Should I Book a Guided or self-drive Tour in Uganda?

Known as the pearl of Africa, it is one of the most beautiful countries to visit on planet earth. Uganda is gifted by many things but the most attractive thing that one shouldn’t miss before living planet earth is to go gorilla trekking in Uganda’s national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks. Not only gorillas, the country is well-known for a wide range of bird species, wild animals and in them it harbor’s  the rear type of lions that do climb trees found in the ishasah sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The country is also good for cultural tours, good scenic grounds, beaches and a city where people never sleep with night clubs.

With all those gifts she owes, many people all over the world would like to have a visit to this beautiful country but many people find it hard to decide whether to go on a guide or self drive Uganda tour.  Would I like to travel with a guide or by our self? It is important to make an informed decision. Here are the differences between guided and self-drive trips, making it easier for you to decide what to choose. Please bear in mind, however, that choosing a self-drive trip doesn’t mean that you are completely on your own. Our office in Uganda is available to assist you at all times and, even on self-drive trips, a lot of the activities recommend by us such as game drives in parks are guided, in order to give you the best possible experience.

1. A self-drive trip is cheaper because you don’t pay a daily rate for the guide or for his/her accommodation and food. Your choice of vehicle will also make a difference in the overall cost of a self-drive trip. While guided trips can be more expensive as you will have to pay for the guide but the overall cost per person depends on the number of people included in your party. For example, a guided trip will be more expensive for a one to two persons than for a group of six people and above.
2. On a self-drive trip you drive yourself. This might sound appealing but remember that the one who drives has to keep his/her eyes on the road and can’t enjoy the scenery and he will get more tired than the rest. While on a guided trip, everyone in your group is free to relax and enjoy the scenery as your guide drives you around
3. On a self-drive trip you don’t have the luxury of asking a guide to explain certain things, animals or birds, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. While the main advantage of a guided trip may be the fact that you can, at any time, ask your guide questions, allowing you to learn a lot about this amazing country, its beautiful nature and interesting culture here in Uganda.
4. You may think you’ll have a lot more privacy or ‘together time’ on a self-drive trip. This will undoubtedly be the case, however, even on a guided tour we can schedule enough ‘alone time’. While it is a misconception that guided tours grant you no privacy. Our guide also needs this! Therefore, we always try to strike a balance. Basically, the guide is at your disposal when required but he will at regular occasions allow you to enjoy an evening of private dining at a restaurant or an afternoon to yourselves.
5. It is equally a mistake to think that you have no guide during your self-drive trip. Most of the activities we recommend and book for you are led by a guide. In your quote, we will clearly indicate which activities are guided and which are not. Remember, however, that we cannot guarantee the quality of these guides. Some of these guides are very good but some, unfortunately, are disinterested, unintelligible, don’t speak proper English or simply do not know very much. While on a guided tour, even if you undertake guided activities organised by the accommodation establishment and with a local guide, our guide is available to offer additional explanations, which with no doubt guarantee the quality of your experience. Hence once again you will be in the perfect position to enjoy and learn optimally about the culture and nature.
6. On a self-drive trip you are at some destinations responsible for your own game drives. This means relying on your own skill, as well as luck. This could result in either not seeing many animals or seeing an animal but not knowing what it is or what it’s doing. You can arm yourself with books for your self-drive trip, this increases the cost as well as your luggage. While another major advantage of a guided trip, particularly on game drives, it is his expertise when it comes to wildlife. You simply have a much greater chance of seeing more animals with a guide than driving through the park by yourself. Our guides know where to find certain animals, what to look out for, are able to recognise and follow tracks, detect sounds, and so on. And when the guide has found an animal, he can tell you a lot about it. But this should be put in mind that national parks are not like Zoos were you will just find the animal I the cadge. So if you miss out seeing some animals do not complain..
7. Finding your way around while on a self-drive trip is not a problem because with Tailor Made Safaris you not only get a detailed itinerary but we also supply you with a TomTom satellite navigation system at an additional cost for the duration of your trip. All destinations on your trip are pre-programmed into the system, making driving around by yourself easy and hassle-free. This service puts Tailor Made Safaris head and shoulders above its competitors! While it goes without saying that on a guided trip you do not have to worry about finding your way around. Your private guide ensures that you always arrive at your destination on time and without rushing, taking into account your wishes along the way. If you want to stop and take a picture of the scenery on the way, that is possible too! After all, this is your tailor made safari!
8. On your Uganda self drive trip there’s no need to worry about keeping in touch. Tailor Made Safaris includes a Ugandan SIM card for the duration of your trip, allowing you to easily make cheap phone calls as and when you need to. As part of our service to self-drive guests, we regularly send you text messages with advice, or to make sure everything is to your liking. All part of the Tailor Made Safaris service… For the guided, our guides take care of your safety during a guided trip. There is always a very small chance of something going wrong; a double booking on site, a defect in the car, or you ate something bad; anything is possible. In the unfortunate event of something like this happening, you can always rely on the expertise and responsibility of your guide who will take care of the problem.

