What is the best filming time in Uganda? When to go for Filming in Uganda? Uganda is described as the pearl of Africa because of different activities attractions and places of interest that are so interesting and attractive to the film crew. Because of the availability of different species including primates, wild game, bird species, enough water resources, the culture of the people, the source of the Nile which all are available for filming in Uganda. Uganda is crossed by Equator and it receives the equatorial type of climate which is characterized by both wet and dry seasons. And thus one needs to study when actually to film depending on the weather conditions.

Filming in Uganda is possible throughout the year which means that from January to December you can come to Uganda and do wildlife or primate filming. However, most of the people that have done filming have testified that the best filming time in Uganda is during the dry season and in Uganda, the dry season happens in January, February, June, July, August September, and December and this means that the wet season which happens in March, April, May, October, and November should at least not be trusted and where possible try to avoid it and indeed even here at Africa Adventure Vacations, we don’t recommend wet season as the best Filming time in Uganda.

Filming in Uganda primate and wildlife during the dry season

As we have seen, the above dry season presents the best filming time in Uganda. Naturally, the film crew members would like to make sure that when they are shooting a video or filming there don’t get any interruptions in form of rains, mud, or slippery trails and this the reason why the dry season is considered the best filming time in Uganda. In different national parks in Uganda, usually, the best places that give quality filming production are found in the remote areas of the parks with poor accessibility and there if filming is to be done during the rainy season then, it would cause some problems and challenges to the filming crew and they might not reach in the intended time because of the delays caused by sleepy trails and roads.

In Uganda, most of the good places for filming the wildlife are national parks such as Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo valley national Park, and Murchison falls National Park. In the dry season, the parks have got natural water sources for example in Queen Elizabeth National Park there is Kazinga channel, lake Edward and Gorge, and several rivers while in Murchison you will find river Nile and Lake Mburo National Park there is Lake Mburo. So during the dry season, large crowds of animals in herds crowd these watering sources to drink water especially in the afternoon time and this presents a greater opportunity for you to shoot and filming bringing out the quality of the film that you want. As animals usually you find displaying different skills and behavior characters when at the water sources.

You need to be aware that during the dry season, there re is strong sunshine heating the ground and filming areas and even you as an individual and this means that you need to safeguard your filming equipment so well because they might get heated up and sometimes freeze especially when they are not used to strong sunshine or climatic conditions of such nature in Uganda.

Can’t I film wildlife or primates in Uganda during the rainy or wet season?

Yes, although we have recommended dry season as the best time for filming wildlife and primates in Ugandans parks there is the possibility that you can still go ahead and shot a film during the rainy season. Rainy months in Uganda are March, April, May, October, and November. In most cases, it rains in the morning for about two hours and then the sky opens up so you find it had to rain the whole day. So if you calculate and come at the start of the rainy season, you will film and this is the time when the vegetation cover is purely green and for those interested in filming birds, the rainy season presents the best time for this wonderful activity. 

Do I need a permit to film wildlife and primates in Uganda during the dry season?

Yes, all the film crew members who intend to do filming in the dry season in Uganda wildlife and primate places must have a valid filming permit provided to them by the Uganda wildlife authority and they must be accredited by the Uganda Media Council. At Africa Adventure Vacations, we shall act as your film fixers by booking for you the filming permits, and help you to obtain the licenses as well as clearing with the customs at the point of entry. All this paperwork can be done within 2 or 3 working days and you will be able to get your filming permits in time for all of your film crew members. Just contact us, we at Africa adventure Vacations and we shall provide you will all the necessary information that is best for you to do the filming and what is required during the dry season.

For the Uganda wildlife authority which is a body that is in charge of all protected areas and conservation in Uganda, you will need to sign a contract or a memorandum of understanding with them expressing your desire, time you’re spending with a given park, then why are you interested in filming and others. Here at Africa adventure vacations, you just need to inform us of your desire to do the filming and in which park and for which period as well as the invention and then for us we shall assign for you a film fixer who will forward all the necessary information to UWA for clearance and once approved then you will be allowed to continue with filming in your intended park.

What to film In Uganda during the dry season?

There are a lot of wildlife species and primates that you can film during the dry season in Uganda and this will be so much interesting provided you follow all the protocols needed, while in Uganda, during the dry season, you can film endangered mountain gorillas living naturally in their natural habitat. Uganda has more than half of the endangered mountain gorillas found in the whole world and you will film them from both Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park located in southwestern Uganda.

You can also film chimpanzees which can be filmed in Kibale forest National park in southwestern Uganda, chimpanzees are also found in Kalinzu forest in western Uganda, a chimpanzee in Kyambura gorge, a chimpanzee in Budongo forest among others.

Filming can also be done of lions especially tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lions in Murchison falls Nationals Park, and lions in Kidepo vally national Park. There are herds of elephants in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Kidepo valley national Park that is available for filming. Also, buffaloes are available for filming, mongoose filming, leopard filming, hippos filming, and shoebill filming among others.

Other activities that you can do other than filming during the dry season

Safari game drives to see the big 5 mammals of Africa. (rhinos, buffaloes, elephants, lions, and leopards)

Sunrise boat cruise on lake victors and boat cruise safaris on Kazinga channel and River Nile

Hiking Ruwenzori mountain

Visiting cultural and religious places

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest National Park among others.