Sustainable Tourism, Respectful, Thoughtful, And Culturally Engaging Experiences!

Over the years, thousands of young people, families, and people from all walks of life have traveled to Uganda with Deks Safaris & Tours Africa. They were welcomed with open arms by the partner communities in Uganda with whom we have been working for years, who shared their lives and their hearts. This has provided travelers with an unprecedented understanding of Uganda and its culture, as well as the daily challenges and joys experienced by local communities. They worked with them to build classrooms, plant trees, and provide clean water systems. And along the way, they expanded their vision of Africa and became part of a transformative story. Our goal is to promote Sustainable Tourism in Uganda.

Our Sustainable Uganda Tourism & Travel Policy

Our Sustainable Uganda Tourism & Travel Policy is about the attitudes we and our customers show and the choices we make when traveling for the benefit of the local people in Uganda and their culture. All of our tours through Uganda are not only saturated and interesting, but they also offer benefits for the environment and local communities.

We strive to preserve the uniqueness of vulnerable remote places and small communities in Uganda and minimize the negative impact of tourism on local natural and cultural environments.

We want to give our tourists the chance to explore and experience Uganda, its culture, nature, and breathtaking landscapes, not only in an exciting way but also safely and responsibly. We create travel experiences for our clients that ensure local communities benefit from Sustainable Tourism in Uganda.

Environmentally Sustainable Tourism

• To ensure Sustainable Tourism in Uganda, our trips are made taking into account the following environmental principles:
• Avoid renting a car, if possible, using a variety of local transport options, such as local buses and forms of public transport where appropriate, maximizing contact with the local population
• Inspect and repair our vehicles to ensure they are operating at maximum efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring the safety and comfort of our customers.
• Reduce waste and pollution by minimizing the use of plastic bags, plates, bottles, etc.
• Prefer small hotels and guesthouses in Uganda that use energy from renewable sources (solar energy)
• Customers are informed on how to minimize the overall impact of tourists on the country they go to, such as saving electricity, avoiding buying animal products, etc.
• Recycle, repair and reuse as much as possible on tours and at our administrative offices;
• Reduce the waste of water and electricity. Tourism can put pressure on local resources, services, and supplies, which in turn can reduce supplies to local people. We inform customers about local issues such as hot water availability, water shortage in a specific area, local installation style, and limitations.
• Policies to minimize the impact of human presence to conserve and protect (to eliminate all waste) sensitive ecosystems, wildlife, and natural habitats; Many of our tours include opportunities to view native wildlife on game drives in Uganda’s national parks. While these outings can benefit both the animals and the local people who live off them, they must meet strict animal welfare standards to ensure the animals are not exploited.

Economic Sustainable Tourism

• We employ local citizens to manage our operations.
• We support local tourism in the regions where it exists in Uganda, such as rural tourism or historical travel.
• We encourage our customers to purchase locally produced products. We also recommend purchasing handicrafts and other gifts from local shops, which serve as great monuments.
• We ensure that local economies benefit from our business by using locally owned accommodation, employing local Ugandan people as specialist guides, partnering with local operators and suppliers, purchasing food from local shops, and eating and drinking at local bars and restaurants. In doing so, we not only invest in local communities but also provide our travelers with a real insight into a country and its people.

Social Sustainability

We work with locally owned, managed, and staffed ground agents and try to stay in Ugandan locally owned hotels and lodges where possible. Ground agents pay employees a fair wage and provide regular training to support their future development. This way, all salaries paid to our partnership employees stay in their community and are spent by them as they see fit.

Our goal is to create authentic experiences on our travels, so that guests in Uganda and other countries we travel to can learn about the communities and cultures they visit, for the benefit of locals and visitors alike.

We encourage all visitors to respect local customs and religions: through positive interaction with local communities, this not only creates mutual respect between cultures but also contributes to an enriching experience for visitors and locals.

Guidelines For Handling Wildlife, Whether in National Parks or Reserves

Traveling to national parks and wildlife areas in Uganda can bring positive economic benefits, as entry fees contribute to the conservation and conservation of local flora and animal species, while visitors benefit from the educational aspects of the region and bring about increased awareness of the need for and space for conservation.

• Stay on paved roads and trails, obey speed limits, and do not drive the truck off-road except in an emergency.
• Avoid damaging local flora and fauna – regeneration can take years.
• Follow the advice of local guides on proper behavior.
• Maintain a legal distance from the animals as instructed by your local guide, especially during gorilla tracking tours.
• Not feeding animals s can make animals sick, overweight, and stressed.
• Do not touch animals – this can transmit diseases to animals and at the same time put you at risk of transmission.
• Approach animals calmly, carefully, and slowly so as not to upset them, but avoid approaching the nesting or breeding sites as this can cause stress for both parents and young.
• Consider purchasing a camera with a long-range lens so you can take spontaneous photos of the pet’s natural behavior.
• Turn off the flash when taking pictures and avoid shining light directly on animals or their eyes at night.
• Do not support attractions that use animals as for-profit entertainment.
• Avoid animal parts such as teeth or whole specimens such as butterflies
• Avoid wild game or game meat on restaurant menus, even if it sounds adventurous.
• Guidelines for visiting historical sites:
• Many of our Uganda tours include the opportunity to visit ancient sites, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, where our entrance tickets contribute to the maintenance and restoration of these unique places.
• Respect the signs
• Take photos only and don’t leave trash or graffiti, even if others have done so.
• Try not to take any stones or stones or other souvenirs from the place home.
• Do not purchase such items from vendors as this may encourage the continued destruction of local areas of interest.

We believe developing Sustainable tourism business practices is a process, not a step. So, we welcome any comments that may help us become more established in this regard. We are constantly refining our policy and if you have any questions, comments, or more information about our Sustainable Tourism policy in Uganda, please contact us.