With this information or differences, one will be able to decide whether to take a self drive or guided tour in Uganda.

Using A 4×4 Self Drive Car On A Trip To Uganda

Do you know that driving yourself on a safari to Uganda is one of the easiest ways to explore Uganda’s secrets, most of Uganda’s natural wonders are hosted in very remote areas deep in the village and they can be easily reached when driving your self-car. Uganda is also known as a pearl of Africa due to very many incredible wonders the country houses. Uganda has very many car hire companies renting cars of different types and many has been in operation for over 10 years with experienced staff and well experienced driver who are knowledgeable with each and every part of the country. You can hire a car in Uganda either for self-drive or with a driver depending on your interest. if you are okay with driving in a strange country and having the requirements like a driving permit you are okay to book a self-drive, however if its okay with you to set at the back and leave it to the driver to navigate you through the all safari. However, many of the travelers according to the TripAdvisor prefer using self-drive, as it gives you the freedom to drive on your own pace and you are free to go whenever you feel like and stop at any interesting place. If you book a self-drive with our company Uganda self drive, you are assured of a good and comfortable vehicle that meets your dreams and not only that we go ahead to advise our clients on some of the best places to visit if a client is renting a car for a safari, we hire our cars according to the destination the client is going whether business, safari, function or any other. We create good relationship with our clients before and even after their safaris that’s why we have very many return clients. We offer personal help and fast response to all our clients’ needs. Whether you contact us via email or phone, our reservations team is always ready to help you in any way possible answering to all your inquiries as soon as possible to make sure you get what you want when you want it. If you want to hire a Toyota Rav4 we offer it at usd 45 per day without a driver and usd65 with a driver. It carries up to 4 members and it can navigate the marram road of Uganda with a lot of easy stopping at any interesting places around. However don’t get surprised to hear the local people on the way calling ‘’Muzungu’’, it’s a local word people use to refer to foreigners, and remember that Ugandan people are hospital so you will find many waving at you.

Depending on your safari destination we also have Toyota land cruiser short and long which can carry from 5 to 7 people, for big groups from 7-9 we have a supper custom and a Van and from 20-30 people we do have a coaster for hire with a driver. All our cars are well maintained and can navigate each and every part of the country. Some of Uganda’s incredible attraction include, mountain gorilla safaris in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga forest national park both located in the south western part of Uganda, chimp tracking in kibale national park, wildlife safaris in kidepo valley national park in the north, Queen Elizabeth national park in the south of Uganda, Murchison falls national park in the northeastern, lake Mburo among many others, mountaineering safari to hike Mt. Elgon and Rwenzori , Jinja for white water rafting, visiting the local communities among others all these places can make your safari to Uganda a memorable one and you can visit each of these places on one safari with the curtsey of our vehicles, a guide is always available to drive you around in case you are not ok with driving in Uganda. Just book your self-drive tip with us everything will be kawa for you and you will have a most breathtaking safari ever since before. Don’t forget to send us an inquiry on info@ugandaselfdrive.com we will get back to you swiftly

Self Drive Tips : Cars To Book On A Safari In Uganda.

