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Food and Tipping in Uganda

Africa's best authentic tailor-made safaris

Tipping in Uganda is not obligatory but many travellers do leave tips. This extra money really helps boost the income of people working in the tourism industry. For restaurants, you can tip 10% for good service, and if you want to tip a taxi driver, then you can round up your fare.

It’s usual to tip drivers, safari and gorilla tracking guides, and porters at the end of a safari or hike. For guides, you can tip between USD$10 to $20 per day per guest, for a porter US$5 to US$10, and for a private driver you can tip US$20 to US$30 per day for the group. Most travellers also leave tips for the lodge staff (US$5 to US$10 per guest), and many lodges have their own tip box where you leave money to be shared out amongst the staff.

In terms of food, you’ll find the usual international fare at tourist restaurants and hotels. For local food served at eateries and restaurants, the most common main dish is a stew of meat, beans, or groundnuts served with posho (maize meal) and matooke (mashed green bananas). Cassava, sweet potato, white potato, yam, and rice are also common starches. Street-side snacks include things like chapati (flatbread) filled with eggs and onions (known as a rolex), mugati naamaggi (a pancake filled with minced meat and egg), and samosas.

Popular drinks are tea (try the chai-spiced tea) and coffee – two of Uganda’s crops – as well as lager beer, banana and millet beer, and fermented banana wine.

If you have any dietary requirements (such as vegan or vegetarian food), be sure to notify your travel planner in advance of your stay.

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"Justin helped us with the safari and Victoria Falls portion of our trip to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The lodges were fantastic and ground transfers perfectly executed. We had an amazing time!"

Kelly Headrick, United States02 Jun 2026

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"The trip that was put together by Chrizaan Troch at Discover Africa was amazing. The accommodation was perfect as was the driving experience. This was our third self drive tour in Namibia and it was one of the best. Maps, accommodation, car, support all sea..."

Frank Morgan, Canada19 May 2026

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"This was my 6th trip to South Africa and Botswana and, as always, Matthys van Aswegen made it a happy, safe, and exciting experience! My roommate, Glenna, and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to South Africa's Boulders Beach to visit the African Penguin Reserv..."

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"We had a wonderful safari experience, and Justin from Discover Africa made everything seamless from start to finish. Communication before the trip was clear and helpful, and we felt well supported throughout. Some truly special moments including the fant..."

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"We truly cherished every moment of our trip—there are countless experiences and memories that words can hardly capture. Cape Town was a vibrant and thrilling city, full of upscale shopping and exceptional dining. Jock Lodge stood out with its charming, rust..."

Christine Zastrow, United States14 Oct 2025

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"We just returned from our first African trip and had an absolutely amazing and memory making trip. We are usually self planners for our vacations but with essentially no knowledge I attempted to do research on Africa and felt overwhelmed. As suggested from ..."

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