The self-drive safaris are becoming very popular in Uganda and the car hire companies are increasing in Kampala and the nearby towns like Entebbe, Mbarara, Kabale and Jinja and many others. Driving in Uganda is becoming a challenge due to the old cars, insecurity, poor and narrow roads and many more. The tips below will keep you safe throughout on your expedition of self drive in Uganda.
Always check the car thoroughly before starting your journey. The tyres must be in good conditions and always make sure that the spare tyres are in good shape. And for the long trips, we recommend that you have 2 spare tyres. It’s however worth checking the water level, lights, wiper blades, oil, as well as leakages. The service tag on the car will show you the last date when the car was last serviced. It’s therefore advised to always do a proper check especially when you are going for a long journey.
Avoid driving a night; Most part of the country have go no street lights most especially those going to the main tourist areas and these have got high way robber and it gets so dangerous to travel most especially at Night. So in case you are to move at night, always make sure you have got enough security with you for safety driving.
Always use maps and the GPS; In case you are driving in a foreign country, it’s advisable that you use road map and GPS navigation. The car rental companies in Uganda provide cars with GPS and the road maps at no extra cost.
You should always follow traffic rules and laws; the traffic laws will save you from dangers on the road, always read the road signs, don’t drink and drive and always wear your seat belt and get your passengers to wear their seat belt to avoid the charges and accidents.
Always take breaks, eat and fuel your car; it advisable to always take breaks to refresh, eat, and buy enough supplies as well as fuel. Always remember to refill before leaving big towns because you might not know the distance to the next gas station. You need to know that there are no gas stations in national parks and that means that you need to go to the park with enough fuel.
Always don’t drive when feeling tired; always avoid driving when you feel tired. You can always park and get a rest before proceeding with your colleague if he or she has got a driving permit.
Always take care of the weather changes; the driving speed will change with the weather. Always control your speed when it’s raining because the roads are slippery. The murram roads are the worst yet very dusty with potholes, and so impassable when it rains. That why we recommend a 4×4 Vehicle.
Always pay attention to other road users; the Ugandan roads are so narrow and some without pedestrian walks. Therefore, the drivers should be attentive to observe other road users like the boda boda riders, cyclists, students as well as cattle crossing. Therefore you must mind many other road users.
You must always know the park rules; you must always observe the park rules and regulations for your safety, don’t feed animal, don’t walk alone in the park, always stay inside your tent and don’t keep the items in the tent since animals like the hyenas and lions can always smell it. You will be made to pay ug shs 100,000 for over speeding in the park and $150 for off track driving.
About the mobile Network coverage since some parts of the country don’t have clear network coverage. Therefore you are advised to always have satellite phones.
