October, 2020 | Uganda National Parks

Self Guided Road Trip through South Western Uganda

If you have not yet got a chance to go on a self-drive safari in Uganda especially in the southwestern part of Uganda, you have a lot you are missing. If Uganda is the ‘’pearl of Africa’’ then the southwestern is the center of attractions. Uganda is a home to 10 national parks and many game reserves however over, 70% of the country’s attractions are located in the south western part of Uganda. One can decide to travel on his/her own in a self-drive car or you can choose to book everything through a tour operator or a car hire agency they will organize each and everything for you.

If you want to book a car from a car hire company in Uganda, you are advised to make the booking in time so that your car can be reserved for you in time. Remember most of the parks are located in remote areas deep in the village, so you are recommended to hire a 4×4 wheel drive car that will navigate well the tough roads in the remote areas. In this a 4×4 safari land cruiser, Rav4, supper custom, van are among the best thought after vehicles to be used for a safari in the south western part of Uganda.

If you hire a car from us, all our vehicles have fully working Air Conditioner, In Good condition, well serviced, with an unlimited mileage and we do offer Comprehensive insurance in case of Fire, accident and theft. However, this insurance does not cover the occupants and their belongings so you must come with your own personal life insurance.

Self-drive on a safari is very rewarding with a chance to drive at your own pace and you will enjoy the freedom on your road trip. If you want to buy gorilla or chimp permits you can contact your car hire agency to book for you a gorilla permit and if you book the car from them, they won’t charge you more money for making the gorilla booking for you. They will ask you to send the money so that they can buy the permit for you and later they will ask you to send your passport details including your full names, country of residence.

After the permits have been acquired they will send you a scanned copy of the booked permit. Booking a gorilla permit with a travel agency is very important since they have easy access to these gorilla permits than doing it individually They will help to advise you on the best route possible to your destination and if interested they will help to design an itinerary for you.

The south western part of Uganda has a clear road which is well tarmacked throughout up to Rwanda, only the roads heading to national parks and other attractions are not tarmacked. The hills of the Kigezi region lie in series, row upon row, ever cloudier shapes as far as the eye can see this incredible trip as you proceed to your destination.

On your road trip to the south, you will have to first stop at the equator crossing at Kayabwe for informative talks, snacks, and photography and later you will continue to Lake Mburo national park which is bio-diversified with a wide variety of animal species and birds. Lake Mburo national park is known as the closest park from the capital Kampala. The park offers a number of safari activities including game viewing, boat cruise, biking safaris, nature walk, among many other so you will choose from the list depending on the number of days you will have here.

From Lake Mburo national park, you can decide to continue with the journey passing through the largest town in the region Mbarara town to Kibale forest national park a home to over 13 species of primates coupled with chimpanzee the closest relative of man. You will drive through the lushly forest, misty slopes of the mountains and breathtaking views of the surrounding country side of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Safari activities to enjoy here include chimpanzee tracking, bigodi nature walk, birding, but here the most done safari activity is chimpanzee tracking, the park hosts the highest number of these apes over 5000 chimps live only to this park.

From here you can proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park it’s just about 3-4 hours from kibale forest N.P to Queen Elizabeth national park. The park is known for housing the highest bio-diversity of wildlife species including hippos, buffaloes, lions, elephant, and various species of antelopes, among many others. The park is known for housing the tree climbing lions in the Ishasaha sector an extension of Queen Elizabeth national park. Many activities can be done here including chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge, game drive, and launch cruise along the kazinga channel, community walk and nature walk.

You can’t leave the south minus visiting the Bwindi impenetrable national park a home to the endangered mountain gorillas. Here you will enjoy gorilla trekking the most interesting adventurous activity one should not love to miss. Gorilla trekking is regarded as the highlight to any safari to the south western part of Uganda attracting a huge number of travelers all over the world who come and spend at least one hour with the gorillas in their natural habitat.

