A question often asked: Is Uganda safe to visit in 2023?
Tourists and Travelers want to know: Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda?
Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda? Is Uganda a safe country to Visit for Tourists?
Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda-is Uganda safe to visit in 2023? l; Uganda is one of Africa’s safest, most welcoming, and friendliest countries.
Is Uganda Safe to Visit in 2023? The answer is A resounding “yes,” Uganda is most likely safer for tourists than a country, especially if you are on a Safari.
Visitors visiting Uganda will not experience what tourists have experienced in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, or Portland.
You can readily find the US State Department advising Americans not to visit Uganda; I am an American living in Uganda and feel and have been perfectly safe and secure in Uganda since 1992.
Aldous Huxley said it best when traveling to a new country. “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about Other countries.”
When we say goodbye to our clients at the airport, we often hear, “Uganda is so different from what I imagined. I cannot wait to return for another safari.”
Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda-is Uganda safe to visit in 2023? Uganda is one of the safest safari destinations in East Africa.
Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda-is Uganda safe to visit in 2023?
In 2023 Uganda is not dangerous for travelers and will be a safe country. The exception would remember the LGBTQI+ plus community, about which we will write more on this page.
The Safest Place to be in Uganda is on a Safari in Uganda:
Security has been increased for Tourists. At Parks and the border, drones are used. Security Presence such as Ranger, Ugandan Military, Police, and Tourism Police is beefed up. We have taken steps, most of which we always followed, with a few new ones added to make Tourists on Safari safer.
Suppose you are coming on business or as a volunteer conventioneer. In that case, you will find no problem besides what travelers can find in many cities worldwide, such as pickpockets’ conmen. Those things are easy to deal using by using common sense.
We suggest you read our popular page about what to avoid in Uganda.
Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda? Steps you can take to stay Save visiting Uganda!!!
Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda? Here are steps you can take to stay safe visiting Uganda. They are time-proven steps that will work even in your country as you visit troubled cities such as NYC, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Portland, or Seattle.
1. Common Sense:
Most of all, use your head-keep aware and watch each other. Most of all, I think – Would I do this at Home? If you do not do it, there-don’t do it in Uganda.
Keep your guard up when on your own, along with common sense. 99% of visitors love their time in Uganda, and common sense is all that is required.
Your basic instincts will keep you safe and sound in Uganda; common sense can be your guide.
If you are on your own, stay aware of your surroundings. We find that you are safest when you keep a low profile. Do not flash around money; do not attract all the attention to you.
Enjoy your time in the Pearl of Africa.
Common Sense – Do not Leave Home without it.
2. Avoid a Self-Drive Safari in Uganda:
Forget driving yourself in Uganda. The Four Tops had a hit in the 60’s – Only the Strong Survive – that applies to self-driving in Uganda. If you want to rent a vehicle in Uganda and drive across this country…my advice – forget it – is that Uganda has the second-highest accident rate in Africa.
Yes, Uganda has International Traffic Laws; the problem is that not everyone follows them. If you have an accident, you have all the cultural issues and what you should do under such circumstances.
Driving for many is a joy and a pleasure, and it can be a nightmare for visitors in Uganda, and there are just too many local variants.
There are many reasons why a self-drive safari borders on insanity in Uganda. However, increasingly we are advertising vehicle rentals, leaving the driving to a tour company with an experience like us. Read more here about self-drive.
3. Use an accredited Tour Operator for your time in Uganda:
The safest place in Uganda is on a safari that takes in the country’s safe national parks, wildlife reserves, and other tourist destinations. When you use an accredited tour operator member of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators, you visit Uganda with a local taking you around the country.
Your Ugandan Driver-Guide does not need a GPS device; they know Uganda. Your Safety and well-being are on everyone’s mind, and everything to make your visit memorable.
If you are looking for a Ugandan Tour Operator with your Safety in mind, consider Kabiza Wilderness Safaris. We have offered Hakuna Matata No-Worries Safaris since 2008 Uganda. With us, Safe Safaris are the Norm and not the exception.
4. Follow the Park Rules and the Instructions of the Ranger leading you:
If you want to stay safe visiting Uganda, follow the park rules. On hikes, climbs, boat safaris, and gorilla or chimpanzee treks, follow the instruction of the Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger.
Your Driver Guide knows what is best to keep you safe and secure. We take more extraordinary precautions here than you would get visiting many National Parks in other countries.
If you are going white water rafting, you must follow the instructions. Mishaps are a rarity, and I have not read of an accident on a white-water rafting incident.
Most problems occur for those who visit Uganda without a guide. Recently three Saudis drove through Murchison Falls Park without a driver-guide on a self-drive, and one of the men got out of the car and was trampled to death by an elephant. Read more about Rangers here.
5. Stay in safe and secure Lodges and Hotels:
Stay in safe and secure lodges and hotels while visiting Uganda. Midrange and Luxury Lodges, such as those we use for our safaris in Uganda. Motels and Hotels with 24/7 security on the premises.
