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Best 5 Rental Cars in Uganda

Uganda is one of the most stunning destinations in Africa and it is amazing place to explore in a comfortable rental car. In your rental car, a Uganda safari involves exploring the country’s magical destinations, landscapes and you get a chance to engage in a number of exciting activities.

Rental cars are the best option travelers can get to the remotest part of Uganda to spend their holiday. Most of the national park, reserves and many leading tourist sites in Uganda are found far from Kampala city center. Most parks are found in western Uganda as opposed to Eastern region but each region has some unique for you to explore.

Considering the nature of the routes that connect up to the remotest destinations, a well-serviced Uganda car rental should be a must-book. We have variety of rental cars that are suitable for all kinds of trips whether self-drive or guided. They are perfect as they are capable of navigating through all kinds of terrains.

Our fleet ranges from saloon car rentals suitable for special events, airport transfers and comfortable 4×4 safari cars including Safari Vans, Toyota Land Cruisers, Nissan Patrol, Toyota Super Custom, Toyota Rav4. Today, we bring you the best 5 rental cars in Uganda for your road trip this coming holiday.

Toyota Rav4

4×4 Toyota Rav4 cars are among the most famous rental cars suitable for small groups, city tours, family tours, self-drive safaris, business trips. They are the best among the SUVs rentals and they are a preferred choice for most travelers due to their economic consumption rate when it comes to fuel unlike other rental cars. We have a fulltime 4WD Toyota Rav4 for hire with capacity of 4pax, adequate room for relaxing the legs and to pack luggage.

Safari Van

Safari Vans also famously called Mini Vans are available in fulltime 4×4 wheel drive and can be rented by budget group visitors on Uganda safari. They are available with capacity of 7 to 9pax with adequate room, comfortable seats, air conditioner.

Super Custom

Toyota Super Custom is an ideal rental car for family tours, small group travelers on Uganda safari. It is available in fulltime 4×4 wheel drive and suitable for business, wedding, introductions, conferences, guided safaris in the parks and others. We have comfortable Super Customs for hire with pop-roof for you to enjoy clear view of wildlife.

Safari Land Cruiser

If it is a group tour you plan to embark on your next holiday in Uganda then hiring a Safari Land Cruiser is the wisest decision you can made. We have fulltime 4WD Safari Land Cruisers extended with capacity of 7-9pax, enough space, air conditioners, pop-roof for your excellent game viewing in the savannas.

Land Cruiser TX

Land Cruiser Tx is a preferred choice among rental cars especially by travelers on group tours, family safaris. This is available with capacity of 5pax, adequate room for cargo, capability to navigate through the remote side of the country with no tarmac routes.

How Safe Is Gorilla Trekking In Uganda

When planning a gorilla safari, your safety matters a lot just like taking part in any other safari activity in Africa or another part of the world. Meaning prior to embarking on a gorilla tour to Uganda, two significant questions must be put into consideration, you need to find out how safe is the gorilla destination you intend to visit and secondly, know how safe is the gorilla trek itself.

Gorilla trekking is only conducted within Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC. Looking at the safety and security of these destinations, Uganda and Rwanda are preferably the safest compared to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as it is still recovering from political unrest. Uganda and Rwanda have enjoyed peace for a long and most of the destinations where treks are conducted are safe. Gorilla treks in Uganda are done within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park while in Rwanda, you can take part in this adventure in Volcanoes National Park.

The interesting part of it is that the respective park officials are always conscientious of any dangers like human guerillas at the national parks. In DRC for instance, other security organs plus the UN Peacekeepers have been employed to help in security matters within the Virunga National Park. Whereas the park guides and tour operators are always informed about insecurities and in case of anything, visitors are updated about it and this includes all respective wildlife authorities in Uganda-it is Uganda Wildlife Authority; in Rwanda-the Rwandan Office for Tourism and National Park; and the Institut Congolais pour le Conservation de la Nature for DRC and police departments are updated as soon as any danger arises. However, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and the Volcanoes National Park are regarded as the safest destinations for gorilla trekking. Besides, even safari lodges do provide security to their visitors.

Unlike other wildlife safari experiences in Africa, gorilla trekking trekkers have the opportunity to get close to these magnificent creatures while in their natural habitat. Before embarking on the actual trek, you are briefed on safety precautions that must be observed at all times while you are in the jungles in search of these apes.  These dos and don’ts include among others maintaining a distance of 7 meters away from gorillas, keeping down your voices low, and others. These measures help reduce panic and nervousness in you and prepare you for the magical encounters with these dramatic apes without being frightened.

