Uganda travel advice I ignored
Hunting for practical Uganda travel advice? Do as I say (not as I do)
We all make mistakes, here are some of mine. This is a list of some of the advice I was given – and ignored. No doubt this list will grow as quickly as the list of good travel advice does!
Note to mum: you don’t need to read this. Switch off the computer and go and make yourself a nice cup of tea…
“DON’T swim in Lake Victoria or you’ll catch Bilharzia” they warned
There are hundreds of lakes scattered across Uganda. The good news is you can swim in most of them.
Adventurous or reckless – who’s to judge? – I’ve swum in Lake Victoria and the Nile many times.
If you’re planning to go white water rafting, kayaking or canoeing in Jinja, don’t worry, the river is mostly fast flowing so there’s little chance that you will catch Bilharzia (although it’s not impossible). Bilharzia can be horrible.
Read the Diary of a Muzungu’s suggestions on How to avoid Bilharzia.
“DON’T swim in the River Nile” I was told
Where not to swim in the River Nile advises you on how to avoid other dangers … some of them four-legged!
“DON’T forget to take your anti-Malarials” said all my well-meaning friends
Malaria can be fatal. However, very few Ugandans or expats take anti-Malarials. Read some of the precautions we take in How to Avoid Malaria.
When I was a Voluntary Service Overseas volunteer, I was given a whole list of vaccinations (15 injections in total!) and a free supply of anti-Malarials, in the belief it was cheaper to medicate me than to repatriate me.
“DON’T use a boda boda!” Said oh so many people
Riding a boda boda (motorbike taxi) is all part of the Ugandan experience, but play it safe and minimise the risks. Here’s the Muzungu’s guide on How to ride a boda boda.
“DON’T forget your sunscreen,” said my aunt
What I have lost in expat friends leaving Uganda, I have gained in bucket loads of sunscreen.
When volunteer friends have left Uganda, they’ve left me an assortment of half bottles of cosmetics. I have the full range of sunscreen, factors 5 through to 50, total block, waterproof, for kids – the lot.
But I like having a few freckles and I don’t hang around outside in the heat of the day.
I only seem to remember sunscreen when I’m going on Safari! But maybe I should rethink that…
“DON’T date a Ugandan!” One of my girlfriends told me
Ugandan men are handsome and can be very charming. They know how to tell women what we want to hear.
I’ve had more marriage proposals in Uganda than in my whole life!
But ladies, proceed with caution. Here are my tips on How to date a Ugandan.
So what are your do’s and don’ts for living and travelling in Uganda?
Do share them here. I’d love to read from you!
How to avoid Bilharzia
You won’t always get Bilharzia if you swim in Lake Victoria and, if you do, it may take weeks, months or even twenty years for you to show symptoms.
Bilharzia (also known as Schistosomiasis or snail fever) can be horrible. You will feel under the weather and nauseous for weeks.
How to avoid Bilharzia. “Swimming is at your own risk” reads the signpost in Munyonyo on Lake Victoria, Uganda
The best advice? Many people would just never swim in Lake Victoria or the River Nile but my tips to avoid Bilharzia are:
- Swim from a boat or pontoon, or at least in an area away from the reed beds where the Bilharzia snail’s larvae hatch. It’s these larvae that get into your bloodstream and make you ill.
- If you crunch on a bed of tiny snail shells as you walk into the Lake, that’s a sure sign Bilharzia’s around.
- After your swim, give yourself a good all-over scrub in the shower. Best to do this within 20 minutes of getting out of the lake.
- My friend Julia says ‘enjoy your swim! And afterwards, give the soles of your feet a good hard scrub!’ Apparently that’s enough to prevent you from getting Bilharzia.
- Don’t just assume you’re ok. Bilharzia can remain dormant for years and, left untreated, can lead to liver damage.
- Buy the Bilharzia tablets from any pharmacy in Kampala. They are very cheap. If you’re just visiting Uganda, I’d recommend buying some and taking them when you get home. You need to take them any time after three months of exposure. Take them one evening before you go to bed. You’ll feel a bit nauseous but wake up right as rain the next morning. Last time I asked, the Praziquantel (Biltricide) tablets cost just 600 Uganda shillings each. You should take one tablet for every 10 kg of body weight.
Alternatively….
Don’t let any of this put you off swimming in Uganda. There are hundreds of lakes scattered across the country. The good news is you can swim in most of them.
How to avoid Bilharzia. It’s safe to swim in Lake Nabugabo. There’s no Bilharzia, no crocodiles and no hippos!
Swimming in Uganda. Sandy Beach at Lake Nabugabo, just outside Masaka, is popular for a weekend away from Kampala.
How to avoid Bilharzia in Uganda. Swim in Lake Bunyonyi. Photo of washing clothes in Lake Bunyonyi
The crater lakes such as Lake Bunyonyi, in the far south west of Uganda, and Lake Kyaninga near Fort Portal are Bilharzia-free as well.
To swim or not to swim? At the end of the day, do what you feel comfortable with.
Have you swum in Lake Victoria? What are your tips for avoiding Bilharzia?
Do you have any other Uganda travel tips or expat travel advice you’d like to share?