Other places you will love to visit in this part of the country include Lake Bunyoyi the Africa’s deepest lake, it has a very cool breeze of the lake enjoy canoe ride on the lake, take a visit to the batwa pygmy among many others. Mgahinga national park is also found in the southern part of Uganda and it’s known as a home to the endangered mountain gorilla. You can decide to visit all these places on the same safari or you can combine two parks depending on your interest either on self-drive or an organized safari.

What to Expect on self- drive Safari in Uganda?

Hiring a self-drive on a safari to Uganda is too rewarding and you will have a chance to enjoy a lot during your stay to the pearl of Africa, and you will enjoy to the fullest if you hire a 4×4 car from a genuine car hire company. In Uganda there are very many car hire companies each offering the same services although at a different price. Uganda is a home to a number of attractions within the city and also in the remote areas deep in the village. It hosts 10 national parks and a number of game reserves although most of these attractions are found in the far long distance. parks like Kidepo valley national park known as the most remote park located in the far northern part of Uganda, reaching there you may need to plan for 2 days drive with an overnight on the way before your arrive at the park. Bwindi and Mgahinga are also located far away from the city it’s about 8-9 days from Kampala to the park although with stopovers on the way to admire nature. In this, hiring a 4×4 car will be of a great advantage.

A 4 wheel drive will enable you drive safely on the road, even if the road is muddy or sleepy you will still navigate and reach safely to your destination. some of the roads leading to most of attractions are tricky, so if you will need a driver that will be fine, you can go ahead and hire a 4×4 car with a driver, they know most of the alternative roads leading your to your destination, they are well experienced and they will drive you with a lot of care, what you will have to do is to sit at the back and leave everything to the driver. Send us your inquiry indicating your interest; we will advise you on the type of the car which will best suit you and the number of people you are travelling with.

If you will travel around the city, a 4×4 car may not be highly needed because most of the roads within and around the capital Kampala are well tarmacked unless in the remote areas. On a 4×4 car hire safari you will expect to enjoy a number of activities in the true wilderness of Africa, Uganda is sometimes referred to as a pearl of Africa named by Sir Churchill due to a number of incredible activities some of which are incomparable just waiting for you to explore. Each park offers unique feature so a visit to one or more of these parks is a breathtaking moment one should never forget.

If your safari takes you to Queen Elizabeth, Murchison falls, Lake Mburo, Kidepo national park game viewing will be the most sought after activities in all these parks, primate trekking in kibale, kyambura gorge in Queen N.P, Budongo forest will give a rewarding experience on a 4×4 safari to Uganda, don’t forget gorilla trekking on of its kind adventure activity in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga gorilla forest national park. Other activities expects to enjoy on a 4×4 car hire in Uganda include boat cruise, nature walk, birding safaris, cultural safaris among many others, so expect a lot during safari. Spending an overnights in tents and lodges deep in the remote areas giving you a true experience on an African safari particularly Uganda.

Our 4×4 cars are well maintained, we have top up roof cars which can help to sight many animals which live far during a game drive in protected national park except a Rav 4 which does not have an open roof but it also good for sighting animals at the park. A safari van/supper custom is more suitable for large group from 7-9 people including a driver, it has an option for a popup roof which provide shade from hot and rain but also suitable when doing a game drive in the parks as you can easily see and take photography of animals which are very far. They have air conditioner, adequate seat row space with a good space for cargo. The price for this car range from 70 to 100 per day without fuel and a driver, however if you need a driver, he can be reserved for you. Another 4×4 safari vehicle is a Toyota safari land cruiser is this one can take up to 8 people including a driver; it’s very comfortable and suitable for rough roads. It has in built fridge, pop-up roof. First kit, 2 spare tyres with a good space for luggages. This type of 4×4 cars is largely recommended for safaris in Uganda. You can get this one a US$150 per day with a driver or at US$120 per day without a driver and fuel. Hire a self-drive car from us for a great experience.