Besides, visitors are accompanied by one well-trained and experienced park ranger guide with AK 47 gun just for your safety while in the jungles tracking to see the mountain gorillas. At the park headquarters, you are grouped into eight people to track one habituated gorilla group and each group is assigned a park ranger guide. What is amazing is that these creatures have been habituated and they are used to human presence. However, they can be dangerous once they are irritated by behavior that may cause harm to you.

Interestingly, your park ranger guide will always be reminding you to maintain a distance of 7 meters from these apes, not to eat, smoke, or drink while with the mountain gorillas, do not litter the habitat, avoid body contact with the Great apes, do not use flashlight cameras while taking the photo, if your camera has a flashlight camera you are advised to turn it off among many other set rules and regulations that you are required to observe while in the jungles in search of these fascinating primates.

By observing such set measures, higher chances are that there will be fewer cases or no hostile behaviors that you will encounter with these Great Apes. Mountain gorillas are generally humble, gentle, and intelligent and trekkers take part in gorilla trekking in only habituated gorilla families. Usually, habituation exercise lasts for about 2 years for these primates to get used to human presence in the wild, and after, a group is opened for tourism.

Home Stays in Uganda

Do you want to experience something more authentic in Uganda than a hotel or lodge? Introducing holiday home stays in Uganda. Opting for a village stay even for a short time of your visit to Uganda will give you a chance to learn about the foundation of life and traditional culture of Uganda.  One of the visitors on a safari to Uganda has discovered the ancient Batwa forest inhabitants and their heritage legacy of rock paintings, ancient caves older than the Egyptian pyramids.

Why go for a home stay in Uganda

Home stays not only interaction with local people, but also has put tourism business in the hands of the local people along with earning the local Uganda shillings and US dollars if organized.

A home stay may range from one day to three days and also longer visitor stays can be arranged. Not all home stays have experienced visitors but we carefully select, along with a guide the most sufficient to carter for basic tourist needs.

Best Places for Homestay in Uganda

Here are some of the best places where you can experience a homestay and experience the Ugandan culture during your holiday in Uganda

Entanda Cultural Centre

The community based tourism initiative since 1998 has helped set up numerous home stay projects around Uganda, offering home stays on one of the seven hills of Kampala city Buganda kingdom in the central to the ancient BaTwa people and school children in southwest.

Home stays in Uganda’s National Parks

Staying in a Uganda’s national park for a wildlife experience is fantastic, but choosing to stay in village homes is more of authentic cultural experiences. It’s also very educative to lighten your mind with various traditions of cooking, millet grinding, cow milking, and traditional churning of fermented milk for ghee, folk lore, African poetry, weaving and craft making.

Nshenyi Cultural Village

Nshenyi cultural village near Mbarara town offers a typical Ankole culture and traditions of farming and cattle keeping. In the west near Fort Portal town is the Mpora Rural family home. Near Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in kisoro and kabale, are Tom’s home stay, BaTwa homestead. All these can be accessed on a safari to Uganda.

The 5 Things to Keep Away from on Uganda self drive

The car hire companies have been arranging self drive holiday trips in Uganda for many years and this means that they are so keen when it comes to self drives in Uganda. Below are the tips about what to avoid on a self drive safari in Uganda.

Always avoid too much driving

People usually plan to drive to far in only one day and some plan a frantic trip which has them driving too far and away so often. This also doesn’t mean that it’s not possible, this makes you more tired and you should avoid it when on a self drive tour n Uganda. Have more stops in towns so as to know the region you are in and relax since it’s a holiday.
Choosing a car rental in Uganda which is unsuitable because it’s cheaper; In case you are planning on having a vacation in Uganda when self driving, you are advised to hire a 4×4 safari vehicle like the Toyota RAV 4, Toyota land cruiser and this is the best for all the kinds of terrain in Uganda. For the low season months in Uganda, we recommend a 4×4 for extra peace of mind.

Wanting to be more adventurous than you should be, in Uganda, most of the roads are tarmac but there are those that are gravel back roads, especially in the safari areas. The roads vary from being good but some are so tiring to drive than the tarmac roads. In case you don’t have enough experience of driving on these roads, do get scared but these offer a good African massage as you drive through the bumpy roads. In case you get a break down in remote areas, your car will be replaced with another from the nearby depot which could take a few hours. You need to have some knowledge of changing a wheel and need to be with enough water and food.

Not knowing your next direction

In case you are planning more great adventures of a self drive holiday in Uganda, you need to be prepared. The GPS in the car might not be working, you need therefore to have a good road atlas or directions and know exactly where you are going. Tour operators in Uganda can help in providing the necessary information about the directions to specific tourist destinations. More so, you can always ask the locals for the right directions.

