Planning the practical part

When to come

You can trek gorillas in any month. What changes is how muddy the walk is and how many other people want a permit.

There is no month without rain in Bwindi. It is a rainforest; that is the arrangement.

Which airport

Entebbe is Uganda's international airport and where most people land. But if you are coming for the gorillas and Kigezi, Kigali in Rwanda is often the cheaper flight and is physically closer to us — the drive from Kigali to Lake Bunyonyi is a fraction of the drive from Entebbe. Crossing at Katuna or Cyanika is straightforward with the right paperwork.

Ask us before you book flights. It is the single decision that most often saves people both money and a day of driving.

Visas

Most visitors need a visa for Uganda and apply online in advance through the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control. If you are combining Uganda with Rwanda or Kenya, the East Africa Tourist Visa covers all three on one application and is usually the better deal — but it must be applied for from the country you enter first, so tell us your route and we will tell you which to get.

Your passport needs at least six months' validity and blank pages.

Health

• Yellow fever vaccination is required and the certificate is checked on arrival. Get it well in advance.
• Malaria prophylaxis — take advice from a travel clinic. The highlands are lower risk than the parks; the parks are not low risk.
• Routine vaccinations up to date, and typhoid and hepatitis A are commonly recommended.
• Do not trek with a cold. Gorillas catch human respiratory infections and die of them. This is not a formality.

We are not medical advisers. Speak to a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you fly.

What it costs

The honest structure of a Uganda safari price is: a large fixed government fee, plus the real cost of lodges and vehicle, plus what the operator charges for the work.

The permit is the big fixed piece — USD 800 per person per trek for foreign non-residents. We pass it through at cost and show you the reference. The rest depends on how long you come for, how many you are, and what standard of lodge you want.

Two people cost more per head than four. The vehicle, the driver and the guide do not halve, so a couple always pays more per person than a group of four sharing two rooms. Any "from" price you see anywhere that does not state its party size is not telling you much.

Money

US dollars are widely accepted for tourism services; bring notes issued in 2009 or later, as older ones are often refused. Shillings are better for anything small and local. Mobile money is normal here and cards are not, so do not plan on tapping.

How booking works

1. Tell us dates, party size and roughly what you want to see.
2. We check permit availability for your dates before anything else, because that is what actually constrains the trip.
3. We send you a costed itinerary — every line, permits shown separately.
4. You confirm; we buy the permits in your names and send you the references.
5. The balance is due before you travel. Details in the booking terms.