for bigger notes. For small purchases and tips, smaller bank notes come in very handy.
Safari
If you are going for any kind of safari or gorilla trekking here in Uganda, remember that it will cost you around six hundred dollars or more to do so.
Different parks and tour operators will charge you differently for the safaris and treks so research and book accordingly. A lot of the places will give you a discount if you are travelling with other people. You can save a lot of money if you avoid the peak travelling seasons too because the places offer special discounts during that time.
Costs of living in Uganda
Living in Uganda is not very costly, though. If you can make do with a dorm room, you can easily find one at under 10 dollars per night. There are also budget hotel rooms available that cost anywhere between thirty to forty dollars a night.
How much does food cost?
Street food is quite cheap here and it will often cost you less than a dollar to eat them. But make sure you buy from a place that is clean and uses boiled water instead of just any roadside stall. Meals at most restaurants will cost you anywhere between five to ten dollars, depending on where you go and what you choose to eat.
If you are going drinking, know that it is cheaper to buy from a supermarket than at a bar. But bars are pretty cheap too, with a pint of beer costing two dollars or less.
Local travel costs
When travelling in and around the city, you might want to take the local minibuses instead of taxis, at least if you want to save some money. A minibus ride will usually cost you around fifty cents while taxis can cost almost ten dollars.