Best 5 Vehicles for Group Tours in Uganda
Are you planning for a group safari in Uganda or Rwanda but you do not know which car to use? Group safaris are exceptionally exciting and enjoyable given the amazing experiences that come while you are exploring each other along the way to your respective safari destination, sharing the interesting moments in life, have fun, exchanging the best ideas which entirely kill the boredom if you decided to travel independently.
Your experience will entirely be remarkable especially if you rented a vehicle that is reliable and comfortable for you and the rest of members in the group and it gets you the freedom to eat, drink, laugh, jazz freely and inquire with one another while on a safari and this may not happened when you are using a public means. Group tours include family tours, sports, workers, associations, friends or church. For the most memorable group journeys in Uganda or Rwanda, we have provided a list of excellent cars for hire in Uganda that can be used for group travels.
Super Custom Van
This is actually one of the perfect vans for you to hire for your group tours. It comes in distinct inbuilt facilities especially the vehicle air conditioner and adjustable windows which ensure that you have fresh air inside the vehicle. It accommodates up to eight visitors and it comes with adequate leg room and a slid roof which helps travelers to have access to some sunshine without necessarily a visitor getting out of the vehicle. Its amenities entirely make group tours more exciting especially when it comes to its comfortable and adjustable seats, bottle holders together with car radio which comes with an MP3 player, freezer box to make sure that your drinks are kept cold and adequate space for traveler’s property. It is also best for city tours in Kampala or Kigali to and from transfers to the main airport and many other family safaris.
Safari Minivan
This comes in a mid sized safari vehicle which is famous for Uganda and Rwanda group tours given its roof’s capacity to pop up and allow visitors to access the vast views of the surrounding areas especially wildlife species in the national parks. This type of car accommodates up to eight travelers and it comes with the most comfortable and adjustable seats which offers adequate leg room and visitors can sit comfortably throughout the safari with property also well packed in its luxurious rear. These vans feature air conditioners and adjustable windows for you to access fresh air and also enhance aeration, a radio and MP3 player also comes along side music for you to enjoy.
Coaster Bus
This is a bit bigger compared to the rest and it accommodates from 20 to 30 travelers and it is best for group tours especially for those of you who are organizing sport safaris, school trips and retreats. Coaster bus comes with several windows in which visitors can catch a glimpse of the surrounding areas on the way and it also consists of enough room for cargo both in the ceiling and in the rear. The coaster bus is well equipped with an air conditioner which visitors can easily adjust to preferred level for fresh air, a television, MP3 player and FM radio which will make your entire journey very memorable and comfortable.
In conclusion, with the above listed cars we believe that you will have the best choice to make for your group tours in Uganda or Rwanda. You can simply contact our Car Hire Company and you will have a chance to realize your dreams in Africa. Enjoy your safaris with us!
Read MoreTop Road Routes For Best Self Drive Travel In Uganda
The freedom to explore Uganda at your own pace is a fantastic adventure and the most flexible way to travel and meet all your travel expectations. Driving on the open road, dust tracks and game park trails on a self-drive is an incredible experience especially when you know which routes to use.
Prior knowledge of the routes to take, road distance plus duration is taken to get there and the available accommodation to stay in during the road trip is the best way to have fulfilling travel experience in Uganda on a self-drive. Below are some of the major self-drive routes in Uganda by tourists. All roads are tarmac with signposts and clear demarcations.
Kampala- Jinja highway (86 km)
This journey stretches from the busy city of Kampala in Central Uganda to the riverside town of Jinja in Eastern Uganda. The journey is approximately 86 km and getting there by car which is about 2 hours or less depending on the level of traffic on the roads in the city center.
Most tourists love visiting Jinja for a chance to see the Source of the Nile and also due to its wide variety of thrilling adventure sports which include white water rafting, bungee jumping, quad biking, cycling and boat rides among other activities. Along the route, you pass by lots of small towns, trading centers, Mabira forest, Lugazi sugar plantations plus amazing landscape scenery and local people.
Kampala-Masaka
The Masaka road is another busy route that stretches about 130 km from Kampala and then joins the Mbarara highway which is about 148 km in distance. These two routes lead to several popular tourist attractions including the equator and if a traveler wants a self-drive to Kibale forest, Ssese Islands, Lake Mburo national park, Bwindi Forest National park, and Lake Bunyonyi among others. The drives last about 2 hours or less with both roads in good condition.
