The best Car Hire Uganda Tips You Need To Know - Uganda Safari News

Uganda, also known as the “Pearl of Africa” is a land filled with wonders characterized by inspiring beauty in all its corners. It is one of the most sought Africa safari destinations by tourists all over the globe. One of the most popular ways you can immerse yourself in Uganda’s beauty is by choosing to visit Uganda for a Uganda safari or for a Uganda safari tour. If you are good with driving, you can choose to do a self-drive Uganda tour to any of National Parks in Uganda including the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & Mgahinga Gorilla National Park popular for their mountain gorillas that attract tourists for Uganda gorilla safaris. There are several packages that guarantee you visit the best places in Uganda like the 3 Days Uganda gorilla safari, 4 Days Uganda wildlife safari, 8 Days Uganda gorilla & chimpanzee trekking safari, 13 Days Uganda Rwanda wildlife safari among the many.
With a good car rental company like a self-drive car hire Uganda under Prime Safaris & Tours Ltd, self-drive car rental Uganda is an efficient form of travel mainly because it is all about your comfort zone. You don’t need to have your attention split between the attractions and other tourists or guide but rather on what you want to see, at your own pace and your own time.
Now, driving is, in essence, the same in every country you go with a few variations depending on governance and road networks. In case you are planning a self-drive safari in Uganda, here are a few things to note so you make your experience even better and your journey free from disturbances.

Car hire tips in Uganda

Speed restrictions

Speed restrictions in any country are the most strictly enforced road rules and this is purposely done for a good reason. More than 40% of road accidents in Uganda occur because a driver was over speeding. This would be more than unfortunate if you were to become part of this statistic. Consequently, we advise you to watch for speed limit signs along the highways and other major roads in the country. Save your life as well as other people’s lives.

Keep left

As stated earlier, driving in every country is basically the same in every country with a few minor differences for instance which side of the road to drive on. In Uganda, all drivers are supposed to drive on the left-hand side of the road. In case you are not accustomed to this manner of driving or find it difficult, you are advised to hire a car in Uganda a chauffeur-driven car (a car with a driver) so let us know during your process of car hire in Uganda with us. Hiring a car in Uganda with a driver-guide from the same car rental company is cheaper than hiring a car and driver separately.

Traffic Police

Traffic police is an arm in the Uganda police force instructed to ensure there is proper road usage of roads and help road users in general including yourself. So in case, something happens to you while you on the road, do not hesitate to find the nearest police officer in a white uniform. In the same manner, do not be alarmed if stopped by traffic police for they are just doing their job of ensuring road user’s safety. Once you’re caught in wrong, don’t attempt to bribe the police officer for this only worsens the situation.

Take regular stops

Some people may beg to differ, but we believe that a journey should be as remarkable as its destination. Based on this impression, we would advise you to set off early every day and drive at a moderate speed to absorb as much of Uganda’s beauty as you can through your windscreen and this will also allow you to have regular stops to take pictures or refresh yourself. The main aim of doing this will be to arrive at your destination unfatigued and ready to be impressed by the wonders hidden within the Pearl of Africa.

Driving guidelines for self-drive car hire tourists in Uganda

With the zeal for self-discovered adventures by many youths on Uganda safaris, many have opted for self-drive safaris through the country a reason as to why we are here to give you driving guidelines for self-drive tourists in Uganda. Depending on the season, the roads in Uganda are fairly good within all towns and could be dusty or muddy during the dry and wet seasons respectively.
For international tourists on Uganda tours, a holder of a valid driver license issued by his/her country of residence is permitted to drive in Uganda. However, this is valid for only three months if the driver license is in English and after that period, the driver will be required to obtain a Ugandan driving license.
If your country driver license is not in English, then a driver should have an approved notarized translation of his/her driver license. A better alternative is the driver may obtain an International driving permit before travelling to Uganda.
Now that you know what is required of you, here are some of the Driving rules to follow in Uganda;
Ugandan road traffic rules:
  • In Uganda, it is illegal to drive any motor vehicle or safari vehicle without a valid driver license.
  • The minimum age for driving is 18 years.
  • All throughout the country, it is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The permitted blood alcohol level is 0.08%.
  • The speed limit on highways is 100 km/h (62 mph), outside built-up areas-80 km/h (50 mph) and 50 km/h (31 mph) in urban built-up areas.
  • The driver and all passengers are required to wear protective seat belts at all times.
  • All motorcycle riders and passengers must wear protective helmets.
  • Valid third-party insurance is mandatory for all motor vehicles.
  • At intersections, drivers must give way to traffic from his/her right-hand side.
  • Use of a mobile phone whilst driving is illegal and can lead to a penalty.
  • A rear-facing baby seat must not be fitted into a seat protected by an active frontal airbag.

