Uganda Travel Information- Guide to Self Drive in Uganda

Planning a Uganda Safari tour on Self drive or with Driver? Self drive East Africa is available to help you plan and tailor an adventure to Uganda in Landcruiser.  We believe that a well-informed traveller is a safer traveller. With this in mind, we have compiled an easy to navigate travel information section dedicated to pearl of Africa. we gather advice and up-to-date information on the best-quality guides, new hotels and restaurants, and the most memorable forms of transportation.

This article covers your basic travel information for Uganda including visas, health, safety, weather, currency, when to go, how to get there, and local transport options will help ensure you’re properly prepared for a safe and enjoyable trip.

The only way you could possibly learn more is by embarking on Self Drive Safari in Uganda with reliable Landcruiser jeep that comes with Rooftop Tent.

Self-drive in Uganda is safe and economical as it is known to be one of the safest countries in Africa, and with very friendly people most of who speak good English and Swahili, and has experienced noticeable improvement in all security categories. Self-drive business in could not be in a country that is not safe.

 

REQUIREMENTS WHEN TRAVELING INTO UGANDA

  1. Visa & Passport Requirements

You should apply online and secure your entry visa to Uganda before arrival at Entebbe airport. We do help you to secure the visa at no extra cost once you decide to travel with Self Drive Uganda Limited. Every visitor to Uganda must be in possession of a passport that is valid until six months after the initial date of travel.

  • Tourism
    • Passport copy (bio-data page) with at least 6 months validity
    • Tour plan
    • Travel itinerary / booking
    • Recent Passport-size Photograph
    • Vaccination Certificate (Yellow Fever)
    • Hotel booking or reservation (if any other accommodation, provide an address)
  • Business (meetings, conferences)
    • Passport copy (bio-data page) with at least 6 months validity
    • Letter of invitation with clear address and clearly stating business in Uganda
    • Recent Passport-size Photograph taken in the last 6 months
    • Vaccination Certificate (Yellow Fever)
    • Immigration status of host if individual

Fees: The visas cost USD 50.

  • Visa Fees are non-refundable and all payments are subject to a bank charge.
  • Language; all documents attached should be in English.
  • Other documents may be required during the process
  1. Health

Make sure you get travel insurance since quality health care is not cheap. You can drink the boiled water and drinking water straight from rivers can put you at risk of diseases. Yellow Fever vaccinations are recommended upon entering Uganda to avoid unnecessary inconveniences, Malaria occurs throughout Uganda, and prophylactics are strongly advised in order to avoid infection especially during the rainy season. If you are traveling from a country where Yellow Fever is present you will need to prove you have had the inoculation by presenting a valid international yellow fever inoculation certificate. Both Typhoid, measles and Hepatitis A vaccinations are highly recommended.

  1. Safety

Personal Safety – Crime is only a serious concern in a few specific places, and violent crime against tourists is fairly unusual but you should be careful when changing large amounts of money, make copies of your passport, and keep them in your luggage and just be careful about walking around at night especially in the major cities.

Roads – The roads in Uganda are among the best in East Africa which makes it a good place to rent a car and do some independent sightseeing. Try to avoid driving at night since the roads aren’t well lit and animals tend to venture on to them at will.

  1. Recommended Vehicles
  • Toyota Land cruiser

Land cruisers are one of the most popular vehicles that work on safaris in Uganda. The 4X4 cars take travellers on guided safaris to nature reserves and other tourist destinations around the country. Types of Toyota land cruisers that never go wrong on a safari include the land cruiser 5-seater and land cruiser extended. These cars are designed purposely for such kinds of safaris to wildlife reserves in Uganda. You can as well use the V8 land cruiser and LX land cruiser. They are strong and perfect for road trips.

  • Toyota Rav4

This is the most popular vehicle for self-drive safaris in Uganda when travellers are few. The SUV is a very good Japanese automobile known for its friendly fuel consumption and therefore excellent for long trips. It has a 1990 cc engine which is so powerful to drive to most locations in Uganda including the rugged terrains of national parks. There’s a Rav4 with 3 doors and that with 5 doors, it comes in both manual and automatic transmission. The car is comfortable, has enough space for luggage in the rear and is also suitable for camping safaris.

  • Toyota safari van

Simply known as a safari van, it is perfect for Uganda safari adventures. It has 4WD and can navigate well through the challenging dirt roads of Uganda. Ideal for group travel; the car accommodates up to 10 people and is available for chauffeur driven safaris. It comes with pop-up roof for excellent viewing of wildlife.

