12 Things to Know Before Your Self-Drive Safari in Uganda

Gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, lions, and rhinos - Uganda truly has it all. This African country undoubtedly ranks among the premier self-drive safari destinations, as long as you have a knack for adventure!

Get 10% off your 4x4 rental using our promo code

LUCAS10 at https://www.selfdriveeastafrica.com/

(Mention code at time of booking)

1. Safety

The first question most people ask when the topic of traveling through Uganda pops up is, 'Is it safe?'. In our opinion, the answer is a resounding yes! During our entire trip, we did not feel unsafe or threatened even once - well, except for when an elephant charged at us. The people of Uganda are both friendly and hospitable. That does not mean that there is no crime. But even in Kampala, the largest city of the country with roughly 2 million inhabitants, crime rates are lower than in many other East African cities.

Of course, you should always be cautious, especially late at night. However, you have likely come to Uganda for its nature and wildlife, so you won’t be spending too much time in its urban centers. For that reason, wild animals should be much more of a concern to you. Elephants, hippos, buffalo, and, of course, lions can be a threat. But again, Uganda has many safety measures in place, for example, armed guards at almost every campsite.

2. Best Time To Travel

If you can, avoid visiting Uganda during its rainy seasons. These last from March to May and from September to December. The reason is simple: traveling will be much harder, not just because camping in the rain can be challenging but also because some parts of the country will be inaccessible. The north of Uganda is often cut off from the rest when road conditions deteriorate severely. 

The high season for traveling to Uganda is from June to August. This is when most visitors arrive. For that reason, we highly recommend visiting in January and February, as there will barely be any other tourists around. This is a great advantage when spending time in the national parks, as you’ll have most of the game trails to yourself.

3. Car Rental

The most important element of a self-drive roadtrip around Uganda is the right vehicle. If you intend to properly explore the country, you are in need of a four-wheel drive with good ground clearance. This is necessary to safely venture onto the remote trails in Uganda’s national parks. 

No matter which rental company you go with, the vehicles you rent in Uganda tend to be old. In our case, the Toyota Land Cruiser had 300.000 km on the clock. However, as long as the vehicles are reasonably looked after, this is not a problem for a Land Cruiser. Sadly, not all rental companies do that. In fact, we met several other travelers who had massive issues with either their vehicles or their camping equipment. For that reason, we highly recommend that you do your research to determine which company is the right one for you.

The company we went with was Self Drive Uganda. If you want to book with them, mention our discount code LUCAS10 to get 10% off your rental fee.

Self Drive Uganda offers very fast communication via WhatsApp both before you rent the vehicle and during your trip. If you encounter any problems, they will be there for you. Even though our vehicle was not the newest, it ran without problems for the entire trip.

4. Mediocre Camping Infrastructure

The camping infrastructure in Uganda is much less developed than in other African safari destinations such as Namibia or South Africa. Compared to Tanzania, it is on par or even better. In most parts of the country, you will find managed campsites. If they are privately run, they are usually clean and fairly affordable. The amenities will mostly be basic, though. Campsites in national parks are usually very scenic, but the washroom facilities are extremely rundown. In many cases, you can also stay at lodges. Simply ask at reception if you can camp on their lawn. Always check the app iOverlander for any up-to-date reviews.

5. Health

Closely related to your personal safety is your health and well-being. Uganda is home to a number of dangerous diseases. Premier among those are malaria and yellow fever. While there is no effective vaccination against malaria yet, a vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory to enter the country. Both diseases are carried by mosquitoes, so it is always a good idea to wear long, loose-fitting clothes and to not hold back on using insect repellent. 

Another bothersome insect spreading diseases is the tsetse fly. This biting insect transmits sleeping sickness, a very serious ailment that can lead to death if untreated. The number of sleeping disease cases has dropped dramatically in the last few decades, though, so chances of catching it are very low. 

A more common but no less dangerous disease is bilharziasis. This illness is caused by parasitic flatworms that live in water. Avoiding this disease is comparatively easy. Simply do not swim in any lake in Uganda, no matter how inviting it looks. 

Last but not least, Uganda is also experiencing the occasional (minor) outbreak of Ebola. An infection takes place by coming into contact with bodily fluids, such as blood, from an infected person. As a traveler, the chances of infection are minimal, but of course, caution is advised. The same goes for the swapping of other bodily fluids that can lead to an infection with HIV. 

6. Driving

The most dangerous thing about Uganda is its traffic. The local driving style is a mix of recklessness and calculated risk-taking. Shared taxis are known to engage in wild overtaking attempts, even if traffic is approaching in the oncoming lane. Their solution is usually to flash their headlights, letting oncoming traffic know that they are in their way. Often, you’ll see cars moving to the shoulder lane to avoid a head-on collision. Nonetheless, accidents happen. 

One general rule to heed is that the larger vehicle has the right of way, no matter the actual road rules. Motorbikes almost always wait for a car to pass, even when they have the right of way at an intersection or in a roundabout. At first, this is highly confusing, but after a while, you’ll get used to it. Equally, large trucks will often drive onto a road without so much as looking, so be prepared to brake. 