Driving after dark time

This also means that when planning yourself drive in Uganda, you need to need to be at your overnight stay destination by afternoon. Driving after dark is so risky and takes time on the road as you drive slowly with the unfamiliar roads. You can even find it hard to get lodge or a hotel for an overnight stay as the road signs and land marks are not clear. Always find time to communicate to the hotel and inform them about your time of arrival.

Where To Stay On a Gorilla Tour in Uganda

Planning a gorilla safari in Uganda? Are you still wondering where to stay? The pearl of Africa is among the few countries which host the rear mountain gorillas in the world. With almost half of the world’s great apes, mountain gorillas are the leading tourist attractions of the country. Many tourists leave their home countries to the western part of Uganda so as to spend some time with the close relatives of men. Since most tourists visit the country for the great apes, in this article, we are to show you the best hotels to stay at on a gorilla safari. Uganda has many exceptional gorilla lodges for trekkers to spend a night before or after trekking mountain gorillas. They are available in and around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park in southwestern Uganda. They range from budget to luxury.

Budget options

Broadbill Forest Camp

Broadbill Forest Camp is a perfect budget lodging option in Bwindi National Park set for trekkers who wish to trek mountain gorilla families like Oruzogo, Bitukura, Mukiza, and Kyaguriro in the Ruhija sector. This camp is set in the Ruhija region in eastern Bwindi National Park, southwestern Uganda.  It consists of 4 tents, self-contained with provision for twin, double and single rooming option. There is a restaurant for you to have the best meal, a well-stock bar, fireplace.

Buhoma Community Rest Camp

At Buhoma sector, Buhoma Community Rest Camp is one of the best budget accommodation alternatives you can take up for your night stay. It is managed by the local community, consisting of 6 en-suite safari tents, 3 en-suite cottages, 2 non-self-contained twin cottage Bandas and campsites. The Bandas are built using local materials while its camp bedding ranges from single, twin, triple to double. It features mosquito nets, laundry services, parking lot, shower facilities, restaurant, bar to mention but a few.

Wagtail Eco Safari Camp

Wagtail Eco Safari Camp is in Rubuguri town south of Bwindi National Park. It is a perfect choice for trekkers who would like to track gorilla families such as Mishaya, Kutu, Rwingi, Mucunguzi, Bweza, Busingye, Nshongi, and Kahungye in the Rushaga sector and also Nkuringo gorilla families-Nkuringo gorilla family, Christmas and Bushaho.

Luxury accommodation options  

Mount Gahinga Lodge

Mount Gahinga Lodge is one incredible luxury gorilla safari lodge set just at the entrance to Mgahinga National Park. It is an ideal option for visitors on gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking. This lodge features a central fireplace, terrace, sunroom, Bandas, comfortable rooms with en-suite bathrooms, showers, flush toilet; restaurant, bar, solar power, and others.

Buhoma Lodge

Buhoma Lodge is found in the Buhoma region, the northern sector of Bwindi National Park. It is a perfect accommodation option for visitors who wish to track gorilla families like Katwe, Mubare, Rushegura, and Habinyanja. This lodge consists of 10 cozy cottages, a well-stocked bar, restaurant, solar power, well-equipped beds among other amenities.

Chameleon Hill Lodge

Chameleon Hill Lodge is a luxury lodge that is set along the shores of Lake Mutanda. While here, you get breathtaking views of the scenic Lake Mutanda, the Virunga Volcanoes, and Bwindi National Park. Its strategic location in Rushaga allows you to trek gorilla groups like Kutu, Mucunguzi, Rwingi, Mishaya, Nshongi, Busingye, Kahungye, Bweza as well as Nkuringo.

Other luxury gorilla safari accommodation options in Bwindi National Park include Clouds Mount Gorilla Lodge, Mahogany Springs Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Volcanoes Safari Bwindi Lodge.

Midrange lodges

Mucha Hotel Kisoro

Mucha Hotel Kisoro is an exceptional mid-range establishment that is ideal for night stay for visitors on safari in Mgahinga National Park. This accommodation option is 6kms away from Kisoro Town and a stay here gets you the breathtaking views of volcanoes and River Mucha. It consists of 10 en-suite bedrooms including single, double, and twins.

Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge is a new gorilla establishment in the Rushaga area of Bwindi National Park. It is a perfect mid-range gorilla safari lodge with 10 minutes walk away from Rushaga gate of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. While here, you enjoy breathtaking views of the lush Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

This gorilla safari lodge comprises standard rooms including single, double, and or twin rooms; parking area, and standard restaurant. The lodge also has a robin chat cottage that is reachable from the restaurant and bar with stunning views of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It has 9 self-contained cottages for both family and other tourists. It is a perfect choice for trekkers to explore gorilla families like Mishaya, Busingye, Kahungye, Nshongi, Bweza, Rwigi, Kutu, Mucunguzi.

