A self drive safari is not something new to Uganda! On this kind of trip, a tourist hires a car and travels on his own around the different destinations in Uganda which include national game parks, wildlife reserves and sanctuaries, historical and cultural sites, lakes and rivers and resorts etc. Traveling on your own gives you the freedom of discovering natural beauties in Uganda. While engaging in a self drive trip, there are items or facilities that the traveler has to carry to make his trip easy and turn out to be successful.
While going for a self drive safari in Uganda, one should carry enough clothes for the trip as sometimes you may not have time for laundry. Laundry services do exist at the lodge but come with a fee. One should also carry light clothes due to Uganda’s hot climate but these should not be skimpy to respect the culture of Uganda. The traveler should also carry a coat for the cold weather in the evening and a rain jacket in case it rains. The sun glasses and hut or cap should also not be forgotten for the sunny days. You should carry a pair of jungle shoes and also a decent pair of sandals for daily wear for comfort.
Self drive safaris involve traveling long distances and most places that lead to national park or other tourism destinations are remote whereby finding a decent snack or drinking water is a challenge. It is better for the traveler to carry some edible and drinking water to get rid of anger while driving before the main meal sessions reach. Drinking water is very essential to avoid dehydration that may be caused by the hot climate of Uganda. Furthermore, the traveler needs to carry water for cooling up the engine in case it over heats and also the oil since the engine uses so much energy to run and thereby friction being too much internally, you need enough oil for lubrication and reducing the friction.
Anyone looking for a Uganda car rental should always carry a driving license whenever driving a car in Uganda to avoid criminal offenses. There are always traffic officers along the road side checking for valid driving licenses. It is also important to carry an identity card which may be a national identity card or passport so that you can easily be identified in case of anything that needs identification.
One should carry a cell phone for easy communication with the car rental company in case of any problem to know whether you are safe in Uganda. One should also have national emergency numbers for the police and also for the nearby health centers.
Traveler’s map is very essential because helps to identify the bearings and routes that lead to the tourism destinations you are intending to visit. They should be well updated.
More so, it is so important for one to carry some basic medications like pain killers and orals. You should also be immunized against yellow fever. It is also best if you get prescribed malaria tablets. The pearl of Africa is also a tropical country which harbors very many insect so you have to carry insect repellent to avoid insect bites and for the jelly, it is used to regulate and protect your skin from sun burns.
However much you may have paid your car rental, accommodation and tourism activities fees, you are supposed to carry extra money to cater for other needs and emergencies.
When traveling, it is important for any traveler to acquire travel insurance to protect him/her from any unforeseen calamities that may happen. For instance if one gets an accident, the insurance will always be there to cover for his treatment bills
There is need to park some basic mechanic tools like Jake and the spanner: these tools help the traveler in situations of replacing the damaged tyre in case of a puncture. The spanner also helps to tight up any loose part of the car. A fire extinguisher is also important because fire might breakout in the car whereby you will have to stop the fire. Though a car rental company will pack these items in the car, it is important to confirm that you have them in the cabin before embarking on your dream trip.
It is a must one to move with the first aid tools as these help travelers to treat themselves in case of any minor injuries while driving the car. The box should have some basic medic items like a blade, bandage, methanol spirit, cotton, plasters and pain killers among the special ones.
There are a variety of small items that could make life on safari easier. You may wish to throw in a small torch, a pocketknife, perhaps even spare batteries for the devices that cannot be charged. Make sure that your digital camera and zoom lens are packed and a good pair of Binoculars Finally, do not forget to pack your toiletries and feminine hygiene products, a towel or two and any other small items of a personal nature that you cannot afford to leave behind.
