Park Rules in Uganda

Our delight is to ensure your safety and enjoyment of Uganda National Parks, thus we provide you the key Uganda national park rules that tourists must consider throughout their Uganda safari trips every day. Uganda has ten national parks, which include Bwindi Forest National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Mountain Rwenzori National Park, Mountain Elgon National Park, and Semuliki National Park. A Uganda safari that spans three to five national parks often provides the finest of Uganda attractions and a fantastic experience to those who choose to uncover the country’s hidden secrets. Please follow the Uganda national park restrictions so that you may enjoy your trip without fear of being fined.

Here are the rules and procedures that govern visits to Uganda’s national parks. These rules help us conserve the national park and its natural riches while also ensuring your safety and enjoyment.

 

General Guidelines for Exploring Uganda’s National Parks

Ugandan camping

Are you planning a Uganda camping safari like other people who find it most convenient and cost-effective to see multiple Uganda sites on camping trips?

Prepare to join many others on various camping grounds, but be sure to camp at official areas offered by the resort, hostel, or national park management. Some Uganda national park areas prohibit campfires except in designated camping sites. Remember to bring your own camping gear, although if you’re willing to invest a few bucks, you may hire them on the ground at several specific camping locations.

 

Be respectful to others between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

In most Ugandan lodgings, both within and outside of the parks, this is considered a time for rest. All national park accommodations are available to everyone, which means that different individuals spend nights in different lodgings, each with their own set of interests, tastes, and preferences. While at any lodge, please respect others’ privacy, comfort, and relaxation by turning off the music and other noise-making devices at 10:00 p.m., as many will be ready to rest and prepare for the next day’s tour experiences or travel to their next destination.

 

Maintain a Clean Environment

Avoid littering in the national park during any tour activity during your Uganda safari. It is preferable to keep rubbish and dispose of it properly at your place of living. The most harmful are cigarette ends and matches, which can cause damage to the park if used during the dry season when the grass is dry enough to catch fire. Always load your trash in your car and wait for the appropriate time to drop it in trash cans.

 

Driving in Uganda and in National Parks

This may appear insignificant to visitors who book tailor-made Uganda safaris and are driven by professional private driver guides who are familiar with all of the park driving laws and regulations, but it is critical to those who go on self-drive Uganda safaris. They know where to travel to see the most desirable animals, which is prevalent on morning or evening game excursions. Those on self-drive Uganda safaris, on the other hand, must follow all park driving restrictions to avoid getting lost and receiving penalties. I would advocate driving your automobile in any Uganda wildlife national park under the supervision of a park ranger who is knowledgeable in driving in the park as well as identifying where the area’s best animals may be. Furthermore, while driving on major highways, keep your speed under 40 kilometers per hour. Remember that pets and fireworks are two of the most prohibited objects in any Uganda national park. Bring none of the aforementioned to any Ugandan national park since they are not permitted. This may disrupt the smooth operation of your tour throughout Uganda.

 

Gorilla Park Regulations

Bwindi National Park in Uganda is said to be home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas. There are around 800 mountain gorillas in the globe, with 400 located in Bwindi and the remainder in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park (DRC).

Every day, gorilla trekking is conducted in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga national parks. In Rwanda, gorilla trekking is available all year in Volcanoes National Park, but in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, gorilla tracking is available in Virunga National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest contains four Gorilla trekking trails: Nkuringo, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo, indicating that Uganda has the largest Gorilla trekking center.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has fourteen habituated gorilla groups, Rwanda has ten, and it is considered that gorilla trekking is the most popular tourist activity in all three countries:

The followings are the laws and regulations that regulate gorilla excursions in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, much like any other organized institution:

• Gorilla trekking begins with a briefing by park rangers. Briefing begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 8:00 a.m., lasting 30 minutes.
• A gorilla family may only be trekked by a maximum of eight persons.
• Visitors with contagious ailments such as cough, tuberculosis, and so forth are not permitted to meet gorillas, and if such a visitor is detected, rangers may schedule a refund or postpone the journey for the afflicted individual. There is concern that infectious diseases might be passed on to gorillas.
• Children under the age of 14 are not permitted to hike gorillas. There is a risk that they would cause panic in the presence of gorillas, which will irritate the gorillas.
• Avoid littering plastic materials in the park by putting all trash in bags and depositing them in the trash cans.
• Do not get any closer to the gorillas; leave at least 7 meters between the trekker and the gorillas. If gorillas approach you, please stretch behind you to maintain 7 meters.
• If Gorillas become agitated, kindly bow down to minimize the height- Gorillas despise challenges, and remaining upright implies that you have gone to fight Gorillas.
• Staying with gorillas is limited to one hour.
• Avoid defecating in the bushes when trekking gorillas; instead, ask the ranger guides to make a hole for you to relieve yourself.
• Flashing cameras are not permitted on gorilla treks.
• When visiting gorilla populations, try not to make too much noise.
• Trekkers are urged to stay close together while in the presence of gorillas; if you scatter, the gorillas would believe you have come to attack them.