Under no circumstances should you drive at night. This is not only important to avoid collisions with animals, but also with other cars. Many vehicles in Uganda are very old. As a result, they lack any functioning headlights and are pretty much invisible in the dark. Even worse, many cars do not even have brake lights. That means that you’ll have to stay 100% focused at all times to avoid an accident. 

When driving through a city, you’ll always be swarmed by motorcycles that will overtake you left and right. Additionally, watch out for speed bumps as well as shared taxis suddenly stopping to pick up passengers. 

The most important rule for driving in Uganda is to always stay calm and focused. 

7. Road Conditions

The roads in Uganda differ vastly in quality. The expressway between Entebbe and Kampala is on par with any international highway. Most of the major roads in the country are tarred and in very good condition. Only occasionally, there are potholes along some sections. More common and also more annoying are speed bumps that are placed around villages. These often force you to slow down considerably, sometimes as far as almost coming to a standstill. The reason is that there is no rule as to how high these speed bumps should be. As a result, you never know what to expect when approaching a village.

Aside from the tarred main roads, all minor roads are gravel or earthen. Their condition is highly variable. Some are in a good state, allowing you to go 60 km/h easily, while others are downright horrible, slowing down progress to 10 km/h. Their condition can also vary widely throughout the year. During the dry season, all of Uganda remains accessible; however, once the rains start, some parts of the country may be cut off. Once the waters recede, they sometimes reveal heavily damaged roads that usually aren’t repaired instantly. 

Last but not least, many smaller trails are in a very poor state. This also includes access roads to some national parks. These are often strewn with large rocks and require you to drive very carefully. For these types of roads, a vehicle with high ground clearance is necessary. 

8. Navigation

Google Maps or any other navigation app only work sporadically in Uganda. In some instances, these apps attempted to send us down goat paths or trails clearly restricted to motorcycles. This is especially true for the southwestern part of the country, which has many forest tracks that are unsuitable for large vehicles. In those instances, it is good to rely on two things. First, use a paper map to ascertain which roads are larger than others. Secondly, use the Google Maps satellite function to check if any given road is tarred or not. Several times, our navigation apps wanted to send us on tiny trails when there was a tarred road nearby. Apparently, Google cannot quite keep up with the progress in Uganda, meaning that they are unaware of roads being paved. 

One thing you absolutely cannot rely on is road signage, as it is mostly nonexistent. 

9. Cash

The local currency of Uganda is the Uganda Shilling (UGX). The exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Ugandan Shilling is roughly 1/3600. For the Euro, it is roughly 1/3900. A quick way to become a millionaire is to withdraw UGX from an ATM. For just 275 USD, you’ll be carrying around 1 million UGX.

If you intend to travel around the country, we highly recommend getting your first batch of cash at the airport. Cash remains very important in Uganda, especially in more rural settings. Power outages happen regularly, and card machines are often broken or nonexistent. Equally, local restaurants or fruit stalls only accept cash. For these, it is important to get your hands on small bills and have the correct sum ready, as many vendors won’t be able to offer you the change needed for a 50.000 UGX bill. Equally, you’ll need small bills for tipping. 

ATMs can be found in all larger cities. However, some banks might not accept your foreign credit card. Withdrawal sums are limited in many cases, often to either 1 or 2 million UGX (roughly 275-550 USD). The fees for withdrawing money differ between banks and are rarely displayed transparently. The most expensive bank, in our experience, is Absa.

10. Fuel stations

If there is one thing Uganda does not have a lack of, it is fuel stations. Every small town has at least one, but more often than not several. Most of these only accept cash payments. The exceptions are Shell and Total, which always accept credit cards. As a result, these are more expensive than the local fuel stations. Car rental companies will also tell you to only refuel at Shell and Total stations, as these are known for their high-quality fuel.

11. Police

In our experience, police mostly mind their own business. There are many roadblocks throughout the country, but at these, it is mostly shared taxis that are checked thoroughly. It is, however, not entirely unheard of to be stopped when you have been speeding - allegedly or not. Ugandan police do not have speed cameras, though, so they can only claim that you have driven too fast. If you tell them the speed your GPS showed you, they are bound to let you off with a warning. 

It can also happen that some police officers will stop you to check your papers and then casually ask you about the currency of your country. This is an attempt to score a little bribe. One particular police officer - the only one ever to stop us - outright asked us ‘to give him Euros’. Once we told him that we did not carry any, he wanted Ugandan Shillings. Again, we said we didn’t have any, and so he let us go. This was a rare exception, though. 

12. Groceries & Cooking

If you intend to travel around Uganda on your own and cook for yourself, it is important to plan ahead. Well-stocked 'Western-style' supermarkets are rare. No matter where you intend to travel, you should get all your basic supplies in either Entebbe or Kampala at the start of your trip. There are several large supermarkets to choose from, the most well-known of which is Carrefour. This is also a good spot to go to for any missing bedding or camping equipment. While you can find the occasional supermarket in larger cities around the country, their stock is often limited. Sometimes, fuel stations have their own small store as well, where you can buy some goods.

___________________________________

Get 10% off your 4x4 rental using our discount code

LUCAS10 at https://www.selfdriveeastafrica.com/

(Mention code at time of booking)

Watch our Uganda Travel Documentary on YouTube!