Uganda is one of the East African countries with variety of endowered natural resources that makes it quite unique from the rest of the East African countries. Given its numerous sources of attractions the country has a big number of tourists who visit the country on the daily. However, there are a number of factors that make Uganda and important for travelers to note before visiting Uganda.
The greatest fears people have about traveling to East Africa is their health and safety. Well, this should not be your reason for not visiting because East Africa is one of the safest places than most American and European cities and this article explains the real Uganda.
Taste the roadside food
In Uganda the food is brought to the market fresh. Ugandans love to prepare and consume their foods .it is cooked and sold quickly. In Uganda when you see a kiosk with many cars and people it’s all the feeling and taste of the road side food which is all delicious.
I highly recommend travelers to try Gonja, sweet bananas, and roasted chicken and roasted beef.
Eat the local food
Visiting Uganda and not tasting their local food is not cool. Ugandans take pride in preparing their local food among these are matooke and chicken common among Buganda, matooke and malewa among the bagisu. This is cut or killed fresh steamed, smoked or boiled for hours then served to family members.
Stay hydrated
Uganda is naturally blessed with good weather. Uganda is sunny most of the year with temperatures rising above 29 degrees. Travelers should know that it’s always hot here and you move quickly and you will be sweaty which will require you to move with your bottle of water to stay hydrated at all times since your body is used to a diet high in sodium and sugar so having water with you would really be helpful.
Sleep under a mosquito net
I understand Uganda is hot, this should not stop you from sleeping under a mosquito net. You should take your meds and use your net properly and you won’t get malaria. However, if it happens that you got malaria. You should not be worried because the cure for malaria is cheap and widely available in Uganda.
Malaria only kills you when you don’t treat it at first sign of fever go for testing at any Lab of any international medical center for treatment.
Be respectful
In African traditional society, respect was in different ways that is to say dressing decently, greeting elders among other forms of respect.
Therefore, when you visit Uganda, it is paramount to treat everyone you meet in a friendly manner and dressing modestly will earn you respect and protection. Greet everyone you with a simple “how are you” which will show that you are engaged. Ugandans are too busy to worry about someone who is not engaged and does not respect local customs.
Ignore all advices from people who have never visited Uganda
In every decision you make in life, never listen to negative people and same applies to traveling. When traveling to Uganda, know you are embarking on the most exciting experience of your life. Well, your friends and family are normally the most out spoken but less informed and perhaps jealousy of your travels. This may discourage you from traveling thus very important to ignore all advices from people who have never visited Uganda. Uganda is a country that speaks for itself.
Be street smart
Lastly, be street smart and remember that Uganda is like any other country. Know that some of the people approaching you are not 100% trustworthy. This means you will have to use your head and don’t ignore the red flags.
Having said that, meet and greet strangers and share a cup of tea because some of your best travel memories will come from swapping stories with new friends.
In summary, traveling to the Pearl of Africa is one of the most exciting experiences you will ever encounter. One of the main objectives of real Uganda is to share the successes and challenges of life in Uganda. As shared in this article are the ways to stay safe and healthy while volunteering and traveling in Uganda.