SELF DRIVE CAR HIRE RENTALS UGANDADriving guidelines for self-drive car hire travellers in Uganda

  • For non-residents on Uganda wildlife safari tours or any other trip, the driver must be at least 23 years of age and should have held a valid driver license for a period of not less than 2 years.
  • In case of an accident during the drive, in not less than 24 hours, the driver must report the accident in-person to a police station. You should give to the police officer, your name and address, name and address of the owner of the car and the number of the registration plates of the vehicle.
  • Any police officer in uniform may remove any vehicle from a metered parking place if it is not less than two hours from the time at which the vehicle first appeared to have been parked in contravention of the regulation.

The procedure of getting an international driving license

  • The applicant should go to the offices of Automobile Association of Uganda and pick application form for an International Driver’s License/permit (IDP)
  • The applicant then fills the form
  • The applicant proceeds to a designated bank and pays a fee for acquiring the license
  • The applicant then hands in a filled application form together with a valid Ugandan driving permit, passport photos and evidence of payment of fees
  • The applicant then waits for a few days for the International Driver’s license to be processed

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WHERE CAN YOU FIND & SEE GORILLAS IN UGANDA AFRICA?

Image
Uganda has only two national parks where one can see gorillas i.e Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and this is where g orilla trekking in Uganda is done to search and find  the rear endangered Mountain Gorillas . With about 1063 mountain gorillas that still exist on earth today, Uganda is home to more than half of all these endangered Great Apes making it one of the only 3 countries in the world where mountain gorillas live and Uganda gorilla tours are only done in there two national parks. Uganda has 20 gorilla families that have been habituated and already set for tourism purposes , 19 of which are tracked/found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and only 1 is found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one  of the places where you can see Gorillas in Uganda Africa. The appropriately named Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (also called “The Place of Darkness”) is the world’s premier gorilla t
Read more

Mountain Gorilla Behavior,Diet,Threats and Predators

http://www.primeugandasafaris.com/gorilla-safaris/5-days-uganda-gorilla-safari.html Behavior  Although strong and powerful, gorillas are generally gentle,shy ,retiring rather than ferocious and treacherous . They live in groups of 2-40 individuals, averaging about 11. Groups are led by a dominant male, the Silverback, named for the silvery gray hairs that grow when the male matures. The Silverback serves as the chief leader and protector of the group, to whom all group members defer. He decides when and where to go, rest and sleep, arbitrates disputes among his family members and protects them from rival Silverbacks or human predators. Gorillas usually seeks no trouble but will valiantly defend its family group if threatened. An adult male called a silverback named for the silvery gray hairs on its back normally leads each group, serving as its chief protector and defender. Gorillas
Read more

SHELLEY’S CRIMSONWING; THE BIRDS OF UGANDA – UGANDA SAFARI NEWS

Image
With over 1057 species of birds, the birding safaris and tours in Uganda go beyond the ordinary. Among these species of birds, there is the eye catching Shelley’s Crimsonwing scientifically referred as Cryptospiza Shelleyi. The Shelley’s Crimsonwing is categorized among the estrildid finch species thrives in closed canopy moist forests, close to water valley bottoms, low secondary growth at the edges of forests, glades and forest clearings marked by extensive herbs, moorland and Bamboo thickets. The birders on Uganda safaris can explore the Shelley Crimsonwing in the Mountains of the Albertine rift valley including Rwenzori Mountains. This Species stretch to other famous parts in the region including the Virunga Mountains, the Kahuzi Biega Mountain, Itombwe Mountain as explored on Congo Safaris and tours and Nyungwe Forest National Park and Gishwati Mukura National Park as explored on Safaris in Rwanda . Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to the south west of Uganda is
Read more