NO HURRY IN UGANDA-PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

When you decide to travel Uganda on a budget safari, you tend to have a few things in mind most probably renting a car will be out of question after seeing a few sites advertising their prices for 45 dollars per day for a budget rav4. Moving in Uganda as a tourist is a bit tricky and very expensive in the end if you do not have a rented car and you plan on a budget safari or guided safaris.

We do have taxis commonly pronounced as ( Takisiiii) that can move you in and around Kampala and some neighboring cities not in the national parks of course. We have got a taxi park where you will have to go and find them not like in your country where may be it will find you at the door step, getting there is also by another taxi or boda (motorcycle) .These do not have a specified price as it will increase or decrease according to the activities around the city, however they will be available.  When you get a taxi to Entebbe it is supposed to be a 1 hours’ drive however it may two or more as people go stopping to their destinations and police traffic also doing their jobs I guess if you are looking at a budget safari this will end up costing you a lot.

Buses are also public means to use here in Uganda, these go for longer distances however they are a bit faster than the taxi given the fact that they do not go stop stopping though they also do stop. These carry to a maximum of 62 persons that will be added as you move. Our roads are in good shape but not the drivers. They are not very expensive in terms of money but just time and maybe comfort , this can be good if you visit Uganda for business not tourism related issues on a budgets safari.

A motorcycle (boda) is the best way but I guess it will be for Ugandans only as their driving is not the way you may think.
If you must use the public means in Uganda make sure you’re not in any hurry and about to endure all that and also lose as much time as possible however this is not a must some ties they really do move very well without any interruptions at all. But if you must Please take the below in your mind.

• Don’t trust the driving skills of a man who puts all his faith in God, Check out the driver before you get into any vehicle. If he stinks of booze, get out!
• don’t even think of sitting over the back wheels
• Does the bus have curtains? If not, you might want to sit on the side away from the sun or you’ll get burned, or at least uncomfortably hot you may not find these in a taxi or boda.
• Always bring more water than you need – you never know where you’re going to end up!
• Take ear plugs and/or music. You might enjoy the person behind you singing loudly to their radio?

Renting a car for a safari in Uganda is the only option that you will have to enjoy these beautiful lands at your own pace, if you take time on the internet they are very good travel agency’s with better deals mostly in the low season you can use such times to travel to Uganda for a self-drive safari using the budget Rav4 from as low as 45 dollars per day.

Road User Behaviors to avoid in the New Year.

Beginning the year in Uganda comes with mixed feelings of excitement, very high focus and regret amongst some persons. Like any other place, most people celebrate the start of the New Year by taking family trips and vacations, friends’ trips and others just choose to devote more to the Lord in the church.

Often time, car rental agencies in Uganda interact more with the persons interested in embarking on authentic and exciting self drive trips to discover the underlying beauty in the Pearl of Africa wilderness and nature. Due to the excitement and overwhelming joy of a new year, drivers tend to be a little careless in these days that call for extra carefulness to avoid putting lives to risk at the start year that could have their plans for the New Year ruined.

We have put together some peak characteristics of drivers on the road to avoid and look out for on your self drive Uganda safari to be able to keep safe on the road and avoid unfortunate incidents that could ruin your new year moods and plans.

Drunk driving.

Most people tend to party the entire January away and you will be more likely to find more drunk drivers on the road especially in the night hours of the day. It is therefore important that you drive at an average speed that can allow you to keep in control of your car on the self drive Uganda safari and be able to avoid collisions with these drunk fellas that could be driving recklessly due to high alcohol content in their bodies. Also, be a responsible driver and do not drink and drive since you will be susceptible to causing accidents.

Over speeding.

It is common amongst people to drive at very high speeds as they tend to have fresh resolutions and energy for the new year and psychologically tend to want to get things done faster. This implies that persons will be reckless in a quest to be on time in the new year and could likely cause accidents. While using the 4x4 cars, ensure to keep your speed in check to allow you the chance to keep in control of the car on the self drive trip especially on highways and areas with corners.

High crime rate.

The obvious is that the extreme celebrations in the festive season will leave people with less money than they started with since they start the whole year saving up for it. The partying and eating and buying of clothes for the big days will leave most peoples pockets dry hence causing crimes like theft and robbery to be on the increase. Highways and urban areas are more prone to this due to the high population and high cost of living. While on a self drive Uganda safari, be very keen to park your car in safe and secure places like at your hotel since most of them have security guards commonly referred to as askaris. Also, lock your car always and leave an alarm to alert you in case of forced entry.

It is therefore important that as a road user on a selfdrive Uganda safari, you take note of these kinds of traits that turn out to be dangerous or better still, if you feel you may not be able to avoid some of the above like drinking, hire a professional and insightful driver guide that will take you through the beautiful lands of the Pearl of Africa just like an open book. Enjoy your new year!