Dietary needs on Uganda safari

How we meet your dietary needs on Uganda safari: What you will eat on Uganda safari. 

The biggest issue you will likely have with regard to your diet on a Uganda trip or safari is the fact that you will need to go on a diet after your Uganda tour. The food on our Uganda tours and safaris is plentiful and excellent. Most hotels and lodges that we book are able to accommodate all kinds of dietary needs, be they gluten-free, kosher, low-salt, low-fat, vegetarian or vegan. As long as you make us aware of your dietary restrictions at the time of booking, we make sure that everyone at the accommodation or lodge is aware of your individual needs before you arrive. 

Uganda Safari lodges are often small and intimate, so you can talk to the chef about your dietary needs in person if need be, as well as the camp manager.
If you have food allergies, these can also be accommodated. But if it’s a life-threatening allergy make sure you carry your epi-pen with you at all times, including game drives. You don’t want to miss out on a surprise bush dinner or breakfast! 

 Some dietary requests may require an additional supplement to be paid, but most will be accommodated without incurring extra charges. If you follow a strict kosher diet, and the camp does not have a kosher kitchen, they may need to fly in your food, especially at extra cost. However, there are safari lodges which have kosher kitchens.

Exercise
Going for a morning run to try and lose some of the pounds you have gained while on Uganda safari, is not recommended. In fact, it’s really not allowed unless you can persuade an armed tracker to go along with you! What we recommend is to bring a jump rope or practice an exercise routine that you can follow in the comfort of your accommodation (some accommodations may have yoga mats in the rooms), and stay slim and safe that way. Some of the larger hotels and lodges do have gyms, so if exercising is an important factor for you while on safari, make sure you let us know.

Fresh Fruits, Salads and Veggies
When travelling in Uganda it’s sometimes recommended that you avoid salads, fresh vegetables, and fruits that can’t be peeled but consult your Msafiri tour guide if in doubt. It would be a crime not to eat Uganda’s fruit and veg, as they are grown locally, guaranteed to be organic, and free of pesticides. Most hotels and lodges make sure to wash the fruits and vegetables in clean water, they know your stomach would be sensitive to anything else, and they don’t want guests falling ill. If you stop by a roadside market to purchase fresh fruit, then please do make sure to wash them with safe drinking water before eating!

Is the Water in Uganda Safe to Drink?
The best Ugandan hotels and lodges are often at the forefront of conservation efforts and do their utmost to minimize their environmental footprint. Bottled water can create a huge amount of waste, and recycling facilities are few and far between in Uganda. Your Msafiri tour guide will make sure you have water that is safe to drink in your room, and in the tour van and will let you know what water to avoid if necessary. You can assume whenever the staff pours you a glass of water, rather than hand you a bottle, that it is safe to drink. We suggest you minimize your own plastic waste by bringing a refillable water bottle with you on a Uganda trip or safari and filling it with a safe source at the accommodation.
If you are staying in a city or town, and the tap water is deemed safe to drink – we recommend you stick with bottled water. In this case, there are usually recycling facilities available, and even though you are unlikely to get seriously ill from the Ugandan tap water, your stomach may not be used to the minerals and salts in it. You don’t want an upset stomach while enjoying your holiday.

Don’t Snack in Bed and Keep Sweets to Yourself
Vervet monkeys on safari are awfully cute until they ransack your tent and eat your snacks. Baboons are highly adept at opening tent zips and helping themselves to your chocolate stash. If you need to have snacks on hand for health reasons, ask the kitchen staff or Msafiri tours team to keep them stored in a safe place, or bring a couple of small airtight containers with you.

Please note: Please do not brings sweets and treats for local children while you are on the Uganda safari. Handing out treats will encourage some children to stay away from school in the hopes of a tourist coming by to hand out chocolates or sweets. Dentists are also very expensive and difficult to come by in rural Uganda, so help their parents out by not spoiling the children!
Contact us for more information and to chat about your dietary options while on safari in Uganda.