When going for a safari to either Uganda or Rwanda, one needs to decide which type of car he/she wants to use. In most cases tourists ask us this question when they inquire for their safaris to either Uganda or Rwanda or even both and we go on and advice. But it’s always a good practice to make your own choice so that you can have the best experience on the safari without any inconveniences related to the car used. Choosing the type of car to hire depends on what type tourism activity you are going to do and the number of people you are travelling with. Sometimes clients inquire with us and they want small cars yet they are many in number. We always advise them to go for bigger cars like vans which can accommodate their number. It’s always good to travel with a classic touch and freedom other than travelling while congested in a small car. Small cars like saloons and small Benz’s are suitable to use if clients are 2 or 3 but not more than that as it would mean to squeeze yourself which is not good.

The distance to be travelled and the destination that you want to go to is also important while selecting the type 0f car to hire in Uganda. If you know that you are travelling for longer distances and to places which are challenging with undulating topologies and hills, then the best type of car to hire is that with a 4×4 wheel drive system. This is because 4×4 cars can penetrate through muddy roads and hills without any problem and without getting stuck. Sometimes people make wrong choices and they go with cars which are not full time 4×4 and they end up getting stuck in muddy roads forcing them to hire another towing car to remove them from the mud. This is bad as it leads to increase in the expenses. The only way to avoid this is by hiring a 4×4 wheel drive car which cannot easily get stuck in such conditions.

It should be noted that both Uganda and Rwanda have some places with bad roads and this is common in national parks especially in Uganda where there are animals to be viewed. Such parks require 4×4 cars for a game drive experience .safari vehicles like 4×4 land cruisers with a popup roof are the best cars to use for a successful game drive. In case one needs to go for a town-running (driving around the town) then he/she can book these other cars which have no 4×4 system because roads in all urban places kin both Uganda and Rwanda are in good conditions and no threat is imposed to the user.

When you book with us we always ask you what you intend to use the car for and we give advice when it comes to choosing the type of car to use. Some clients seem to be complicated and ignore our advise because they think roads in Uganda and Rwanda are like those in their home countries and they end up making mistakes which are regrettable. And at the end of their safari they regret why they ignored our advice.

In conclusion, you should always put in mind two factor before selecting which type of car to use and that is;- the destination you are going to and the number of people you are travelling with.

Keeping Healthy While Traveling with Food Alergies & Intolerances

Travelling to different countries entails discovering the other part of the world that your country never offers and the difference in these countries you head to. You probably are used to the foods you have back home and yes some strange foods in other countries may not be good to your health. However on the other hand, some foreign foods are worth a try that is a trick of adventure.

When travelling to Uganda, whether on self drive car rental or guided trips, keeping our clients healthy during their trip is a priority at Auto Rental Uganda, but as you know safety comes first you keep yourself safe as we do our best on keeping it up. Most of the people from western countries are either Vegans, vegetarians’ or both which is not the case here in Uganda. We mix all the foods and eat it at the same time. Have you tried the African traditional LUWOMBO with Auto Rental Uganda? I would definitely say you are missing out something about the real Uganda

Good thing to do you should inform your service provider about your diet and how you want it to be. We may be able to eat all the beef, sea food and veggies but we still consider people’s choice and command and if someone does not take it we take the liberty to give you that choice  that perfectly suites you.

Beef is the delicacy in Uganda. You find it in most restaurants you go. Mixed in different soups, dried, BBq and snacks, chicken, nuts, beans and veggies are the most seen soups in restaurants.

Our team are trained in how to shop and cook for those travelling with food allergies or intolerances. Just in case you go camping alone, packing some food that stays longer is a great idea however Uganda is gifted with lots of fresh food that you absolutely can buy along the way. Who on an adventure wouldn’t love interacting with the food sellers and visit the markets? Wouldn’t that be an added advantage to go shopping in the markets? Alternatively you can buy everything you need for camping and you don’t need to stop shopping. It will save you time but you definitely will miss something interesting about these African markets. Talk to our Uganda car rental reservation team and they will push to help you with the shopping in and around the malls and markets so you be set on your self-drive in Uganda or guided tour.

Here’s  some facts to follow when shopping.

