When traveling to Uganda preparation is key. It would be a crying shame to travel all the way to Africa and realize that the preparations for the trip were inadequate. Here are five essentials that you will not want to be without when traveling to Uganda.
- A good backpack
Unless the planned trip to Uganda is going to be spent in Kampala in the finest hotels, a good quality backpack is an absolute must. It would be a shame to buy a sub par backpack and have it break once in the country. Unless the strap or zipper breaks while still in Kampala, chances of finding any sort of descent bag could take the better part of the day if one can even be found.
Also, Find it easier to keep track of the bag when it is on your back. When in Uganda, it never hurts to be sure you have an eye, or a shoulder on your bags at all times. Backpacks fit nicely between the legs on buses and Taxi vans rather than having to strap precious cargo to the top. If you are traveling during the rainy season be sure to buy a rain sleeve for your backpack!!
- Steri Pen
80% of diseases in third world countries come from dirty water. Bottled water is usually easy to find in the markets or supermarkets (depending on where you are). However, this is Africa, sometimes one can find themselves in a situation where bottled water is not accessible. Don’t get in a situation where you are up the creek without a paddle. The Steri Pen has worked wonderfully for many people on African safaris. Better safe than sorry on this one. The Steri Pen Ultra is easy to use and can be carved from a USB cable to wall outlet.
- Good Footwear
Ugandans walk everywhere. Depending on your trip itinerary you may be doing a lot of walking anyway. Buy a pair of heavy hiking boots and a pair of sandals. Sandals are so much lighter which can save your feet if you are doing a considerable amount of walking in the heat. Not just any sandals will do. They need to be pretty tough to last even a few weeks.
- Head lamp
Electricity at night is hit or miss. Even in a hotel the power can go out unexpectedly. A lot of the nicer hotels will have a generator. However, it can be anywhere from five to thirty minutes before they get the power back on. Not to mention that there are not to many street lights here. If one will be out past dark then a good headlamp is a must have. If you are traveling across the world, it is always a good idea to invest in a descent headlamp. A headlamp that will work well for a trip to Uganda should be in the $40-$60 range.
- A Good Rain Jacket
If your travels find you in Uganda between mid-marches to early-June then you cannot go without a good quality rain jacket. You will want to bring the jacket with you everywhere you go. The rain comes at different time’severyday and sometimes the onset is very sudden. You will want a waterproof jacket as compared to a water resistant jacket.