Africa 2019-21 Brochure

www.somak.co.uk 159 Country Guide Uganda Uganda, ‘the Pearl of Africa’ offers a unique safari experience. Where else would you search for the ‘big 5’, follow a troupe of chimpanzees and track mountain gorillas in just a few days. Add to this over 1,000 bird species, the majestic River Nile, the glorious ‘Mountains of the Moon’ and Lake Victoria, so it’s not surprising that this small country is up at the top of many travellers’ wish list. Flying time: Flights from London to Entebbe, via Nairobi, take approximately 9 hours 30 minutes. Time difference: Three hours ahead of GMT. Currency: Uganda Shilling. Passports: Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months after your date of return and have at least two blank pages. Visas: British passport holders require a visa for Uganda which can be arranged before departure or on arrival. Other passport holders should check with the Ugandan Embassy. Vaccinations: Vaccinations are recommended, please consult your doctor. For the latest information click on the ‘country information’ tab at http://www.somak.com/africa/uganda EAST AFRICA SAFARI GUIDE A safari is an incredible adventure that will introduce you to the wonders of Africa – friendly people, diverse and beautiful landscapes, and if you are lucky, many different animals and birds. However, this is not something that should be undertaken lightly as often the distances covered are vast and journeys may be uncomfortable at times. We offer different types of safari, so please read the following information to enable you to choose the most appropriate one. SHARED SAFARIS BY ROAD – These have fixed itineraries with set departure days. They are shared with a small group of travellers in a Somak 4-wheel drive vehicle in Kenya and Tanzania. All guests are guaranteed a window seat and access to the game viewing hatch. We hold generous allocations of rooms on these set itineraries, so they are easy to book and confirm, although we would strongly recommend that you book early for the peak periods such as during the migration in the Masai Mara and the Serengeti, as these periods are very popular. For all these safaris there is the option to pay for the exclusive use of a safari vehicle. You can also choose to fly from the Masai Mara to Nairobi or Mombasa at the conclusion of your safari. Please see below for further information. We have also showcased a number of suggested itineraries to help you choose your perfect safari. These can operate on any day of the week and can be tweaked to suit your requirements with extra days in any lodge or camp. We therefore do not hold allocations and each element has to be confirmed separately. Some suggested itineraries are detailed within this brochure. Further suggestions can be found on our website www.somak.co.uk If you cannot find your perfect safari in the pages of this brochure or on our website, we can tailor-make a personalised itinerary just for you, to create your dream holiday. This could be an adaptation of one of our classic or suggested itineraries, flying or by road, or a combination of both. You are limited only by practical considerations such as travelling times and flight networks, the availability of your chosen lodges or camps, and your budget. A selection of camps and lodges throughout Kenya and Tanzania can be found on our website www.somak.co.uk A higher deposit may be required at the time of booking for some lodges and camps. YOUR SAFARI VEHICLE ON A SAFARI BY ROAD – Our safari vehicles are driven by expert driver-guides who accompany you throughout your safari. Our shared safaris by road in Kenya use a maximum of six seats, thus guaranteeing you a window seat and access to the game viewing hatch. On a shared safari by road you can book a vehicle and driver-guide for the exclusive use of your party. This affords you greater flexibility with game viewing as you may have favourite animals that you would like to see or particular areas within a game park that you want to visit – although please bear in mind that no sighting of animals in the wild can be guaranteed! The applicable supplements to book an exclusive vehicle on a shared safari by road are available on request. ON THE ROAD – Safaris often cover long distances on rough and uneven roads and may be dusty or muddy. Drives between game parks and lodges are made at a relatively high speed in order to make the journeys as comfortable as possible. Occasionally vehicles may become stuck in mud or even break down, but help is normally available nearby. Safari vehicles are not air- conditioned. On long journeys comfort breaks will be taken, often at curio shops, but the facilities will be basic in nature. Approximate distances and/or travelling times are shown between points on each itinerary. These should be used as a guideline only, as travel may take a lot longer than expected due to poor road conditions or stops to view game. Changes to itineraries, routings and camps or lodges are sometimes unavoidable, e.g. due to rainfall, and it may be necessary to drive greater distances. Local conditions may lead to last minute changes en route. A number of our itineraries include flights or the option to take one or more flights – please see the ‘Flying Safaris’ section below for further information. Please note that at present the road into the Masai Mara is in a very bad condition in places and the final section can be an uncomfortable journey taking a considerable time. On our shared safaris by road we do offer the option to fly out of the Mara at the conclusion of your safari to Nairobi for a supplement of from £170 or to Mombasa for a supplement of from £370 (prices only valid when pre-booked in the UK). Baggage allowance is restricted to 15 kg on light aircraft and should be in soft bags. If flying from the Masai Mara to Mombasa, beach luggage cannot be stored at Somak House in Nairobi, so your luggage would be restricted to 15 kg for your entire holiday. FLYING SAFARIS – Choosing a flying safari offers you complete flexibility, from which day you depart the UK to the combinations of destinations, game parks and lodges and camps you choose. Flying between each destination allows you to cover more ground in a shorter period of time. Flying safaris are fully flexible and the number of days at each location can be increased or decreased, therefore no allocation is held and all services are subject to availability (if any element is not available we will suggest the best alternative). Flights are in light aircraft and the baggage allowance is strictly 15 kg per person and should be in soft bags. Where possible, additional luggage can be left at your hotel or at the Somak Lounge and retrieved after the safari. Depending on your routing, a change of aircraft may be required as well as additional stops to pick up/drop off passengers en route to your final destination. Transfers and game drives will be provided by the lodge or camp in their vehicles and will be shared with other guests. A window seat in safari vehicles is not guaranteed at some lodges and camps, although there is usually the option to pay for exclusive use of a safari vehicle (subject to availability). For total flexibility and exclusivity the internal light aircraft flights can be arranged on an exclusive charter basis for your party at a supplement. A higher deposit may be required at time of booking. GAME DRIVES – A safari promises both excitement and the unexpected – close encounters with wild animals, bumpy roads and helping out when the odds are down. Every day on a Somak Safari is different with amazing experiences, but don’t expect lazy days. Game viewing activities, when taken from your lodge or camp, occur in the early morning (so book an early morning wake-up call!) and late afternoon, and usually last between one and two hours. Some game drives take place whilst driving from one lodge or camp to the next. Please note that game viewing is not an exact science and sightings of particular species cannot be guaranteed. At some lake lodges game drives are not provided, but optional excursions may be purchased locally. Game drives are not included at tree lodges, as they overlook waterholes and salt licks. MEALS ON SAFARI – Guests booked on a shared safari by road are often referred to as a group when travelling in the same vehicle or convoy of vehicles. Lodges and camps prefer to reserve tables in their dining areas to ensure that space is available, but unfortunately it is often not practical to allocate individual tables for every couple or family and so they usually assign tables to guests that are travelling together, even if they have not booked together. ENTEBBE, Uganda – Average Temperature (°C) Average Rainfall (mm) JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 22° 22° 23° 21° 21° 21° 20° 20° 21° 22° 22° 22° 100 80 140 275 260 95 60 78 76 110 140 125