Updated
The most useful apps for a Uganda safari are WhatsApp, which almost everyone in Uganda uses, from lodges to drivers; an offline map app such as Google Maps with downloaded areas or Maps.me; Uber, Bolt or SafeBoda for getting around Kampala and Entebbe; a currency converter; a weather app such as Yr or Windy; and, for wildlife, Merlin Bird ID or eBird and iNaturalist. Download them and any offline content before you leave home, as mobile data is patchy near the parks. A local SIM card with data makes all of them more useful.
Staying in touch
WhatsApp is the standard way to message and call in Uganda: operators, guides, lodges and many businesses use it, and it works over Wi-Fi or mobile data. Buy a local SIM card from MTN or Airtel at Entebbe airport or in town, registered with your passport, for affordable data; travel eSIMs are an alternative. Coverage is good in towns and along main roads, patchy in remote areas and weak inside the forest. See our guide to SIM cards and mobile data.
Getting around
In Kampala and Entebbe, Uber and Bolt offer cars and motorcycle rides at fixed prices, and SafeBoda is a local app for motorcycle taxis with helmets. For navigation, download offline maps of south-west Uganda in Google Maps, or use Maps.me, which shows many dirt roads and tracks. Your driver-guide will know the way on safari, but offline maps help you follow the route and estimate times. See our guides to boda-bodas and Kampala traffic.
Money
A currency app such as XE helps you check Ugandan shilling prices quickly. Mobile money, mainly MTN MoMo and Airtel Money, is widely used in Uganda, but most visitors find cash and cards easier, as setting up mobile money needs a registered local SIM. Your banking app and card-control features are useful for blocking a card if it is lost. See our guide to currency exchange in Uganda.
Wildlife and weather
Uganda has more than 1,000 bird species, and Merlin Bird ID, with a downloadable East Africa pack, helps identify birds by photo or sound, while eBird lets you keep lists and see what others have recorded. iNaturalist identifies plants, insects and other wildlife from photos. For the forecast, Yr and Windy show hourly rain for places such as Kabale and Kisoro; see our guide to checking the weather for your trek.
Before you go
Save copies of your passport, e-visa approval, yellow fever certificate, gorilla permit and insurance details on your phone and in the cloud, and keep paper copies too. Download offline maps, bird packs and any translation packs; Google Translate supports Luganda, though English is widely spoken. Charge a power bank, as many lodges have limited charging hours, and remember that phones must be on silent near the gorillas.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in Kampala and Entebbe, along with Bolt and the local motorcycle app SafeBoda.
At many lodges and villages, yes, but it is weak or absent inside the forest.
WhatsApp is by far the most common.
Merlin Bird ID with an East Africa pack, and eBird for keeping lists.
