6 Days Bwindi Gorilla Tracking Tour Inclusions and Exclusions

The safari package includes

• Gorilla permit
• Park Entrance fees
• 4×4 Land Cruiser or Safari Van for ground travel
• Service of professional English-speaking guide
• Boat ride
• Game viewing
• Bottled water on tour

The safari package excludes

• Tips
• Laundry
• Visa fees
• Optional activities
• Air tickets
• Shopping
• Cigarettes
• Telephone bills

Driver/ guide instructions on the 6 Days Bwindi Gorilla Tracking Tour

• Before the trip/ First Impression:
• Make sure the car comes out in perfect condition from the work shop.
• Communicate well with the workshop
• Try to get the car 1 or 2 days before the trip starts (if possible) and test it.
• Make sure you wear your confidence Tours shirt
• Be clean, shaved and smell good
• Be at least 10 minutes before the time at the-location where you meet your clients
• The car must always be checked properly before each trip! Make sure this is done. Check if everything that is written on the car report by the previous driver of this car is fixed!
• Make sure your transport is in good order, fuelled and clean! Check as well if insurance is still valid!
• Check if seat belts are there and working.
• Help your clients with the luggage
• Introduce yourself properly; meaning: shake hands, tell them your name, ask for their names and memorize them, welcome them to Uganda, tell them what you are doing next, ask them if they need to withdraw money or exchange money, tell them you will brief them on arrival at the first lodge and ask them if they have any questions. As well make sure you show confidence; they rely on you this trip!
• Make sure you give a good briefing and make good appointments for the next day. Give them your phone number + welcome gift and always keep your phone switched on and make sure you have airtime!

During the trip:

• Be always clean, smell well.
• be pre-active. Ask them regularly if everything is fine and if there is any special request
• Make sure you have enough stop overs on transfer days for people to stretch their legs, eat something, smoke or drink
• Make sure you stop on the way when there is something interesting to see on the way.
• This can be a monkey in the tree, the long horn cows, a nice village, school children, a market, a fruit shop, a rare bird or simply a nice view point. This will add to the experience of the clients and most likely be paid back in your tip!
• Check your car every evening after arrival and in the morning again before departure. Start in time! Check water and oil in the morning, when engine is cold.
• Check radiator regularly, when it is dirty look for a place where they have air pressure.
• If there is any problem with the car you fix it as soon as possible.
• Make sure you wash your car at least every 2 days if possible
• Only fuel up at decent fuel stations like Shell, Total
• Don’t forget to bring your driving permit
• Bring a copy of the logbook on every tour. Don’t forget to bring the original logbook of the car when you go to Rwanda or Tanzania
• Never over speed. People like to see the country as well on transfer days. Drive slowly
• and never faster than 100 km an hour on the high way
• All traffic fines will be paid by you.
• Make sure you are always in time!
• Give correct information to your clients about travel distance. Don’t make it look better then it is. It’s better to arrive 1 hour earlier than 1 hour later than planned!
• Make sure you Sure your knowledge with your clients. Tell them about your culture and tell them about the plants, monkeys, animals and birds that you know.
• Bring books about wildlife, birds and vegetation. Use the pictures and info to inform clients. Books are airways available at confidence Tours. If you want to have your own books (recommendable) confidence Tours will pay half.
• Inform clients well about the activities they are going to do. Tell them about what they can expect to see or experience, tell them how long it will take and what clothes they should wear. Make sure you confirm all activities and never leave before they are effect on the activity!
• Inform clients well about the accommodation they are going to stay in. If it’s simple you tell them it is simple and don’t make it look better then it is. Inform them about the food and service they can expect and tell them about the toilet and shower (is it clean, is the shower warm?)
• Make sure you always call the accommodations in advance to confirm your booking. We have given you airtime, so use it well!
• Help checking in your clients. Never leave before you know everything is fine and make sure that both you and your clients know the program for tomorrow!
• Be nice and friendly to the staff of the accommodation. If there is a problem you solve it without your clients being part of it.
• When clients are sick or there is a emergency situation you directly contact confidence Tours
• Never make any phone calls when driving. If it’s important you stop the car and make the phone call before you continue. Keep it as short as possible, as you don’t want your clients to wait for you. It’s advisable to make the phone call when you make a lunch stop or any other stop that is interesting for your clients.
• Don’t make unnecessary calls, as this is disturbing to your clients
• Make sure you always bring a ranger on your game drives. Both confidence Tours and you know that not all of them are good and sometimes a bit lazy, but the clients will blame you and Confidence Tours when they have not spotted a lion on a game drive. When there is a ranger together with you, you have 4 eyes instead of 2 and more important is that we are covered for any blame when a game drive is not successful
• Inform clients about expected tips before they go on any activity. As much as a tip is important for you it’s as well for other guides, rangers or any staff working in tourism.
• Inform clients about where and when they can change or withdraw money, as they need to plan this ahead.
• Make sure you do everything in your power to create an open, warm and professional atmosphere between you and the clients. Show them the Ugandan hospitality
• Make sure you get receipts for Everything you spend. No receipt is a fine of half the money that is spent.
• When you (the guide) get sick during the tour you contact us immediately so we can arrange back up in time.
• Help clients remember to use mosquito repellent, Anti-Malaria tablets, wash their hands, not drink from the tabs and wear long sleeves and pants after 7.00 p.m., to prevent they get sick.
• When clients get sick, do a check up in nearest hospital. When they are longer than 8 days in the country, check always for malaria.
• Make sure clients never leave luggage in the car when nobody is inside. During lunch on transfer days, you ask them to bring their valuables and you make sure that someone is guarding the car.
• Sometimes clients bring too much luggage or even hard cover suitcases. If they do, let them know in a friendly way that we are not responsible for any damage on suitcases or lag of space in the car. Any complain will not be taken seriously. confidence tours states very clear in every proposal that they can bring luggage of 15 – 20 kg in a bag of soft material
• When clients have a valid complain try to see if you can fix it or make it up with them. If you think you can’t manage or if making up involves extra costs, we want you to contact confidence Tours. Always take a complaint serious and fix it before it’s too late. Make sure as well you don’t make any excuses when a complaint is not the responsibility of you or Confidence Tours. Do make sure you are always understanding and helpful.

