Self Drive Uganda Review - Uganda Self-Drive Safari Roadtrip

Are you planning a self-drive safari roadtrip through Uganda? Then look no further! In this article, we share our experiences with Self Drive Uganda, also known as Self Drive East Africa, a 4x4 car rental service from Kampala, Uganda. In total, we traveled around the country with a trusty Toyota Land Cruiser for 4 weeks. Read our full review below.

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

The Website and Booking Process The website of Self Drive East Africa gives you a good first overview of their services as well as possible itineraries for your trip. They went to great lengths to detail possible routes through Uganda and its neighboring countries. The website is, however, a bit cluttered. Additionally, the name of the company can be somewhat confusing. Their logo states Self Drive Uganda, but the URL reads as Self Drive East Africa. The reason for that ambiguity is that the company rents out its vehicles not only in Uganda but also in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Burundi. All of the vehicles will have Uganda license plates, though, which can be limiting. For example, you can only drive a Ugandan-registered vehicle for two weeks in Rwanda before you have to leave the country. You can return after 1 hour, but this still can pose a challenge.

One thing that is missing on the website is a live booking function. You do not know which vehicles are available or not at your intended dates of travel. However, Self Drive Uganda is fast to answer via WhatsApp. Once you know your dates, you can send them a message, and they will get back with a quote. 

All our communication with Self Drive Uganda was via WhatsApp with Edward and Joan. This worked flawlessly. Edward is also the perfect person to ask any questions you might have about your itinerary.

Bonus:

Self Drive Uganda also organized our Gorilla Habituation and Chimpanzee Habituation permits. We got handed all the paperwork at the airport. The tours were amazing!

The Pick-up We were met by two Self Drive Uganda employees directly at the airport. Despite the early arrival of our flight at 5 am, they had made their way to the airport with our vehicle. This was extremely convenient, as we could get started on our roadtrip straight away. 

The Instructions The entire process of checking the vehicle for damages, reading through the paperwork, and paying took around 30-40 minutes. As we picked up the vehicle from the airport parking lot, we did not get a full introduction to how to open the rooftop tent, for example. In our case, that was not an issue as we are quite familiar with that type of tent. However, if you have never slept in one before, you might want to ask them to show you how it works. The same goes for a thorough introduction of the different modes of four-wheel drive.

Important: We had only reserved the vehicle in advance but had not yet paid. We could have paid in cash, but as the preferred currency is USD, that was not an ideal solution for us. Self Drive Uganda does not accept Credit Card payments, so we had to transfer the money. Be aware that international payments will likely incur additional fees from your bank.

The Car We picked a Toyota Land Cruiser 78 series. This car has two (or two-and-a-half) seats in the cabin and a LOT of space in the back. Fitting three people in the front is possible, but quite uncomfortable. Self Drive Uganda also offers the Land Cruiser 76 series with 5 seats. These will be much more suitable for three people or more. 

The car worked the entire time flawlessly. We did not have a single mechanical issue. Looking at the cars of other rental companies that we saw during our trip, we were very happy with our choice. 

The car had a double fuel tank, which was useful for our visit to Kidepo Valley National Park. The four-wheel drive worked well. We used both 4H and 4L at times. The AC worked reasonably well. On very hot days, it couldn't quite keep up anymore, though.

Important:

1. Do not expect a new vehicle, but a properly used car. Ours had just below 300.000 km on the clock. The body had scratches and dents everywhere.

2. The trunk of the car - at least with a Land Cruiser 78 series - is a bit tough to organize and access. You can only enter through the front doors and the trunk. Inevitably, things will move around when traveling on bumpy trails. Definitely avoid bringing your fancy Rimowa suitcases as they will look anything but fancy at the end of the trip.

3. Uganda can be dusty. There is a good chance that all your luggage will be covered in a thick layer of dust. 

The Rooftop Tent

The tent was comfortable and fairly easy to put up; after a couple of days, it only took us a few minutes. All side flaps could be opened, which allowed some ventilation at night. To open and close the tent, you need to be reasonably fit as you'll have to climb around the car and possibly even onto the roof.

With a width of 120 cm, the bed was rather narrow, so you'd better be well-acquainted with your travel partner. If not, you will be after the trip. Due to the height of the car, the ladder of the rooftop tent was too short. To solve this problem, we needed to place a box under the ladder each evening. This was very makeshift and not always stable.

The tent comes equipped with a mattress, so you do not need to bring any of your own. Self Drive Uganda also supplied us with sleeping bags, but we decided against using them. Most nights, it was simply too warm. Instead, we purchased two thin blankets directly at the start of the trip.

The Equipment Our car came with a fridge, two camping chairs, a table, a large gas stove, cooking equipment, a shovel, a high-lift jack, and a towing rope. Be aware that the cooking equipment is basic and used - don’t expect non-stick pots and pans.

Before we left Entebbe, we also paid a visit to Victoria Mall, and more specifically, the Carrefour, to stock up on groceries and water. We'd highly recommend thoroughly checking if you need to buy anything before leaving Entebbe, as it can be tough to find adequate gear in other parts of the country.

As mentioned above, the car worked flawlessly; however, our fridge broke after 2.5 weeks. Self Drive Uganda immediately proposed to bring us a replacement, though.

Communications during the Trip Similar to the booking process, all communication runs through WhatsApp. Edward was always quick to answer our questions.

Our trip We traveled around Uganda for a total of four weeks, driving 4.000 km. If you would like to learn more about our trip, make sure to watch our Uganda Travel Documentary on YouTube.

The Drop-off Once we had concluded our roadtrip and had arrived in Entebbe for our return flight, we checked into Best Western Premier Garden Hotel Entebbe. A day before, we had let Self Drive Uganda know where we would stay. In the afternoon, Edward came to pick up the vehicle himself. A quick look around the car was sufficient to determine there were no major issues.

Problems The only problem we encountered was the broken fridge. As mentioned, Self Drive Uganda offered to bring us a replacement immediately, even though we were several hundred kilometers away. In the end, we declined their offer as we could not purchase many perishables in the far north of the country anyway. Mechanically, the vehicle worked perfectly fine.

Summary For us, Self Drive Uganda was an excellent choice for our Uganda safari roadtrip. We put the car through quite a lot, driving along very dusty off-road trails, through water crossings, and through very remote savannah. It held up perfectly fine without any mechanical problems. The communication was always quick. If you do not expect a state-of-the-art vehicle, you will be happy with Self Drive Uganda. (Also, good luck finding a modern rental car in Uganda in the first place.)

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

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

Make sure to watch our full Uganda Travel Documentary on YouTube: