What Car Suits My Self Drive Safari In Uganda

A successful safari is achieved with very many things, but the most important is the kind of car used, the kind of car used can make your safari memorable or a miserable. So to avoid this it’s better to choose the best car that can suit you budget, the number of people you are traveling with and the destination. For a safari to Uganda’s national park including Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park, Murchison Falls National Park,  Kidepo Valley National Park among many others it’s better to use a 4×4  safari car which can navigate most of the tough roads, most of Uganda’s attractions can only be visited with a 4 wheel drive vehicle.

When you hire a Uganda self drive car, you are assured of the freedom on your safari, as you will be driving at your own pace since you drafted your own itinerary and you will get the opportunity to view the different landscape in a more detailed way and at your own pace. Not only that, but you will have more chance to interact with the local people. You will determine the speed to drive and you are free to stop at any point you need. Toyota land cruiser, Toyota Rav4, mini bus and vans are more suitable for safaris and they can be hired either on self drive or with a driver. If you are not well conversant with some of the roads around its better you hire a car with a driver as they are well experienced and know each and every part of the country. Just contact us we will get one for you, they are good at specking English and if you are interested in a special language we can get a guide who will translate for you while on your safari in Uganda. However, if you are driving your self remember to always keep left unless overtaking.

We have a variety of safari cars for renting options that will make your Uganda tour a memorable one, so if you are looking for a safari just contact us be it a safari land cruiser, rav4, minivan, or a costar for a very large group of travelers who wish to travel together.  All our cars are in good condition and are rented on unlimited mileage. Most of our cars are manual transmission gear boxes have been incorporated with few of larger automatic transmission cars for you to choose from.

If you want to economize on your budget especially for a small group of 2-3 people, it’s better to go for a sedan car, a rav4 does it better especially if you are going in remote areas, it’s a 4 wheel drive which can navigate well the tough road and if the group exceeds that a land cruiser is the best option and it has a pop up roof suitable for game viewing in a national park. if you are looking for a perfect car for your safari, contact us through sending us an email on info@ugandaselfdrive.com or you can call us directly on +256-77255-2950  We shall reserve for you a car before your arrival.

Why Self Driving in Uganda Is a Trip of Lifetime

Traveling through Uganda can be an incredible experience in 2017. Uganda is a country that contains some of the least inhabited and most romanticized locations in traveler lore: The Kidepo Valley with the vast population of spectacular wildlife, Murchison Falls which are the strongest waterfalls in the world, the Source of the Nile River in Jinja and Bwindi Forest National Park, home to more than half of World’s Mountain Gorillas are very rewarding and awesome. To see the best of the country, don’t restrict yourself to public transport. Pack that gas bottle and stove, step into your 4×4 car rental and hit the road and just don’t forget that spare tyre (or two). The most common reasons why self driving around Uganda is good is that there is  raw wilderness experience you have always wanted. The most notable reasons are;

Endless freedom: There is endless freedom and usually, the worldly possessions are on the back seat. Your home will be a tent folded onto the roof rack. There aren’t any other human beings for miles and your world is packed up in your vehicle. Always look beyond your confines and a vast open plain swells out to the horizon in front of you, dotted with herds of wildlife and birds. It’s all yours to explore.

Discover all on your terms. You get to discover it all on your own terms: Driven past an interesting looking side road, only to see it hurtle by while you’re trapped on a bus driving at death defying speed along its set route. During a self drive in Uganda, you will be given means no more succumbing to others’ itineraries or missing that fantastic photo opportunity. Your itinerary is entirely flexible, opening up experiences you may never have had on a tour.

Adventurous. You do not need to go  far for adventure. On your self drive in Uganda, you have to enter a national park to have a good chance of spotting wildlife. You will explore  Queen Elizabeth National park with abundant wildlife including, herds of elephants, buffalo, antelopes and the astonishing tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector is surely one of the most mind-bending travel experiences.

Camping sites: Camping in Uganda makes for some exciting nights in your tent into a cramped corner or tripping over guy ropes in the middle of the night, the campsites here are somewhat more remote. Most of Uganda’s National park have gazetted places for camping sometimes in the middle of the bush, near the lake/river.

Wildlife; The viewing of wildlife is very easy in Uganda. It is one of the  few countries in Africa where you can safari  alone. When you go for  Self-driving in Murchison falls or Queen Elizabeth National Park is a unique opportunity to encounter colossal quantities of animals without the services of a guide. You will be required to get  into your safari vehicle and follow the trail. The animals will gradually appear from the surrounding plains and give you a window into their lives.