 At the end of the trip:

• Make sure you keep being pro active, even on the last day, even if you already received your tip.
• Ask them if the trip was what they have expected and if there is anything that will help confidence Tours to improve
• Say goodbye and ask them to fill in the feedback form
• Help them with checking in and don’t leave before you are sure they are checked in.

After the trip:

• Write a car report, bring the car to the workshop and give the car report to the mechanic. Anything serious? Let Confidence Tours know!
• Bring the car back with a quarter tank!!!!
• Finalize your calculation and bring you calculation, receipts, extra money, balance and feedback forms to the clients back to the office. This must be the same day as you end the tour or latest 1 day after. Every day that you are late you will be fined with 5. 000 UGX. As well every missing receipt is fined with half the amount of the money that should be on the receipt.
• Check the program, so you know when your next tour is. Get some rest and make sure you are fit for your next tour.
• Try to keep on learning. If you have a lot of time between tours, we advise you to read books or do an extra course with UWA (ask confidence Tours to pay, they will if they think that the course will benefit the organization). The more you know, the better guide you will become and the more work you will get!

Never Ever to do!!!!

Drink and drive

Be hanged over and drive Have sex with your clients

Give a lift to anyone; don’t even ask for permission to clients. Only when clients ask you to give someone a lift it’s okay

Be lazy or frequently late

Ask clients to assist you financially in any way (examples like asking for school fees for your children, medical bills, etc. You get an extremely well pay check + a great tip if you do your work well. You and your family are as well insured by confidence Tours for any medical issues. Don’t misuse the trust of your clients. Be proud!

Over speed

Be rude or aggressive to clients or partners in tourism

Violating any of the above points will result in ending your contract immediately!