Self-Drive Safaris In Uganda
Going on a self-guided tour means that you will have a provided itinerary but will travel by yourself. Some self-drive tours might also include such amenities as accommodation or vehicles. The locals that travel the route themselves and take notes make the itineraries. Then they share this knowledge with you. For example, they might create the track on Google maps. Then, when you book the tour, you will be sent the map.
Self-drive tours can be very various. Some only include clean, paved roads. Others might seem like off‑roading since there might be many dirt roads. They might feel like a safari drive. When you choose a tour, the organizers will state what kind of roads there are and what type of car you need. Some tours with good roads are fine for all vehicles. Others might have dirt roads, which require better cars to get through them successfully, such as SUVs and 4×4 vehicles.
Vibrant Holiday Safaris brings you information and facts you should know about a self-drive safari in Uganda.
Advantages of a self-drive tour
Cost-effectiveness. The usual group tours are expensive: you pay for the transport, for the guide, for the services, etc. While you have to take into account the cost of fuel during self-drive tours, they are still much cheaper.
Flexibility. When you are traveling with an organized tour, you have to keep to a strict schedule. On the other hand, when you are the one driving, there are no deadlines. If you want to get up earlier or later, you can. If you wish to stay longer for lunch, you can. Bad weather on the day you planned to set off? No worries: you can put off the trip for another day.
Freedom and independence. It’s similar to flexibility: you can also decide which way to go or what objects to visit. And while you are not traveling completely independently because you have the route planned for you, you will still get that feeling of independence. You are traveling by yourself, after all!
Sense of achievement. Although you have an itinerary, you will still be navigating and traveling by yourself. And once you complete the tour, you can be proud of your accomplishment!
Chance to explore the local culture. Self-guided tours allow you to visit not only famous sights but also little gems off the beaten track. Moreover, you will have opportunities to interact with locals on a self-drive tour: you will not be surrounded by fellow tourists like on group tours.
Tips when choosing a tour
Self-drive tours are not unsafe, but you should still be careful. There will not be a guide to help you beside you as you will be navigating by yourself. So take all precautions. Here are some tips for a safe self-drive tour.
Make sure your car will manage. Some self-guided tours might include unpaved dirt roads, which might be too difficult to handle for a small vehicle. Also, when planning to go on such routes, ensure you know who to call or contact if you get stuck or need help.
Check your insurance. Accidents are rare if you drive safely, but they happen. So make sure you have insurance on this trip: call your agent if needed. Some agencies organizing these tours might also offer insurance.
Rest before the trip. If you choose a specific self-drive tour, you might have to travel to a particular location to start. Try not to make a big trip before the start: better spend the night somewhere close. Self-guidedtours can be tough. Tiredness will not only make them less enjoyable but also dangerous.
Self-drive obstacles you might come across on your unguided self-drive
Watch out for other drivers
Aside from unexpected potholes, the main hazard on Ugandan roads is other drivers. Minibus-taxi drivers, in particular, have long been given to overtaking on blind corners, and speed limits are universally ignored except when enforced by road conditions.
As significant a threat as minibus-taxis these days are the spanking new coaches that bully their way along highway routes at up to 120km/h — keep an eye in your rear-view mirror and, if necessary, pull off the road in advance to let the loony pass. The coaches are, in reality, just a heavyweight manifestation of a more widespread road-hog mentality that characterizes Ugandan drivers.
Larger vehicles show little compunction when overtaking smaller ones so tightly that they are practically forced off the road. Vehicles passing in the opposite direction will often stray across the central white line forcing oncoming traffic to cut onto the verge.
Bearing the above in mind, a coasting speed of 80km/h on the open road would be comfortable without being over-cautious, and it’s not a bad idea to slow down and cover the brake in the face of oncoming traffic.
In urban situations, particularly downtown Kampala, right of way essentially belongs to those prepared to force the issue. A considered blend of defensive driving tempered by outright assertiveness is required to get through safely without becoming too bogged down in the traffic.
Bikes, walking road users and other obstacles
Other regular obstacles include bicycles laden with banana clusters, which can often force traffic to leave its lane, and livestock and pedestrians wandering around blithely in the middle of the road.
Since the pandemic lockdown, traffic police erect road stops for all vehicles that can appear anywhere on the highway. They place metal spikes that no car can drive over, so make sure you slow down and stop for the police check. Usually, there’s nothing you should be concerned about if you have your driver’s license in order; they will wave you through.
Be aware that piles of foliage placed on the road at a few meter intervals warning of a broken-down vehicle. Local drivers don’t use red warning triangles since thieves usually steal them; however, the triangles are helpful to show at police checks if crossing into Rwanda.
According to local custom, Indicator lights are not only there to signal an intent to turn. But also, they are switched on only in the face of oncoming traffic with the intention of warning following drivers not to attempt to overtake.
Ugandans, like many Africans, display a solid and inexplicable aversion to switching on their headlights except in genuine darkness — switch them on at any other time, and every passing vehicle will blink its lights back at you in bemusement.
In rainy, misty, or twilight conditions, it would be optimistic to think you’ll be alerted to oncoming traffic by headlights. Or, for that matter, to expect the more demented element among Ugandan drivers to avoid overtaking or speeding because they cannot see more than ten meters ahead.
We strongly recommend that you avoid driving on main highways outside towns at night. It is evident that a significant proportion of vehicles either lack a full complement of functional headlights (never assume a single glow indicates a motorcycle) or keep their lights permanently on a full blinding beam!
Another genuine danger is unlit trucks that, invariably overloaded, have broken down in the middle of the road.
Vehicle checks before you hire a self-drive vehicle
If you decide to rent a self-drive car for your trip around Uganda, check it over carefully and ask to take it for a test drive. Even if you’re not knowledgeable about the working of engines, a few minutes on the road should be sufficient to establish whether it has any seriously disturbing creaks, rattles, or other noises.
Check the condition of the tires (bald is beautiful might be the national motto in this regard). Check if there is at least one spare, better two, both in a good condition in case of need. If the tires are tubeless, an inner tube of the correct size can help repair the required upcountry.
Ask for the wheel spanner, jack, and what to raise the jack with. If the vehicle is a high-clearance 4×4, ensure that the jack can lift the wheel high enough to change the wheel. Ask also where filling points for oil, water, and petrol are and check that all the keys do what they should do. Don’t leave the city with a car you’ll later discover can not be locked!
Once on the road trip, check oil and water regularly in the early stages of your Uganda safari journey to ensure no existing leaks.
Self-Drive Safaris In Uganda
Required documents for Self drive Safaris in Uganda
Fuel, documents, and what else?
Fuel is expensive in Uganda, the equivalent of around US$2 per litre for petrol and slightly less for diesel. If you are arriving overland, it is worth stocking up before you enter the country.
Required documentation while self driving in Uganda
- The vehicle registration book (a photocopy is acceptable. It should be a recent one with the most recent vehicle license entry recorded on the back page);
- The vehicle certificate of insurance (traffic offices impose heavy fines for driving an uninsured vehicle), and
- A driving license. Your domestic permit is acceptable for up to three months.
- Despite some loosely on occasions, Ugandans follow the British custom of driving on the left side of the road. The gaffer speed limit on the open road is 80km/h and 30km/h in built-up areas unless otherwise indicated.
However, it is important to note that one has to consult with a local tour operator like Vibrant Holiday Safaris for guidance and information on the self-drive safari in Uganda.
Self-Drive Safaris In Uganda