How to Get the Best Car Rental Price in Uganda

Due to the increasing number of tourist visiting the country has made car rental in Uganda a very popular business thus also becoming as competitive as car rental companies are emerging everyday to join the market and also become dominant figure in the car rental fraternity. Many companies are trying their level best to hire cars to their customers at discounted prices but not all reduced prices come with good intention of giving better services. So you have to be so careful and keen on getting best car rental prices with good car rental services.

Here we came up with on how to get the best car rental price in Uganda to labor you off the hassle of looking for good car rental services with best prices.

Always use online reservation to hire a car. Car rental websites are always having promotions for their businesses in of discounts. By using the internet to book a car rental you stand an opportunity to get a best car rental price with a discount. This makes you save money on your car rental to use for other items on your trip.

Car rental companies in Uganda has a policy of fuel refilling that is when they hire you a car they expect you to return it with exact amount of fuel you found in the car before you took for your tour in Uganda. So all you have to is look and find the fuel station with cheap fuel to refill the tank by doing that you will have saved some money since fuel is also part of the car rental expenses.

You can also get best car rental prices by making an early booking of the car rental services. Here you have a time to make price deduction negotiation with the car rental agency and in most cases these car providers are lenient, they are always willing to give out discounts to their customers if you request for it.

Regular customers know the best time to hire a car from a car rental agency that is the low season of traveling. In Uganda November it is the car rental agencies cut the prices of the car hire as they expect low turns of customers, so you are more likely to get the car at a good prices as you take advantage of the situation of the time  as they car rental business is not at a hike in the country. So when you are planning your trip to Uganda it is better to do it in November when the car rental prices are low and also the prices of other tourism products are also low.

You should also collect the car hire from the car provider’s premises other than the airport as you make end up paying airport car fees and also you may have to pay for the fuel used to drive the car at your place of convenience (airport)

It is also recommendable to compare the car hire package deal you have got from a particular company with other deals from other companies and check if it is has lower prices than other deals from other companies. You should also look at the convenience; reliance and safety of the car hire deal you have reserved from the car hire agency. If everything is well then you are guaranteed of having good car rentals services in Uganda at the best prices.

Tips for the perfect self drive car rental

While on vacation in a foreign country, it is everyone’s desire to drive in new cars: a car that commands elegance, class, comfort and respect.

It is only embarking on a self drive car rental in Uganda deal that can make your desires come true. This is the most evident and vivid way of driving yourself in very high end and posh car.

The tips of self drive car rental in Uganda are as not so complicated as manufacturing a vehicle its self. They are very simple tips to understand and comply with in order to acquire a self drive car rental and also have a good experience.

All one needs to do is hit the internet and search for good competent self drive car rental companies in Uganda and choose the one that best suits your needs. Make a good relationship with them through emailing them and also contacting them through the phone as their telephones are always displayed on the websites.

When you contact your preferred self drive car rental company then tell them about your needs then best on the needs they will know what to offer to you or come up with the best suggestion and advice that can suit your needs. This is normally done by outlining and explaining to you the available cars for your needs.

It is important to note that you are supposed to choose a car that can fit your needs and finances. For example if you are going for a family wildlife safari trip, it is advisable for you to choose a passenger van like super custom or safari van which have a four wheel drive and can accommodate all members of the family you intend to travel with. on other hand if you are solo traveler and making a Kampala city tour go for a compact car like a Toyota Premio or a crossover car like a RAV4 those two cars can best serve the latter purpose without draining your pockets.

Remember irrespective of the car that you select for yourself, you have to be responsible of it. There are some essential regulations and policies that you must keep in mind hiring a car and

When you get to the car hire agency premises or meet the car provider whether online or off, he/she will tell to issue you valid driving license and this is supposed in a comprehensive language that is acknowledge in Uganda that is English or French that can be accepted by some companies. The driving license is proof that you are able and eligible of driving a car. If you do not have one then you can hire a car with a driver. The car hire agencies have professional chauffeurs

You should always take note of the speed limit at which you are driving on the Uganda. You have to be very cautious while driving a rented car because you might end up paying much if an accident occurs by your fault. No insurance compensates for reckless driving. On Ugandan roads always keep a speed limit of 40-50 when driving on busy roads and 60-80 on highways.

Finally, you are supposed to return the car from selfdrive tour on the date and time promised otherwise you might bump into a premium fine for the late return of the vehicle.

Self drive tours in Uganda are one of the most exicting tours in Uganda and these tours can become more incredible when you go by the above tips on self drive car rentals in Uganda.

British Airways Suspends Flights to Entebbe

British Airways confirmed its flight suspension from Heathrow to Entebbe, with the last flight to Entebbe on October 2, 2015 and out of Entebbe to Heathrow on October 3 due to commercial reasons said by Edward Frost the Regional Commercial Manager East & Southern Africa. Looking at the plans British Airways had for Uganda in the past six years especially the commitment to serve the travel market was a main factor to host more flights between Entebbe and Heathrow.