Security for Lodges consists of earned guards or other security personnel.
You do not read about security breaches at lodges in the Ugandan press. Budget Hotels may not have adequate security in place. Midrange and luxury lodges will spend the extra money that security costs for their guests.
Security at Lodges and Hotels exceeds the security level you find in the West.
6. Do not wander off from Lodges within National Parks:
For your Safety, do not wander off from your lodge without an armed guide or Ranger. You are in the African wilderness, where animals roam that could harm you.
A few years ago, a Dutch tourist wandered off from her camp, never to be found again, even though extensive searches were conducted for weeks.
Walking on your own, away from a lodge, can be dangerous. You are now near lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, and much more. Go with an armed Ranger.
7. Keep Passports and Return Tickets Safe:
Do not carry a passport while away from your Hotel or lodge. Put your valuables, including access, into the Hotel Lodge safe in your room or at the front desk. Valuables at the front desk are safe and should be placed in a sealed envelope.
Please make a copy of your passport, including the Visa. Take it with you on activities away from your Lodge or Hotel. Y
You will need personal identification for activities such as Gorilla Trekking. There is used to verify that you are the person named on the permit.
The issue is not that people will rob you of documents though that can happen. You want to protect your documents from any loss, including theft, misplacement, etc.
Vital Documents to protect include any prescriptions from your doctor, credit cards, and more. Keep your Documents safe and secure.
8, Do not flash your Cash:
It is best to carry your money in the front pocket to put your hand over it, not a back pocket that can easily be stolen.
Do not wear the various belted packs for money and valuables worn outside your garments. The belt can easily be cut, and the bag stolen.
Do not flash your Cash. Pull out what you need and pay. Never carry substantial amounts with you. Keep Cash and any other valuables in your Hotel safe. Flashing money makes you a target in cities and towns.
Be cautious at ATMs where you have people around you besides Security Staff from the Bank. If someone volunteers to help you, decline the offer.
Rember to Keep your Money out of Sight. Do not count money in the car while stuck in a traffic jam in Kampala, especially if your windows are down.
9. Keep your Jewelry at Home:
Take inexpensive Jewelry with you (you can buy some lovely items here in Uganda at a low price). Gold chains and Jewelry can be torn from you, such as earrings, causing injury.
Watches while walking on the Streets in Kampala can also be easily stolen. Use a leather band that you can secure for your look.
Avoid expensive watches, and if you are wearing one, have one preferably with a leather strap that can be tightened and safely worn.
Buy some local Ugandan-crafted jewelry and support a local artisan and their families. You will safely keep your expensive items at Home. At the same time, make a difference in Uganda by purchasing local hand-crafted items.
If you are on Safari with us, this is another caution you do not have to worry about. Still, for added Safety, we recommend keeping expensive Jewelry at Home.
10. Protect Photographic Equipment from Thieves:
Cameras are expensive here, about twice what they would cost you in your country of origin. It is a valuable object and becomes a temptation for someone to steal it.
Please keep it in a bag strapped to you. When taking a picture, hold it with both hands and roll the strap around your hand so no one can take it from you.
Never loosely put a camera on the shoulder on a strap. The same with binoculars if you take them into town. Keeping them safe is always the rule of the day – that is better than being sorry later.
On a Safari itself, like Gorilla Trekking, use a waterproof daypack. Remember. Cameras are expensive in Uganda and are a temptation to a street thief, and you will not have such a problem on a safari with a driver-guide.
If you are bringing binoculars, use them only on activities that might be necessary, such as birding, game drives, etc.
111. Protect your Mobile – Cell Phone:
Keep your Mobile Cellphone in your pocket and do not carry it in your hands. If you hold it in your hands, someone may burn your hand with a cigarette, and the result is that you drop the phone, which is taken.
Please do not put it on a table in a restaurant or bar; someone might just come and grab it – Stay safe.
Mobile phones are stolen daily in Uganda – hold on to them tightly. The theft of a mobile phone is one of the most common, and the thief removes the Sim Card and sells it to someone.
Thieves especially seek Smart-Phones, and they will steal them even in a restaurant..never put your mobile phone on a table when going out.
Mobile Phones are necessary for most Travelers to stay in touch with Home.
12. No Nighttime Travel and Walks:
Keep walking at night to a minimum, it is usually safe on a crowded street, but it is best to be with a Ugandan or someone who knows the country and ways.
If you are on Safari with us, you can arrange for your driver-guide to accompany you.
Do not walk alone in most neighborhoods to be on the safe side – what you would do at Home, do here while visiting Uganda.
You do not hear of many cases where Visitors to Uganda are robbed or harmed. Still, it is best to be wise and intelligent to avoid walking at night in a town you do not know.
Driving at night is something that we avoid with our clients except between Entebbe and Kampala for arrival or departure. The reason is drunk drivers and something prevalent in Uganda.