Please leave a comment here or check out the Diary of a Muzungu Guest Post page for more information, I’d love to hear from you!
How to avoid Malaria
How to avoid Malaria
When I was a VSO volunteer, I was given a whole list of vaccinations (15 injections in total!) and a free supply of anti-Malarials, in the belief it was cheaper to medicate me than to repatriate me! I took the anti-Malarials (Doxycycline) religiously every day for several months…. but then I started to forget.
An expat friend who’s lived in Uganda 12 years advised it might not be a good idea to take anti-Malarials for longer than my two year volunteering stint anyway. When I heard that my British volunteer pharmacist friend Cheryl had stopping taking them too, I stopped taking mine. However, I’m not totally silly. I do take other precautions to try and avoid getting Malaria.
Here are the Muzungu’s travel health tips.
How to avoid Malaria. Uganda travel health advice
Travel health tips to avoid Malaria
- Firstly, start by reading my tropical disease diary – a few lessons in how NOT to treat Malaria, learned the painful way by yours truly, so you don’t have to.
- Sleeping under a mosquito net is the best. I love the sanctuary of my net, I feel safe. When you’re in a cold part of the country or at altitude, you may sleep without a net. Equally if you’re in a hotel with air-conditioned rooms, mosquitoes won’t thrive.
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Africa’s most dangerous animal, the mosquito
- Mosquito repellent can be very effective. It’s most needed at dusk. I just smother my feet and ankles with it.
- Make sure you know what the signs of Malaria are and go and have a test straightaway if you show symptoms. Symptoms differ from person to person.
- In my case, Malaria symptoms are: a bad headache for several days (that paracetamol wouldn’t shift); my neck and shoulder muscles seize up and set like concrete; I also have lower back pain; one night I had a fever.
- If you’re travelling outside Kampala, it’s a good idea to take anti-Malarials while you’re away. Buy a test kit and a supply of the prophylaxis so you can self-medicate if needs be. Both are cheap and widely available across Uganda.
- If you’re only in Uganda for a short time, take your anti-Malarials (and follow the instructions carefully). Remember Malaria can be fatal.
- In Uganda, when you feel ill, friends will always suggest you go for a test.
- See a doctor!
- If you get sick back home after your trip however, your doctor may not recognise Malaria symptoms.
- It’s quite common to get a negative test result for Malaria even though you have it. I felt very sick on the eve of travelling to Ethiopia. Although I had a negative test, I believed I had Malaria symptoms. I took the prophylaxis anyway, and lo and behold I felt right as rain. However, some would argue that you should not take the medication unless you really need it, i.e. have a positive result.
- I’ve had Malaria twice. I seem to have been lucky and not been as sick as some other people. At the time of writing, a friend of mine is still in bed after seven days of sickness. Last week she had to have a drip and her temperature was 40°. Another friend was hospitalised and had hallucinations. Malaria can kill, remember.
- Don’t mess with Malaria!
FACT: Did you know the indigenous Neem tree has over 135 medicinal uses? It is a natural repellent to mosquitoes, thus a popular tree to grow in a compound. Putting a small branch of it in your house is an effective mozzie repellent.
Have you had Malaria? Do you have any unusual symptoms?
Do you have any other Uganda travel tips or expat travel advice you’d like to share?
Please leave a comment here or check out the Diary of a Muzungu Guest Post page for more information, I’d love to hear from you!
Advice from Nursie…
VSO training – how to keep safe and keep healthy in a developing country
First day on training course, focusing on health and security, and not sure whether it was nerves or excitement but when I was asked to introduce myself to the group, my mind went blank! I couldn’t remember where I’m going!!
A few interesting things … 98.8% of VSO volunteers don’t have any health problems or accidents but the nurse ran through a list of some of the complaints she’d come across. One of the reasons for ‘Psychological Repatriation’ as they call it was ‘being charged by an elephant’. Well needless to say the whole room howled with laughter… except me!
On another part of the course, we did some ‘Stakeholder Analysis’, drawing a diagram to illustrate the interaction between (in UCF’s case) the donors, the charity, government wildlife authority, Trustees, local people (villagers) and the end users – in this case elephants! Patrick, one of our Fab Three trainers, commented that it was the first time he’d seen elephants as stakeholders!
Little did I know quite how important elephants would become in my new life!
Some gems from Liz the nurse:
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- Recognise the need to be dependent on other people, esp when you first arrive (difficult for a lot of us as VSO volunteers by their nature seem to be pretty independent).
- Wash regularly and keep dry under your boobs…!
- Keep any cuts covered up in areas of high pollution.
- If you’re eating street food, go to the busiest places and ask for it to be cooked for longer (you’re expected to be fussy anyway!)
- Avoid ice or drink the drink quickly before it’s melted! There was debate about whether exposure to a very small amount of bacteria is the same as exposure to a large amount. Apparently you can sometimes get away with a small amount of exposure to a ‘bug’ (tho obviously best avoided if poss).
- If you’re travelling in public transport along bumpy roads, think of others as passenger as bubble wrap (i.e. sit right in the middle of everyone!)
- Spit don’t swallow (when you’re brushing your teeth that is!)
