Uganda is one of the African countries where travelers can enjoy a self drive holiday! This amazing country located in the heart of Africa is a primates capital and almost every adventure seeker or thrill seeker wish to visit! There are lots of adventurous activities which travelers enjoy in this Pearl of Africa. These include sightseeing, game drives, gorilla trekking, primates tracking, forest walk, boat trips, birding and also spending overnights in tents and lodges deep in the remote areas giving you a true experience on an African safari particularly Uganda.
Most of Uganda’s most popular tourism attractions are located in the remote destinations which require most often a guided tour! If you are looking to travel independently you may need a well experienced driver and trained guide! However a new option to travel independently is taking a self drive in Uganda – you can craft your own itinerary, make bookings or go camping and hit the road to adventure Uganda on your own!
Traveling through Uganda requires use of a good well serviced 4×4 vehicles that can handle the tough roads of remote villages and parks. If you are not well serviced with creating your own road trip itinerary, you can use the service of a car rental agency that can organize for you a full package and make all the bookings you need.This therefore means that you do not need to just hire a car from any rental you find! You need to use a car rental service well versed with creating self drive tours in Uganda and there are a few agencies such as Uganda Self Drive, U Drive Uganda that have diverse experience in customizing a road trip adventure based on client needs. When you book a rental car with any of these you will enjoy a memorable safari experience through the places you will visit. They will advise on the convenient stopovers, where to stay, how many days you need to spend in a destination and more.
Best Places to Visit on a Self Drive Holiday
Uganda has a network of ten national parks and several wildlife reserves that can be visited on a safari in Uganda. Most of the visited Ugandan parks are located in the south-western part of Uganda. These include Kibale forest national park the best place to track chimpanzees in Africa, Bwindi national park well known for gorilla tracking, Lake Mburo national park, Semuliki National Park, Lake Bunyonyi, Mgahinga Forest National park, Queen Elizabeth N.P.
Within the northern part of the country lies Kidepo Valley National Park one of the most amazing parks of uganda. Today many travelers are starting the park that was not easily accessible for many years.
The Murchison falls national park in the North Eastern part of Uganda is another rewarding park for sightseeing, game viewing and boat cruises along the Mighty River Nile.
All these Uganda parks alongside other attractions in the remote areas can be well explored in one of these two customized 4×4 safari cars.
Best Cars for Self Drive Adventures & Road Trips in Uganda
In order to have the wonderful road trip, you are recommended to choose the right car that suits your budget plus the number of people you’re traveling.
Toyota RAV 4
This is the most common and affordable car for hire on a self drive holidau in Uganda. It is recommended for one or two travelers a Toyota Rav 4 is good, however the most suitable include a safari minivan and a safari land cruiser.
Price: The rates vary from USD45 to USD60 depending on where you are planning to go and the number of days you wish to use the car.
Safari Mini Vans or Omnibus
For a successful safari, you need to choose the right vehicle that suits the number of people you’re traveling with.A safari van is very suitable especially for a big group from 7-10 people including a driver. These cars always have a popup roof which provide shade from hot and rain but also suitable when doing a game drive in the parks given that you can easily see and take photography of animals which are very far.
Given that you traveling at times along dusty roads, renting a car with an air conditioner will offer you great comfort during your trip.
Also worthy noting is that you need a car with adequate seat row space with a good space for baggage or luggage.
Prices: The price for the safari mini bus in Uganda ranges from 90 to 120 per day but exclude gas/fuel.
Toyota Safari Land Cruiser
Another vehicle suitable for a Uganda safari is a Toyota safari land cruiser. This car can accommodate about 8 people including a driver. It’s very comfortable and suitable for rough roads and camping safaris. Most times land cruisers are well equipped with an air-conditioner, in built fridge, pop-up roof. There are also First Aid kit, 2 spare tires and have good space for luggage.
The 35 inch big tires allow this car to navigate muddy murram roads in the villages plus tough terrain of the parks; it can reach each every corner of Uganda including crossing borders. Hiring this car can go to USD 170 per day with a driver or at USD 250 per day without a driver and this price excludes fuel.
Whether you want to rent a car with a driver or without, it is easy to find a car that will suit your needs. Just check out our list of car rental agencies offering a good choice at a very fare and friendly price.