GORILLA VALLEY LODGE

Gorilla Valley Lodge is in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, southwestern Uganda. It is a perfect midrange accommodation choice in the Rushaga area of Bwindi National Park with a chance to trek gorilla families like Kutu, Mucunguzi, Busingye, Kahungye, Rwigi, Bikingi, Bweza, Mishaya, and others. It consists of 12 rooms, luxurious private bathrooms, a dining area, toilets and offers an ideal area for visitors on gorilla adventure in Bwindi National Park.

It features a classic restaurant with a fully stocked bar for you to have a delicious meal and cold drinks. You can have the best of international buffets and world-class service.

Other midrange gorilla lodges include Gorilla valley lodge in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi, Nkuringo gorilla camp, Travelers’ Rest Hotel Kisoro, Clouds Mount Gorilla Lodge, Silverback lodge Bwindi, Eco marvels gorilla resort, Engagi lodge, Lake Kitandara Bwindi camp.

Why You Need to Drive Slowly on Uganda Roads

Individuals often seem to give in to impatience or absent-minded speediness when behind the wheel of an automobile. If you’ve decided to drive more slowly, whether for road conditions, enforcement, safety in general, or for better fuel economy, here is how to go about it in Uganda. With the growing trend on renting 4×4 cars in Uganda for road tripping, it is very important to be in the know of how you can travel around Uganda easily.

Allow ample time to get where you are going. Forget preparation time. If punctuality is critical, aim to arrive ten to fifteen minutes early, or more. This extra time will allow for unforeseen circumstances, and if you do arrive early, it will give you time to collect yourself and your belongings before proceeding.

Assess conditions that might make faster driving hazardous. Driving slowly makes it easier to stop if roads are slippery, and gives you more response time if visibility is reduced. Think about the many times a person involved in an accident mentions that they were “doing the speed limit” as if that should have prevented it. The reality is that the speed limit is a guide for normal conditions and does not account for less safe driving conditions.

Practice accelerating and decelerating gently and gradually. Press the pedal lightly and your moves will be gradual. This will save on fuel, improve traction in slippery conditions, and help you maintain a slower overall speed.

Except in poor driving conditions, do not accelerate very slowly – keep up with traffic overall, at least the slower or more carefully driven vehicles like trucks and minivans. Accelerating too slowly leaves you in potentially dangerous areas such as intersections for periods unexpectedly long to others, can cause dangerous speed mismatches in merges, and can otherwise interfere with traffic patterns.

Braking gently saves wear on the brakes and it is less likely to cause you to skid. To brake gently, leave additional space between you and the car in front of you, and anticipate upcoming braking, such as corners, stoplights, and slow traffic ahead. Driving slowly helps maintain that space and gives you more time to react.

Be patient. It’s neither a race nor a time for zoning out. The objective is to get where you are going safely, staying alert and in control.

If you feel as though driving is a waste of time and you find yourself speeding just because you want to get the drive over with, see if you can reduce your commute -try driving earlier or later than usual when traffic lessens, or take public transportation.

Drive the speed of traffic, provided it is safe for conditions. As noted earlier, the speed limits themselves do not indicate the perfect speed for poor conditions and you’ll need to use your common sense for that. However, if the traffic speed is reasonable and is setting a comfortable pace, this can be a soothing and safe speed for driving and can help remove your desire to drive too fast. If your speed tends to inch up when you’re not paying attention, follow behind someone who is going a suitable, even speed. Keep a generous, constant distance.

Give others the space to pass. If the road you’re travelling has more than one lane in each direction, be courteous and use the lane going closest to your speed. If a narrower road has turnouts, use them to let anyone travelling faster behind you pass. You’ll know because they’ll be almost tailgating you!

If a narrow road does not have turnouts, find somewhere safe to stop, perhaps every fifteen to thirty minutes, to allow other cars to pass if you’re driving very slowly or many vehicles are accumulating behind you.

Use lower gears and let the engine slow the car when descending longer hills. This is easier on your brakes and it gives you more control.

Time traffic lights correctly.

A series of traffic lights, such as on a city street, is generally timed so that a batch of cars can travel through at about the speed limit. The best way to drive through these, where your abilities and traffic allow, is to accelerate promptly from any stop to the speed limit and to continue at that speed–no faster.

Please note that Uganda has got rules and regulations to follow on the road. There is no offense if you drive slowly but you will fall victim if you over speed on the Ugandan roads. Please be careful!