We are planning a trip to Uganda from Canada for 2 1/2 weeks in March with our 5 year old and almost 3 year old. Any suggestions about where we should go/ what we should include? So far we are going to be in Kampala, Murchison and Lake Bunyoni.
We haven't done a big trip like this with them yet though they are seasoned canoe trippers so comfortable in basic accommodations. We're wondering if we need to hire a car and driver or if part of the adventure is the bus (we've always just backpacked before kids). Not sure how much we can push them.
CAR SEATS- a big question. Clearly, not many vehicles will have all the tether straps etc so do we bother?
griffie
1
goldielocks25
That is a big trip to take on with little ones...I lived in Uganda for a year. It was difficult for me!
Transportation is bumpy and uncomfortable, to say the least. I am not sure about renting cars however, it must be possible. The driving there is absolutely chaotic and I would not even want to attempt it if I was given a large sum of money. ( I have lived in other countries where the driving was a little nutso, but Uganda...omg!)
Car Seats...maybe you can get them but I doubt it...
Can you tell me more? What is it that is drawing you to Uganda?
Another thing have your kids had their shots? Yellow fever? will they be taking malaria meds?
Kampla does have some of the best foreign restaurants, thai, indian, italian, chinese, korean, japanese. (all owned by expats that are delicious)
2
strandgut
Hi there, I haven't traveled in Uganda with kids, but was there with my brother last year. We traveled first to Murchison Falls NP then on to Fort Portal, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Bunyoni. We were lucky enough to see lions at both Murchison and Queen Elizabeth, but in any case there are plenty of elephants, giraffes, buffalos, etc to keep the children interested. We found a driver to take us from Murchison Falls (after the Boomu Womens Group village stay; recommended!) through the back roads to Fort Portal. It's a long day in the car, but it saves having to backtrack to Kampala - and I hate backtracking. From Fort Portal you can slowly make your way south.
Lake Bunyoni was a real relaxation at the end of the Uganda trip, although it is a fair distance from Kampala, especially if it's another there and back trip. We headed across the border into DR Congo from Kisoro, but that's not necessarily recommended with kids and in any case now difficult due to the M23 rebels. Another option after Bunyoni would be to cross into Rwanda and finish up there. It's also a beautiful and fascinating place.
Uganda is pretty well set up for basic tourism, so you should be able to get a taxi/driver for the trips you want to make. I would suggest a driver for much of the trip, as you will fill a car as a family in any case, and it gives you the flexibility to stop where and when you like, take you directly to your accommodation, etc. We had our own driver for parts of our trip (arranged on the spot) and also did the minibus thing at various times. The minibuses are a stop/start affair and can get quite packed - at one stage we had seven adults in our row where there were really only seats for three!
As for travelling with children, I have done so elsewhere with our young kids - Iran a few times, Ethiopia with my son when he was four, and Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, etc). We are taking our 9, 6 and 4 year old back to Kyrgyzstan in June for more horse riding in the back country; the wide open spaces there are amazing. My experience is that the children are are pretty adaptable as long as their basic needs are met. A few people on Thorn Tree told me to think again about traveling with a small child to Ethiopia, but we ended up having a great time. I took a booster seat for my son, which proved really worthwhile. We were lucky to have a rear seat-belt for some of the trip, but the other benefit was that he then sat high enough to see out of the car window, making the longer trips much more bearable. The two things he didn't like on that trip were travel on the crowded buses and being surrounded by crowds of interested locals at the markets, etc. Travelling with children can really open doors for discussion and interaction, but it can sometimes become a bit overwhelming for the kids. And, yes, the roads are bumpy at times, but that has always been a point of excitement for our children!
It sounds like you have done this sort of backpacking before, so you know what you are getting yourselves and your children into. So, all the best, I'm sure you will have a great time!
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