Kampala-Entebbe highway (43 km)
This is among the most commonly used road in Uganda as it links the capital to the main airport hence all visitors coming in and departing the country use this route. It stretches for about 43 km from the city to the airport which is about 1 hour without traffic jams. It will take you to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEZ) also known as the Entebbe zoo, botanical gardens for bird watching, resort hotels, access to over 20 beaches on Lake Victoria and most importantly get cheap accommodation near the airport.
Kampala–Masindi road (285 km)
This road connects to the main Gulu highway and is regarded as the best and shortest route when driving to Murchison falls national park, one of Uganda’s largest conversation areas blessed with a wide variety of attractions including big game, primates, birds, as well as the beautiful Murchison, falls. It stretches for 285 km which is about 4 hours and 20 minutes’ drive traveling by road.
Kabale-Mbarara road (472 km)
A self-drive in Uganda to Bwindi impenetrable forest is one of the longest journeys but enjoyable to take with great sceneries. It will take you about 7 hours to get to Bwindi from Kampala passing via Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale. The journey takes you through several trading centers, small towns, parks, local villages, rugged western landscapes among other attractions up to the home of the endangered mountain Gorillas.
The highway from Kabale to Kisoro
If you are coming from Kampala capital, you will increasingly see the vegetation change from Swamps (in Masaka) to dry low hills (Mbarara) to higher and green lush hills around Kabale. From Kabale, you will drive high up in the hills with fantastic views over Lake Bunyonyi and further ahead volcano tops. Spectacular views from the highway on your way to Kisoro.
Kitgum to Kidepo(Maram)
The first area is flat and plain and after Orom, you follow the signposts to Kidepo Valley National Park and the steadily the landscapes turn into the boulder landscape that is so exclusive for the area. You will drive into the hills and pass through a valley of stunning beauty.
Kotido to Moroto to Nakapiripirit
Another very scenic road takes you through barren lands rotated with humongous boulders that are so typical for the Karamoja region. Some breathtaking scenes will make better your day.
The Road from Ishaka to Katunguru
The road condition is here being quite poor, with lots of potholes in the poorly tarmacked road between Kichwamba and Katunguru, you need to be a good driver to dodge them and drive through. Though the views on this road, after you have passed Kichwamba are breathtaking.
Kisoro–Hamurwa–Kanungu to Ishasha
This route gives the highlight of the beautiful Kigezi hills around Bwindi. The terraced hills covered in mist in the morning hours, you will be able to look at the beautiful tropical rain forests that cover part of the hills. It also gives you an idea of the daily life of a Ugandan woman or Ugandan family lifestyle on daily activities and ways of living as they go to their gardens. You end in Ishasha to find the rare tree-climbing lions.
Conclusion
The diversity of Uganda landscapes is just unforgettable, flat swamp lands alternate hilly savannah grassland, bushy rain-forest, and snow-capped mountain peaks. It makes traveling through the country an adventure on its own on self-drive.
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How to Avoid Traffic Jams in Uganda
Are you a new traveler to Uganda. Have you book a rental car in Uganda and wondering how you can beat off traffic jams that have characterized most roads. Most people prefer and choose to live in urban areas therefore highway and city traffic has increasingly become a problem. When there is no choice but to drive to your destination, you can take precautions to avoid routes that will be congested and plan around rush hours to save time and money. Consider the following:
Use GPS traffic tools
In addition to helping you to navigate the roads, GPS systems and cell phone apps can alert you to where traffic is happening on all roads in Uganda. If your car has a GPS system installed, read through the help guide or user’s manual to learn how to use the traffic-information function.
Try using a cell phone app that displays up-to-the-minute traffic information, such as Google Maps .Driving while using a cell phone is dangerous, and is illegal in Uganda .Only use traffic information apps if you are a passenger in the vehicle, or when parked if you’re the driver
Avoid construction areas
If you’ll be traveling on highways or in a city during the warmer months, there is a good chance you could encounter traffic caused by road construction. In this case, you might want to plan an alternate route. You can find out just where construction is taking place by using the local and national governmental sites that provide updated information on roads under construction.
Check for sporting events and festivals
Highways near sports stadiums can become congested two hours before and two hours after games. Check your local professional teams’ schedules to see whether a match will be taking place within two hours after or before you plan to drive on these highways. If this is the case, consider alternate routes. Take similar precautions with large city festivals and concerts.