1. If in doubt about what is stated on a label DO NOT buy or use it
2. Wherever possible avoid local restaurants even if there clearly menu items that meet the dietary requirements due to cross contamination issues. Use specific restaurants recommended to you. You can make special orders just if you’re allergic and can have the exact meal for you.
3. When shopping and buying food products always ask if something has gluten or any other thing you may or may not want. Alternatively read carefully on the food packs.
4. Keep it fresh and unprocessed.  In Uganda we usually eat fresh, try it out and see. Enter the market and buy only fresh food that you can be sure off. Good thing is you find many markets around Uganda as you travel up-countries. And yes, you can use it as an opportunity to visit the local markets which everybody raves about
5. There are certain items that are easily contaminated like jars of jam, mayonnaise, butter, jellies and other spreads.  Make sure you keep them clean for those with allergies and intolerances.

To be on the safe side while camping or eating in restaurants be clear on what you want, or ask for assistance on shopping before you start your trip. One of our team members at Auto Rental Uganda is more than happy to help you find and shop for just the right food stuffs.

Buying & Fueling a Car on a Self Drive Uganda

In most certain times when you search the internet for self drive car rentals in Uganda, you will absolutely get a huge number of results about car rental agencies, forums and blogs to mention but a few. You probably go ahead and visit each and every result, the car rental agency, browse through the whole site and actually get what you need. Its very un common for some if not all that mention about the fuel for the cars they rent out.

Usually when you go ahead and ask for a quote of car rental in Uganda, you will probably get the quote for the car hire on daily basis and maybe driver guide quote but you would never get a mention about gas refill information. Usually the agencies leave that for you to decide. However this is a very important aspect in regards car rental in Uganda.

The process of gas refuel in Uganda is almost completely different from America or the UK or middle east. Just like most many fuel stations outside Uganda may be using cards or got billed at the end of the month, its completely different here in Uganda. You short of gas, you drive to the gas station, with a pump attendant there, you will order for the amount of fuel you want in terms of shillings and you will get exactly what you ordered.

However the biggest mistake many tourists on a self drive in Uganda make is forget to keep a look at the pump metre as it counts. They also forget that Uganda is a developing country which of course anyone is trying to earn a living even when it means cheating especially when its a foreigner. These pump attendants earn little monies and are paid at the end of the month which isn’t even enough, so if they get an opportunity to make an extra shilling, they will definitely do.

Very much recommendable that whenever you stop at a gas station, don’t ‘bossy’ around and stay sitted in the drivers seat, get out and get closer to the pump or lower the behind mirror and observe the meter starts counting from zero or the pump was reset otherwise you will fall a victim of cheat.

There are probably thousands of gas stations in Kampala, for each and every corner of the town you will probably get a fuel station which calls for a reasonable price per litre in around Kampala. Usually recommended if you plan a self drive car hire in Uganda, get the first full tank in Kampala, and if you are taking a vehicle with a reserve tank, make use of the reserve tank as this will help you upcountry and you will be in for a big save on gas with your car hire in Uganda.

The price of fuel in Uganda varies from town to town, from one gas station to the other. Here you have to take a closer look so to get a good price by comparing. Expect between $1 and $2 per litre. Its more expensive upcountry than in towns close to Kampala. A small rav4 recommendable for self drive will take you between 650-700kms depending on the nature of driving and the terrain. Maintain an average acceleration to save enough gas with this SUV full time 4W car.

When you are upcountry, try as much as possible to always keep the gas to full tank and not refuel when you have a little distance to finalize your trip. Make sure you do right calculations about the distance remaining and the fuel needed.

There are also very many brands of gas stations in Uganda owned privately by individuals with different gas prices. There is no government intervention in the gas prices in Uganda.

The most recommended gas stations are the French owned Total and the shell gas stations. These gas stations and a few others have good quality gas for your self drive car hire in Uganda. Other gas stations are good as well but others are not that will give you bad fuel and could damage the car engine.

And should you be on a self drive safari in Uganda, make sure you service the car at the recommended gas stations by your car rental agency in Uganda.

Read much about how to save on gas so you can have an incredible self drive safari in Uganda.