The Discovery of Oil in Uganda is one of them, the 2010 world cup in South Africa, and the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The airline flights increased from three to five a week due to the high demand. However after the World cup, the Uganda Oil production delays by years made British airways to weigh the Uganda market as not viable to sustain its operations making it cut its flights back to three.

Come 2014 the Airline grow prospects where high with plans of looking at East Africa as a region instead of a single destination. The airways announced to increase its flights from 3-4 times a week a plan which failed in some months later due to the increase of the ground handling rates by the Civil Aviation Authority something it had never done for a period of 20years. The authority believed that the older rates did not make business sense. Tariffs for a Boeing 737 (B737) aircraft, for example, initially used to be $1,100 per turnaround. However, the tariff was increased to $1,200. Depending on the category of the aircraft, tariffs can go up to $2,500 per turnaround. The increase made Entebbe airport lose some bit of its competitive edge, although the rates were still lower than those at the busier and bigger Jomo Kenyatta airport in neighboring Kenya.

Also the escalating volumes of trade between Uganda and countries in the Middle East have recently attracted several airlines offering services to countries like UAE, China and Turkey among others. There is now a record five Middle East based airlines operating in Uganda, including Fly Emirates, Fly Dubai, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Brussels airlines and Etihad Airways. Besides the best option airlines to London and USA.All customers who booked with British airways after 3 October 2015 will be given a full refund or can alternatively be re-booked, says Edward Frost, the airline’s commercial manager for East and Southern Africa though he wasn’t clear how many staff will be affected by the decision.

Guide to Self Driving in Uganda

It’s really sometimes not easy to do a self drive safari when in strange country this applies to both Africans who go to foreign countries and the reverse is true. In most cases many avoid diving themselves in a country they don’t know very well and the traffic roles in that particular country. However you can still go for a self drive in Uganda if you’re a careful driver.

Things to Know

You can drive in Uganda using a foreign driving license for up to 3 three months after which you will need to get a Uganda driving license from the Uganda Revenue Authority or an international driving permit.

Since Uganda is one of the gifted nations in the world with very many interesting things waiting for you to discover when on a Uganda safari, perhaps in a self drive vehicle, national parks and games with a abundant wildlife, plants and various species of birds, mountain hiking activities, lakes and rivers which provide memorable activities like fishing and rafting on the longest river Nile indeed the self drive adventure is worth it, explore the pearl of Africa as it’s sometimes referred to as. When you are in a self drive car service with us, we will offer you a friendly price that will fit your budget and in fact you won’t fail to have a breathtaking safari. Considering many activities that you may enjoy on yourself drive safari /car rental the following below is the list among others.

Upon your arrival at Entebbe international airport, that’s when you will be handled yourself drive car however this depends on what we agreed upon you can rent a car with a drive or self drive. You may decide to first visit the botanical gardens in Entebbe upon your arrival date then after set off from Entebbe to Kampala which is about 40kms around an hour drive to Kampala Uganda’s capital and its largest city, however you should not that Entebbe highway is a very busy road with very many traffic jams so some patience is needed.

When you arrive in Kampala there very many things which you can do, (Kampala city tour) visit the Uganda Museum to get more information about the history of Uganda, visit the Ba’hai temple, why not also the Kasubi Tombs where over 4 kings of Buganda where buried, it’s a respectful place most especially to the Baganda tribe who contributes the highest percentage of the Ugandan population over 15%. You can also decide to visit the Makerere art Gallery, the Uganda martyrs shrine at Namugongo where over 22 Uganda martyrs where burnt arrive for failure to renounce their religion on the orders of Kabaka (king) Mwanga , other places include craft village and local markets. With a self drive car you can’t fail to visit all these places and all of these places are within 15 kilometers drive from the capital city Kampala.

From Kampala set off to the south western part of Uganda a gifted place with very many attractions and it’s not less congested with traffic jam like in Kampala, you will have a stopover at the equator crossing for photography and snacks, from here you will continue to Uganda national park and the nearest park Lake Mburo national park with spectacular wildlife. A car rental is worth it as there is no means from the main road to the park. You will enjoy game drives for an opportunity to come across several species of animals like impala, buffaloes, zebra, elephant, worth the list is endless. Boat cruise is also rewarding with several species of animals like schools of hippos and birds, enjoy horse riding and a natural walk at the park