13. Never act lost, even if you are: 
That may sound funny, but when one behaves and looks lost, they make themselves vulnerable and a potential target for thieves. If you are lost, ask a police officer, or go into a shop and ask for directions. And you will find people most helpful.t
If you are on Safari with us, your driver-guide will ensure you are not lost and bring you safely back to the Hotel.
Thieves always look for people who seem lost and disoriented. Even if you are lost, act as if you know where you are going – ask the right people, and you will be fine.
Thievery is common in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja, and other towns and cities. Carry minimal belongings with you and keep them back at the Hotel. You do not want to make yourself a target.
If you are lost, take a taxi, for-hire, or even a Boda-Boda motorcycle back to your Hotel. Just do not act lost, even if you are.
14. A Safe night out on the Town in Uganda:
Going out is usually safe in Kampala, and we suggest you go with a local to stay safe. If you are on Safari with us, your driver-guide can show you the city that never sleeps in Africa, Kampala.
But keep your drink close to you and watch that no one puts something in it.
There have been incidents where people have been robbed after being drugged. It takes place in bars or hotels.; these are isolated incidents.
Experience the Kampala night in the city that never sleeps with a Ugandan. Much safer, and they will know how to respond to various situations.
Do not purchase Ganja – Marijuana, Mira, an amphetamine chewed, nor imported drugs such as heroin, crack cocaine, and the like – you ask for trouble. Read more about Kampala Nightlife – Safety – Security.
15. How to avoid Getting Kidnapped on Safari:
The chances of you being kidnapped are one in a million. Uganda is on the US State Department List of Countries where kidnappings occur, and it is also listed as a country on the “B List,” meaning exercising caution. Kenya and Ethiopia are also on the list. In both countries, hijacking and kidnapping by terrorists are more common.
Criminals, not terrorists, kidnapping an American Woman and her driver. They are awaiting trial.
Avoiding being kidnapped must do in part with attitude, blending in, not publishing on Social Media, your travel Itinerary, and more.
New Safety Measures: No game drives without security are recommended by the Uganda Wildlife Authority but not required. With us on Safari, it is mandatory. Read more here.
16. Are GBTQI+ Travelers Safe visiting Uganda:
Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda-is Uganda safe to visit in 2023?
In April of 2023, it is not recommended for LGBHTQI+ Travelers to visit Uganda. Uganda has just passed the anti-homosexuality bill in Parliament and sent it to President Museveni to act on it.
Regarding the LGBTQI+ issue, Africa and the West are oceans apart. There is a strong feeling that the West is attempting to convert Africans to the present mindset in the West.
Until the Ministry of Tourism states the Safety of the LGBTQI+ Traveler.
Read more here.
Is it Dangerous to Travel to Uganda-is Uganda safe to visit in 2023?
Safe Safaris are the Norm and not the exception:
Tourists in Uganda who are on Safari and not traveling alone are safe. Tour companies do everything within their power based on experience to keep Safari participants safe.
A safari tour of Uganda is your best and safest way to enjoy the country. Kabiza Wilderness Safaris specializes in reliable, Hakuna Matata – Worry-Free safaris.
With an accredited tour operator, Safaris in Uganda has proven to be a safe and sane travel experience.
The safest place in Uganda is on a Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari. On wildlife game drives, gorilla and chimpanzee treks, hikes, and boat rides, you are with experienced, highly trained, and armed Uganda Wildlife Authority Rangers.
If something happens in Kampala or another city in Uganda, it does not affect the Safari Goer.
Uganda Tourism Police and other security measures for Visitors:
Visitors and Tourists to Uganda are respected and seen as a source of income for the country, and every effort is taken to protect them. Not only is there the Police Army, but also the Tourism Police monitors regular tourist spots.
On top of that, you have the Uganda Wildlife Authority Rangers in Game Parks and Wildlife Reserves. Both Ugandans and visitors very much respect them. They are also armed, and one of their tasks is to protect visitors.
On Gorilla and Chimpanzee treks, there are even armed escorts who take protecting you seriously.
The Tourism Police Officers are found in central parks all over Uganda. The Number of Tourism Police Officers has increased in recent times. Additionally, the Tourism Police act when a fake tour operator has conned a tourist. Read more here.
Uganda is one of the safest places to visit in all of Africa.
Am I Safe and Secure Visiting Uganda? As an American living here, I feel very secure. Still, like anywhere else, it is best to take some precautions – and we assist you with that.
The safest way to visit Uganda is by taking a safari with a reputable company such as Kabiza Wilderness Safari. Enjoy Staying Safe and Secure in Uganda. Follow some simple advice, and you will be fine.
Uganda is maybe just a bit safer than the country you come from. We have had no terrorist attacks or drive-by shootings – one cannot stress enough – follow the simple advice given here…
Check here for the latest Safety and Security Status in Uganda- we post the Good – Ugly, and Bad news regarding Uganda. Find out the latest on Facebook.
Reality: Uganda is most likely safer and more secure than your country of origin.
Lastly, consider exploring Uganda with Kabiza Wilderness Safaris, which has been creating Safaris for over a decade since 2008.
