Uganda Filming Tours
Are you considering filming tours in Uganda or Uganda filming safaris? You are on the right track. Uganda is a landlocked country located in the eastern part of Africa. The country is neighbored by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania. However small the country is, there are opportunities for filming tours in Uganda are immense. Travelers on the filming tours are required to plan accordingly. During the filming tours, tourists engage in the country’s cultural communities, wildlife, and landscapes of Uganda. Usually, travelers tend to document their travel experience. This is one way of sharing their Uganda safari memories with the world.
In this article, we delve into some of the frequently asked questions about Uganda filming tours. By the time you finish reading, you will have taken tremendous steps towards making your safari dreams come true. Just read on.
What are the requirements for filming tours?
A successful filming tour in Uganda is more than just booking air tickets and flying in. The right packing and knowledge of what is required matters too. Below are some of the essential equipment for a successful Uganda filming safari or tour.
Filming equipment
During the Uganda filming tour, the travelers must have all the filming equipment necessary for the filming. You are required to present the equipment for the filming to the authority for the inspection. During the inspection, you are required to pay some fees to allow you to use the equipment within the country. The equipment includes cameras, camera stands, drones, lighting equipment, and many others.
Visa
Travelers on their filming tours to Uganda are required to have acquired a tourist Visa which lasts for 90 days for single entry into the country. The other way travelers can also apply for the East African Visa for the three states of Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda. During the Visa application, the travelers must present the itinerary for the safari so they can process the Visa.
Work permit
Travelers on the filming tour must acquire a work permit or a press permit from the Uganda Media Council. Each person in the crew is required to have applied for this permit. The process takes about 2 to 3 days and the travelers are required to present a passport-size photo and the passport to get you copy of their document. The permit is valid for 30 days from the date of application.
Communication equipment
Travelers are required to have acquired a local SIM card for proper communication between the members and the authorities. Also, the radio calls are required to be submitted to the communication company to have the local frequency of the area.
Vaccination cards
As you are planning the filming tour, you are required to have acquired the COVID-19 certificate and the yellow fever card. These ensure that you are healthy to be in the country.
Which places are best for filming tours in Uganda?
During Uganda filming tours, several destinations can be filmed by travelers and some of these destinations include;
Filming cultural communities
Uganda is home to several cultural communities. More so, it is one of the safest destinations to visit for the filming of the communities. The people of Uganda are so happy, welcoming and hospitable. During the filming tours the communities that travelers tend to film include; the Entanda community, Buganda kingdom, Empako village, Igongo Cultural Center, and many others. On the other hand, the festivals that are usually filmed include the Kadodi Festival, Empango Festival, and many others.
National Parks (Wildlife)
The country is also home to quite several wildlife which makes filming easy. This filming is done in the different national parks and game reserves. For the filming of the wildlife in these gazette areas, you are supposed to have acquired permission and also paid the permits required for you to be in the park. Wildlife that is usually filmed includes lions, leopards, bird species, primates, elephants, rhinos, and many others. During the filming of the wildlife, you are acquired to have security from the ranger guides.
Filming of the city
This is one of the common activities that are usually done within Kampala city. Kampala is the main capital city of Uganda which is located in the central region. City filming is usually done through visits to different sites. The filmed areas in Kampala include the Kasubi tombs, city malls, Independence Monument, and many other areas around the city.
Filming of the tourism activities
While on a Uganda filming tour, there are several tourism activities that the travelers tend to film the activities they engage in. As they travel to the different destinations in the country the travelers tend to film the activities for each destination visited. Usually, the travelers who document these activities include game drives in the different national parks, birding, nature walks, boat cruises, rhino tracking, and many others. The other activities include gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, and chimpanzee and gorilla habituation which take longer time in the film.
Planning a Uganda filming tour
During the filming tours in Uganda, the travelers are required to contact a reputable tour operator. The operator will then reach out to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. This is the body in charge of the national parks in Uganda. The longer the filming period, the lesser the days, and also the travelers come up with a contract with the Uganda Wild Life Authority. In the contract, you are supposed to pay the park entrance fees for the people and the vans to be used. Also during the filming in the park, you will be given a ranger guide who will guide you through the park. You are also supposed to pay a refundable fee which is refunded after you have submitted a copy of the filmed documentary for review by the authority.
What is the best time for filming tours in Uganda?
The filming tours in Uganda can be done throughout the year depending on the needs of a traveler. The best time to do filming in Uganda is usually in the dry months of the year June to August and December to February. During these months the skies are clearer and vegetation is not much thick. This eases the viewing of the different destinations and offers a good environment for photography. However, this does not mean that one cannot do photography tours in Uganda in the wet seasons. During the wet season, filming can also be done but it is usually affected by the weather conditions. More so, during the wet season, there is less traffic in the different destinations which eases the information collection and it is the best time for budget travelers.