Drive on the weekends
If you’re planning a trip or a shopping day, try scheduling it on the weekends, when traffic is substantially reduced in most metropolitan areas. Be careful, though, to find out when major weekend city festivals are taking place, since roads can fill up quickly before and after these events..
Plan an alternate route
Check traffic websites, and use GPS systems and software to help you plan alternate routes past familiar congestion areas. Try to plan at least two routes, in case the best secondary way is congested itself or under construction. Having several optional routes planned will allow you to adjust on the fly, without having to check maps or ask for directions.
Sometimes an alternate route on city streets or state highways can get you to your destination faster than the congested road. But sometimes they can take longer, especially if you encounter several traffic lights or involve a major detour.
Avoid taking an alternate route that you haven’t planned. Just getting off a congested highway spontaneously, especially in an area you’re not familiar with, is an easy way to get lost. You must be sure of what route to take.
Avoid rush hours
If you are able to choose which time of day to drive during the week, be sure to avoid rush hours or peak hours. Most Uganda’s’ lanes rush hours run from 8 to 9 a.m. (08:00 to 9:00) and 5 to 6 p.m. (17:00–18:00), with less-severe congestion about one hour before and after these peak periods. High-density areas are also known to have a lunchtime rush period lasting roughly from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m especially in the city centres.
If you routinely get caught in traffic during your work commute, ask your supervisor about the possibility of changing the hours when you begin and end work in order to avoid the heaviest periods of traffic.
Listen to radio traffic reports
Most cities and towns in Uganda where traffic is a problem have traffic reports available through local radio stations. In larger cities, these can be broadcast as often as every 30 minutes during rush hour or peak hours. Check these reports while driving to help you decide whether to take an alternate route.
Using Alternative Transportation
Take advantage of rail systems. Look at public train schedules and maps for your city to see if they cover routes serving your origin and destination. You’ll save time, spend less money on fuel and parking, and cut down on pollution. Plus, you can read, relax, or get work done during the commute.
Try taking the bus
While not always as efficient as rail, metropolitan bus networks commonly serve broader areas, and can save you money on fuel and parking. On the highway and in city streets, buses can sometimes take advantage of bus-only lanes that bypass traffic.
Consider riding your bike
If you live fairly close to work, try going there by bicycle instead of driving. You might find that your travel time is not much different from when you were driving to and from work in traffic. Plus you’ll get some fresh air, save money on fuel, and get a good amount of exercise.
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Car Rental Vs Public Transport in Uganda
Remarkably rewarding, there are plenty of public transportation in Uganda, you may not be able to comply with them at times especially when you need them most. Someone on vacation has no restricted time to move from one destination to another so he/she need a means of transport that is available all the time.
However, car rentals area reason to solve traveler problems like time bound transportation and this is why most travelers in Uganda are using them because their numerous merits on a vacation over other means of ground transportation as explained below.
Car rentals are cheaper
Generally public transportation charge transport fare in accordance to distance travelled and sometimes it becomes so expensive for people who are traveling for long distances. For instance, national parks in Uganda are located in remote areas and faraway from the capital city so you have to use different carriers of transport to reach them and these charge different in the end the fare accumulated becomes much. Fortunately when it comes to car rentals Uganda charge a standard price for their services per day regardless of the distance you are traveling and thus turning up being cheaper.
Convenience of self drive car rental
Car rentals always find the customer (passenger) in their places of comfort that is at the airport, the hotel, office or home to traverse him/her to his/her preferred destination as for the public transport, you have to first go to the station or sometimes on the road and hail for them which sometimes stresses up a traveler.
In additional to the above, car rentals take the traveler direct to his/her preferred destination straight away without taking any other route not recorded on the traveler’s itinerary. Of which the public transport as to cater for all passengers where it has to take some other routes and also has to make stopover so that some other traveler can disembark which can lead to delays and also the stopovers are so annoying.
Quality services are provided by car rentals:
Car rentals companies in Uganda have well trained chauffeurs are also in existence to take customers to different destinations in Uganda with good guidance. On top of that, the cars provided to the customers are always in good conditions with modern facilities like mp3 players, food handlers, coolers, air conditioners and also adjustable seats for resting that can enhance traveling
Easy to book:
There are very many ways of booking car rental in Uganda as opposed to other means of transport. Car rentals can be booked by making a call to the car rental agency or visit the car rental website and contact them through an email. You can as well go to their premises and reserve a car hire. As you book through a phone or email, it is hassle free as you just have to get your computer or phone and sit back in your chair and make a booking of the car rental services.
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