  • Toyota Prado

These cars are also among popular safari vehicles in Uganda. These 4X4 cars are appropriate for safaris for tiring trips to numerous destinations. the 5 door SUVs carry a maximum of 5 people including the driver. Categories of Toyota Prado include the Prado TX and TZ. They are available for self drive and chauffeur driven safaris.

  • Seven-Seater Safari Land cruiser – Extended Version

This is one of the most popular 4×4 vehicles for luxurious group safaris in Uganda. The vehicle is offered with a professional English-speaking driver / tour guide. It can take up 6-7 people very comfortable on the road and it can navigate each and every part of the country. It has 2 spare tires, lift jack, mini-fridge, Air-conditioned, charge sockets, with a pop-up roof for excellent game viewing and photographing. Book it now with a driver. Price Excludes Fuel

  1. When to go visit Uganda

The climate in Uganda is hot and wet all year round and the best time to visit is during the dry season from June to September and December to February, when temperatures are more pleasant and rains are rare. This is also the best time for game-viewing, as animals are drawn to waterholes by a lack of water elsewhere and the roads are easier to navigate at this time, and mosquitoes are less abundant.

  1. What to Pack

Temperatures in Uganda vary depending on the region and season but in general days are hot and nights can be unexpectedly chilly, so layering clothing is your best bet on a Ugandan safari. Opt for cool, cotton fabrics in neutral colors for the daytime and a fleece or jacket for morning and evening game drives. Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots are a must.

  1. Currency

Uganda’s currency is the shillings and travellers can use either currency in shops, lodges, markets and restaurants throughout the country. Visa and MasterCard credit cards are generally accepted throughout Uganda though holders of other credit cards are advised to check whether their card is acceptable and ATM machines are widely available in the main cities and towns. Self-drivers should note that credit cards are not accepted at petrol stations.

  1. People & Culture

The pearl of Africa has a very strong cultural heritage well-endowed with different cultural and historical sites. With more than 50 different indigenous languages belonging to two distinct linguistic groups, and an equally diverse cultural mosaic of music, art and handicrafts, Uganda is a one stop centre for a rich African cultural experience, ranging from Bantu in the Central, West, South-west, and East, to Nilotic groups of people in the North, North-East and North-West.

Ugandans are remarkably hospitable and hail from a diversity of rich cultures and lifestyles with each tribe having its own distinct cultural values that describe who they are. All these values are based on tribal traditional activities from all spheres of life; including, food and welfare, traditional dances, clothing and organization of societies. Many regions in Uganda have kingdoms, including Buganda, Busoga, Bunyoro and Toro. Other regions still value their heritage of chiefdoms which is traceable and equally treasured.

The different kingdoms and chiefdoms in Uganda have different norms that they follow from the way they conduct themselves in public, the dance moves that is the Banyankole have kitagururo, the Baganda have Bakisimba, the west Nile people have the Agwal dance, the Acholi have Otole and Bwora dance, the Bagisu have Imbalu dance that they perform during the circumcision celebrations and the Banyoro and Batooro have Runyege dance. All these show the richness in every tribe and culture in Uganda.

  1. Airport

Entebbe International Airport is the only international Airport in Uganda that acts as the main gateway point to and fro from other countries. Entebbe international Airport is located in Entebbe close to the shores of Lake Victoria which is Africa’s largest fresh water lake, it takes about 10 minutes’ drive from Entebbe town and about 1 hour from Kampala city to Entebbe Airport.

Entebbe international Airport is a hub for the Uganda Airline which resumed operations after 18 years of rest. Uganda Airline operates direct scheduled flights around East Africa and other destinations such as Nairobi, Dar es salaam, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Kilimanjaro, Juba among others.

  1. Flights & Getting Around

Most tourists fly into Uganda through Entebbe International Airport and is served by major airlines including British Airways, SN Brussels, Kenya Airways/KLM, Emirates, South Africa Airways, Egypt Air and Ethiopian Airways. Emirates with daily flights will fly to Entebbe and will link to the whole world, Charter flights are available with small aviation companies. We arrange them on request privately with those clients that prefer charter holidays like or are limited with time.

Transfers and game drives in Uganda are usually conducted in open-sided 4X4 vehicles. The country’s good infrastructure means that many visitors to Uganda hire a car for a self-drive holiday which makes for independent, flexible travel within the ambit of a pre-planned itinerary. Self-drivers staying at private reserves join the other guests for guided game drives in 4X4s.