Self Drive Uganda offers the most affordable, reliable and trusted cheap 4×4 Uganda car hire. We offer a wide range of comfortable cars for hire in Uganda ranging from 4×4 station wagons, Saloon cars to Mini-buses and Coaster Vans. All these cars help when visiting Uganda since they can handle rough roads within National Parks.
Uganda has been described as the ‘Pearl of Africa’ because of its natural beauty and charm. The landlocked country is home to a diverse array of ecosystems which are fascinating to explore and, untouched and wild, they are stunning to behold.
The undoubted main attraction has to be the mountain gorillas for which Uganda is renowned. Viewing them up close in their natural habitat is simply awe-inspiring and certainly makes for unforgettable memories.
Here are the best 5 national parks to explore with a rental car in Uganda;
Queen Elizabeth National Park
The popular Queen Elizabeth National Park, named after Queen Elizabeth II of England after her visit in 1952, is one of the top Uganda safaris destinations. It is located in southwestern Uganda and lies astride the Equator. Queen Elizabeth National Park is like a sample platter of Africa. You can try a little of everything African here with diverse habitats and exotic wildlife.
Wetlands, forests and savanna grasslands offer ample opportunities to see the likes of elephants, leopards, hippos, chimpanzees, giraffes, and the tree-climbing lion. There are various safaris, lake cruises, and even hot air balloon tours available here for you to explore this amazing area. The bird species to look out for include, African mourning dove, Swamp flycatcher, Grey headed kingfisher, pin-tailed whydah, slender-tailed nightjar and collared pratincole.
Other Activities include; Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel, Nature Walks, Community Walks & Cultural Experience.
Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is located in southwestern Uganda and is the smallest of the savannah national parks in Uganda. It measures 260km2 in size and lies at an altitude of 1220m-1828m above sea level. It is the closest park to Kampala only 3 hours (228km) away from the city. It is the only park containing an entire lake and the only home of the Impala in Uganda. In spite of the small size, the park is one of the must visit Uganda safaris destination and is great for walking safaris, bird watching tours and photography tours.
Lake Mburo national park is home to over 68 mammal species that can easily be seen on the various trucks for game drives; Impala (only found here in Uganda), Topi, Eland, Zebras, Defassa waterbuck, buffaloes, hyenas and leopards and an only Lion. Crocodiles, monitor lizards, and Hippos are commonly sighted in Lake Mburo National Park while on boat safari.
The park is home to 315 bird species which include Crested Francolin, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Barefaced Go-away bird, Red necked Spur, common Quails, Black-billed Barbet, Greenwood Hoopoe, Blue-napped Mouse bird.
Other activities include; Boat safaris, Horseback safaris, Nature walks, Cultural experience and Sport fishing.
Kidepo Valley National Park
The remote Kidepo National Park is one of Uganda’s most spectacular and remote parks tucked in the northeastern corner bordering Kenya and South Sudan. The park covers an area of 1,442 square kilometers and has an altitude ranging between 914m and 2750m. Kidepo Valley harbors scenery that is not in any other parks in East Africa.
The park boasts of 77 species of mammals including; Elephants, Rothschild’s giraffe, Burshell’s Zebra, Oribi, Klipspringer, Bohor Reedbuck, Eland, Hartebeest, Lion, Hyena and Cheetah, Leopard, striped jackals and perhaps Africa’s largest single herd of Cape buffalo.
The park is rich in birdlife with 465 bird species some of which are only in Kidepo valley national park and the Karamoja region in Uganda. The birds to look out for include; Ostrich, Secretary bird, little green bee-eater, Kori bustard, Pygmy falcon and Karamoja Apalis. Other activities include; Nature walks and Community walks.
Semuliki National Park
The little known Semuliki National Park protects an extension of the Ituri forest in the Democratic republic of Congo. It is located in western Uganda on the floor of the Rwenzori Mountains. It is the only tract of true low land tropical forest in East Africa.
After watching the boiling hot springs blast off into a steamy spray, you can hike through the forest. The forest is home to 53 mammals which include; forest elephants, buffaloes, Hippos and Crocodiles along the Semuliki River and several primates Chimpanzee, red-cheeked mangabey, Central African red colobus and many reptiles and amphibians. 11 of the mammals are endemic to the park, pygmy flying squirrel, Beecroft’s flying squirrel, water chevrotain, target rat, little collared fruit bat, bay duiker, forest buffalo, Mona monkey.
Semuliki has a spectacular birdlife with a record of 441 species recorded. The riverine habitat and grassland provide a safe haven for birds to live. Semuliki national park has 46 Guinea-Congo biome species, which are found only here in East Africa. The species to look out include, African Piculet, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Blue-billed Malimbe, Yellow-throated Nicator, Black Dwarf Hornbill, Nkulengu Rail, Piping Hornbill, blue-billed malimbe. Other activities include; Community walks.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park at 3840km2 is the largest park in Uganda and is named after the Murchison falls where the mighty river Nile is forced through a narrow gorge of 7m into the ‘Devils Cauldron’ creating an ever present rainbow. Samuel Baker the explorer considered the Murchison falls as “the most important object of the entire course of the river” named the waterfall in 1864.
Here, you can witness enormous waters bursting through a narrow gorge before crashing in powerful, roaring cascades.
Animals are often seen while on a boat safari and during game drives in the park. The more common animals often seen in Murchison Falls National Park are; Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, Bushbucks, Jacksons Hartebeests, Oribi, waterbucks and warthogs to mentions but a few.
The big cats of Leopards and Lions have higher chances of being seen when you early morning for a game drive before the sun is too much to force then into hiding. It is also home to several primates including Baboons, Patas monkeys, Blue monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys and Black-and-white Colobus monkeys and Chimpanzees are found in the forested area of Kaniyo Pabidi which is part of Budongo forest.
You will enjoy the waterbirds when you take a boat safari towards the delta or towards the Murchison falls. Some bird species found here include; the elusive Shoebill, Swamp flycatcher, papyrus Gonolek, Goliath Heron, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Northern red bishop, Squacco heron, Red-throated Bee-eater and African-Quail Finch.
In conclusion, whether you’re within the city centre or headed up country, you’ll get to your destinations faster with Rent a car Uganda. If you’re visiting any of the tourist attractions in Uganda, Rent a 4×4 Car Uganda can help find your way.
