Showing posts with label packing list uganda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label packing list uganda. Show all posts

Friday, June 5, 2015

What to wear and take when trekking to see the gorillas?

What to wear and take when trekking to see the gorillas; what should I wear for gorilla tracking; what is the dress code for gorilla tracking; what should I pack for gorilla tracking; how should I prepare for gorilla tracking/ trekking?

Put on your sturdiest walking shoes, and thick trousers and a long-sleeved top as protection against vicious stinging nettles. It’s often cold when you set out, so start off with a sweatshirt or jersey (which also help protect against nettles). The gorillas are thoroughly used to people, so it makes little difference whether you wear bright or muted colours. rwanda mountain gorillas

Whatever clothes you wear to go tracking are likely to get very dirty as you slip and slither in the mud, so if you have pre-muddied clothes, you might as well wear them. When you are grabbing handloads of thorny vegetation, a pair of old gardening gloves are helpful. If you feel safer with a walking-stick, you will be offered a wooden one at the start of the ascent.

Carry as little as possible, ideally in a waterproof bag of some sort. During the rainy season,a poncho or raincoat might be a worthy addition to your daypack, while sunglasses and a hat are a good idea at any time of the year. You may well feel like a snack during the long hike, and should certainly carry enough drinking water - at least one litre, more to visit the Susa Group. Bottled water is sold in Ruhengeri town. Especially during the rainy season, make sure your camera gear is well protected – if your bag isn’t waterproof, seal your camera gear in a plastic bag.

Binoculars are not necessary to see the gorillas. In theory, birdwatchers want to carry binoculars, though in practice only the dedicated are likely to make use of them – the trek up to the gorillas is normally very directed, and walking up the steep slopes and through the thick vegetation tends to occupy one’s eyes and mind.

If you are carrying much gear and food/water, it is advisable to hire one of the porters who hang about at the car park in the hope of work. This costs Rfr5,000 per porter. Locals have asked us to emphasize that it is not demeaning or exploitative to hire a porter to carry your daypack; on the contrary, tourists who refuse a porter for ‘ethical reasons’ are simply denying income to poor locals and making it harder for them to gain any benefit from tourism.

You may need to show your passport or some other form of identification when you check-in; find out about this from ORTPN beforehand.

Gorilla Safaris

    3 Days Gorilla Tour:
    For many years, we pride at arranging and organizing the best Gorilla experiences, book with us the most interesting and popular safaris in Africa as we turn your dream holiday to reality.

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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

What should I pack on Visit, tour or safari to Uganda?


What should I bring with me on my visit /tour/safari/holiday to Uganda, what essentials should I pack as I plan to visit Uganda?
·         Daypack
·         High SPF sunscreen (Uganda is located on the equator!)
·         Flashlight
·         Insect  repellent.
·         Spare or rechargeable batteries (these are difficult to find once you are in the Parks).
·         Waterproof bags to protect equipment
·         Electric plug adaptors for 240 volts AC 50 HZ. UK style square-pin plugs are used.
·         Some people find contact lens uncomfortable in Uganda because of the dust – you may find it more comfortable to were glasses while on the road.
·         Antiseptic handwash.
·         An International Driving License if you are thinking of hiring a vehicle.
Clothing
·         Good walking boots/ shoes
·         Sandals or other light shoes
·         Waterproof jacket or rain poncho
·         Lighter clothing for Kampala and the savannah, with layers for cooler evenings,
·         Warm clothing for mountainous regions, including thermal layers and a fleece.
·         Sun hat/cap
·         Uganda is a conservative country, and visitors should dress respectfully. Avoid the very short skirts and very short shorts.
Should I Bring any Specialist Equipment?
This depends on your interest – for photography, birding and wildlife enthusiasts we recommend the following:
Binoculars: The better ones start at about $250: you get what you pay for! Waterproof binoculars are great in Uganda as they are also dustproof.
For most travelers stick with 8-10 magnification and 32 objectives which are heavy to carry all day.
Cameras: Choose something you know can handle  - a heavy camera with many settings will be off-putting for some people to use. For good wildlife shots, 8et at least 8x optical zoom. Six to eight megapixel is fine unless you want poster-size photos. Bring a lens cloth to remove dust, several changes of batteries (even if you use rechargeable – not all sites have power points) and take several 1GB memory cards instead of one large one to avoid losing all your photos in case something goes wrong.