Venture Uganda
As a responsible tour operator, we aim to provide quality safaris, holidays and educational visits to Uganda which surpass client expectations and promote development and conservation in Uganda.
Safaris & holidays
We offer ‘set-itinerary’ and ‘bespoke’ private safaris and a number of scheduled small group safaris, touring Uganda’s national parks and wildlife sites to see lions, leopards, giraffe, zebra, antelope, hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and elephant amongst others. Some of these safaris specialise in gorilla or chimp tracking providing that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.
In addition, we organise specialist birding safaris. Uganda is a world renowned birding destination and has more than 1,000 species - more than half the population of bird species found on the African Continent. Our expert guides lead you through highlands, savannah, wetlands and forests in search of birds such as the Black-collared Barbets, Papyrus Gonolek, Rwenzori Turaco, Shelley’s Crimson Wing, Singing Cisticola, Blue-breasted Bee Eater, Red-chested Fluff Tail, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, African Golden Oriole and many more.
There are a host of other activities available in Uganda including white water rafting, kayaking, horse riding, quad biking, boat trips, nature walks, community visits, swimming, spa visits, and local craft shopping any of which can be included in your itinerary.
All of these activities provide fantastic opportunities for photographers and the chance to interact with local people and gain an insight into a culture which may challenge some of your ideas and assumptions.
Academic services
Venture Uganda also provides professional support to the academic community by organising field courses and study tours and providing logistical support to researchers. Our local knowledge and network of contacts allows us to take you off the beaten track providing access to a range of public and private sector organisations, NGOs and communities thus helping you to meet your teaching and learning objectives and to enhance student satisfaction. It also enables us to provide valuable in-country support to research teams ranging from organising transport and accommodation to securing permits and permissions.
Contact us
E: info@ventureuganda.org / ventureuganda@hotmail.co.uk
T: 256 (0)312 20 20 33 / 256 (0)701 44 08 97
W: www.ventureuganda.org
Skype: Venture Uganda
Plot 19, Off Martyr's Way
Behind Uganda AIDS Commission
Ntinda Road
Ntinda
Kampala
POB 40244
Uganda
256 (0)312 20 20 33
Ethical and Environmental Policy
Summary of Ethical PrinciplesAt Venture Uganda we try hard to be a responsible company. We are not perfect but we are trying and always welcome feedback to help us improve further. In an effort to be ethical, we:
Economic
• Treat our clients in a fair way, offering honest descriptions of our services, explaining clearly what is/is not included in our prices and doing all we can to ensure they have a wonderful visit to Uganda without having a negative impact
• are a Ugandan-registered company with offices in Uganda so all the money clients pay stays in Uganda.
• use local suppliers where possible e.g. for transport, restaurants and accommodation (although some safari lodges are foreign owned). We also pay national park fees to the Uganda government.
• employ Ugandan staff and are committed to their welfare and the training of new staff e.g. safari guides
• promote Uganda as a holiday destination and are members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) and sit on various specialist committees promoting particular aspects of Ugandan tourism.
Environmental
• use responsible lodges and hotels in many of our safaris which have a range of green features such as solar energy, tree planting, organic gardens and community projects in their locality
• support community tourism and conservation initiatives by taking clients to visit them
• are corporate members of Nature Uganda, the Uganda Safari guides Association and the African Bird Club
• advise our clients on how to recycle and properly dispose of rubbish during their visit (in a land with few rubbish bins let alone recycling stations!)
• feel ‘travel broadens the mind’ and supports developing economies but we acknowledge that there is a price to pay and so we encourage our clients to participate in carbon off-setting schemes and/or local tree planting schemes
• try to run an environmentally responsible office for example, by recycling what we can or by using only environmentally-responsible printing in our marketing materials
• have a solar powered website
Social
• provide opportunities for clients to interact with local people and encourage the simple sharing of experience
• promote cultural sensitivity between guests and visitors for example explaining what is acceptable behaviour in Uganda, when it appropriate to take photos or discouraging local children from begging from tourists
• inspire guests to ‘re-think’ developing countries and to continue to advocate for or support them after going home
Development
• Our long-term plan is to establish an institute for social enterprise in Uganda to help young entrepreneurs set up environmentally and socially responsible businesses. This will be established with donations from Venture Uganda until it becomes self-financing.
• support other development initiatives by taking clients to visit them, make financial donations e.g. to one of our local schools, collect donations from clients, advise those wishing to start private development initiatives here, arrange placements for UK volunteers and bring students of development studies to Uganda to get a taste of development in practice to supplement their theoretical studies. We hope, in future, to be able to include some Ugandan students in our educational visits.