Still with your rental car in Uganda you can connect to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park with rolling hills of kibale up to the park to have a memorable experience. the park activities including the most done activity that’s gorilla tracking, you will park your car at the park headquarter and then after briefing at the park headquarters embark on a search for our close relatives, possibly the activity is unpredictable it can go from 1-8 hours depending on where they spent their last night from, so a reasonable degree of fitness is needed , and you are required to go with tracking gears such as sturdy pair of walking shoes , long sleeved shirts bottled water since tracking is done in the forest expect a lot of difficult in the forest like muddy and stinging plants. You can decide to enjoy other activities at the park like canoe ride on Lake Mutanda or on Lake Bunyonyi the second deepest lake in Africa after lake Tanganyika, enjoy the batwa cultural experience, this is a group of people whose men grow up to 4inc they will entertain you through their cultural songs and dance and they will also explain to you how they have managed to live in the area for over 500 years. All these places can be reachable with a courtesy of our car rental.

Still you can transfer from Bwind impenetrable national park to Queen Elizabeth national park which is a drive of just about 70km. This is one of Uganda most bio-diversity parks as it hoses a very big number of wildlife. When at queen Elizabeth national park you can enjoy very many activities including game drives to watch very many species of animals including various species of antelopes, buffaloes, elephant, lion and leopard just to mention but a few, still you will also enjoy a boat drive along the Kazinga channel that connects lakes kyoga and Edward. Among many other optional activities which you can enjoy at the park, how do you see watch the tree climbing lions at the famous part of the park Ishasha sector of the park. And with our 4×4 vehicle you can still connect to Kibale forest national park to track chimpanzee or to enjoy a habituation experience. To connect to Kibale from queen is about 130kms, on your day of chimpanzee tracking you need to drive up to the park headquarters /Kanyancu to receive a short briefing about the dos and don’ts while with chimps before 8am.

With yourself drive car, you can still connect to Murchison falls national park Uganda’s largest national park located in the north western part of Uganda. You will fast drive up to the top of the fall where the mighty rive Nile crosses plunge 45m creating the dramatic Murchison falls it is a very fantastic view. You will also enjoy other park activities like game drive for opportunity to see different species of animals like giraffe, elephant, buffaloes, various species of antelopes, and elephant among other, also a boat cruise at the Nile River is also rewarding with various species of animals like hippo, crocodile and several species of birds include the rare shoebill

With your car rental either chuffer or self driven you can still reach the far northern part of Uganda the remote areas of Uganda to Kidepo valley national park. Transport in this region is difficult but with yourself drive car you can’t fail to get there. Visit the cultural Karamojong villager to learn more about the African culture, they will entertain you through their cultural dance and music, and they will explain to you how they have managed to live in the area and you can visit many interesting areas in the north region of Uganda. Indeed much can be seen on a Uganda safari with your car rental service, you can reach every corner of the country. We have a variety of cars for hire just book with us a car and enjoy many interesting activities for a memorable experience on your safari.

Most Popular Uganda National Parks

Many travelers look for safaris in Uganda. However travelers wonder about the best safari parks where they can enjoy an unforgettable adventure! There are ten national parks in Uganda and here are the five most popular parks to visit in Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most popular national park in Uganda. Located in western Uganda, this UNESCO world heritage site is a sanctuary for almost half of the remaining population of the endangered mountain gorillas.

Kibale Forest National Park

Many tourists travel to the Kibale forest a national park in Uganda mostly loveed for its primates. Regarded as a tropical rain forest, the area is blessed with diverse wild life. Lots of primates exist in the wilderness with chimpanzee as the main source of attraction. Vervet monkeys and the olive baboon can be found in the natural ambience attracting the tourists from all over the world. Dense vegetation and the thick canopy make it an enticing option for the visitors who are able to hear the sweet and intriguing sound of the chimpanzees all over the forest.

Kidepo National Park

Located in an inaccessible terrain, the Kidepo valley national park is very popular but the visitors are unable to reach, due to the hostile terrain. It is quite far away from the capital, a total of around 800 km for the tourists, however majority of travelers prefer to visit by air to save time.

If one is looking for a hotel, Apoka lodge could be the answer because it is amazingly constructed and equipped with modern amenities including climate control options. People can view cheetah, Buffaloes and the amazing elephants in their natural habitat accompanied by striped hyenas as well.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

This is the best savanna national park to visit in Uganda.

Murchison Falls National Park

The Uganda game reserves are very famous due to the presence of the bamboo villages and the large crater lakes formed because of the old volcanic formation. Wetlands accompanied by the Mabamba swamp and Budongo forest are the chief attractions of the country. Watching the Majestic lions feasting on wilder beast is a magical site cherished by the people arriving in the national parks.

Travelers can also relish the presence of the glacier near the equator with the dense jungles as the back drop. Golden monkey considered to be one of the endangered varieties is also found in Uganda and people can track them through the rocky forests.